For the first time in their 15+ year history, Belgrade hardcore veterans Blankfile are stepping onto a European tour of this scale—joining Stick To Your Guns and Initiate for five consecutive nights across Germany and Austria this summer. The dates begin June 30 in Lindau, and wrap up July 4 in Freiburg, offering Blankfile a rare shot at pushing their sound beyond the Balkan scene.
“It was the day I received a message from Stick To Your Guns’ management, offering us a few slots on their upcoming EU tour in Austria and Germany. That was a massive shock—in the best way possible!”
The band has spent two decades grinding within Serbia’s tight-knit underground, recently releasing two EPs—Truth Be Sold and Gold Standard—produced in Boston by a name associated with Deez Nuts, Parkway Drive, and The Ghost Inside. According to Blankfile, this step up in production was intentional.
“We made a conscious decision to level up our game. Our emotions and thoughts—our truths—were finally wrapped in high-level sound quality and top-shelf production.”
The result: their most intimate material yet, tracing the cracks in everyday survival. The lyrics are rooted in the “struggles of the small man,” with tracks leaning into self-defense mechanisms and personal hardship under constant societal pressure. It resonated both locally and regionally, where Blankfile have toured through Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and most recently built out strong connections with scenes in Romania and Greece.
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This opportunity—touring with Stick To Your Guns—is, for the band, a clear milestone.
“Serbia is a small country with a turbulent history and a dynamic present. Right now, we’re in the middle of massive political unrest, which makes this kind of opportunity even harder to imagine… This is the greatest achievement in Blankfile’s history, and I’d be at peace even if it all ended after this STYG tour.”
They’ve already shared the stage with Stick To Your Guns in Belgrade and Sofia, and they’re expecting to reconnect with Reach AD in Graz—a band they previously played with and call “one of the best hardcore bands I’ve discovered in the last couple of years.”
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“I’m not sure what to expect from this tour with STYG, since Austria and Germany are quite a bit farther from Serbia. So, it will probably feel more like making new friends than meeting old ones.”
“So, I don’t know how much longer the Blankfile story will last—it’s been more than 15 years already (20, if you count the early days)… But even if it is, I can’t imagine a better way to close this chapter.”
Locally, Serbia’s hardcore scene is experiencing a renaissance.
Belgrade and Novi Sad still anchor the movement, but cities like Subotica, Zrenjanin, Užice, Niš, and Pirot are now seeing regular hardcore activity. Recent events include the DIY takeover of Belgrade’s Students Cultural Centre (SKC), once a politically controlled institution, now reclaimed by young punks hosting packed shows.
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“It’s been one of the best events for the local scene this year—and maybe ever.”
Blankfile also points to several key projects and allies from the region:
The Valley
A hardcore band from Subotica who organized the incredible show I mentioned earlier. Dario is an upright guy, true to the hardcore values of unity and mutual respect. He’s been working tirelessly to keep this sleepy town alive.
For a while, there were no decent venues for hardcore shows in Subotica, but that didn’t stop Dario from continuing to develop the local hardcore scene, support local bands, and book shows. Kudos to him and his crew.
Brat
An Užice-based hardcore band and their crew, leaning more toward an old-school hardcore punk sound.
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Their pure heart and hard work have kept them relevant in my perception of the hardcore scene. They’ve done a lot for the Užice underground scene, but they’ve also been there for Blankfile, even when it hurt. They’re co-organizers of Ranč Fest, one of the most unique open-air underground events in Serbia. We’ve played there twice and had a wonderful time.
Neven
The new kids on the block… though they’re not so new anymore. Over the past two to three years, this hardcore gang has become the kings of the new underground generation. Their shows are filled with positive energy and always packed.
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Despite their success, they’ve kept their feet firmly planted on the ground. I chat with their frontman from time to time, and we always share mutual respect.
Mud Factory
One of two best modern metal act in Serbia, in my opinion (the second one being Violent Chapter, whose drummer were playing in Blankfile, too). Similar to us, they’ve leveled up their game by recording and mixing their release in Sweden, at the same studio as the almighty Architects.
Their blend of modern metal and hardcore breakdowns is something I could “drink” anytime. We hooked up for a few shows in 2023, and it turned out we have a lot in common, both musically and personally. We became really good friends since then—good people, awesome music, high-quality performances, great band.
Piranha Recording Studio
The go-to studio for a modern hardcore/metal sound. The owner is a gear maniac and one of the best guitarists in the scene, always pushing the quality of his work. He’s turned his own place into the ultimate chill-and-record environment—while you’re recording in one room, he’s mixing in another, and the rest of the gang can either play video games on a full-wall screen or hang out in the bar/kitchen.
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I feel like a rock star when I’m there. We go way back—he’s been part of almost all our releases in some way and has always supported Blankfile.
Breaking The Silence
The most active small crew in the local hardcore scene, as far as I know. Despite being based in the small city of Smederevo, these guys are fully dedicated to alternative culture and underground events, 100% DIY.
They started with a small local bar as a venue, and recently, through donations, they raised enough money to equip the venue with a professional backline setup. They also run a radio show/podcast, support shows in other cities, and back bands all over Serbia. What sets them apart is definitely their leader, Lošmi, who has remained open-minded and ready to listen to everyone—a true hardcore fella
Here are the tour dates for Stick To Your Guns with Initiate and Blankfile:
30.06.2025 – Lindau, Germany | Club Vaudeville
01.07.2025 – Salzburg, Austria | Rock Hause
02.07.2025 – Graz, Austria | PPC
03.07.2025 – Schweinfurt, Germany | Alter Stattbahnhof
04.07.2025 – Freiburg, Germany | Crash
Tickets are available at sticktoyourguns.net
