Missouri Does Heavy More Than You May Know, and Here’s the Proof

January 9, 2026 - Columbia, MO

Every January, Missouri highlights it’s talent in a run of shows showcasing different genres. One of my favorites, and one I never miss, is Missouri Heavy Fest. This year’s lineup had Scuzz, Lowest Life, Orphan Source, and Cauterized.

The night started with some sludgy doom from Scuzz, hailing from St. Louis. The trio had the room head banging and are proof that vocals aren’t a requirement for every song to be so good. This was a perfect warmup for the chaos that came from the next band.

Lowest Life, Columbia natives (and legends) came next, with a mix of hardcore, hip hop, and power violence. Their set was a mix of old and new songs, noise throughout the set, guest vocals, stage dives, and a rowdy crowd. While I may be partial to this band with the years I’ve known them, they still put on the best live shows around.

The third band of the night was Orphan Source, who also reside in Columbia. While they are still a fairly new band, they easily keep up with the scene. They took the energy from Lowest Life’s crowd, and kept it going. Have you ever heard of a band that gives Twinkies to the crowd? Well now you have. Heavy riffs, vocals full of every emotion, and one of the most fun bands to see live.

Cauterized closed out the night in the best way possible - heavy. This Kansas City band is one you don’t want to miss if you’re a metalcore fan, and one I’m sad I hadn’t seen before now. The crowd still had tons of energy, and there were no slow moments in the set. I abandoned my camera halfway through because I wanted to enjoy the energy and good vibes they brought.

This was a great first show of the year for me, and I’m already ready for next year. Missouri does a great job of showing off hidden talent, and I hope to see more and more new bands every year keeping the scene alive! And for anybody who may be familiar, I’ll close with this: ALRIGHT BOYS, 1234!