Billy Strings trades his Martin for a Charvel to play death metal with Cryptopsy
At the inaugural Ionia Freak Fair, the bluegrass virtuoso joined Canadian death-metal band Cryptopsy for a cameo on a relic'd Charvel Superstrat.
Aug 29, 2026
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Billy Strings has three Grammys and a signature Martin flat-top, but at the first Ionia Freak Fair, the two-day festival he curated and headlined in his Michigan hometown on 28 and 29 August, he strapped on a relic'd Charvel Pro-Mod and joined Canadian death-metal veterans Cryptopsy on stage. The band played its 1998 cult track "Open Face Surgery," with Strings digging into a fast, aggressive right-hand part well outside his usual acoustic world.
"I still can't believe it happened," Strings said afterwards, explaining that he had floated the idea of booking Cryptopsy while building the lineup and hadn't expected it to come together. The festival itself ranged from Greensky Bluegrass and Leftover Salmon to Sierra Hull, with a separate tent set aside for heavier bands.
Why it matters
Cross-genre guest spots like this widen what a bluegrass headliner's audience hears live, and they underline how fluid the lines between acoustic roots playing and extreme metal have become among younger players.
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