Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
With its original incarnation in 2019 Lincolnshire’s Call Of The Wild Festival is industriously ensuring a deserved reputation as one of the leading lights amongst the UK’s grassroots rock festivals. In an increasingly saturated market this festival has reached its fifth chapter in 2025 – via an enforced 2-year hiatus due to the dreaded ‘C’-word and missing the ‘reopening of the world by a matter of a few weeks in 2021 – growing year on year.
There’s no sign of slowing down or resting upon one’s laurels. Far from it in fact, with an unfettered knack of combining the absolute best of emerging and established rock n’ roll talent from across the globe COTW continues to set a high bar. One which it seems hellbent upon raising further aloft year on year. One of the first outdoor festivals of the year its position as a prominent torch bearer is underlined by a determined approach to an expansive regard to the breadth of rock and metal sub-stylings on offer throughout the course of its three days.
Although about an hour or so from the M1 it’s a canny location for a festival. The historic city of Lincoln is deceptively central to several major conurbations – being just 2 to 3 hours travel from the likes of London, Birmingham, Manchester and even Newcastle. Set in the well-tended lusciously green 270-plus acres that comprise the Lincolnshire Showground we’re amidst history hereabouts.
We’re nestled upon the southern side of the junction of the renown Roman route Ermine Street and its lesser-known partner Tillbridge Lane (the A15 and A1500, respectively, in current-day parlez) whilst the celebrated RAF Scampton is on the opposite side of the road. Recently closed this airbase was the home of No. 617 Squadron (The Dambusters) and, more recently, to the Red Arrows aerobatics display team. However, it’s neither Roman Legionnaires nor acclaimed aerial glories that has drawn us to this corner of England’s second largest county.
First band of the day, for us, as the clock strikes twelve and morning segues into afternoon is metalcore outfit Manørs who have hotfooted it in a southerly direction from their Newcastle headquarters to raise their particular brand of hell on the Southall/Lawless stage. From selling out their first-ever gig in their hometown venue Head of Steam just over a year ago and, in their following show, launching their debut EP ‘Addicted’ last summer at a rammed Cluny this is without a doubt a quartet with an extremely purposeful momentum.
Although a brand-new entity to us there is a familiar face, in the form of the ever-affable former Twister six-stringer Jake Grimes, within the ranks. The despatch, however, is a complete departure from the melodics of his former band and is one that pushes the boundaries far beyond. With a roar, heralded by a techno-driven intro, the four-piece face-off the early-door’s COTW crowd and slam into opening number ‘Capitilise’. An ebb and flow of fury to canorous interludes it lays down a fearsome and attention-grabbing marker.
The expansile nu-metal energy of ‘Addicted’ affirms a detonative mixture of Infected Rain and Skarlett Riot herein. Wide-ranging vocalist Ellen Hirst, who also fronts pagan Viking metallers LN, switches from a hellbound rage to soaring symphonics with a seemingly simple flick of a metaphorical switch whilst the band about her soar effortlessly.
One of their newer tracks the powerful ‘Worst of Me’ blends symphonics with Skunk Anansie striking out across the Lincolnshire countryside. From mental health struggles in the surfing serenity and shimmering impact of ‘Change’ to challenging misogyny in the fuzzed-up furore of latest release ‘Gatekeeper’ Manørs are amongst a new breed of musicians who don’t balk at the more challenging subject matters.
The heavy clansman melodics of ‘Dread’ bulldoze in whilst ‘Early Grave’ channels Infected Rain and League of Distortion in a well-received wrecking ball. Finishing their allotted half hour with a high kicking ‘Happy Families’ Manørs have ensured a positive impact and proof that metal will continue to evolve. Label them as ones to watch intently.
Switching our attentions to the right as Greyfox Conspiracy get things underway, beneath leaden skies, opening up the Kilmister stage in their own indomitable fashion. As the most unwelcome precipitation steadily falls so the quintet set about unloading their cargo of good time, heavy-arsed Southern rock n’ rolling brought up from the Welsh valleys of their homelands.
The impactful ‘Freight Train’ embraces warmly like a long-lost friend with grizzly frontman Greyfox Growl commanding the stage with an unbridled ferocity and a hugely genuine affability. Dismiss these five gents as yet another wannabe Southern rock band at your peril; the goods these boondock prospectors ‘peddle’ are much darker and edgier and all the better for this.
The rasping six strings of Zino and Dai burn down the crops with stinging riffs whilst drummer Mike and bassist Darren lay waste to all about with resonant rhythms All the while, Greyfox despatches his trademark granular vocals. Headlong into ‘Lord Have Mercy’ GC keep on truckin’ right ahead into soundscapes of the Western frontier. “Kick it out boys!” roars Greyfox, continuing his shamanistic magic intro’ing the hell breaks loose of ‘Twist of Fate’. With a dab of Skynyrd about it’s a surefire smile inducer.
A doomy bell tolls, a cackling from upon high and an archaic, battered grimoire – the Necronomicon in the leathery flesh perhaps? – held aloft brings in the black-top rocking of ‘Preacherman’ within which Sabbath is dunked into the Southern heartlands. The crowd continues to grow with the strengthy strike of ‘Crazyhorse’ seemingly a drawing factor. “You’re making five old men very happy!” sagely notes Greyfox.
In the veritable blink of an eye the Conspiracy are hurtling into their last song of the day with the hip-shaking swagger of their forthcoming single ‘Backs to the Wall’. It’s been short but so, so sweet; a most tempting of morsels that has left us wanting much, much more.
Returning to the Southall/Lawless side of the festival we not only swap stages but genres too with the modernistic sounds of Nottingham melodic metallers Phoenix Lake. This is what Call Of The Wild is all about; showcasing up and coming bands that are pursuing a forward-facing avenue amidst the more established artists.
Their appearance, here in the leafy Lincolnshire surrounds, comes sandwiched between appearing at last weekend’s Breaking Bands festival and a prestigious slot on Bloodstock’s Sophie Lancaster Stage. Assembling to a thundering intro the four-piece bristle with youthful confidence hammering into the victorious stampede that is the curtain-raising ‘Fractured Wings’.
An Iron Maiden infusion the opening track is a prog-symphonic amalgam that is more prevalent in mainland Europe than here in the UK. A coalescence of the likes of Within Temptation and Unleash The Archers it’s immediately apparent that these four musical architects, with a debut in the pipeline, have a far-reaching potential.
Rolling right into the heavied tones of ‘Saviour’ touches of Dragonforce and Amaranthe are applied in Ash Wilson’s slick guitaring. Speedy at its nucleus ‘Serenity’ dials into the symphonic metal sector with vocalist Lana Phillis’ breadth drawing comparisons, in my mind, to Brittney Slayes. Most recent single ‘Woven in Time’ takes COTW on a majestic romp with, at track-end, Wilson beating his heart and saluting the crowd with raised horns.
As menacing showers sweep across the showgrounds the fist-pumping glory of ‘Faithless’, drawn from 2023’s ‘Beyond The Flames’ EP, that hastens an affinity to Visions Of Atlantis. Slowing the tempo early release ‘Against the Tides’ draws upon the band’s inner-Evanescence with Wilson’s searing solo particularly noteworthy.
Well received it provides the perfect platform to lead into the uplifting set closer ‘Come Alive’. With their first album pencilled for a September release a bright future beckons for sure.
Dwelling in the abyssal crypt Stoke’s punked up gothic metallic outfit Lesbian Bed Death, like Phoenix Lake before them, have hot-footed it across from last weekend’s Breaking Bands festival. Formed over two decades ago LBD has been somewhat of a revolving door about founding member Dan Peach. However, with the release of last year’s well-received long player ‘Midnight Lust’ it appears this unique outfit have entered a period of relative stability and hit a deserved upwards trajectory.
Across a compelling three quarters of an hour comprising ten tracks selected from half of their eight albums the memorably monikered LBD incant a cogent conjuration as obsidian as the darkest of All Hallow Eves. Even with some weak sunshine breaking through the battleship grey skies above one can sense a crepuscular force at gainful employ herein.
With a lupine howl the quartet, plus a writhing winged dancer, burst into life. There are a few sound issues with JJ’s vocals in and out of the mix but that and the troublesome feedback is swiftly fixed. This is live music outdoors, right? The gothic overtures of initial number ‘The Antichrist’ serve to hypnotise. Winched in from ‘Midnight Lust’ it works well as their opening gambit.
With a dip into the deeper recesses of the back catalogue a couple of title tracks, and coincidentally album openers, are dished up with the grizzly relish of cannibals taking receipt of the beheaded upon a silver platter. An underworldly romp right out of the sepulchre ‘Designed By The Devil, Powered By The Dead’ leads into 2016’s ‘Evil Never Dies’ that has morphed into a gothic symphonic styled crossover.
The lively hard rock infestation of ‘Horrors of The Crown Hotel’ is coupled with a pulsating ‘Satanic Suicide Sex Cult’ – the latter firmly dunking Judas Priest into the fiery depths of Abaddon – for a doubled-up inspection of ‘Midnight Lust’. The well curated set continues with a further brace in the form of the haunting dynamics of ‘Chains’ afore the bone-crunching ‘Halloween’ which alloys the large-than-life energies of Zodiac Mindwarp and KISS in shadowy environs.
Recorded way back LBD’s first ever recording ‘Goth Girls Are Easy’ gets a set-closing triplet from ‘I Use My Powers For Evil’ underway. Pursued by the jaunty, marauding title track and a particularly punky ‘Pretty But Mental’ that, with a super-sized thud, brings the curtains down upon a captivating set that has surely garnered further fans ahead of an autumn UK tour supporting Canadian gothic electro-metallers The Birthday Massacre.
Some 15 years in the coming, with three studio albums under their collective belt, Sisters Doll have finally realised a dream and torn up the United Kingdom. The four Mileto brothers have rattled through 13 gigs since mid-May with this afternoon’s slot rounding off a much-vaunted tour. There’s a genuine buzz about this hard rocking quadrumvirate and it doesn’t take very long to work out why.
Formed in the mining community of Collie, Western Australia relocation to the opposite side of the country to Melbourne came in 2014, two years after the release of their debut album ‘Welcome To The Dollhouse’. It’s a move that has paid dividends with a runners-up spot in 2016’s Australia’s Got Talent being followed up by the release of their sophomore record ‘All Dolled Up’ a year later. Signing to X Music the band’s third album ‘Scars’ just missed out on the official top ten in their home country by the slimmest of margins slamming in at number 11.
With the rain teeming down Sister Doll burst forth like a damburst with a roar of guitar and bass courtesy of Brennan, Austin, and Sage all atop an avalanche of drums from Bryce. Upon high clouds skitter rapidly to the beat whilst the numerous populous of the Doll Army soak up the conflagrant opener ‘Climbing Out Of Hell’; the first of a quartet of tracks taken from the latest album.
Redolent of the furrow being ploughed by German rockers Kissin’ Dynamite the Dolls possess an electricity not commonly seen. It’s rollickingly good-time rock n’ roll right out of the mid to late 80s. The spirit of the ilk of primetime Cinderella, Mötley Crüe, and Poison is evoked by the trailer-load. Smoke billows and with no messing we’re struck by the infectious strains of ‘Prisoner’. A truly sizeable crowd is being drawn in to focus upon the epicentre; this is why there’s a buzz about this band. An Aussie outfit that doesn’t sound like AC/DC!!
The sleazy rocking of ‘You Can’t Bring Me Down’ goes down a veritable storm, it’s hooky as heck and earns one of the loudest cheers of the day thus far. The punchy ‘United’ quakes as congenial patches of blue begin to appear in the Lincolnshire sky. The mission is clear and simple “We’re four brothers from Australia. We’re gonna fuck you up tonight!” states Austin.
Phasers are set to ‘kill’ for the hip-swaying groove of the bad-arse ‘Strutt’. The sun breaks through to accompany the magic being created onstage. There’s a tasty touch of Pete Townshend in those windmilling riffs and the reception is rightfully and wholly positive. Chockful to tumbling percussives and a 70s glam feel ‘Dollhouse’ teleports us back to the early days of Sisters Doll.
All the effort of the 47 hours trek across the globe is clearly worth it and, as per Brennan’s request, it’s a surefire bet that their ears will be ringing with the COTW roars on the homebound plane. The rain returns in time for the balladic ‘Good Day To Be Alive’ which cues up the Bon Jovi comparisons before the track detonates into a full-blown Stateside rocker. It’s been a crazy rock n’ roll rollercoaster, one which COTW have been fully subscribed too. Who else is awaiting expectantly for their return?
Ten minutes past the seventh hour with the sun beginning its daily dip towards the horizon so four very relatable long-haired gents calmly stroll out on to the Kilmister Stage to Bill Conti’s booming ‘Gonna Fly Now’, otherwise known as the Theme From Rocky’. What transpires next is a pugilistic, stone-cold hour-long pummelling that comes rip-roaring right out of the scaly-bound manual entitled “How to rock: Motörhead”.
After first catching Asomvel live at last year’s Bloodstock Festival where, on the Saturday evening, they raised their own brand of hell upon the Sophie Lancaster stage there’s absolutely nowhere else I wish to be this Friday evening. A touch cruelly they can be labelled as shamelessly derivative but for many like myself they’re a bonafide hard-rocking entity. Yes, they do look and sound very much in the vein of Lemmy & Co.; however, I much prefer to view this four-piece as an extension of the catalogue rather than an outright pillaging of it.
It’s foot right through the floor, not just to it, from the very off with the gloriously uncompromising sledgehammer ‘Louder & Louder’ doing precisely what it states on its tin. One of several tracks freight-trained in from last year’s ‘Born To Rock ‘n’ Roll’ album which squarely demonstrates there’s plenty of relevance in these hounds yet.
The pure unadulterated high-density title-track ‘Born To Rock n’ Roll’ follows at breakneck velocity; the COTW assembly lap it up full bore. Muscular in its composition it ably melds Airbourne and Motörhead within a spiky enveloping. With an Ozzy-infused cackle ‘Beware The Full Moon’ barrels along in top gear.
The pace is unrelenting and the lava flow that is ‘Payback’s A Bitch’ is a backs to the stacks deliverance. It’s a slightly reduced backline employed tonight with just three-quarters of the band’s Marshalls able to make it onstage. Not that this degrades the output, far from it in fact as the power is truly omnipresent.
The screaming banshee ‘Cold Day In Hell’ is a meaty despatch that storms the battlements to great reception before ‘Outside The Law’, dedicated to their Roadcrew, transports an enthused COTW back to the early 80s with its NWOBHM elements. Played for the first time brand-new track ‘Take You To Hell’ is a full-bore ramraid that paves the way for the abyssal rocket ascent of ‘Stone Cold Stare’.
“You motherfuckers are getting louder” notes frontman Ralph Robinson accurately. As the evening falls upon the showgrounds so the atmosphere ramps ever upwards. Ralph and Stel Robinson step backwards into the copious murkiness in ‘Lawless’ to leave sole remaining founding member Lenny Robinson out front to throttle a searing solo from his Les Paul.
Afterburners are fully lit; there’s no messing about as band and crowd alike are on maximum hyperdrive for ‘World Shaker’. Even with the rain falling it’s more than a fair bet that Lemmy et al would approve of ‘Luck Is For Losers’. Poignant dedication is paid to founding member Jay-Jay Winter who tragically lost his life in a car accident, forever in our memories.
Most recent single ‘Light ‘Em Up’ is the most compelling evidence I’ve witnessed as to rock going up to the immortal level of ‘12’ and coupled with the set-closing behemoth ‘The Nightmare Ain’t Over’ is surely the evidence, should it be required, that the greats do indeed live on in the 21st century.
Behind the twin stages the ‘small unregarded yellow sun’ – beloved of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy continues its trek horizonwards; dusk beckons as Day One’s headliners of the Southall/Lawless stage, Tailgunner, ready themselves for action. There’s a loud buzz about this band that, in less than three years since their formation, has reached deafening proportions.
Having wound up their debut album tour, ‘Guns For Hire’, at the tail end of last year, appearing at Scotland’s Winterstorm festival, the quintet has recently emerged from their mid-winter slumbers in an incredibly determined mood. Warming up with a ‘secret set’ at Portsmouth’s Deco, which served as a live debut for their new drummer Eddie Mariotti, this Call Of The Wild slot is the tasty filling in between a double helping of German festivals – Rock in Rautheim and Rock Hard respectively.
The air raid sirens wail and Tailgunner hit the stage at full pelt without drawing breath headlong into future anthem ‘Midnight Blitz’. Playing it safe is clearly not in this band’s vocabulary; however, the gambit of first manoeuvre being a shiny-new track reaps dividends. Engines screaming it reaps a raucous, approving reception from the COTW faithful.
This is a festival that this band has an affinity for having appeared, and by all accounts lifted the roof, here two years previously. For anyone in doubt who they’re watching vocalist Craig Cairns proudly hoists his mic stand aloft. With the band logo on the underside of the base this is surely one of the most rock ‘n’ roll adornments of the weekend. There’s slick guitaring aplenty, courtesy of Rhea Thompson and Zach Salvini. as ‘Blood Sacrifice’ unleashes the demons.
Fists clenched pump upwards to the hard galloping of ‘White Death’ as the spotlight is switched to the debut album. The classic NWOBHM stampede of ‘Follow Me In Death’ features slick twin-lead six-strings before the warnings boom for ‘Crashdive’. Amidst its Helloween leanings there’s some neat choreographed frontline synching – from Thompson, Salvini, and bassist Tom Hewson – that Accept would be proud of. ‘Warhead’ brings the thunder in droves.
According to affable singer Cairns it’s been over 100 shows across 14 countries in the intervening two years since the band’s last COTW appearance; expect to see similar figures racked up with dates with WASP and Steel Panther looming along with festivals across Europe including Austria’s Area 53 and Dutch gathering Into The Grave along with Download, Steelhouse, and Firevolt a bit closer to home. The Summer Blitz is gathering pace.
A further triumvirate from the forthcoming, as yet untitled, album whet the appetite considerably. Facing eternity’s gate the gentle introducing melodics of ‘Tears In Rain’ pave the way for the epicness of ‘Barren Lands & Seas Of Red’. It’s Malmsteen-paced bristling with daubs of Maiden and Helloween and by god it’s bloody good! Behind the kit Mariotti pounds as, with heads down, the rapid velocity of ‘Eulogy’ breaks out.
Screaming for vengeance a surprise cover of Metallic’s ‘Hit The Lights’ is a bolt right out of the blue. High above a thin crescent moon hangs serenely in the clearing skies. The guitars of Thompson and Salvini entwine in set-closer ‘Guns For Hire’ with Cairns whipping up the ensemble one last time. It’s been breathless throughout and my concluding conclusion that bigger stages and even higher profiles await this engaging outfit. The future of British metal is in the safest of hands.
Entering to an arenaceous dust-devil intro tape bourbon-soaked Canadian southern-styled rockers The Commoners step out with an assured air into the Lincolnshire dusk. With the last rays of daylight rapidly ebbing away being chased westwards by the advancing crepuscular darkness it’s clear from the off we’re in for a masterclass of slick, blues-based rocking.
By the time the final notes of opening number ‘Shake You Off’, rammed full of the smoky vibrancy of the Black Crowes’ Glastonbury ’95 Pyramid Stage set, echo across the showground any doubts I harboured where emphatically sent firmly packing in the direction of the North Sea.
Having witnessed this talented quintet struggle to fully engage, through no fault of their own, with a strangely languid Sunday afternoon crowd at last year’s Steelhouse I had pondered long as to whether they could successfully follow the metallic delectations of Asomvel and Tailgunner. Concerned I shouldn’t have been as having dunked Deep Purple in the south the five piece revel in ‘The Way I Am’.
The COTW crowd is sizeable and suitably enthused; with a Rolling Stones swagger ‘Who Are You?’ possesses an embodiment of Dandy Warhols about it. Soulful rocker ‘Too Much’ follows with vocalist Chris Medhurst veering towards Chris Robinson inhabited realms. ‘Gone Without Warning’ trucks along in a gritty 12 bar framework to the delight of all. Heads nod and bodies sway as Friday darkens.
It’s kick-arse with a Southern drawl for sure with the freight-train ‘Too Soon To Know You’ rattling along the rails amidst heartfelt strains that communicate a depth of love via pin-sharp harmonies and melodies. With six-string upright Ross Hays Citrullo arches backwards despatching a particularly conflagrant solo. Fireflies spark upon the evening breeze.
With acoustic guitar shouldered Medhurst laments “Life on the road is hard sometimes” in latest title track ‘Restless’. A gentle, emotive ballad it’s downtempo is wholly absorbed in a beautiful, treasured moment. Coupled with the emotion filled ‘See You Again’ a tremendous reception is given without demand; COTW has trumped Steelhouse in the humblest of my opinions.
The closing trio elevate matters upon high with soaring eagle ‘Fill My Cup’ an ascendant serenity that leads into the heavenly southern vibrancy of ‘Find A Better Way’. Going right for the jugular the potent ‘Devil Teasin’ Me’ is untethered to bring the finale of COTW’s opening day to a fiery conclusion. With a heads down let’s get the boogie on approach The Commoners reveal an inner Allman Brothers that effortlessly captivates.
Next up, via a stopover at Newcastle’s Cluny, is Sweden Rocks before returning to the UK for a short run of festival slots at the likes of Love Rocks, Cambridge Rocks, and the delightfully named Back Doune The Rabbit Hole. The balance has been restored within my soul, quality always wins over.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
