Firekeeper Curates Three FITM ’26 Sets with Yob, Full of Hell, and NEUROSIS
If you’re familiar with our organization, you know how much we love heavy music. Many of us in the Firekeeper ranks consider ourselves metal and punk lifers. Several of us are active in our own musical projects, and we all work and travel extensively to see shows, buy records, and support the bands in our area. Live music and other creative outlets are positioned front and center in how we take care of ourselves. Contrary to other opinions we’ve seen, we believe there are a nearly infinite amount of exciting, creative, and passionate bands out there making incredible music these days.
To that end, it was a dream come true to invite CONVERGE to FITM last year. Their set was explosive and cathartic resulting in one of the highlights from the whole festival. Their performance culminated with an impromptu mosh-pit group hug and an impassioned “Keep Fighting!” chant from the crowd.
This year, with the support of our BFF’s in FITM, Firekeeper Alliance is beyond honored to help curate three extraordinary sets with several more of our all-time favorite bands: Yob, Full of Hell, and Neurosis.
Our work has always been rooted in standing as a shield against suicidal distress for our loved ones in the Blackfeet Nation. We firmly believe that no matter how difficult, healing begins by directly facing difficult circumstances with honesty. In many ways, these artists have been doing exactly that through their music for decades.
What has always drawn us to Yob, in addition to mind-bending riffs, is their extraordinary vulnerability. Their songwriting never settles for easy answers or empty optimism. Instead, it invites listeners into a place of reflection, perseverance, and acceptance. There is immense emotional weight in Yob's music, but there is also hope……a reminder that even in our toughest moments, wellness remains possible.
Full of Hell represents another side of that same truth. Their music is uncompromising, chaotic, and emotionally raw, refusing to sanitize pain. Yet beneath the sonic intensity lies remarkable honesty. Their work shows us that confronting overwhelming emotions directly can be healthier than pretending they don't exist. For many people, their music provides an outlet that words alone never could.
And then there is the recently reformed and rejuvenated NEUROSIS, a band whose influence extends far beyond heavy music. For decades they have created expansive, emotionally fearless work that explores grief, transformation, spirituality, identity, and the search for meaning. Their music offers companionship. It meets listeners where they are, sits alongside them in uncertainty, and quietly insists they continue moving forward. That philosophy mirrors our own approach to suicide prevention: we do not run from pain - we face it together.
These bands also share something that cannot be manufactured: authenticity. Throughout their careers they have remained fiercely committed to artistic integrity. They have consistently chosen depth over trend, sincerity over performance, and connection over spectacle. Those are values we strive to uphold through Firekeeper Alliance every day.
Perhaps what humbles us most is that these artists have embraced our mission as enthusiastically as we have embraced their work. They have spent time with our students, shared meals with our community, participated in conversations about mental health, collaborated on creative projects, and demonstrated a genuine commitment to the young people of the Blackfeet Nation. They understand that heavy music can be a place of belonging, healing, and hope.
Together, these sets represent an offering…………to the Backbone of the World, to our ancestors who came before us, to those we have lost, and to everyone who arrives to FITM carrying an invisible burden. No one should ever have to carry their pain alone. So please join us at FITM ‘26.
We’ll see you in the pit.
Keep the fire burning 🔥
