Don Broco - Nightmare Tripping 2026 | Hellraiser Leipzig

In the organizer's words:

DON BROCO are a band that consistently defies categorization. Since their formation in 2008, the English band consisting of singer Rob Damiani, guitarist Simon Delaney, bassist Tom Doyle and drummer and singer Matt Donnelly have been creating innovative music that effortlessly blends elements of metal, post hardcore and electronica to create a unique sound. "I love being surprised and I love music taking turns that you wouldn't expect," explains Damiani. "When you're writing a song you have a million options and it's always the paths that lead somewhere unexpected that get me the most excited."

This experimental approach has always been a trademark of DON BROCO, but with their debut on Fearless Records, Nightmare Tripping, the band presents their heaviest and most diverse album to date. It shows why the band have sold out venues such as Wembley Arena and Alexandra Palace in the UK, played to ecstatic crowds at festivals such as Download and Reading & Leeds, headlined Slam Dunk Festival and toured with acts such as Pierce The Veil, Bring Me The Horizon and 30 Seconds To Mars.

For the recording of Nightmare Tripping, the band once again worked with longtime producer and collaborator Dan Lacaster, who has worked with Bring Me The Horizon and Muse, among others, since his work on DON BROCO's debut album Priorities in 2012. "It's been so awesome to see Dan's growth as a producer and musician in his own right," says Damiani. "He's also one of the best singers I've ever heard in my life which is great because it really pushes me and Matt to up our game in order to live up to that."

Although the previous album Amazing Things from 2021 reached over 57 million streams, the band deliberately refrained from repeating that sound. One of the most noticeable changes on Nightmare Tripping is Damiani's increased integration of screams into the band's sound. "It's something I've always done live, but I found myself embracing that style on this album in a way I haven't done in the past," he explains. "Embracing those harsher vocals has been exciting for us creatively."

In the catchy track "Cellophane", Damiani alternates between melodic vocals and rough outbursts, while in "Disappear" he uses his voice like an additional instrument that moves between danceable and dark soundscapes. "This is probably our darkest album yet and it's definitely lost some of the positivity of Amazing Things," says Damiani. "I'm a very positive person in general and I'm always trying to find silver linings, but that's not a fix-all tool."

From the increasing popularity of fascist movements in Europe to the genocide in Palestine, many of the lyrics on Nightmare Tripping reflect Damiani's attempt to deal with a world that is increasingly coming apart at the seams. Nevertheless, the album is not exclusively gloomy. "One song that's very important to me is 'Pacify Me'; it's about finding the courage in yourself to speak out about things that are important to you. Hopefully the song can provide some positivity to people who are feeling the same things as me."

Nightmare Tripping also features top-class collaborations, including with the rock band Nickelback on the title track and with Architects singer Sam Carter on "True Believers". "I always had Sam in mind for 'True Believers;' it's one of the angriest songs on the album and Sam stands for the same things that we do," says Damiani. Incidentally, Carter recorded his vocals on a single day off during a European tour with Linkin Park.

The collaboration with Nickelback came about after it emerged that the band were fans of DON BROCO and were interested in a joint tour. Although this did not materialize for logistical reasons, it resulted in a collaboration for a song that pushes the band's musical boundaries even further. "Nightmare Tripping" combines a radio-friendly chorus with brute breakdowns that are sure to cause mosh pit moments live around the world.

With Nightmare Tripping, DON BROCO ultimately succeed in redefining their sound while remaining true to their roots. Damiani puts this down to the close bond within the band that has developed since their youth. "As a band all four of us have very strong feelings when it comes to our songwriting, which is why it can take so long to write a record compared to other bands," he explains. "As long as we keep our communication open and allow everyone's ideas to be heard, things work out for the best."

This openness and willingness to allow unusual ideas are at the heart of what makes Nightmare Tripping such a powerful and groundbreaking album. DON BROCO is not the vision of one person, but the collective result of all the band members, and it is this message that is more important today than ever.