bloodstock open air festival, catton hall. 10/08/2025

So, on to the final day and my morning was starting with a huge slab of Modern Deathcore by way of The Cartographer on the New Blood Stage. With guttural roars and animated vocals it was the perfect way to jump headfirst into a full day of Metal. The tent was suitably rammed for the early morning Metal sermon and the band didn’t waste a minute of their time brandishing their arts with obvious enjoyment and vigour.

Over to the Main Stage for some darkened Metal symphonies by way of Ghosts Of Atlantis. Primmer and Parks exchanged vocal duties reminiscent of a swashbuckling duel while the latter tamed his guitar with obvious ease. ‘False Prophet’ was monumental while ‘March Of The Titans’ was energetic with all facets of the ghosts putting their everything into serving up a track of epic proportions. A great opening slot and a great warm up for the rest of the days proceedings.

Back to the New Blood Stage and time for another heavy slab of Core and Spitting Teeth. Again, the tent had packed them in and by the time the band took to the stage the crowd were rowdy and raucous in anticipation. Heywood led the cavalry and they just launched into a brutal assault of a blend of modern Deathcore and Hardcore which all entwined to create a juggernaut on which frenzied riffs and battering drums sat, all encasing the maniacal and intense vocals. Spitting Teeth were an absolute visual and aural delight and they brought an intensity which was totally commendable, absolute carnage of the highest order.

Back to the Main Stage and to a modern Metal engine which was driven by the highly decorated Smyth. One Machine had landed. Lazaris led charge from the front and the vocals he belted out were both powerful and delicate on equal fronts, the string work which backed him up was technical and passionate and the thicker strings and drum kit worked together to create a depth which was hammering and inviting to all that were witnessing the marksmanship on show

Back to the Sophie Stage and to some atmospheric Doom, it was time for Frayle who had come across the pond to deliver to us their brand of Post Metal tinged Doom and they certainly won over a lot of new friends today judging by the reactions from the tent dwellers by the time the set had come to an end. The vocals from Gwyn were absolutely mesmeric, beautiful and hypnotic, while the strings from Bilovecky were addictive and charming, ‘Bright Eyes’ was decadent and luxurious with a raw down tuned edge to it while ‘Let The Darkness In’ was phenomenal on all levels. The set had been a resounding success and based on that performance it is very much time for the band to revisit us and bring along with them a headline tour all of their own.

Some technical Death Metal on the Main Stage and this was the turn of Rivers Of Nihil and they absolutely crushed it. Biggs looked like a man possessed, front and centre, beating his bass with calculated brutality and discharging his vocals with detonating depth and guttural roars. ‘The Sub-Orbital Blues’ announced their arrival and they just didn’t look back, ‘Despair Church’ was absolutely fantastic and ‘American Death’ was tantalising, all wrapped up in a package of Death which ordered every head within the local vicinity to bang in time to the creations that were being bestowed upon them.

Sticking with the Main Stage and this was one that I was very excited for, Metalcore done at its best and this time it was courtesy of the mighty August Burns Red. From the moment ‘Chop Suey!’ hit us we knew that the transatlantic bruisers were here and they meant business. Luhrs prowled and stalked the stage with a macabre intensity while the kit was pounded and beaten within an inch of its life by the mechanical Greiner. As the set progressed with the likes of ‘Composure’, ‘Vengeance’ and ‘Exhumed’ it just steamrolled all that stood in its path. ‘Meddler’ was my personal favourite of the set which was absolutely flawless and attracted your gaze and didn’t allow you to have an inch of respite throughout all of its barbaric hosting.

Another set which I had been very excited for was Dogma over on the Sophie Stage and the tent was absolutely packed for these heavy Rockers and they didn’t disappoint. Each fragment of the band commanded their respective sections of the stage with passion and flamboyancy. The set was constructed and served with animated intense while the whole affair was a true exhibition for all of the senses. Visually they were stunning, outfits and corpse paint depicting malevolent and sinister nuns while the audible arts they expelled were on point. ‘Made Her Mine’ was technical and catchy while ‘Forbidden Zone’ was effortless yet trance inducing. The Madonna cover of ‘Like A Prayer’ was rocky and energetic and seemed to command an influx, a tidal wave if you will, of bodies surfing over the top. My personal highlight of the set though had to be the glorious and decadent ‘Father I Have Sinned’, simply stunning and sumptuous and all that you could ask of a live set, amazing.

Germanic Folk infused Metal next on the Main Stage and Feuerschwanz did not disappoint. Their brand of theatrical technical Metal was glorious in the mid afternoon sun, the dual vocals were radiant and intense, spat out with pride and valour and each word was technical and colourful and sitting on its own merit which all combined to generate a velvety Underground for the multitude of instruments to travel across. ‘Memento Mori’ was fascinating while ‘Knightclub’ was intricate and masterful in its commanding and dominating structure.

Sticking on the Main Stage and it was time for some melodic Death Metal and it was time for The Black Dahlia Murder and they undeniably brought the savagery with them. The vocals were savage and intense, ferocious and piercing with every word that was burnt upon you. They commanded the pit below them and the pit responded, bodies flying in every possible angle as the Death tunes flooded down off the infrastructure onto the heaving sea of bodies beneath it. A fast paced and pumped set which was sent into the afternoon sky with flair and aggression.

Back to the Sophie Stage and now it was time for some extreme Metal and a true legend on the Metal landscape, Sin (formerly of Ministry) was here with his formation of Siglos alongside Pedro Sanchez et al and they were here to carve the Bloodstock atmosphere open. From the moment they came into sight it was obvious that this was a band who were not messing around. Sanchez struck an imposing figure, pacing around the stage with intent and malice spitting out his vocals with a demonic and possessed energy, the string work was absolutely mesmeric and addictive, cutting through the air like a stake through the heart of a diabolical beast. The set was over far too soon for my liking.

Sticking with the Sophie tent so that I could catch the hardcore of Thrown and this was a set that was crammed full of endearing attitude and volatile aggression. The tent was packed once again and the rabid crowd were chomping at the bit to get the movement started and they did not waste one second as soon as the vocals kicked in from the stage and they took this as their subliminal invitation to cause absolute mayhem in the pit and its wider fringes. The set was delivered with a maturity and sublime extrovert energy and it was another one ticked off my bucket list which I was still buzzing from as I made my way into the pit at the Main Stage.

So, up next on the Main Stage was the colossal and absolute juggernaut that is Mastodon. The stage was invaded and Sanders sounded powerful and behemothic with each lyric which commanded an audience, and an audience with their full attention locked onto every movement on the Main Stage. As the set progressed it was evident that Mastodon were absolute future headliners of the structure that they were currently stood on, I’ve personally seen them evolve over the years and their sound has undoubtedly matured to where they find themselves at the moment. ‘The Motherload’ was gargantuan, ‘Crystal Skull’ was mind blowing and ‘Mother Puncher’ was just perfect. My personal highlight though was reserved for ‘Blood And Thunder’, absolutely amazing and well worthy of the accolade of titanic and anthemic.

The time had come, the time for the Main Stage headliner and it was time for the mighty Gojira. As the clock struck and the lights dimmed it only activated as a trigger for all hell to break loose, as we saw the figures of Joe Duplantier et al stride into view it was a dazzling visual affair with the stage lit up with lights and fire in equal measures, this was indeed a statement piece of a headline set. Gojira are no strangers to the Bloodstock Stage and they certainly looked well and truly at home. Duplantier’s voice was in ultra fine form and the strings of Andreu teamed up with those of Duplantier to create amazing works of art. The anthem of ‘Flying Whales’ was absolutely beautiful while ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’ was colossal and perfection personified. That was indeed a headliner set and a half, and one which helped Bloodstock sign off with flair, muscle and confidence.