Rhythms of Style: Aftershock Celebrates the Heartbeat of Black Alternative Music

The first week of October marked the arrival of Aftershock 2025 in Sacramento, a rock-focused music festival and a hallmark event in the area. Spanning from October 3 to 5, this year showcased major acts such as Korn and Bring Me The Horizon, alongside beloved bands like Black Veil Brides and Hollywood Undead. Among the notable performances, a selection of Black-fronted alternative bands emerged, illustrating a significant shift in representation within the rock and metal genres. First on our list, Tennessee’s Sleep Theory made waves during their Aftershock debut, blending metalcore and EDM under the leadership of Cullen Moore. Their latest release, Afterglow, exemplifies this blend, particularly on tracks such as “Static” and “Numb.”Celebrating two decades, Sacramento's own Trash Talk brought their hardcore punk energy to the stage with remarkable intensity. Florida-based Nonpoint also graced the festival, introducing their genre-bending sound, with their latest EP, Heartless (2023), highlighting their musical journey. With Aftershock 2026 anticipated, the prominence of Black-led alternative bands is set to rise further.