If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be baked alive while headbanging to blast beats and guitar solos, Welcome to Rockville 2025 had you covered, literally. Covered in sweat, that is. Four relentless days, record-breaking crowds, and over 100°F each day. But who cares about heatstroke when the lineup is this good?
Let’s break it down…
Thursday – The Spark That Lit The Fuse
Quicksand (8) kicked things off with a tight, riff-heavy set. Post-hardcore purists were in their element, and it was a surprisingly cerebral way to ease into the madness. Then came The Dillinger Escape Plan (9), who didn’t so much play a show as detonate one. Bodies flew, time signatures collapsed in on themselves, and chaos reigned supreme. An absolutely wild return, like they'd been storing up all that fury just for this.
GWAR (8) followed, showering us with fake blood and delightfully grotesque theatrics. It was like Shakespeare in space... if Shakespeare was into heavy metal and mutilation. Fit For A King (7) brought the metalcore thunder, tight and punishing with breakdowns that could fracture concrete. Finger Eleven (8) surprised me. Paralyzer still gets a crowd jumping, but they played with more edge than expected, a sharp reminder that they’re more than just radio rock.
Rob Zombie (9) closed the night like a horror movie on amphetamines. Pyro, visuals, and that gravel-gargling growl made for a perfect ending. Industrial sleaze at its finest. I skipped Shinedown, not my thing and beat the traffic to get out of the heat.
Friday – Nostalgia vs Knockouts
The day started sunny and deceptively gentle with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (7) and New Found Glory (8) giving us all the 2000s emo-punk flashbacks. If you didn’t scream Face Down in 110-degree heat, were you even there? Jimmy Eat World (8) played the heartstrings hard. The Middle still slaps live, but they also leaned into some darker, heavier cuts which made me respect them even more. Knocked Loose (9) didn’t care what decade you were stuck in. They cracked skulls with relentless hardcore energy. Circle pits opened. Heatstroke risks ignored.
Candlebox (8) played it cool with groovy, bluesy, and a nice palate cleanser, before Bush (9) swaggered out. Gavin Rossdale still has it, and Machinehead hit like a freight train. Everclear (9) sang about swimming out passed the breakers and watching the world die whilst at the time it felt like the world was on fire, their energy was awesome.
Saturday – The Filth And The Fury
This was my kind of day.
Havok (9) started with razor-sharp thrash, and Nails (8) followed by dragging us into a pit of sheer auditory violence. In the best way. Municipal Waste (9) turned things into a beer-fuelled skatepark party. It was chaos, but grinning chaos. Obituary (9) brought death metal royalty energy. Growls, grooves, and gore. A Florida staple doing what they do best. Then came Acid Bath (9) —rare, raw, and utterly hypnotic. Like sludge covered in poetry and nightmares. Mastodon (9) played a near-religious set. Technical, melodic, and massive. Probably the most musically impressive band of the whole weekend.
But nothing—nothing—topped Whitechapel (10). My highlight of the festival. They absolutely destroyed. The sound, the precision, the presence. Every riff hit like a sledgehammer. The drummer was faster than a machine gun on speed. Phil Bozeman’s voice might be the voice of Armageddon itself. If Rockville was a war, Whitechapel won it. Honestly if I could channel Lemmy here it'd be 11/10. This lot killed it.
Hoobastank (6) and P.O.D. (6) felt a bit like a detour, but they knew their crowd. Alive got fists in the air, and I’ll admit it—I sang along. Linkin Park (8) closed with a set that felt both cathartic and triumphant. I thought Emily covered Chester parts well, and while no one can replace him, it was handled with respect and love.
Sunday – The Ashes And The Aftershock
Four days deep, cooked medium-rare, and still we stood. Just.
Deaf Heaven (9) began with a wall of shimmering blackgaze that melted the air itself. Intense and gorgeous. The Black Dahlia Murder (9) tore into us next, sounding as brutal and tight as ever. A fitting tribute to Trevor Strnad, carried forward with honour. Testament (8) were a masterclass in old-school thrash. These legends never age, they just get louder.
Korn (9), though, pure redemption. They brought out the big guns. The stage shook. The crowd lost it. Jonathan Davis screamed like a man possessed, and the sound of Freak On A Leash echoing out into the Florida night was the perfect curtain drop. (Can't give them 10 as Whitechapel were just so good, I mentioned that didn't I??)
Final Thoughts
Welcome to Rockville 2025 was loud, hot, and totally unrelenting. It tested your stamina, sunblock, and earplugs (if you took them). But with a lineup this stacked, it also reminded you why we do this. Festivals like this are a test but the prizes are many and various.
This was the second year attending and plans are afoot for 2026, if Florida could turn the heat down a tad it would be great, if not there's still factor 70+ sunblock and fire hoses that will fix it.
Thursday – The Spark That Lit The Fuse
Quicksand (8) kicked things off with a tight, riff-heavy set. Post-hardcore purists were in their element, and it was a surprisingly cerebral way to ease into the madness. Then came The Dillinger Escape Plan (9), who didn’t so much play a show as detonate one. Bodies flew, time signatures collapsed in on themselves, and chaos reigned supreme. An absolutely wild return, like they'd been storing up all that fury just for this.
GWAR (8) followed, showering us with fake blood and delightfully grotesque theatrics. It was like Shakespeare in space... if Shakespeare was into heavy metal and mutilation. Fit For A King (7) brought the metalcore thunder, tight and punishing with breakdowns that could fracture concrete. Finger Eleven (8) surprised me. Paralyzer still gets a crowd jumping, but they played with more edge than expected, a sharp reminder that they’re more than just radio rock.
Rob Zombie (9) closed the night like a horror movie on amphetamines. Pyro, visuals, and that gravel-gargling growl made for a perfect ending. Industrial sleaze at its finest. I skipped Shinedown, not my thing and beat the traffic to get out of the heat.
Friday – Nostalgia vs Knockouts
The day started sunny and deceptively gentle with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (7) and New Found Glory (8) giving us all the 2000s emo-punk flashbacks. If you didn’t scream Face Down in 110-degree heat, were you even there? Jimmy Eat World (8) played the heartstrings hard. The Middle still slaps live, but they also leaned into some darker, heavier cuts which made me respect them even more. Knocked Loose (9) didn’t care what decade you were stuck in. They cracked skulls with relentless hardcore energy. Circle pits opened. Heatstroke risks ignored.
Candlebox (8) played it cool with groovy, bluesy, and a nice palate cleanser, before Bush (9) swaggered out. Gavin Rossdale still has it, and Machinehead hit like a freight train. Everclear (9) sang about swimming out passed the breakers and watching the world die whilst at the time it felt like the world was on fire, their energy was awesome.
Then Green Day (9) arrived to finish us off. Say what you like, but they know how to play to a massive crowd. Polished, punchy, and still fun as hell.
Saturday – The Filth And The Fury
This was my kind of day.
Havok (9) started with razor-sharp thrash, and Nails (8) followed by dragging us into a pit of sheer auditory violence. In the best way. Municipal Waste (9) turned things into a beer-fuelled skatepark party. It was chaos, but grinning chaos. Obituary (9) brought death metal royalty energy. Growls, grooves, and gore. A Florida staple doing what they do best. Then came Acid Bath (9) —rare, raw, and utterly hypnotic. Like sludge covered in poetry and nightmares. Mastodon (9) played a near-religious set. Technical, melodic, and massive. Probably the most musically impressive band of the whole weekend.
But nothing—nothing—topped Whitechapel (10). My highlight of the festival. They absolutely destroyed. The sound, the precision, the presence. Every riff hit like a sledgehammer. The drummer was faster than a machine gun on speed. Phil Bozeman’s voice might be the voice of Armageddon itself. If Rockville was a war, Whitechapel won it. Honestly if I could channel Lemmy here it'd be 11/10. This lot killed it.
Hoobastank (6) and P.O.D. (6) felt a bit like a detour, but they knew their crowd. Alive got fists in the air, and I’ll admit it—I sang along. Linkin Park (8) closed with a set that felt both cathartic and triumphant. I thought Emily covered Chester parts well, and while no one can replace him, it was handled with respect and love.
Seeing thousands chant In The End in unison was emotional, no denying it. (this feels harsh but the band struggled with in ear monitors and the sound suffered a bit but that's live music).
Sunday – The Ashes And The Aftershock
Four days deep, cooked medium-rare, and still we stood. Just.
Deaf Heaven (9) began with a wall of shimmering blackgaze that melted the air itself. Intense and gorgeous. The Black Dahlia Murder (9) tore into us next, sounding as brutal and tight as ever. A fitting tribute to Trevor Strnad, carried forward with honour. Testament (8) were a masterclass in old-school thrash. These legends never age, they just get louder.
Sevendust (8) reminded everyone why they’ve lasted so long—groove-heavy, heartfelt, and powerful. Lajon Witherspoon owned the stage. Snot (9) were a blast of 90s energy, with a rawness that felt like someone had dug up a time capsule and plugged it into a stack of Marshalls.
Korn (9), though, pure redemption. They brought out the big guns. The stage shook. The crowd lost it. Jonathan Davis screamed like a man possessed, and the sound of Freak On A Leash echoing out into the Florida night was the perfect curtain drop. (Can't give them 10 as Whitechapel were just so good, I mentioned that didn't I??)
Final Thoughts
Welcome to Rockville 2025 was loud, hot, and totally unrelenting. It tested your stamina, sunblock, and earplugs (if you took them). But with a lineup this stacked, it also reminded you why we do this. Festivals like this are a test but the prizes are many and various.
This was the second year attending and plans are afoot for 2026, if Florida could turn the heat down a tad it would be great, if not there's still factor 70+ sunblock and fire hoses that will fix it.
Overall rating - Music 9/10, Heat 1/10 (damn Florida is hot - for a "strawberry blonde" English bloke this was a test. Company - 10/10 hanging out with Rich (@fuzzdoomrip) and Jeremy was amazing.
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