The Keening are heavy. Emotionally and musically, The Keening will capture you in their warm, soothing arms, only to rip out your heart in the next moment.

Not every moment can be so full of rage, and Conjurer often weave in subtle passages that reflect memories and bygone eras, pulling you closer to the essence of the band. With their newest opus, Unself, we welcome Conjurer to Prepare The Ground with open hearts and a willingness to be transformed.

Deftly melding the boundaries of the past with the present, the Toronto-based quartet are armed with songs so slyly catchy that you’ll be lost in their movements before you even realise what is happening. Prepare yourselves for a voyage into the vast unknown.

Ten years have passed since Minsk released a new album, seven years since new music at all and a good while since the band even performed live. 2025 marks a shift for the Illinoisans as they hit the road for the summer and have announced they're joining the line-up for Prepare The Ground in 2026.

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead rarely play live anymore and, rightly, garner huge response when they do. Now, they are slowly regaining their footing and for Prepare The Ground, Trail Of Dead will be performing two classics: Source Tags & Codes and The Secret of Elena’s Tomb.

Oathbreaker have been in the shadows for a long, long time, with their last album Rheia, released in 2016 and live performances being few and far between, Nevertheless, Oathbreaker are held in high regard some ten years later and will be performing Rheia in full at Prepare The Ground next year.

Yesterday we added ten more artists to our 2026 edition. Three days of heavy, dark, cathartic music in the core of the city of Toronto awaits you May 29-31. Join us, won't you?

It seems fitting that Amenra will perform their public catharsis within the hallowed walls of Trinity St. Paul’s. Performing twice in this sacred location, Amenra will bring their self-flaggelation to the masses in an acoustic session and an electric appearance.

Slow, sublime moments are interspersed between the classically heavier, screamo style passages, as Malevich navigate philosophical concepts and personal realisations.

Taking a journey into the farthest reaches of space and time are Finland’s Oranssi Pazuzu, an entity so mind-boggling that even repeated listens of 2024s Muuntautuja has yet to reveal its full depths. Step into the void …. if you dare.

Swirling storms, driving rhythms & punchy beats underpin the sound of the Philadelphian's music, making them an exciting prospect no matter year they exist in, or wish to have. August’s frenetic A Sullen Dark Sky fresh in mind, Unholy Altar are primed for a heroes welcome at Prepare The Ground.

Prepare The Ground is Svalbard’s first and final performance in North America as they announced their amicable dissolution earlier in 2025. Expect a ferocious, precise, emotional time this coming May at PtG.

Tijuana finest is pushing the boundaries of crust in their use of melody and glowing structures to propel the music on April’s Mil orquídeas en medio del desierto to stratospheric heights.
Habak are a vital voice in underground music, and it's an honour to host them in Toronto next May.