Reflecting on KILL ICONIC FESTIVAL 2025

Independent alt-rock record company, Kill Iconic, brought the tracks, the friends, and the nostalgia to the Vibes Event Center this past weekend as they held their fan-favorite, dearly beloved musical showcase, Kill Iconic Fest, in downtown San Antonio this past weekend. Brought to San Antonio by Twin Productions, Kill Iconic Fest acted as a diverse rainbow of music, displaying twelve total bands between two stages, and propelling the careers of so many notable and nostalgic bands into the front of everyone’s minds. Featuring oceans of merch, a photo booth, and a coffee cart, Kill Iconic Fest was incredible, and ZRockR was lucky enough to be invited along. Let’s get into it.

Donella Drive is a San Antonio band that’s been going strong for a while now. A post-hardcore band with a lot of punk influence, they were a perfect choice to start the fest.

Wulfholt, another local addition to the lineup. Wulfholt’s grunge-adjacent doomy metal sound lies somewhere between Ozzy Osbourne and System of a Down. If that sounds up your alley, get on them ASAP.

Getting to the touring bands, Lady Radiator’s set was one of the most anticipated of the day. Kill Iconic marked their first performance since 2009 – a 16 year hiatus that ended once they hit that stage. Though they only had thirty minutes to soak in their homecoming spotlight, the MySpace era post-hardcore duo absolutely killed it.

Thomas Erak and the Ouroboros used Kill Iconic as their first ever performance. Born out of California, the chaotic, dark, angry metalcore outfit turned out the lights – nearly quite literally – and opened the pits up for the festival. It was a frenzy of jarring breakdowns and rabid screams that earned its place on the lineup.

Origami Button’s prog emo sound – twinkly guitars, poppy riffs, and smooth vocals included – complimented the smell of coffee and weed wafting through the venue at this point. A chill, groovy time, Origami Button’s sound is distinctive and really wonderful. I’d recommend it to nearly anyone, a true underrated gem.

Resilia, a swancore/post-hardcore collective with sad lyrics, impressive instrumental display, and among the best vocals of the entire festival, were adored by all who laid eyes upon them. No fancy gimmicks, no crazy props or mosh calls, Resilia had the audience in the palm of their hands from the start and never set them down.

Personally one of my most anticipated sets, Omerta, the most hated boy band in the world took the stage hostage, broke every bone in their bodies, and demanded they crawl back for more. Glitchcore, hardcore, nu metal, weeb rock, whatever you want to call it, it was a genuine trip to witness, and it lit a fire under the audience to move, kick, fight, and go absolutely ape-wild. The most electric of the sets, Omerta is always a kick-ass time.

Murals is a post-hardcore/emo band with poppy ballads, impressive riffs, and really lovely lyrics. Admittedly, a much slower pace than the ear-splitting insanity of prior set, Omerta, but a really swell time none the less. Rad tunes to sway and cry to are their thing, and if that interests you, I’d check them out.

The hodge-podge supergroup of the lineup, Head Automatica’s collective makeup is strange. Featuring members of Glassjaw and Give Up the Ghost (and originally founded by a member of the Gorillaz) Head Automatica’s groovy electro punk rock mixture made plenty of sense on this lineup. Spending most of the band’s lifespan between touring and on hiatus for health issues, San Antonio was truly lucky to have the experimental rock group play a healthy set for them, rocking out through smog, lights, and funky vibes.

The post-hardcore/metalcore band of internet-famous figure, Andy Cizek, Makari is a darling of their scene. With guitar pieces that transcend genre and prior work, Makari is always elevating what they can be, ranging from soft rock ballads to pop-adjacent anthems, being set on another level with their expertly mixed digital delays and their ethereal guitars and then being taken further by their angelic vocals – it’s truly an experience like no other.

Polarizing progressive act, Between the Buried and Me, showed up to San Antonio’s Kill Iconic Festival this past week and brought their entire treasure chest of prog-rock, death metal, atmospheric synths, theory shattering guitar solos, and colorful lyrics to the Vibes Event Center. With a kaleidoscope of riffs and artful performance, Between the Buried and Me’s set only proved one thing true: nothing gets the crowd surfing like the marriage between Twin Productions and metal.

All the way from the United Kingdom, the opening act for their touring mate – Between the Buried and Me, and Hail the Sun – Delta Sleep delivered what every recorded song of theirs promise: the genuinely best possible experience one could ask for. Swancore/emo math-rock darlings from the very first note, the group brought a bright warmth through all of the smog, coffee, and energy of Kill Iconic Fest. A clearly beloved band, they brought the twinkly guitars and playful bass lines that the festival needed, sticking out from the lineup with their mellow vibes and embracing chords.

Hail the Sun always claim that San Antonio is their home away from home, their favorite city to play, and the hub that they always return to. Considering the fact that they always stop in – or nearby – the military city anywhere from once to three times a year, it’s hard to argue against it. The post-hardcore group have been around for a long while, always choosing San Antonio to hold their Kill Iconic festival, and always giving the Texan city the absolute best setlists that they can. Teasing their upcoming album by playing unreleased tracks, new singles, and endlessly professing their love for their home-away-from-home, one could not have asked for a better end to the night.