“In a dissociative world, we must power through with art and self-expression to channel our frustrations, pain and confusion into a beautiful representation of what it means to be alive.”
Heady stuff – especially in service of a music festival. But Oblivion Access is an especially heady – and heavy – event.
Rechristened and returning after a two-year, pandemic-imposed absence, Oblivion Access is set to challenge Texas audiences with a confrontational blend of bands and genres, music and art. Over 100 bands and performers are participating in the festival, spread out over four days at seven venues across downtown Austin.
Veteran Austin music booker Dusty Brooks founded the fest with co-conspirator Dorian Domi, initially with a different name and narrower focus: The festival’s first outing in 2016 as Austin Terror Fest featured plenty of names familiar to fans of extreme metal but didn’t stretch far beyond those parameters. As the festival grew to encompass multiple days, venues and genres, they figured a name change was in order.