How ‘peasant metal’ band Netherwilds became a viral sensation

Netherwilds, the “peasant metal” project led by David Monks of Tokyo Police Club, grew from short TikTok videos about serf life into a debut album, *Peasant Rising*. Its tale of a farmer resisting the church and state uses medieval humour to explore power, class, vulnerability and connection.

The album blends blackened metal, post-hardcore, doom and folk, often shifting styles within a song. Its story begins when the farmer’s betrothed is promised to a noble’s son despite his having raised a goat for the dowry; a visit to a fair and the story of Sir Gregory then prompt him to question the limits imposed by feudal society. Monks says the project’s early videos found a sense of camaraderie in their comments, helping inspire the full record.