Reviewed by Chezré van Rensburg.
There’s something truly special about getting to experience an international band in South Africa. We have phenomenal local bands, but to see a metal band from across the world is a unique opportunity that hardly comes by for us.
NVLO (Argentina) made their Johannesburg debut at Sognage on 30 August 2025. This deathcore quintet from Buenos Aires delivered a fierce set that lit up Randburg with raw energy and crushing riffs.
NVLO formed in 2018 and blends deathcore, hardcore, death metal and breakdown-heavy grooves into a brutal sound.
They have released four albums to date: IRA (2018), Nulo (2019), Fosa (2021) and Eclosión (2023).
Their live reputation grew after the Wacken Metal Battle in Europe and high-profile slots at Knotfest Argentina, Movistar Arena with Bring Me The Horizon, and tours in 2024.
Sashquita Northey, who established Emalyth events and organises the Sub-Saharan African Wacken Battles every year, met this band in Germany at Wacken Open Air a few years back and fell in love with them. Since then, she’s been hard at work planning and arranging for NVLO to visit us in South Africa. We want to give a massive shout out to her dedication and passion and for making this happen. We are incredibly grateful to her, as well as Lana Britz, the other half of the powerhouse that is Emalyth, a massive and truly dedicated organiser for the local metal scene.
The Johannesburg show was part of NVLO’s first ever South Africa tour: They smashed it in Cape Town on the 29th of August, then traveled straight to Johannesburg to perform at Sognage in Randburg.
The show started at 7pm, with local legends hyping the crowd up with the spectacular metal South Africans have come to know and love.
2023 Sub-Saharan African Wacken Battle Winners Middle Grounds kicked off the evening with high energy and an absolutely diabolical set.
Grift, Raptorbaby, and Sunken State followed, each bringing their own brutal, headbanging, crowd-pleasing sounds and building up even more energy and excitement. A moment of excitement for fans happened when Brandon Render from Middle Grounds and Dwayne Hees from Sunken State joined Grift on stage for a spectacular collaboration. Sam Mackintosh from Fading Gray also made a surprise appearance to collab with Sunken State on their hit song, “I Am Divinity.”
Then, the moment everyone was waiting for: NVLO
Fans felt the full force of their Argentinian Deathcore as soon as the first song began. The crowd moved with pure excitement, driven by punishing riffs and unstoppable breakdowns.
NVLO matched their reputation for chaotic stage presence, controlled brutality, and powerful breakdowns. Their sound rattled the venue, and the audience responded with full commitment: mosh pits, circle pits, crowd surfing, the infamous wall of death, head-banging, fist pumping, raised horns, and an atmosphere thick with adrenaline and pure joy.
NVLO truly brought a potent, aggressive show to Johannesburg. Their blend of heaviness and stage presence created a show that gave fans what they came for: relentless energy, brutal music, and a sense they’d witnessed something hard and unforgettable. So many fans were raving about their performance once the show was over, singing high praise to the NVLO boys as they packed up.
It was truly a night to remember, and one of the most special evenings for a lot of South African fans. We hope to see them again one day!
Chezré van Rensburg
082-960-9884