COLUMN: Metal Chaos from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Article by Kim Beamish

Slam City III: Metal Chaos from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
By Kim Beamish @nondscript / www.nondscript.com

A week-long festival of blistering riffs, guttural roars, and sweat-drenched chaos crashes to an earth-shaking finale in Phnom Penh. ‘SLAM CITY III’ has torn its way from Siem Reap’s ‘ATLANTIS METAL BAR’ to the Cambodian capital, leaving nothing but wrecked eardrums and shattered stages in its wake. What began as a tight-knit underground scene has exploded into a relentless, full-throttle showcase of global metal and hardcore, proving that Cambodia is no mere footnote in the heavy music world—it’s a force to be reckoned with.

This isn’t just a local affair. Cambodia’s finest—REIGN IN SLUMBER, AFTER GOD, DOCH CHKAE, and the near-immortal NIGHTMARE AD —have been joined by an international onslaught: Switzerland’s PEOPLE DIE AT THE FAIR, Singapore’s OPPOSITION PARTY and TRUTH BE KNOWN, Japan’s SEVENTH SON and ELEANOR, and China’s stage-destroying DUMMY TOYS.

And make no mistake—this scene, though small, punches well above its weight class. These bands don’t just play for the love of it; they’ve got albums and recordings that could sit proudly alongside some of the world’s heaviest hitters. Mia Priest, ‘Nightmare A.D.’ lead and one of ‘Slam City’s’ three organizers, is in the band ‘Abyssal Vortex’ with members of ‘Megadeth’ and ‘Rudra’. For those in the know, that’s as close to metal royalty as it gets.

Siem Reap: The Firestarter
‘Slam City III’ kicked off in Siem Reap, a city better known for the ancient ruins of ‘Angkor Wat’ than for hosting a metal uprising. But for three nights, ‘Atlantis Metal Bar’—the beating heart of Cambodia’s underground, run by fellow festival organizer ‘Chihiro’—became the country’s mecca of all things heavy.

Swiss wrecking crew ‘People Die at the Fair’ lit the fuse, their guttural roars and earthquake-inducing basslines shaking the bar’s foundations. ‘Atlantis’ is a haven for the damned, a church of distortion, a place where metal is king, and for three nights, it was a ‘very’ loud kingdom.

Singapore’s ‘Opposition Party’ ran for election and won by a landslide, while Osaka’s ‘Eleanor’ transformed the cramped bar into a full-blown arena show. Tokyo’s ‘Seventh Son’ shredded with such ferocity they may have accidentally taken home an extra band member. But it was China’s ‘Dummy Toys’—a riotous, high-voltage punk hurricane in the spirit of ‘Pussy Riot’ and ‘Bikini Kill’ – who tore the place apart. At one point, even the spirits of the nearby temples seemed to be trying to get in.

And that was just the first half.

Phnom Penh: The War Machine Rolls On
Bleary-eyed, sweat-soaked, and battered from Siem Reap’s assault, the ‘Slam City’ convoy rolled into Phnom Penh. Some bands had barely an hour before throwing themselves into another round of sonic carnage.

‘Noisy Chilli Taphouse’—named after a cat with a particularly nasty death growl—was the first battleground. ‘Rabies’, a Czech DIY punk outfit, were first to the slaughter, with vocalist ‘Karolina’ roaring Phnom Penh into existence.

From there, the night was a relentless sprint:
– ‘Eleanor’ returned, as dramatic and polished as ever.
– ‘Reign in Slumber’’s Nel—small in stature but a goddamn hurricane on vocals—summoned screams straight from the depths of hell.
– ‘Seventh Son’ pulled the crowd back into a heavy metal fever dream.
– ‘After God’’s long-haired Khmer guitarist (name lost to the wreckage) danced across the stage like he was possessed, while bassist ‘Vichey’—whose name fittingly means ‘Victory’—hammered out filthy basslines before launching his guitar into the air.

Then came ‘Bon’. A mild-mannered, heavily tattooed Thai dude standing front and center. Without warning, he stormed the stage, grabbed the mic, and bellowed: “I AM HERE TO ANNOY YOU!!!!” One guttural roar later, the mosh pit ignited into a furnace. Bon vanished back into the chaos, mission accomplished.

Thankfully, a much-needed dinner break followed, if only to hose the blood, sweat, and beers from the floor before the next round.

– ‘Opposition Party’ returned, with ‘Francis Frightful’ laying out his political manifesto in raw punk fury.
– ‘Nightmare A.D.’ shredded and burned through their set in the sweltering heat.
– ‘Dummy Toys’ unleashed ‘another’ riot, leaving the crowd crawling for air.

And just like that, we were at the final battle.

Cloud: The Last Stand
With bodies battered and energy reserves running low, the faithful dragged themselves to ‘Cloud’ for the last onslaught.

– ‘Dummy Toys’ detonated the night, Qingqing hammering the drums while Birdie (her ‘giant orange mohawk’ defying gravity) shredded alongside bassist Huanzi. When vocalist Xaokui finally let loose, the power cut out. A brief pause. A restart. And then back into the inferno.
– ‘Nightmare A.D.’ returned, the crowd begging for more, and they delivered.
– ‘Doch Chkae’’s Theara turned the pit into a tornado of limbs, every lyric a threat, every kick and stomp a war cry.

Then, as if to turn words into action, ‘After God’ took the stage, with ‘Bon’ stepping up once more like a man possessed. Finally, Singapore’s ‘Truth Be Known’ stormed in, a five-piece thrash-metal wrecking ball. Frontman ‘Subash’ whipped his hair, spat lyrics about ‘Marvel heroes and political fury’, and led his three-guitar army straight into the heart of the crowd.

And that was it.

The last riff rang out. The last body hit the floor. The last beer spilled. ‘Slam City III’ was over. But not before ‘Subash’ grabbed the mic one last time: “I hear there are only four metal bands in Cambodia,” he grinned. “Well, next time we’re here, I want to hear 40!”

Mic drop. Curtain call.

Cambodia’s metal scene? It’s only getting started.