Immortal Fest 2026: Three Days of Christian Metal, Community, and Legacy

The fifth annual Immortal Fest brought three days of Christian rock and metal to the BMI Event Center in Versailles, Ohio, September 11–13. The lineup stretched across generations, bringing together artists connected to Petra, Bloodgood, Barren Cross, Sacred Warrior, Whitecross, Bride, Daniel Band, Messiah Prophet, and many more.

As great as the music was, Immortal Fest has become about much more than bands for me. There is a huge emphasis on community. Sanctuary International has long used the phrase, “We are metal, we are family,” and that really sums up this weekend.

I love hanging out with the people here. Steve Morse road-tripped with me, while George Rose came down from Michigan and stayed in the same house with us. We got to spend time with people we only see once or twice a year and finally meet others we had only known through social media.

One of the things that makes this festival special is how accessible everyone is. Most of the people you see onstage can later be found walking around the venue, talking with fans and taking pictures. There is very little separation between the artists and the people who came to see them, and we love that about Immortal Fest.

Pastor Bob Beeman once again emceed the festival and did a great job. Through Sanctuary International, Beeman has been involved in Christian heavy music ministry for decades.

Our routine has also become part of the weekend. Steve, George, and I will grab breakfast, sometimes just the three of us and sometimes with other friends from the festival, hit a local record store, and then get to the venue early. We have been doing some version of that for years now.

It was also great seeing Bryan Kemper there with the Rock for Life booth. I ran the Rock for Life South Carolina chapter when I was in college, so seeing the organization come back and continue standing for the right of all human life was personally meaningful. I was also proud to pick up one of the new shirt designs.

Day One

Les Carlsen and Michael Drive kicked off the festival with a blast of familiar tunes.

I have seen both of these guys many times, and they have never disappointed me. This weekend was no different. Les Carlsen and Joyce Carlsen’s voices soared beautifully over the backing tracks as they mixed newer material with Bloodgood classics.

Michael Drive followed with a killer performance, bringing a variety of songs and covers to the stage. His voice still has the power that made Barren Cross immediately recognizable.

I was disappointed that the promoter did not have the budget to bring complete bands for these performances. Les, Joyce, and Michael still delivered, but hearing those songs backed by full bands would have taken both performances to another level.

Then came one of the two biggest surprise highlights of the entire festival.

Furious Love, the only ’80s and ’90s Christian hard rock and metal cover band, was not a band I knew much about going into the weekend. They absolutely blew us away.

Their set dug deep into the classic Christian rock and metal catalog, covering bands such as Holy Soldier, DeGarmo & Key, Idle Cure, and others. The entire band was fantastic. The vocals were amazing, and the musicians gave these classic songs the energy they deserved.

The very talented solo artist Daniel O’Connor joined Furious Love for the festival and delivered some excellent guitar work. Jonathan Pagano, formerly of Novella, also brought plenty of experience to the band, while drummer Dale Erickson, a longtime concert promoter who helped form Furious Love, drove the set from behind the kit.

The performance became even more special when original Messiah Prophet drummer Dave Daubert joined the band for several Messiah Prophet songs.

For a band I knew very little about beforehand, Furious Love walked away as the highlight of Friday and one of my two biggest surprise performances of the entire weekend.

Furious Love photo credit to Concert Fotos by Chad

Arsenal was up next. The female-fronted Christian hard rock band originally emerged from the late-’80s and early-’90s scene with Christine Steel on vocals. For longtime fans, this was their only opportunity in many years to see Arsenal perform live again.

Friday closed with GHF, short for God Has Forgiven, and they did not disappoint.

GHF includes three original founding members of Petra: guitarist Greg Hough, bassist John DeGroff, and drummer Bill Glover, joined by keyboardist Pastor John Moser. This lineup reaches all the way back to the earliest chapter of Petra’s history, before the later eras most fans associate with vocalists Greg X. Volz and John Schlitt.

They dug into old Petra material and did those songs justice. The stage performance was great, these guys still have it, and I was honored to finally have the opportunity to see them perform live.

Three Generations of Petra in One Weekend

One of the coolest parts of Immortal Fest 2026 was having three different chapters of Petra history represented across the weekend.

Friday’s GHF took us back to the founding era with original Petra members Greg Hough, John DeGroff, and Bill Glover. This was before Petra became identified with the lead vocalists who would later help define its best-known eras.

Saturday’s Petra represented the John Schlitt era, with John Schlitt handling lead vocals alongside founding guitarist and primary songwriter Bob Hartman. The lineup also included longtime keyboardist John Lawry, bassist Greg Bailey, and drummer Cristian Borneo.

Sunday’s CPR, Classic Petra Resurrection, represented the classic Greg X. Volz era. Greg X. Volz handled lead vocals, joined by longtime Petra keyboardist John Lawry and drummer Louie Weaver.

For Petra fans, having the band’s founding history, the Volz era, and the Schlitt era all represented during one festival weekend was something special.

Day Two

The published schedule included Ken Tucker’s Blues Band, but they did not perform. That meant Invincible effectively kicked off Saturday’s band performances.

And they were incredible.

There was so much talent standing on that stage. Crystal Mancaruso led the band with her powerful vocals, while her husband, Joey Mancaruso, absolutely killed it behind the drums.

Crystal’s voice soared over the music, while George Ochoa brought his years of experience and masterful playing to the guitar. The bass work did a fantastic job filling out the space and giving the songs the weight they needed.

Crystal and George are also members of Worldview. Their Worldview bandmate and Sacred Warrior vocalist Rey Parra was not part of Invincible’s lineup, but he joined them as a special guest for one song. Rey’s distinctive voice added so much to the performance and immediately got a reaction from the crowd.

As if that were not enough, Invincible closed their set with Deliverance’s “Slay the Wicked” and absolutely slayed the song.

That is how you make a debut.

Legacy followed, and I had only heard a few of their songs online before the festival. I was pleasantly surprised. They did a great job and put together a really enjoyable set.

That is another reason Immortal Fest works. You may arrive primarily to see bands you already know, but you can leave talking just as much about somebody you barely knew before the weekend.

Then Fear Not hit the stage and delivered a powerhouse performance.

I have seen this band play here every year, and there is a reason they keep getting invited back. Every musician in this band has been recognized for his musicianship. Bring them together to create something for the glory of the Lord and you get one amazing hard rock band that will make you want to bang your head against a wall while pointing people to Jesus.

It is no surprise that Fear Not received two Josie Music Awards nominations this year. “Crashin’ Down” is nominated for Song of the Year in the Rock Duo/Group category, while Weight of the World is nominated for Gospel/Christian/Inspirational EP of the Year.

Sacred Warrior is another band that plays Immortal Fest year after year, and for good reason. They have a large fan base that comes out to see them, and they remain one of the crowd favorites.

Their sound and Rey Parra’s vocals separate them from any other act here. They have fantastic stage presence and really know how to connect with the crowd.

One of the highlights of their set is the closing performance of “Holy, Holy, Holy.” It has become a crowd favorite, with many friends joining the band onstage to sing along. It is a great way to end their performance and captures the sense of community that runs through the entire weekend.

Then it was time for Petra.

This was the most packed I saw the venue all weekend.

People certainly had their favorite band or two that they came to see, but when Petra took the stage, everybody seemed to be there for the experience.

The John Schlitt-fronted lineup really gave it their all. They played the fan favorites and did not miss a beat. When a band has been carrying its music and ministry forward for more than 50 years and can still command a room like that, it says a lot.

Day Three

Rex Carroll and Stone Blue Revival kicked off Sunday by bringing their brand of rocking blues to Immortal Fest.

And really, it would not be a Rex Carroll show without an amazing guitar solo.

Rex remains one of those guitarists whose playing immediately tells you who is holding the instrument. His blues influence, tone, and ability to rip through a solo made for a great start to the final day.

Then came my second big surprise of the weekend: The Livestock Band.

Most of the people I spoke with that day, myself included, either had never heard of them or knew very little about them.

For this performance they came out as a three-piece led by Lawrence Bishop II, a pastor, professional rodeo rider, professional musician, singer and bassist who also spent years playing bass with Bride. Joining him was a drummer who formerly played with the Jeff Sheetz Band, along with a guitarist from Lawrence’s church worship team.

Here we were at a metal festival, and these guys walked onto the stage wearing cowboy hats and boots. A few of us looked at each other like, “What are we in for now?”

Then they hit that first hard-hitting chord.

We were hooked.

The Livestock Band may have country and Southern roots, but this is not your typical country or pop-country music. This is hard rock country with enough muscle to fit comfortably at a rock and metal festival, and Lawrence’s life as a pastor, professional musician, and rodeo rider fits naturally into what the band brings to the stage.

Hard-hitting songs like “If God Is Dead,” “Bad Day for the Devil,” “What If It’s True,” “The God Life,” and “Jesus People” showed exactly what this band is about.

At one point Lawrence brought out one of the coolest instruments of the entire weekend, a custom bass shaped like a bull’s head complete with horns.

You could tell how many people they won over by looking at their merch table afterward. The line said everything that needed to be said.

The Livestock Band was the surprise highlight of Sunday.

Next came Daniel Band.

What can I say about this amazing Canadian band? They never disappoint.

These guys are excellent musicians individually and incredibly tight together. I especially loved hearing three new songs that will be on their much-anticipated new album.

These vets still got it.

David and the Giants followed. They are one of those bands I have always known about and own several albums from, but I am not nearly as familiar with every song in their catalog as I am with some of the other bands at the festival.

They are legends, though, and that experience shows as soon as they take the stage. They were really good, incredibly seasoned, and everything they do points toward King Jesus.

They have been ministering through music since 1963, and there is also a fascinating piece of television history sitting behind the drum kit. Keith Thibodeaux, also known professionally as Richard Keith, played Little Ricky on I Love Lucy before becoming part of David and the Giants.

Finally, CPR, Classic Petra Resurrection, closed Immortal Fest.

What a perfect band to end the weekend.

Seeing Greg X. Volz on lead vocals alongside longtime Petra keyboardist John Lawry and drummer Louie Weaver brought another major chapter of Petra’s history to life.

Greg’s voice is inseparably connected to the classic early-’80s Petra era, while John and Louie played major roles in the band’s history through some of its most beloved years.

They gave the fans exactly what they wanted and expected. The songs, musicianship, memories, and history made CPR the perfect conclusion to the weekend.

Everyone seemed delighted, and after a set like that, it was hard to leave in anything but a good mood.

We Are Metal, We Are Family

That is really what I keep coming back to with Immortal Fest.

Yes, we saw some incredible performances. Furious Love and The Livestock Band became the two unexpected highlights of the weekend for me. Invincible made one heck of a first impression. Fear Not and Sacred Warrior reminded everyone why they remain festival favorites. Having GHF, Petra, and CPR across three nights also allowed fans to experience different chapters of Petra’s history during one weekend.

But the bands are only part of why I keep coming back.

It is breakfast with friends. It is hunting through record stores before the doors open. It is talking with musicians in the hallway after watching them perform. It is seeing people from different states who you might only see once or twice a year. It is finally meeting someone face-to-face after knowing them through social media for years.

There are bigger festivals. There are festivals with larger budgets and more elaborate productions.

What Immortal Fest has built, though, is something that cannot simply be purchased.

It has built a family.

For three days in Ohio, that Christian metal family came home.