GBHBL’s Top 20 Live Performances of 2025

One of the busiest years for live music for GBHBL as a whole, 2025 will be remembered for just how many brilliant bands we’ve seen, and not just in London either. This year we’ve travelled all over (again).

From being devastated by doom, destroyed by death metal, suffocated by black metal, crushed by metalcore, to dancing our hearts out to alternative rock, pop, and so much more. It has been a mighty fine year overall.

Which is where this list comes in. Twenty bands each. Twenty live performances each. These are our favourite live performances of the year. You know how this goes – one set of bands from Brendan, one set from Carl. Enjoy.

If you want to see and hear us talk through the list, check out the video version below.

20 – Brendan: Adfeilion at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

Adfeilion were incredible and a real highlight of Bloodstock 2025 for me. They 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. I spent most of the set just standing open mouthed in awe of the imagination and talent on display. It’s a set that I remember vividly even all these months later.

20 – Carl: Slayer at Finsbury Park, London (06/07/25)

They are still on impeccable form. In fact, they’re sounding incredible, tight all over, and with such a history of songs that they can fill a 20-track setlist with wall to wall bangers. They can also bring a show, bathed in red most of the set, and with pyro going off left, right, and freaking centre.

19 – Brendan: Cryptopsy at Incineration Fest 2025 (03/05/25)

Truth be told, I stayed at the Ballroom to watch Cryptopsy because I do like them, but mainly I couldn’t be bothered to squeeze through any more crowds. I expected some pretty professional but run of the mill death metal. I was wrong. They were tons better than that and I am so glad I stayed. The technical tint to the band added a lot, but their delivery of massive groove, extreme metal and death just sounded absolutely monolithic, and I went from interested to loving it very quickly. A great set from an iconic band I am so glad I stayed for.

19 – Carl: Zeal & Ardor at DesertFest London 2025 (16th – 18th May)

Zeal & Ardor smash their way through a set that focuses on the new album but still delivers classic hit after hit. Götterdämmerung, Blood in the River, Death to the Holy, Devil is Fine… I will never tire of hearing these songs live. This was the favourite time seeing them live, that’s how good they were.

18 – Brendan: Lock Horns at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

I’m a big fan of Lock Horns so I was very excited 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 many years previous and they have grown immensely since then. They were really impressive, sounding intensely heavy, but with heart and passion and were an absolute highlight of the festival.

18 – Carl: Grief Ritual at The Black Heart, London (06/02/25)

An astounding showcase of Collapse and many of the songs from the album. Sounding heavier, more impassioned, and darker, it’s music made to be played in rooms like this and in front of an enamoured crowd.

17 – Brendan: Ghosts of Atlantis at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

We all know by now that I love these guys and I could not be happier seeing them get an opportunity to do their thing on the main stage at Bloodstock Festival. I felt that they took their chance with both hands 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 crowd on a stage where they looked and sounded at home. They did themselves proud and are sure to have picked up plenty of new fans too.

17 – Carl: Recall the Remains at Mangata Festival 2025 (12/07/25)

Where you there when Recall the Remains smashed it at Mangata Festival? They brought energy and excitement to a crowd more than willing to meet them in the middle. The result was a performance that will be talked about for many Mangata Festivals to come.

16 – Brendan: Shadow of Intent at Electric Brixton, London (30/01/25)

Shadow of Intent were the main support for Cattle Decapitation and had an extended set to go with it. On any other night, perhaps supporting any other band, they steal the show. They were a big-ticket seller as was clear from the swelling crowd when they took to the stage. I loved the symphonic tint to the band which led to some quite epic, almost power metal styled intros but when the metal came, it came hard. The vocalist is an absolute beast delivering one of the best live vocal performances I have seen in a long time. Musically crushing, impactful and even a tad emotional, you could not take your eyes off them. They were fantastic.

16 – Carl: Slump at DesertFest London 2025 (16th – 18th May)

There’s no room left in The Dev and all because Slump’s infectious desert rock crossed with groove, sludge, and stoner sounds so good. An outstanding display that will have people asking in the future… where you there when Slump smashed the Dev?

15 – Brendan: Rivers of Nihil at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

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 great moment for me, seeing a band you love, killing it on stage. They were awesome.

15 – Carl: Bloodywood at The O2 Forum, London (27/03/25)

This was an amazing show. It was packed, uncomfortably so at times, but spirits were high, voices were loud, and the energy was electrifying. For over an hour, they throw everything into showing London just how far they’ve come as a live band, and how much fun can be had at a show like this.

14: Brendan: Paleface Swiss at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

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, and one of the best sets I saw this year.

14 – Carl: Forlorn at The Black Heart, London (28/03/25)

It’s like there are vibrations in the air, spreading out from the stage, and it’s impossible to not be transfixed by the sounds and sights. It can be so brutal, but it also be so damn beautiful too, but that’s Forlorn in all their glory. Forlorn realised. Not only on record now, but in the flesh too.

13 – Brendan: Ward XVI at Cart & Horses, London (26/10/25)

Ward XVI delivered an unforgettable performance at the Cart & Horses where their quality was eclipsed only by their creativity. I had an absolute blast hearing Id3ntity played live and watched in awe at the efforts they applied to each song with their musical prowess and their stage show. I went home feeling absolutely buzzing with adrenaline. That feeling you only get from gigs like this, where you feel lighter and released from your own shackles for a couple hours thanks to the creativity and talent of the bands that travelled here to entertain us. They were excellent.

13 – Carl: Moon Reaper at Mangata Festival 2025 (12/07/25)

Moon Reaper were immense here, delivering a cacophony of brutal noise that was enjoyed up close making things even more intense. Their set was so memorable that I can still remember every detail.

12 – Brendan: Slayer at Finsbury Park, London (06/07/25)

SLAYER! Yep, it’s those guys again who are out of retirement and on the road and here, in decent weather in a park in London with a beer in hand, it was the highlight closing out a really great day. They sounded killer, put on a strong show especially with Raining Blood and the falling red flames and lights and you can’t help but think they probably retired too early. Especially considering how much fun they seem to be having on stage. It felt natural and celebratory and was just a great day, and a great performance from one of the most iconic bands in our scene ever.

12 – Carl: Wallowing at DesertFest London 2025 (16th – 18th May)

The air is thick with fog, the lighting makes everything feel so alien, and the noise emanating from the stage is as disturbing as it is captivating. I stand in awe of this band and what they do, not only on record, but live and this set was staggeringly good.

11 – Brendan: Gojira at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

Rounding off a perfect hat trick of headliners at Bloodstock 2025, Gojira lived up to the high bar of the Friday and Saturday night headliners, of course. They are such a powerful band and probably the biggest and most consistent band we have in heavy metal right now. Musically, it was exceptional and the light show, fireworks etc… added to the show nicely. We have never seen Gojira be anything other than amazing, and they were amazing again here, closing out the festival nicely.

11 – Carl: Pallbearer at DesertFest London 2025 (16th – 18th May)

It’s Pallbearer, delivering beautiful doom that is downright emotional at times. An hour set flying by in the blink of an eye, leaving me wanting so much more, but glad for what we actually got.

10 – Brendan: Urne at Camden Assembly, London (13/09/25)

Urne delivered a special showing at their homecoming show. It felt almost hive mind like at times. A few hundred people, coming together led by a band who deliver time and time again to all become one, and just let the stress and dread fall away through the powerful music of these talented artists. With protests marching through the streets of London, there was something quite cathartic about the night. A coming together of people from different ages, genders, races and creeds as a single voice to celebrate with Urne. Camden Assembly became a small island of hope and light in a darkening world. I am grateful to have been part of it and to Urne for putting on a wonderful show full of energy, enthusiasm and quality.

10 – Carl: Deafheaven at The Electric Ballroom, London (28/11/25)

Doberman, Magnolia, The Garden Route, Body Behavior, Amethyst, Winona… it’s a staggeringly good set of songs, delivered with such power by a band on astounding form, eagerly lapped up by a crowd who appreciate that Deafheaven are a legendary band, but are also one who remain incredibly relevant.

9 – Brendan: Cattle Decapitation at Electric Brixton, London (30/01/25)

I really love these guys, and this was yet another masterful display from them. It’s heavy, it’s extreme but there is more at play here with songs that still manage to be infectious, have groove and want you to at least attempt to song along with those choruses. It was a relentless set, that saw them visit albums over their existence. I loved every second of their breathless assault on our senses as they just kept hitting you with the next assaulting track leaving you feeling sonically battered and bruised, but damn grateful and appreciative of the quality they deliver.

9 – Carl: Worn Out at The Black Heart, London (06/02/25), 229, London (24/07/25) and The Underworld, London (30/11/25)

Cheating? Maybe, but I saw Worn Out three times this year, and each time they left me reeling. So much so that I couldn’t decide between each show. The Black Heart was special because it was the first time, the 229 was special because that crowd went off, and The Underworld was special because it felt like the culmination of a year’s worth of work – gigging up and down the UK. It has been a pleasure to spend so much time with the metallised hardcore stylings of Worn Out this year!

8 – Brendan: Recall The Remains at Mangata Festival 2025 (12/07/25)

Recall the Remains were brilliant and, in my opinion, the best band I saw at Mangata this year. I love the energy they bring but also the songs deliver a captivating mix of heavy, melodic, groove, aggression and emotion. They also always look like they are having a great time doing their thing too which is very infectious. I always know when I am being blown away when even at this ripe old age, I find myself in the pit. That’s as good a review as I can think of – they got Brendan into the pit. They were amazing and all these months later, I remember the whole set vividly.

8 – Carl: Coilguns at Damnation Festival 2025 (8th – 9th November 2025)

I was tired, and not feeling Stampin’ Ground, who had pulled in a huge crowd, so headed off to a different stage to catch the rest of Coilguns. It wasn’t my first rodeo with them, but it was the most memorable. Delivering such an anthemic, high energy, and fun set that they reinvigorated me and got me through the remainder of the festival that night. Chaos you can’t help but love.

7 – Brendan: Trivium at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

I’m a long-time admirer of Trivium and have seen them a few times but I did go into this thinking it might be a tough task being alongside Machine Head and Gojira as headliners. I was wrong to worry. Trivium were on fine form and delivered probably the best performance I have ever seen them deliver. Matt’s smiles were infectious; the set was littered with guests in an awesome set that felt celebratory and was truly headliner worthy.

7 – Carl: Nailbomb at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

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.

6 – Brendan: Feuerschwanz at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

Feuerschwanz were one of the bands of Bloodstock Festival 2025 for me and that was a surprise. I knew them before going to see them, without knowing them well but, while drained of energy and flagging hard, I found a perfect antidote in these guys. 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.

6 – Carl: Pupil Slicer at The Underworld, London (30/11/25)

Pupil Slicer are more confident than ever on stage and a lot of the new tracks allows a certain amount of ‘flair’. What we’re seeing now is a performance, a more developed side to Pupil Slicer, and it’s making them all the more watchable from a casual perspective.

5 – Brendan: Tribulation at The Underworld, London (19/02/25)

I remember being surprised that a band with the career and longevity of Tribulation were playing The Underworld and then being surprised more when the venue was at best 75% full. What I saw that night was a band that deserved bigger venues, or at least a sold-out show as they put on a performance full of melancholy, gloom and doom sounding absolutely amazing in an intimate setting. They were so good, and I had a blast watching a band who have mastered their craft deliver a faultless set with passion and power.

5 – Carl: Orme at Helgi’s, London (15/02/25) & at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

Sorry, I couldn’t choose again as both times I saw Orme this year, it was special, but very different reasons. Yet, both performances delivered the impossible, which is to create the atmosphere and deliver the nuances of their studio sound into the live environment. A transcendent experience, delivering girth and heft, creative instrumental twists and turns to a familiar doom formula, and vocals (occasionally) that are scathing.

4 – Brendan: Shai Hulud at The Underworld, London (29/09/25)

Being here to watch Darkest Hour, I vividly remember watching Shai Hulud getting set up, thinking who are these guys, but also noticing something happening. I notice their merch stand has a mad queue for it and with 20 minutes to go, the crowd is now shoulder to shoulder and getting fuller. You could feel the excitement in the venue while I was just left wondering what was going on. It took next to no time onto their set to fully understand the love for this band though. They were insanely good with huge beats, lots of crunchy riffs, hardcore like vocals but with melody and big, room filling leads. There is so much movement on stage, so much energy and enthusiasm oozing out of the band, it was unreal and certainly made a fan out of me.

4 – Carl: Urne at Camden Assembly, London (13/09/25)

A packed show filled with likeminded people all focused on one thing, Urne, who proved (again) that they are one of the most exciting bands in the UK. A show filled with head banging crowd enthusiasm and quality metal delivered by a band on the form of their life. Downright emotional at times and a glorious night of music overall.

3 – Brendan: Machine Head at Bloodstock Festival 2025 (7th – 10th August)

I have seen Machine head a lot and this was them on their very best 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.

3 – Carl: Million Moons at New Cross Inn, London (20/02/25)

‘I May Be Some Time’ in full? Sold, and while this was part of a wonderful Ripcord Records night (Solars and Civil Service were also immense), it’s all about Million Moons for me. The mood inside the New Cross Inn is one of joy, even if there’s a tear rolling out of an eye or two.

2 – Brendan: Electric Callboy at Slam Dunk 2025 (24/05/25)

In any other year, this showing with comfortably have hit number 1 but comes in at 2nd place this year due to the personal attachments to the Number 1 spot. I went to see these guys, expecting to have a bit of fun, I did not expect the hour plus of euphoria I ended up feeling. I cannot emphasise enough how much fun and enjoyment was had at this, and I imagine all Electric Callboy shows. The music is great, the entertainment is on point and with the sun setting and drinks flowing in a huge crowd full of happiness and positivity, this was a showing that left me astonished and turned me, and my daughter, into huge fans of the band. It was truly an amazing and unforgettable experience.

2 – Carl – Sugar Horse at The Grace, London (22/02/25)

I’m always left wanting more, even though I’m thoroughly satisfied too. It’s incredibly selfish of me, but they have so much good music, I could watch and listen to them play for hours and never be bored. Each time, they’re just that bit better, and armed with tracks from The Grand Scheme of Things, they are undeniably a band everyone should see live at least once.

1 – Brendan: Pantera at the OVO Arena, London (25/02/25)

It’s been many, many years in the making and I can finally say I have seen Pantera. A band I adore/adored and had never seen. I know they are changed, of course, but this is the best I can have so it meant the world to me and had to be my number 1 show of the year. I had an amazing time and am truly grateful to have finally experienced this. Helped by the years of waiting, this was one of the greatest shows of recent times for me. Yes, Phil sounds average at best, and it’s 50% of the band but I don’t care. I had the best time!

1 – Carl: Conjurer at The Underworld, London (12/11/25)

Conjurer, the sludgy/post/noise mongers played to a sold-out crowd in London at The Underworld and delivered a career-best show. A highly emotional set packed with brilliance, both new and old. For over an hour, the four-piece transformed from a band on the cusp of greatness to a band showing loudly and emphatically why everyone needs to be paying attention to them. They are that good, and this new album (Unself) has given them the step up they needed to be recognised by more as a great band. It’s downright beautiful to see them begin to get their flowers.