Bloodstock 2025 – The Big Review

The best Bloodstock to date? It certainly feels like it, doesn’t it? And all because of the vibe. Bloodstock 2025 had a great vibe, and when coupled with great weather (aside from the Thursday afternoon shower), great bands, great food and drink, and great company, it resulted in an unforgettable time. Us, as a group, had a blast, even with equipment problems that affected our press performance, a busted nose (thanks to a sucker punch in the Rough Justice pit), and (in one case) having to send emails and pay solicitor fees when reception was non-existent. Bloodstock 2025 will live long in the memory, or until the next one.

Was it perfect? Of course not, and you can watch/listen to us talk about The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Bloodstock 2025. As well as watch/listen to our band review, and experience our Bloodstock 2025 Vlog, which just so happens to have a ton of band footage included too. All over on on our YouTube channel.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE!

It’s all about the bands though, isn’t it? No matter how much Bloodstock, as a whole, is what we love, if they weren’t booking the best bands in the world, none of us would be there. Happily, that has never been up for debate and 2025 was a beast. So many brilliant bands, we tried to see everyone we could, and we saw a hell of a lot, but inevitably some bands had to be missed. What you’re about to read is a review of all the bands we did see, taken from the unified perspective (unless stated otherwise) of Brendan, Carl, Dan, and Lou.

Thursday

Dead Flesh (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

That was an intense way to open the festival. Dead Flesh were brutal, hitting us hard right from the off with crushing deathcore full of blast beats and huge breakdowns, and delivering an unrelenting performance that proved they were the right choice for this slot. It’s what you want from a festival opener – proper heavy stuff and high energy. A great start.

(Carl note – I thought I f**ked my back up here. In the pit for the last song, I helped someone up and over and felt something twinge in my back. I had to limp out, but thankfully, a bit of walking around slowly helped and I was fine. Phew!)

Fourwaykill (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Another great band to get the adrenaline flowing on the opening day. While not overly familiar with them, a lot of fun was had watching their thrashy heavy metal. Heads were banging all over, and it was noted that they had a big pit going. Very good.

All For Metal (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Brendan – I am fully aware that, from a serious heavy metal perspective, All For Metal kind of suck, but from a cheese and fun perspective, I like them a lot. I love a party band on the Thursday and even more so when I am pretty wasted. They were fun – they were also repetitive, and silly, but they were fun. I had a good time.

Friday

Ofnus (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Moving up from the New Blood to the Sophie seems like an easy step for Ofnus who look like they belong on the bigger stage. They sound amazing, filling the tent with their atmospheric heaviness coated thickly in blackness. It was one of the highlights of the whole festival for all of us. A genuinely brilliant band who deserve every bit of their success.

Shrapnel (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Could Shrapnel handle the main stage at Bloodstock? A question that was answered in resoundingly positive fashion here. Delivering a cacophony of noise that crosses genres. Heavy, technical, anthemic, but do you know what really got the attention (aside from a blistering guitar solo)? The way in which the frontman smiled constantly and regularly expressed his love and gratitude for everyone around him. In Brendan’s own words – that shit is beautiful and infectious.

Lowdown (Timothy Taylors New Blood Stage)

It’s a brief check in with the New Blood stage to see a bit of heavy groove courtesy of Lowdown, who sound huge on stage and drew in a sizeable crowd too. It takes all of five seconds for the head to be banging along to their riffy ways.

Famyne (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

One of the weekend highlights comes in doom form, and considering the local connection (and historic connection), it’s even more special. Famyne’s main stage showing can be best summed up as immense. Sounding epic, delivering all the nuance you’d hope for with their sound, and turning a ton of heads by having an accessibly that puts them in a doom league of their own, this was unforgettable.

Dan – As the ‘resident hardcore guy’ at GBHBL – this is not a band you’d expect me to enjoy but they exploded onto that stage with massive amounts of energy and a massive guitar tone that rumbled in my chest. They caught my attention immediately and I really did enjoy their set. Whilst it’s still not entirely for me, I’m always willing to give stuff a try and their energy (considering how doomy their sound is) was immense.

Lock Horns (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

There was ton of excitement about seeing the Northern Irish tech/death metal band as it had been years since they last came our way. In fact, the last time was at Bloodstock on the New Blood Stage and they have grown immensely since then. They were really impressive, sounding intensely heavy, but with heart and passion. Another absolute highlight of the festival.

Tealdeer (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

Tealdeer did not disappoint. They sounded great and were as genre ‘mental’ live as they are on record. They are heavy but really mix things up and every song manages to pull you in different directions, physically and emotionally. They were fantastic.

Baelfyr (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

It’s a short check in with Baelfyr, all thanks to press commitments, which is a shame, seeing as they were highly anticipated for a few of us (Brendan note – I just reviewed and top scored their new EP that dropped on the same day they played). What was seen was enough to know that they can bring it live, as they do on record. Next time, for sure!

Rough Justice (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Dan – High energy no nonsense hardcore, one of my favourite bands of the weekends even if I broke my nose during their set. Two steps, big stinking breakdowns and such groovy drums. Exactly what I want from a hardcore band. I loved their set so much that it was still worth it to me to mash up my face and I’ll definitely be seeing them again – next time slightly more carefully.

Paleface Swiss (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Brendan – Paleface Swiss surprised me in how much I enjoyed their set. I haven’t really got massively into them on record but, based on this showing, I have missed out and will be revisiting them now with renewed interest. Insanely heavy at times but with heart, they were absolutely phenomenal, and I found myself quite mesmerised throughout their set. One of the best of the festival, for sure.

Carl – I was loving this, absolutely loving Paleface, and then I got a text. Which sent me scurrying across the field to the medical tent to find Dan with a mashed-up nose. At the time, the most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me at Bloodstock, but now I can joke about how gutting it was to be pulled away from Paleface. They were so good!

Lacuna Coil (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

It was a very good set and very good performance by Lacuna Coil who threw a lot of energy into it. There are moments of repetition and boredom does set in occasionally, but that comes from not being big fans. It was fun though and watching the confetti streams blow back on to the main stage structure and get stuck everywhere was a funny moment.

Shrike (EMP Stage)

Another rammed tent meant most of Shrike was watched from the side/back of the tent without a view but what was heard, was loved. Plenty of heaviness, plenty of melody and with added flair and cinematic atmosphere. They are very catchy to listen to.

High Parasite (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Drawing in the curious, especially those intrigued to see what Aaron Stainthorpe is up too right now, High Parasite were on a mission here, and with incredible poise and power, they deliver a fascinating display of gothic rock and metal. Danceable? You bloody know it, and it was so cool to see a wary crowd begin to relax and get into it, bit by bit.

Nailbomb (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Brendan – I have said that I watched Nailbomb from the Sophie Tent but really, I watched them from outside the tent as I could not get in. It was rammed. I could see enough and, thanks to the missing fairground rides, could hear clearly and it was great. Fiery, furious with Max on inspired form. I just wish I could have got in to really feel the atmosphere inside.

Carl – My personal band of the weekend, and unlike Brendan, I managed to get in early and find a spot that gave me great sound, a great view, and easy access to the bar. Everything hit right here. The vibe was good, the energy was intense, I was the right amount of drunk and feeling more alive than ever. I had hoped Nailbomb would be good, but this was something else. The atmosphere was electrifying.

Dan – Absolutely immense thrash, a band that has reached so far in its influences that it’d be heresy to miss them. An absolutely insane set in a packed Sophie tent, and a set I would love to relive. I hope they keep playing shows!

Trivium (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Last time Trivium headlined Bloodstock, they seem overawed by the stage and had the difficult task of following an inspired Sabaton performance. The end result was a good show, but not something worth remembering. We mention this because it’s the opposite here and arguably the best Trivium performance our little group have ever seen.

Their happiness and smiles were infectious, the set list was great, and the special guests helped make it feel like we were watching a true celebration of heavy metal hosted by Trivium. It was a fantastic and true headliner performance.

Saturday

Symbyote (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

What a way to start the day, Symbyote did themselves proud and delivered a mean and brutal set full of aggression and energy. The vocalist has bundles of energy and spent his time down by the barriers (Brendan note – my daughter loved it when he popped up just in front of her, that’s a nice memory for us). Although it’s likely that everyone who checked them out won’t be forgetting them anytime soon. A great band.

Cage Fight (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

An assured performance from Cage Fight, who are reborn and reenergised, powering through some sound issues to deliver a memorable showing. They’re a great band on record, but a different beast live. The vocal power is something else and even the songs that don’t quite hit as hard, sound immense.

Adfeilion (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

A mind-blowing experience. Adfeilion were incredible, delivered a real taste of something different with epic storytelling, tons of atmosphere and just the right amount of heaviness and energy to keep you feeling lively and excited.

Vnder A Crvmbling Moon (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Oozing atmosphere, sounding heavier than on record, and delivering a confident performance, Vnder A Crvmbling Moon were a bucket list band beforehand and they did not disappoint. On any other day, they’d have been the highlight, but don’t let that fool you into believing they weren’t special, because they were.

Ba’al (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Carl – Speaking of bucket list bands though, it’s no secret that Ba’al are one of my personal favourite bands and this Bloodstock performance was unmissable. I needed to see them, so I made sure I did, and the end result was so satisfying, albeit over far too soon. I was mesmerised, overcome with emotion, and left feeling lighter then air, even if their blackened-post sound acts as a heavy anchor. One of my favourite bands of the weekend.

Brendan – Interview commitments meant this was a quick stop in to check out a couple songs. I’m already a fan, so no surprises here for me. Ba’al sound absolutely immense on this stage. That blackened/post sound really works in the Sophie Stage and Ba’al delivered it impressively.

Heriot (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Dan – It’s no secret I am a huge fan of Heriot, having seen them at the Underworld earlier this year in April I was very keen to see them on a much larger stage. I can safely say they are absolutely made for these huge stages. That HM-2 tone paired with those fat ass drums make for a wonderful set. I was feeling pretty rough before their set, a bit hungover, a little bit grumpy and honestly this changed my mood entirely – and that’s exactly what you want from a band like this.

Waterlines (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Lou – The last time these guys played, it was the EMP stage and that set lives in infamy now. This time? It’s party time on the Sophie stage and it’s a bigger, bolder, and brash showcase of the band. Energetic throughout, Waterlines get a willing crowd moving with ease and were clearly loving every minute of it. They are the perfect blend of heavy and fun, but it’s the confidence they have that stands out the most. Main stage next, eh?

Creeper (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Brendan – I didn’t watch all of Creeper but while it started off quite interesting, I did find myself losing interest with each passing song. I felt they sound quite repetitive, and boredom started setting in. Not for me.

Dan – Creeper, a band I have not seen for a number of years, but once I used to be a very big fan of in their early days when I was a teenager. They’ve changed their sound so much that I don’t particularly resonate with the new stuff. (I know this in an unpopular opinion.) – So I wanted to give this new Creeper a chance.. annddd, to be honest it’s not for me. I will definitely say that they pulled one of the biggest crowds I saw midday on the main stage, and to see how much their confidence has risen is an absolute treat. I think they smashed their set, and I can’t wait to see them continue growing.

Mechromorph (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

One of, if not the heaviest New Blood sets of the whole weekend was delivered by Mechromorph. They really delivered a powerful slamming set with insane vocals. It’s definitely not for the faint hearted but they gave it their all, throwing a lot of energy and effort into every note. Sore necks all round here.

Kublai Khan TX (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

The pits looked sick for this one, and while what Kublai Khan TX do is a bit ‘meat and potatoes’, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that sometimes. It’s fast, it’s heavy, it’s downright freaking dangerous, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Nothing groundbreaking, but nothing to complain about either.

Fear Factory (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

The good news was that Fear Factory sounded great, looked like they were having fun and there was a nice feeling of nostalgia as they whipped through Demanufacture. The bad is that we have already seen them do an anniversary tour of Demanufacture and, with Burton having left the band 5 years ago now, there really should be some new music to shake off the feeling that we’re watching a Fear Factory tribute act.

Head Dent (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

Dan – Stoke City punk! They struggled at first with the crowd, but the tent kept filling up more and more as time went on and I could not resist their groovy riffs and crushing drums. Genuinely such a fun set, with their vocalist jumping into the crowd and putting on such a show. This is a band you should be paying attention to.

Rites to Ruin (EMP Stage)

What an incredible showcase of heavy metal power. Rites to Ruin are such a strong band, and the proof was here. Pulling in a huge crowd, even the noise coming from the main stage couldn’t drown Krissie’s immense vocals. For many, they proved just why they are considered such an incredible band and will have certainly won themselves some new fans too.

Undeath (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

A bloody great band making a ton of noise, Undeath’s energy on stage is only matched by the sizeable pits that are induced by their intensity. It’s ugly, but addictively so.

Ministry (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Entertaining headgear aside, there were moments with Ministry that were enjoyable, but when you’re already not that big of a fan, there was nothing here to change the mind. Especially as the whole show was a bit confusing. Where were the vocals coming from? It certainly didn’t always sound like they were being sung live. However, that might also just have been because there were so many layers and effects on them. A couple hits went down well, but this was mostly a weird and messy experience.

Machine Head (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Brendan – I have seen Machine head a lot (into the 30s in terms of times) and this was them on great form. It was a true festival headliner showcase, and the set list was great. Them chucking in some rarely played tracks, like From This Day and Locust, hell, even Ten Ton Hammer barely gets an outing these days live, so I loved that they played something from pretty much every album, but not their usual go to tracks. The lights, pyro and confetti was on point, the banter was great and there was a wonderful vibe in our little crew, and around us. Brilliant.

Carl – Imperium!!!!!!! Also, everything Brendan said. It speaks volumes that one ‘non-fan’ and one ‘never listened’ enjoyed the hell out of this too.

Dan – One of the most immense headline sets I’ve ever seen at Bloodstock, rivaling that Parkway Drive set from 2019. Never seen this much pyro in one set at one time. I was pretty drunk by this point, but as somebody who doesn’t know a lot of the Machine Head discography this was still a banging setlist. It was just very, very good. Heartwarming, heavy, and it seemed like they genuinely loved playing to this crowd. I hope to see them again, this was a very well deserved headline slot.

Sunday

The Cartographer (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

A quick stop for The Cartographer before Ghosts of Atlantis hit the stage and the handful of songs that was checked out were great. The band sounded good, had a good crowd and their deathcore slams certainly shook the sleep away.

Ghosts of Atlantis (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

More then deserving of the main stage spot, it’s hard not to be happy to see Ghosts of Atlantis up there. They took their chance and put on one hell of showing. Musically they sounded powerful, balancing their extremely heavy sound with their melodic/symphonic edge perfectly. The vocals, clean and harsh, were powerful, rippling through the growing crowd. It was a great way to start the day, and they are sure to have picked up a ton of new fans from this performance.

Apathy UK (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Dan – Another one of my mate’s bands, I’ve been watching Apathy UK grow for years, from personally booking their first London show to now seeing them open up the Sophie tent. They absolutely killed it beyond belief, I’ve seen them in several small venues but their sound was on another level at this show. Huge crushing shreddy ass core. Once again, pay attention to Apathy UK.

Barbarian Hermit (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. The riffs are huge, the vocals are silky, and when they ‘heavy up’, it hits hard. Despite having seen them plenty of times before, we loved every minute of their set here. We’re losing some serious swagger, so here’s hoping that the hiatus is short-lived.

Rivers of Nihil (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Brendan – Another band I was super excited to see and don’t think I have seen before. They did not disappoint. I thought they were immense and one of the sets of the festival for me. I love the newer tracks, the atmosphere generated was poignant and powerful and the vocals and harmonies were great. It’s cool seeing the steampunk saxophone live – it was just a really great moment for me, seeing a band you love, killing it on stage.

August Burns Red (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

‘Meat and potatoes’ metalcore, albeit with moments of genuine brilliance, August Burns Red are rarely bad, but they’re also rarely exceptional. They sounded very good live here, had good energy and certainly brought the fire, but not consistently enough. After a while, it stops being as enjoyable and inevitably, the mind starts to wander.

Dogma (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Carl – I really wanted to see Dogma, but so did everyone else, it seems. A bit of a problem when you’re tired and it’s a super-hot day. The tent is heaving by time they hit the stage, and I found it hard to focus so ended up only watching a couple of songs. Still, what incredible presence they have, which, when coupled with accessible heavy rock bangers, suggests they might be the next band to blow up.

Monochrome (Timothy Taylor New Blood Stage)

Brendan – What a great band, especially those vocals (Carl note – the reaction video I did before the fest was one of my favourite). It’s a brief stop, but the songs seen were hitting hard. Ho could you not love those crunchy beats and powerful screams? We need to see more!

Dan – Atmospheric metalcore from the Southwest, I’ll say I already have a bit of a sweet spot for them having played with them in January, and as much as they smashed it at this show – it pales in comparison to this set. They pulled in such a huge crowd of smiling faces, and you could tell on every band member’s faces how much they were also loving it. Pay attention to Monochrome, buy their merch and support them.

Feuerschwanz (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Brendan – Headliners aside, Feuerschwanz were the band of the festival for me. They were immense, mixing energy, catchy music and a boat load of fun. Like a mad mix between Brothers of Metal and Electric Callboy, it was hilarious, but solid musically and visually appealing. The banter was great, the energy on stage infected everyone around us and we found our tired legs come back to life as we danced, jumped around and laughed non-stop through their set. Wonderful stuff.

The Black Dhalia Murder (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

When did watching The Black Dhalia Murder become so fun!? Not that the melodic death metal band don’t sound utterly savage on stage, but there’s just something more relaxed about this Bloodstock showing. They seem at ease, and power through their hits (and some choice cuts) with the kind of focus that can only ever come from a band at the top of their game.

Orme (EMP Stage)

Carl – Bloodstock took a chance on Orme, and Orme came, and f**king conquered. Delivering a hypnotic showcase of their immersive brilliance, it’s the EMP showing of the weekend and one of the overall festival highlights. To see so many people there too made it even better. It was over in a flash, which speak volumes about their set. Bring them back Bloodstock, and put them on a bigger stage!

Dan – A band that I was told I would not enjoy… how you were wrong!!! Orme delivered on their promise of crushing, slow, droney, metal. I don’t know what it was about their set but it just captured me. Big up Orme.

Lord of the Lost (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Brendan – I was interested in seeing Lord of the Lost as I like some of their music, but not all, but I must admit to being a little disappointed overall in a set where the band sounded great, and had moments, but also occasionally felt a little flat and lacking in some spark or moment to keep me interested. Perhaps I just don’t know enough of their music to be engaged fully but either way I lasted about half of the set and decided to move on.

Maatkare (EMP Stage)

A rammed EMP stage should tell you all you need to know about Maatkare’s popularity, but happily, even if you can’t see anything, you can bloody hear them. Making a delightful racket, they sounded absolutely brilliant. A proper old school death metal set, but with moments of flair and a lot of positivity, felt from the smiles on stage and the buzz around the tent. An excellent band who will have picked up a lot of new fans here.

thrown (Sophie Lancaster Stage)

Dan – A band I have had a passing interest in for a couple years but haven’t had the chance to see yet – I really enjoyed their set. Nu-core is rare on a Bloodstock lineup, but they packed out that tent and the crowd seemed to eat up every single huge breakdown. I’d be very keen to see them again.

Mastodon (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Carl – I love this band and I could watch them for hours, and this was a near-headlining stealing set for me, personally. I just love how relaxed and at ease they are on stage these days. They have a catalogue of songs that ensure I’m never bored, and even the ‘hits’ sound heavier and more vibrant than ever. Better than the London Slayer day set a few months ago? It might very well have been.

Brendan – I didn’t really watch Mastodon so I am cheating a little here. I was going for food, while they were playing but stopped at the back of the main stage to listen to 2 or 3 tracks because they sounded amazing. I don’t even class myself as a fan but having recently seen them in their new formation at Slayer in London, and really enjoying that show, it was very cool to see them sounding arguably even better here and looking really well set and happy as a band. I wish I had watched more, but I was hungry and needed fuel before Gojira.

Gojira (Ronnie James Dio Stage)

Rounding off a perfect hat trick of headliners, Gojira lived up to, and maybe, even surpassed the Friday and Saturday night headliners. They are such a powerful band and probably the best band we have in heavy metal right now. Musically, it was exceptional and the light show, fireworks etc… added to the show nicely. They even chucked in some humorous moments “Fish and Chips for £10”. We have never seen them at anything other than amazing, and they were amazing again here. What a way to close out Bloodstock 2025 for all of us.