Ten Bands You Should Check Out At Bloodstock 2025 – Sophie Lancaster Stage
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and we couldn’t be more excited. Bloodstock festival is right around the corner and this year’s line-up is one of the best. Yes, we know we say that every year, but this year really does feel like it. Hence the near-sell out status of the festival (just a handful of Friday day tickets left). It’s going to be an immense weekend of head banging, circle pitting, two stepping, and singing and shouting our hearts out. Will you be there with us?
We hope so, and while (as always) we hope to see every band on the bill, we all know that simply isn’t possible, but we’re going to try, especially as there are so many great bands on the bill. How about you though? Who are you going to be checking out? Do you need a little guidance? Some bands, that maybe you’re not sure about, that we could recommend for you? Perhaps per stage?
Guess what!? We got you. Here are ten bands (five chosen by Carl, five chosen by Brendan) we think you should check out on the Sophie Lancaster Stage.
Thursday: Brendan – All For Metal
Thursday has some bands I will happily check out but nothing that jumped off of the announcement and raised too much excitement outside of All For Metal. A band I like on record, but a band of the style that I think is just perfect for what oftens ends up being “go too hard” night at Bloodstock. An often-cheesy Viking metal blend of power, folk and traditional is always fun live. Simplistic lyrics but a wonderful vocalist, it’s designed for the live experience with plenty of sing along, chanting and fist pumping sections that should be a blast live.
Friday: Brendan – Ofnus
Another band progressing well since blowing us way on the New Blood Stage at 2023’s edition of Bloodstock is the black metal band, Ofnus. A band that bring darkness and heaviness but combined with beauty and emotion. They are awesome on record, and really back that up live with very emotive and atmospheric performances. I love to see bands progress – we talk to so many bands at Bloodstock and so many of them tell us how they are going to use Bloodstock as a stepping stone and kick on. Very few do but Ofnus have put in the hard yards with plenty of performances and a new record in the 2 years since they last played here, and this is their pay off. This will be great.
Friday: Carl – Turin
Blackened deathcore with a technical twist, this is the kind of stuff I live for, and I can’t wait to be part of the eager crowd ready to lose their absolute s**t to this band. I’m calling it now; they will be one of the loudest bands on the Sophie stage all weekend, but I also think they’ll be one of the tightest.
Friday: Brendan – Lock Horns
It’s a long time since I saw Lock Horns play The New Blood Stage back in 2019. They were great then but hit some tumultuous times over the years before a bit of a relaunch in recent years started with the release of a long-awaited album, Red Room, which is fire! I love that album, and they are kicking on from it still with their recent single, Frenzy also kicking ass. Their move up now to the Sophie Stage seems to be the perfect time for a band on form, and ready to kick on again. I’m really looking forward to seeing some of the recent material live and seeing a band on an upward trajectory really give it their all.
Saturday: Carl – Vnder A Crvmbling Moon
I can’t think of many better ways to spend the early part of a Bloodstock Saturday than in the company of the likes of Vnder A Crvmbling Moon and their uniquely post metal ways. On the one hand, it promises to be calming experience with layers of beauty, but on the other, it’s going to crush and that combination is something to be very excited about.
Saturday: Carl – Ba’al
A bucket list band for me, Ba’al have been one of my favourite bands for a few years now, but life has meant that I just haven’t been able to catch them live. That changes at Bloodstock, and although they’re not going to be on stage long, I suspect I will be fully immersed in their blackened post sound with a minute or two. If you see me crying during this, it won’t be because I’m sad, I promise. This is one of my most anticipated bands of the entire weekend.
Saturday: Carl – Waterlines
I might also cry through Waterlines too, but probably because I got wellied in the pit. I’ll still be having fun though. I can’t wait to see what Waterlines bring to the Sophie stage. Their 2023 EMP set is still talked about today, so the pressure is on for them to better it somehow. I have no doubt they will, and I’m looking forward to having a mosh one minute and a dance the next.
Saturday: Brendan – Neonfly
Neonfly are a really cool band. They kind of epitomise the word cool, I think. Madly energetic and catchy tunes, visual aspects like fire breathing that add another dynamic but while the visuals will draw you in, you will stay for the tunes. They are a diverse band, predominantly operating in the hard rock category but they bring riffs, they can get heavy, anthemic, catchy, emotional, dark – they have it all and will be one of the most talked about bands and performances when the dust settles on Bloodstock after the festival.
Sunday: Brendan – Siglos
Siglos are a band I have only more recently become a fan of, or even that aware of really, and of course I have never seen them live though lead man Sin, being ex American Head Charge, and more prominently Ministry, I will have seen in those other guises. I really like a lot of what I am seeing and hearing from Siglos though. The multi genre band deliver metal on the extreme edge with a mix of death, doom, industrial tints, black and folk/indigenous atmospherics. It’s high energy, visually cool and I’m very intrigued and excited to see them live.
Sunday: Carl – Dogma
I am really intrigued to see Dogma and I think they might be the dark horse of the Sophie stage. On record, their brand of anthemic rock and metal is addictive, but live? I have no idea what to expect and am excited to see how the image translates into a show. I have a lot of confidence in them to deliver something memorable.
