Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
Bloodstock – Friday
After a triumphant headline set by the mighty Saxon, Friday had a very high bar to achieve but Bloodstock never lets you down. With the temperatures soaring again after a cold night, the only things certain were sunburn, long queues for the slushies and a day of top quality Metal. Old favourites rubbed shoulders with young guns and with the promise of blood, guts, sweat and high decibels, it was another perfect day.
You can’t beat a bit of early morning insanity and to kick things off on Friday morning, robed Aussie metalheads Battlesnake certainly ticked that box. With a tongue -in-cheek vibe and rollicking material that echoes The Darkness at their most unhinged, the outfit woke up the entire area with bangers like ‘I Killed Satan’ and ‘I Am The Vomit’. By the time they closed with a furious cover of AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock’ any and all resistance was futile. More madness from Down Under came a little later in the imperial form of SKYND, their unsettling lyrics about the horrors of society and the striking presence and vocals of Skynd herself utterly compelling but utterly twisted.
On safer ground, Untamed Silence are fresh from a tour opening for the mighty Saxon and adhere to a more classic hard rock template. Emotionally hard hitting and soulful vocals, big riffs and a mighty groove, with heavy duty swing of ‘Long Time Dead’ kicking things off with a strident punch. Closing the set with new song ‘Embers’ shows that there’s a very bright for the
It’s great to see legends Biohazard and Municipal Waste back on stage and destroying Bloodstock, the two bands showing perfectly that age hasn’t mellowed their visceral attack.
Punks Biohazard don’t hold back and the snarling ‘Fuck The System’, a majestic ‘Wrong Side Of The Tracks’ and the rap rock of ‘Five Blocks To The Subway’ still bristle with intensity. Following them, Municipal Waste tilt between monstrous thrashing riffs and an innate sense of humour that brings balance to the heavy darkness.
It’s impossible not to hear the thunderous gallop of ‘Wave Of Death’, ‘Beer Pressure’ and ‘Demoralizer’ without throwing yourself into a frenzied moshpit and despite the heat, that’s what many did, the cloud of dust hanging in front of the stage telling its own story.
It’s hard to think that we’re saying goodbye to Sepultura after four decades of Brazilian thrash that made the world shift on its axis. Whilst the Cavalera brothers may not have joined for this last ride, the band are on ferocious form and seem to be determined to going out on a high.
Vocalist Derrick Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, bass player Paulo Jr. and youthful drummer Greyson Nekrutman bring a relentless energy and ‘Desperate Cry’, ‘Attitude’ and the inevitable anthem of ‘Roots Bloody Roots’ are like being strapped to the engine of a drag racer. If this is really the end, the band have certainly left their mark.
Headlining the EMP Stage, Midlands outfit Vanitas bring their self-titled brand of Cinematic Djent to a packed tent. Looking every inch the Valkyrie Warrior, Jade Maris is a formidable presence and the band bring a blend of elements that clearly could see them playing the Sophie Stage next time.
Bloodstock Saturday
There’s something unique here that draws people back, year after year. Whilst the line-up is always dazzling, most come initially to see the bands but the friendships built here are what keep them booking immediately for the following chapter of the best metal festival in the country. Everyone smiles and is free to be who they want to be for those few sacred days. Bank managers, nurses and Pete from the Co-Op can put on their finest regalia, reveal ornate tattoos and let their hair well and truly down. Vikings run shoulders with Smurfs and vendors, bar staff and the good people in the first aid and welfare tents beam with genuine warmth. Bloodstock is a good place to be.
Froglord draw a huge crowd in the Sophie tent for their early morning set, the sheer over the top nature of their schtick not hiding the fact that these boys are seriously committed to their craft and possess an arsenal of mighty fine heavy-duty anthems that tell their own curious tale. Just as committed and grand, Imperial Age make their Bloodstock debut on the Ronnie James Dio stage and it’s been a long journey to here from their original home in Russia to finding their base in the UK.
Despite the set getting suddenly cut short due to it overrunning, there’s plenty of commitment to their sweeping brand of symphonic metal and with a very active social media presence, it’s great to see a band that can take their own passion and turn it into something that has so captured the public imagination so well.
It may be tucked away at the far end of the arena, but the New Blood stage is an always fascinating showcase of some of the brightest and best upcoming bands on the scene, many of whom have gone on to play the bigger stages or attempted world domination.
South Coast quartet Vampyra may not be planning to straddle the globe and rule with an iron fist, but their glammed up and very English take on theatrical shock rock is certainly a sugar rush. It’s impossible to not smile at the joy that goes into writing and performing a song that features the manic chant of “Baked Bean Monster” and the closing salvo of ‘It Ain’t Easy Being Scary’ sees the rammed and sweaty crowd dancing in sheer delight.
Having graced the Ronnie James Dio stage of Bloodstock a short few years before, it’s fascinating to see how much Vended have grown. When a band has a singer and drummer whose fathers hold the same roles in one of the biggest metal bands on the planet, there’s a lot of work to overcome comparisons or accusations of nepotism but, as with Wolfgang Van Halen and Roman Morello, these boys have more than proven themselves to be kings in their own right.
‘Nihilism’ is an absolute monster with its crushing riff and the switch between growls and clean vocals, the whole a tornado of sound and fury but with the additional power of youthful drive. With their faces painted, the quartet are visually striking too and with the incendiary blast of ‘Disparager’, a pummeling ‘Overall’ and the blitzkrieg of ‘Asylum’, Griffin Taylor, Cole Espeland, Jeremiah Pugh and Simon Crahan look set to headline this festival before long.
Named after a song by Architects, Australian progressive metalcore merchants Northlane hit the ground running when they formed in 2009 and haven’t looked back since. There’s a confidence and ferocity that borders on swaggering aggression displayed here and the outfit certainly are used to big stages like this, knowing exactly how to fill every inch.
Since adding EDM to their sound during the making of 2019’s ‘Alien’, there’s been a crossover feel that’s added a bristling modernity to the band and this juxtaposition of sledgehammer heaviness and electronic elements lifts things even further, the masses deciding whether to mosh or dance.
Vocalist Marcus Bridge is on commanding form at the moment and the rapier fretwork of John Deiley cuts through the sound to bring a pleasingly angular thrust to ‘Bloodline’, ‘Talking Heads’ and ‘Clockwork’. There’s no doubt that this particular thunder from Down Under will be in the Super Leagues within too long.
Young Bedfordshire quintet Withdrawn are on a high, having rightfully won their place at Bloodstock by smashing their final of the Metal To The Masses. Despite technical problems which meant they didn’t have a bass guitar for half of their allotted time, the five-piece blazed through their punchy six song set captivating the New Blood tent.
Front and centre, Niamh Crawford has a voice that brings some wonderfully dark pop elements and rawness that gives the band a real edge, the twin fretwork and additional vocals of Luke Schilling and Samuel Fitzjohn throwing serious weight into the mix. In one of the most understated but thrilling performances of the weekend, the ragged charm of ‘Escape’ and addictive twists of ‘5am’ sees choruses that were doubtlessly ringing around heads for the rest of the festival. Ones to watch.
After the highs of the headliner on the Ronnie James Dio stage, the rush to the Sophie stage is guaranteed and always brings something in wonderfully stark contrast. Saturday night was no exception as the soaring Prog Metal of Norwegian outfit Leprous brought a dizzying end to the night with a set full of stunning moments.
There’s something almost otherworldly about the collective and as with Sleep Token before them, this was an event on this stage that will long be remembered, their ability to connect on a deeply emotional level one that transcends the raw brutality of the visceral punch seen elsewhere. Theirs is a huge, world-filling sound and the vocals of Einar Solberg extraordinary in their range as they rise and swoop, the music with them as majestic and soaring as anything Muse have ever set down. This is a cathedral of sound and light, a sanctuary for the weary and hurting where huge dynamics and gentle passages weave their own spell and the rush of opener ‘Silently Walking Alone’ and ramped up energy of ‘Nighttime Disguise’ draws everyone into the fold. An incident in the crowd during ‘Below’ causes a rightful pause but this is the only break in the supreme flow of what Leprous do here and it’s obvious that all this works best on a big stage at night when the full effect of the lights and sound help build their own direct communion between audience and artist. By the time ‘Atonement’ and the outro of ‘The Sky Is Red’ draw the night to an end, their mission is complete and the masses drift off, their heads in the clouds and lives are a little lighter. One day, Leprous might save the whole world.
Bloodstock – Sunday
There’s always that bittersweet point in every holiday where the realisition that the last full day has arrived, the tension between the delicious prospect of a warm bed and bath is juxtaposed with the sadness that normal life beckons and this whirlwind will be finishing. Thankfully, Bloodstock has a lot left up its sleeves and these twenty-fifth celebrations were all building to this with so much to soak up and take home, memories that would tide everyone over until next year. The day was going to start loud and get even louder.
Sex, death and Stetsons. It can only be the welcome return of Bootyard Bandits. As well as their comeback after two years hiatus, the boys have expanded their posse to a seven-piece to kick off Sunday morning, including new frontman A J Handsome, someone who himself has been away from the spotlight for way too long but has fitted in with the Bandits perfectly. It’s impossible not to get drawn in by the utter madness of it all and scratch not to far beneath the surface of the image and single entendre humour and you’ve got a band who write great songs with massive hooks.
Old favourites like ‘Country Music’ and ‘Shirt Potatoes’ sit nicely alongside catchy latest sing ‘Jesse James Denver’, showing that they’ve not been idle over their time away. The perfect antidote to some of the over-earnest Southern Rock produced by their cousins across the Atlantic, inflatable cactuses being thrown into the crowd, the Lego video for the comically violent ‘Hoedown Showdown’ shown on the backdrop screen and the gruesomely hilarious ‘Cannibal Barbeque’ would probably see the boys being lynched in the Southern States but Bloodstock loved them. Here’s to more happy trails to come.
Whoever puts together the running order for Bloodstock put a genius twist on Sunday, with Castle Rat being hotly pursued by Kittie on the Ronnie James Dio stage. The former bring their old school fantasy metal to very vivid life, the theatrics of building their own, all-consuming world-threading narrative and some big riffs along with endearing moments of acting that wouldn’t look out of place in Middle School productions.
Riley Pinkerton is a striking presence at the centre of the stage, her instantly identifiable vocal style bringing Grace Slick’s sensuous tone but with her own edge, the Rat Queen leading her merry band of minstrels into battle. They’ve certainly worked hard and caught something special here, the charms of numbers like ‘Dagger Dragger’ and ‘Fresh Fur’ winding up to the all-killer no-filler run of ‘SIREN’, ‘DRAGON’ and ‘SERPENT’ seeing a foe banished and the Queen brought back to life from a grisly end. Given the arena scale ambitions here, it’s days like this that reminds you just how grand rock music can be.
When Kittie emerged on the scene three decades ago they did so with such force and barely disguised aggression that the shattered any glass ceiling and blazed the way for many who followed. Somewhere along the line, the thought of Canadians being polite and respectful to everyone got lost and singer / guitarist Morgan and drumming sister Merecedes Lander have built a career being the driving force behind the outfit, tearing up rulebooks as they went.
Joined by Tara McLeod on guitar and Ivana “Ivy” Jenkins on bass, the siblings came back with a roar on 2024’s ‘Fire’ album and followed that up with the ‘Spit XXV’ EP, both showing that age hadn’t mellowed them. It’s in the live setting that you get the best idea of the sheer visceral effect the quartet have as songs like ‘Fire’ and ‘Ugly’ snarl and slash with almost terrifying intent. Throwing in debut single ‘Brackish’ for good measure, this really is a career spanning set and one that reminds everyone just how good they are and what an important band Kittie are.13.45
When Kittie emerged on the scene three decades ago they did so with such force and barely disguised aggression that the shattered any glass ceiling and blazed the way for many who followed.
Giants of Thrash, California wrecking crew Testament were part of the spearhead of the second wave that changed the world forever. It’s been a long road from San Francisco to now but few bands have been as consistent with skyscrapingly high-quality output than the quintet. From debut ‘The Legacy’ through to last year’s ‘Para Bellum’, they’ve never once held back and to witness the band live is the equivalent of being strapped to a jet engine.
Inspiring countless bands who followed, Testament themselves manage to bring together melody and brutality in a unique way and in vocalist Chuck Billy they have a totemic character who comes over both fierce and friendly in some strange brew made in Valhalla. Founding guitarist Eric Peterson and long serving members Alex Skolnick on guitar, bass player Steve Di Giorgio and newest recruit, drummer Chris Dovas are a solid machine, the rolling thunder of ‘Into The Pit’ and sledgehammer punch of ‘Henchmen Ride’ bringing to mind the true seismic nascent days when thrash shook the world.
Given the form the band are on at the moment, Megadeth choosing them as the opening act for their forthcoming farewell tour of Europe is a brave one as Mustaine and Co will certainly find them a hard act to follow. It’s impossible to disagree with the epic weight of ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ or the dynamics of ‘Sins Of Omission’ and when Billy declares they’re going old school for classic debut ‘Over The Wall’ it’s a thrilling sight to see. Whilst other bands are either splitting or retiring, the sight of Testament onstage and planning their next album gives hope that this music will never die and that this is the gold standard of thrash. Often imitated, never bettered, they’re the real deal.
Just over a year ago Zakk Wylde played his last gig alongside the Prince of Darkness himself, the much loved and sorely missed Ozzy Osbourne. Keeping the spirit of OO alive, Black Label Society bring their Southern fried hard rock to Bloodstock, the guitarist one of the most authentic voices on the scene. No pretense, no bullshit and nothing in the way of unnecessary drama, the outfit drew one of the biggest crowds of the festival and deserved every rapt and rapturous response. Dressed in a kilt and with his skulls microphone stand, Wylde is a bear of a man, his famed guitar clutched in his hands as he’s joined by fellow six stringer Dario Lorinan and locomotive rhythm section John DeServio and Jeff Fabb.
There’s something so primal operating here that reaches down to the very core of the soul, the buzzsaw riff of ‘Funeral Bell’ and vocals that sound like they were carved out of the very rock that forms the Earth’s crust from ancient days. It’s a heavy-duty start and ‘Name In Blood’ continues the wave, it’s connection to a gritty soundscape, forcing everyone to move with its flow.
A high kicking ‘Destroy & Conquer’ brings it’s insistent riffing but things truly take off into the stratosphere when the band kick into a magnificent ‘No More Tears’ and you can feel Ozzy smiling as Wylde and the band bring every ounce of passion out of the number.
A flashy and entertaining behind the head guitar duel shows skill and a delicate touch that alternates between shredding and blues, reinforcing just what skilled players Wylde and Lorinan are but it’s one moment of theatre alongside a show where the music really did do the talking. One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend, Black Label Society didn’t disappoint and it’s a show of brotherhood and the relationship between artist and audience that stays in the memory long after the last notes fade.
Fast rising quintet Aethoria played their debut show at Bloodstock in Serpents Lair VIP and so their return to top Sunday night’s bill on the new and improved EMP stage just shows how far they’ve come in a relatively short time. With their long-awaited debut album ready for release at the end of the month, there was a lot to play for here but with several festival appearances already under their belts this year and a raft of knockout songs, there was no shortage of confidence here.
Whilst vocalist Mecia-Jade Holden is the natural focal point for the band, her commanding and effervescent stage presence and soaring voice demanding attention, this is very much a whole band project and everyone plays a vital part. New single ‘Popcorn’ stands nicely aside the giant hook of a glorious ‘Stepping Stones’ and it’s with material like this that the band are going to find themselves in the company of bands like Evanescence, filling the biggest stages in the world. A bold prediction maybe, but given both their ability to knock out big tunes and bring a show wherever they play, it’s one that may be fulfilled sooner rather than later as their stellar trajectory continues.
There really could be no other headliner that Judas Priest to round of these silver jubilee celebrations and the Metal Gods themselves certainly delivered the goods. Ambassadors of the faith, it can’t be denied just how influential the band have been over the years and the sheer unbridled, ear-shattering force that was the ‘Painkiller’ album showed that they’ve always been leaders, never followers.
So many other bands playing over the weekend owe a huge debt of gratitude to Priest and for the uninitiated and the fervent followers, the chance to see the legends live is a prospect that carries its own huge sense of occasion. With the playback of ‘War Pigs’ heralding their entrance, the giant sheet fell from the front of the stage and ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’’ was absolutely torn into, the twin guitars of Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap grinding out the opening riffs as they stood side by side with bassist Ian Hill and the indomitable Rob Halford, behind them Scott Travis pounding out the rhythm.
From there onwards it was a romp through their back catalogue, a crushing duo of ‘British Steel’ monsters in the form of ‘Metal Gods’ and the thrill of ‘Breaking The Law’, the crowd bawling “you don’t know what it’s like” as the air was punched and into the old school drama of ‘The Ripper’. A dazzling display of lights and lasers lit up the crowd and the night sky, the whole a huge fever dream as the Priest juggernaut steamed forever onwards.
With its irresistible chorus, ‘Turbo Lover’ was another standout and ferocious newer number ‘Panic Attack’ showed there’s much more mileage in this manic engine. After one salvo after another, the solo spot for Travis as he attacked his kit for a devastating ‘Painkiller’ was a sign for whatever energy was left in the crowd to be released in a flurry of headbanging and several thousand air guitars played in harmony.
Coming back to close with an encore of ‘Electric Eye’, ‘Hellbent For Leather’ and ‘Living After Midnight’, lights blazed, guitars roared, basses throbbed, drums pummeled and Halford’s ageless and nature defying voice brought heavy metal heaven firmly to earth. The Midlands has always been the home of metal and this combination of the mighty Judas Priest and Bloodstock has shown just what a huge force it remains across the globe.
The perfect end to the perfect weekend, nobody does it better. Here’s to another twenty-five years of the festival and the continued reign of the titans of British Steel.
Photography by Pete key for MPM
