Oblivion Access 2022 - Cattle Decapitation
Photo Credit: Ted Nubel

Hotter Than Hell: Scenes from Oblivion Access 2022 in Austin, Texas

Oblivion Access 2022 - Cattle Decapitation
Photo Credit: Ted Nubel

First thoughts: Oblivion Access is a festival for the music-obsessed. The sheer volume of bands and venues means that once events start for the day, there is always a band you desperately want to see about to start down the street. Downtime is limited, to put it mildly. That’s especially true for press and event photographers attempting to get good angles on as many performances as possible among packed crowds – we saw as much as we could, but there was no way we’d be able to cover each of the 75+ bands on the bill.

Here’s what we saw, with a lean toward the fest’s heavy metal end (Oblivion Access by no means limited to heavy metal) – oh, and damn good thing the food trucks in the Red River Cultural District are open real late.

We’ll have more thoughts for you tomorrow, but please enjoy these excerpts from our photographic journey through Oblivion Access 2022.

–Ted Nubel and Andrew Rothmund

Day 1: Immortal Bird, Elizabeth Color Wheel, Hell, Devil Master, Primitive Man, Carcass, Windhand

Day 2: Vile Creature, Jarhead Fertilizer, Body Void, Dorthia Cortrell, Soul Glo, Thou

Day 3: Skeleton, Yautja, Fed Ash, Mortiferum, Ilsa, Spectral Voice, King Woman, Melt Banana, Drain [pics coming soon], Outer Heaven, Fury, Yellow Eyes, Blood Incantation, Autopsy

Melt Banana
Oblivion Access Day 3 - Melt Banana

Day 4: Vermin Womb, Despite You, Converge, Liturgy, Cave In, Cattle Decapitation