Reviews: Gorod, Mob Rules, Noveria, Cutthroat (Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Gorod - The Ember Gone (Base Productions) [Mark Young]

There are some albums that set their tone very early on, its not so much a case of showing their hand almost straight away its more that they can’t help but put their accomplishments in the window. The Ember Gone is one of these albums where they assume you are onboard with them and with the music they are about to bestow upon you. Their lead off starts and we are off on this technical journey. Now, we know that sometimes technical can equal boring, due to the bands themselves forgetting that it has to excite you as a listener. 

Signs has this current running through it where they pull the technical approach in but base it over what you might say is a simple progression. And that is the key in this song being an absolute belter. Because it has that simplicity at its core, it allows them to embellish the song around it with some quality touches that mean more than just a flurry of notes without meaning. It lives up to their bio declaration with an outro solo that is fleet of finger but still has an emotional heft to it. 

Further confirmation of their approach as being basics first is Devise. Its how they knit the different pieces together so we end up a with a song with no frayed edges. It gets the riffs in and done then decides to play around with you. Its exceptional stuff really and while I’m assuming that there could be more ‘technical’ acts out there I don’t think that there are many who can build a song they do. Even the vocal melodies and the overall delivery is in step, its just a complete package which makes me review it so easy. 

Where they extend their songs out, such as on Forgiveness, that additional time is not wasted in meaningless noodling. Its used to further flesh their sound out, moving with a cosmic grace to it. I’m happy to say that they also bring in some fiendish low end riffing on this one and in the course of three songs they have casually dropped in one of the albums of the year. Absolutely no doubt in my mind.

Is there such a thing as a technical-progressive swagger? There is now and its running through this on every song. We look to describe music in lazy ways and I’m certainly guilty of that and if you asked me, I’d say fluid. Which is probably not the best term but there you go. There is no reduction in the intent or execution from them, the later tracks are as immediate as that initial kick off – Ignite being an example of bringing you death metal with a sunny edge. Honest, once it starts you will get it straightaway. 

Remains brings the whole thing to an end, and bookends a strong collection of technical, progressive music, one that doesn’t seek to overwhelm the listener with super crazy rhythms or by playing more notes than anyone else. They have a very simple approach, which to write good songs that define a base from which to leap off from but never forget that they have to return to that base at some point. They treat every song as a new trip, something for us to enjoy and you will enjoy it from start to finish. 9/10

Mob Rules - Stories From The Verdant Vale (ROAR) [Matt Bladen]

This one is all about the vinyl as Stories From The Verdant Vale continues the narrative established on 2025's Rise Of The Ruler, these are songs from those sessions, originally released as part of the special edition of that album, on CD.

They are now getting a second lease of life as a standalone piece, on vinyl as a full length record that features these five "new" tracks as the Side A and as and extra treat on the Side B a few re-recorded versions of older tracks featuring a few guests.

Because Stories From The Verdant Vale links to early Mob Rules records these bonus tracks are ones from that era, re-recorded in 2014 with Udo Dirkschneider, Amanda Somerville, City Somapala and Bernhard Weiß as guest vocalists to make them a bit more than just a standard re-record.

It's the originals that do the legwork here though from the orchestral overture of Savage Land Reprise, through the bouncy Euro Power metal of Master Of The Black Crow. Then from the theatricality of Masquerade Ball, the ballad Above The Maelstrom and the hard hitting Balance Of Power, Stories From The Verdant Vale is Mob Rules taking you back to the beginnings of their career through songs given a new chance to impress. 7/10

Noveria - Becoming After (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]

The cinematic prog metal experience that is Noveria return with a new record of prog/power. There's something about Italy when it comes to progressive power metal as a lot of the biggest names in this hybrid genre such as DGM and Labyrinth hail from the Mediterranean.

However Noveria have been building their own legacy with a sound that draws from the heavier, moodier US style favoured by Symphony X, Dream Theater and Swedes Evergrey. They get darker again with Becoming After, with Middle Eastern tones beginning The Only Way, it bursts to life with downtuned riffs, orchestral swathes and keys/synths that bring depth.

This is the fifth album and features the talents of pianist and composer Mike Moran on the cinematic Through Your Light, keyboardist Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson) on Cold Flames and string arrangement/performance from violinist Abigail Stahlschmidt and cellist Luca Basile. Though the band themselves shouldn't be discounted as they are all virtuosos in their own right.

All of the guests add more layers to these already dense compositions from a group who can bring melodic wonder, sprawling soundtracks, industrial electronics and the heavier side of metal as well through occasional harsh vocals, Noveria stepping confidently into a new era after major line up changes on Becoming After. 8/10

Cutthroat - The Purge (M-Theory Audio) [Mark Young]

Hard Times takes little time in announcing exactly what you can expect from The Purge, a 5 track EP from LA hardcore outfit Cutthroat. If there was band that completely matched their bio description, its these. The opener is as straight as you could find, its built on a foundation of tightly driven riffs and a traditional hardcore vocal delivery, in as much it reminds me of Biohazard from their Urban Discipline days. Its aggressive, its focus is on battering the listener with what could only be described as a massive sound. 

Sick One comes in, again its perfectly acceptable as an example of what hardcore should sound like. Unfortunately herein lies the problem. Historically, I’ve never been a massive fan of this genre on record. I’ve always felt that the live shows are where this music lives and breathes because that crowd energy feeds back to the band and together, the songs dynamically change. I feel that this is the case here; these tracks will take on new life on stage.

Feeling Disconnected continues on that ferocious path laid down, but stays within the lanes already set out, and by this point they have effectively settled down into what feels like the same song, partially rebuilt to suit. I feel that I’m sounding unimpressed by the material on here, that’s not the case. As I’ve said its incredibly tight, and its all about stomping you with some pummelling riffing. 

If you take the title track, Purge, its heavy, and will tick all the necessary boxes required for metal. It’s just that it’s too similar to everything else on here. They close out with Bullet Proof Mind, and it shows that they have no intention of slowing down or backing off in terms of intent. It maintains that aggressive nature that has been in place since track one, without departing from their core sound.

There’s couple of ways of looking at this in terms of reviewing it; If you consider this purely on the strengths/weaknesses shown, then I would say that for fans of the scene hey will lap it up. They do everything that you want from hardcore, massive riffs, insistent approach delivered with an authentic focus on what works for them. You know that live, these will cause the crowd to go off, there is no doubt in my mind. My issue is that I’m not a fan, and it’s not done anything to change my mind. 6/10

A View From The Castle: Scarlet Rebels (Alex Tobias)

Scarlet Rebels, Hollow Souls, The Virginmarys, Marisa And The Moths & Juliet’s Not Dead, Chepstow Castle, 21.08.26

Having been lucky enough to capture a few gigs this summer at Cardiff Castle for their summer stretch of events, now that those are over I’ve switched over to another castle in South Wales — the fantastic and naturally atmospheric Chepstow Castle.

Tonight’s gig consists of Juliet’s Not Dead, Marisa And The Moths, The Virginmarys, Kris Barras’ Hollow Souls and our headliners, Scarlet Rebels. So, let’s pass through the huge entrance gates and go watch this night of rock.

First up this evening, we get North East rockers Juliet’s Not Dead (7), striding onto the stage with all the swagger of a band that deservedly broke into the UK Album Sales Chart Top 20 with last year’s This World Is Ours. This is a band that knows how to entertain — and has the songs to back it up.

From song one, the band deliver huge riffs and addictive melodies that have this crowd singing along right from the get-go. I can hear so many influences running through the band, but one I felt strongly in the big choruses they deliver was Coheed And Cambria, especially in the standout song of the set for me, Open Fire, from the band’s last album.

The crowd got tonight’s party off to a great start, singing out loud, “Take your aim and open fire,” along with plenty of dancing. The band look good live and have a real ease and stage presence about them.

A blinder of a start, and a new fan was made in myself after watching Juliet’s Not Dead tonight.

Having finally had some rain earlier in the day, it did stay dry for the evening, but it had that gloomy, half-and-half sky towering over the castle by the time Marisa And The Moths (7) came to the stage. This in no way impacted the performance we were about to get, but it just added to the aura bursting from the stage from the band.

Throughout the set, we are spoilt with some damn fine catchy songs. Marisa Rodriguez has a voice that is so sweet and tonally perfect, and then, in a bar, can switch to the pitch sensations of the rock end of the late, great Bonnie Tyler.

All together, the band have really good chemistry on stage, and there are plenty of solos to show themselves off amongst the pretty impressive range of songs on offer. We get fast alternative rock mixed with soulful, softer songs like Borderline from the band’s 2024 album What Doesn’t Kill You. Even this has a strong, heavy chorus that leaves you banging your head while feeling the emotions pouring from the lyrics.

Very impressed with the Reading outfit tonight on my first time seeing them. Huge roars from this crowd during the band’s after-set photo confirmed that for me.

After a nice little refreshment break and an awe-inspiring look at the castle grounds as it starts to get dark, our next band steps onto the stage to a huge roar from the crowd.

The Virginmarys (8) are a band that I have been looking forward to this evening, as I’m always intrigued by artists that balance having lots of members — or, in this case, have only two.

Having recently experienced the musical delights that are Soft Play, I was excited to see what vocalist and guitarist Ally Dickaty and drummer Danny Dolan can bring to tonight’s music.

Straight off the bat, we get song after song of pure grit and downright dirty soul oozing from the stage from both men. Raw grunge with a punk edge that compliments the nerve-striking lyrics, especially from songs like White Knuckle Riding, which talks about the struggle of having a long-term mental health problem and the ways it can keep you on a constant edge.

The visceral energy coming from Ally Dickaty during this song makes you stop and stare in the moment. A raw ride of in-your-face songs that doesn’t let up throughout the set, the pair feed off each other well, and it brings your eyes to the section of the stage they are on. It’s a very well-thought-out set but feels very natural and real.

Very much recommend catching The Virginmarys if you get the chance, near you or not.

Another short break for changeover and we almost come to complete darkness in this historical setting this evening. Next up onto the stage is the mighty Kris Barras with his blues-rock band, Hollow Souls (7).

As you can expect, the crowd went completely bonkers when Kris and the band got to the stage. Cheers and screams carried on throughout the first song and into the superb cover of Led Zeppelin’s Rock And Roll for song two. The stacked line-up of talent in this band is very impressive. Vocalist Phoebe Jane is perfect throughout, with the powerful melodies, but also has such a soulful edge during the more laid-back songs.

I Need Fire, from the band’s 2025 debut EP, hits you in the feet and legs, forcing you to bop along to the driving grooves, then explodes with a real gritty solo from Kris as he makes his way close to the edge of the stage. The band don’t skip a beat with solos, keeping everyone here dancing and getting their groove on. The best thing I could say about the band live is that it feels like they have been together for over ten years.

Riffing off each other with ease and looking so happy to be playing music together, I very much enjoyed the bluesy rock change of pace. We all know how talented Kris Barras is, and with Hollow Souls this is a collective band that all look so happy to be cranking out soulful riffage together.

Twenty minutes pass and we now welcome to the stage tonight’s headliners to a huge applause and cheers from this Chepstow crowd: West Wales’ own Scarlet Rebels (8).

The band are greeted by lots of banners draped over the front barrier, with fans here going crazy from song one. Vocalist Wayne Doyle gives us strong and powerful notes galore from a band that has been on a long run of success in the past few years, with classic songs like This Is Happening Now and one that stood out for me, Take You Home from the band’s 2022 album See Through Blue — a song that screams huge rock riffs and carries a message about how music can really bring people together.

Being my first time seeing the band, I was very impressed by the smooth professionalism and just pure rock classic after classic throughout the set. We get the obvious Welsh connection with the crowd tonight, with this being a special gig in a fricking castle, but this is a band that can easily play literally anywhere in the world and just be pure entertainment for everyone watching and listening.

The stage show the band put on was flawless, and the backdrop was great, with the huge red heart framing drummer Gary Doyle, who bursts with energy and smiles non-stop throughout the band’s songs.

What a way to end a really enjoyable night in a Welsh castle.

Scarlet Rebels just confirmed to everyone here tonight why they should be playing big arenas around the globe often. The more chance people get to witness the best pure rock band Wales has to offer, the better.

A View From The Castle: Jimmy Eat World (Alex Swift & Chris Beyond)

Jimmy Eat World, Rise Against & The Get Up Kids, Depot Live, Cardiff Castle, 15.08.26

Alex Swift: Bleed American was a seminal album for Jimmy Eat World. The fact that it has remained an alternative rock staple for 25 years allowing the band to perform the record in its entirety at a sold out Cardiff Castle show, is testament to the strength of the songwriting, and the deeply earned emotional catharsis of its songs.

First up though, is The Get Up Kids (8). Most famous for their Something To Write Home About album, the band's pop-punk ragers make for a brilliant start to the day. I particularly appreciated the way the keyboards intersected with the guitars whilst never drowning each other out. Indeed, despite the fact that the crowd on the whole only recognise a smattering of their songs, it's evident from their performance that this is a band that has been performing for decades, and still carries the excitement from playing that they did on day one!

I couldn't write this review without saying a few words about Rise Against myself. The Chicago punk outfit has been one of my favourite bands for longer than I care to remember. And yet, by fate or happenstance, I’ve never seen them live before. It was one hell of an experience to throw myself into the mosh pit (a rare occurrence for me these days) whilst screaming every word back at Tim Mcilrath and co. They may have only had three quarters of an hour to play, but it was absolutely worth the sixteen year wait

Chris Beyond: How to distil the politically fuelled Rise Against (9) into a 7-song set list, playing within the beautiful backdrop of the Welsh Capital inside Cardiff Castle in a supporting role for Jimmy Eat World? Turns out the answer is quite simple, you give the fans what they want!

If you are a Rise Against fan aware of their extensive back catalogue, the set list speaks for itself. However, if you are not let me explain. The most current song on the setlist was from way back in 2011. Not that I don’t enjoy the new material, however, I am pleased that a band that had an opportunity to play current offerings to a large crowd and push the commercial sale of their new album said NO! Let’s give the good people of Cardiff, fast, rebellious (pertinently relevant) hits from the 2000’s.

Rise Against did they just that from the slow burning intro to the Re-Education Of Labour which set the tone for the next 30 mins leading into their anthem Satellite.

Wasting no time, straight into the relentless Give It All caused quite a dust-storm in the mosh pit. At the front the dust that refused to relent as they went straight into the well-known Ready To Fall and just as the mosh pit was catching its breath Tim asked if Cardiff had their dancing shoes on, before playing the best song in set list the very apt Prayer Of The Refugee refusing to let the (literal) dust settle straight into Good Left Undone.

Ending the set list with fan-favourite Savior, and with the current state of affairs within the world the crowd screaming; "I just want to save you, While there's still something left to save" at the top of their lungs, felt like a fitting way to end a short whistle-stop tour of the epic Rise Against.

It was not all perfect, as for reasons unknown, they were late on stage and after comparing set lists from the tour, Cardiff was deprived of 3 songs under the knife, help is on the way chamber in the cartridge, which hurts as chamber in the cartridge is a personnel favourite of mine.

Having seen Rise Against four times, I also wish Tim’s vocals were a little louder, with the mixing of the vocals a little off this time. The absence of three songs and the mixing issues aside this was Rise Against at maximum tenacity.

Alex Swift: Something I immediately notice about Jimmy Eat World (9) is how crisp, and clear they sound. You might say each song rings out with remarkable clarity. Moments in the vein of A Praise Chorus have me singing at the top of my lungs whilst Hear You Me see’s me sobbing into my overpriced Cider. I loved all these songs when I first heard them, but an element of them I appreciate as an adult is how multi-layered they are. Pieces like My Sundown swell from quiet to loud, working brilliantly in the festival-esque grounds of the castle.

Throughout their set Jim Atkins describes the process of writing songs and how they took him from obscurity to fame overnight - “I can't believe people still want to hear these songs 25 years later”. In one particularly touching moment he describes one of his earliest memories being playing a show with the Get Up Kids, and Rise Against.

In that sense, tonight's show feels like a celebration of everything these bands have achieved. They emerged onto the scene with defined sounds that would influence thousands of other bands. They stand on the stage tonight as elder statesmen, no longer at the forefront of the scene they helped give rise to, but revered nevertheless.

Reviews: Kris Barras Band, Mephistofeles, Famous Strangers, Nekrodawn (Matt Bladen & Joe Guatieri)

Kris Barras Band - Monsters We Made (Earache Records) [Matt Bladen]

There has to be a one of kind career trajectory for Kris Barras, from cage fighter, to bluesman, to frontman of international blues super group and now the leader of both a hard hitting heavy rock band and a new blues rock sensation, you can't say Kris does anything by halves.

After fronting Supersonic Blues Machine, his solo band (this one) took a more modern and heavier direction on their previous album Death Valley Paradise, perhaps taking some long time fans by surprise but doing what's best for him as an artist by gaining a whole new audience along with a lot of high ranking support slots. In the time between that album and this one he has also launched Hollow Souls to cater for his blues instincts, so Barras now has all bases covered, unless he wants to start a brutal death band!

Splitting his time in this way has meant Monsters We Made goes further into the world of heavy rock and metal, Kris himself saying that he absorbed "influence of modern metal and a resurgent nu-metal scene" which can be heard across this record as track such as Fake, Beautiful Lie, Alive and the title track have the swaggering grooves of Godsmack and Sevendust while Riot Of One, Rewind and End Of Me bring the arena ready tones of Nickelback and Alter Bridge.

Inspired by the loss of his mother to cancer, Monsters We Made is about reclaiming your art and your life as your own without the need for outside influences or validation (rendering any reviews a moot point), rather it's about choosing your own path, which Barras has done with this record, joined once again by producer/guitarist/keyboardist Josiah Manning, bassist Frazer Kerslake and drummer Billy Hammett, this forceful foursome, have defined this new path loudly and proudly on Monsters We Made. 8/10

Mephistofeles - Live In Europe (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Joe Guatieri]

Mephistofeles are an Argentinian band who dance somewhere between psychedelia and Doom Metal. They’ve been going at it for years now, forming back in 2013 and establishing a big discography, full of excess in every single sense of the word.

I came to know them a few years back, after going into 3 AM YouTube rabbit holes on Electric Wizard and Doom, they would always appear in my recommended and their song titles would stick out to me like a sore thumb, just seeing words strung together like Into The Night and Black Sunday at 28 would make me think, what planet is this band on? Then listening to these pieces would make me say to myself, oh they’re in a world of their own as their attack struck a chord with me in its darkness and the wah-wah felt like an angel brushing their magic wand against my ears.

I eventually saw them live during their very first UK and European tour in 2025. It was in my city of Bristol and after a very long day of work and then going to a friend's gig beforehand, prefacing as well that I was completely sober as I was putting on a gig the next day, I was then ready to see Mephistofeles at Lost Horizon. I noticed a huge sense of anticipation in the air and surprise as they were meant to be headlining and yet they were the first band on as they had to catch a flight early that morning.

They came, I saw them and they conquered with their raw and wild energy, very appreciative of being in England for the first time! Their set felt brief but the impact was made on me as I got home in a daze, ecstatic going to bed after a stellar performance like that, having a good sleep on that night. They were an amalgamation of all things heavy, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, meets Black Sabbath, meets Electric Wizard, it could not be a better description for them!

Now in 2026, Mephistofeles bring us Live In Europe which makes a lot of sense, having a very successful tour last year and they are currently on another one as I’m writing this. This record consists of two separate shows, with the same set lists, played in both Barcelona, Spain and Arnhem, in the Netherlands respectively.

Starting off with the Barcelona show, this is exactly what you want to hear from this band. The live mix is perfect, guitars, drums and bass right up front and the vocals behind all of the chaos. It not only makes it an album of theirs, but also present in your room, playing a private show just for you.

Listening to it early in the morning, I couldn’t stop bobbing my head, most grooves caught me in their web completely, to the point where my mother was screaming at me and I couldn’t hear her. The drums were pounding in my ears and the guitars were burying me in their majestic noodlings. I couldn’t pick a song out that meant the most to me here, I just simply put the record on and enjoyed the ride.

The gig in Arnhem however is a more turbulent affair. The mix is laid out differently, the bass lacks the oomph that it had before and the vocals are much more up-front here which for me, doesn't suit the band that well and as a result they lose some sense of mystery, as if anything can happen which is the main draw of the band to me.

In some ways it feels more sloppy, more rough and ready like the band didn’t care how they sounded. Some great solos were pulled off, seemingly out of sheer will but compared to the first performance, they band felt second-rate here, not bad, just serviceable, it doesn’t make me want more, I walk away with the thought of, that was it…

Overall, with Live In Europe, the record is just too long for its own good. As I said before, the Barcelona show put me in a space of comfort and enjoyment but with the Arnhem, I just stared at my watch the entire time with brief highlights which were enjoyable but didn’t last as long as they should. I wanted it to have a Dark Side Of The Moon effect on me where I can be taken on a journey and return back to the same place but with a new feel. Instead I’m seeing the same hills over and over again, in a mixture of déjà vu and ear fatigue. I love Mephistofeles and I can’t wait for the new album, it’s safe to say that this release won’t hold me until then. 7/10

Famous Strangers - Famous Strangers (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Rock n roll doesn't die it just repeats itself, but then it always has and Famous Strangers have a lot of rock n roll experience behind them.

Formed in 2023 but with a lot of history in their local Edmonton scene behind them, Jeff Kittlitz (guitar), Brian "Beej" Beejerson (drums), Braden Sustrik (bass) and Amanda Kiernan (vocals) the transformed into a adrenaline pumping classic rock band inspired by AC/DC, Judas Priest and Halestorm, running through all these influences across 39 minutes of music.

Now I'm always a big proponent that proper hard rock has to have grit to it and Famous Strangers have more grit than a snow plow in the Canadian winter, Amanda's vocals taking the Lzzy Hale-like snarl as they get the engine roaring with Fire Inside, ripped right out of NWOBHM playbook it's a real ripper of an opener, with Ghost Of Men bringing the 80's sleaze quotient, sticking with that decade on the sultry Please Her.

Famous Strangers have knack of shifting between decades and styles, from galloping punk rock on Desires, modern heaviness on As Your Leader, more NWOBHM on Far Away From Home and even some smoky bluesing on final track Rain. Its a testament to their experience that they have delivered a debut that is fully realised, confident in their skills and songwriting, Famous Strangers won't be strangers for too much longer. 7/10

Nekrodawn - Covenant Of Carnage (War Anthem Records) [Joe Guatieri]

Nekrodawn are a Death Metal band from Sweden who formed in 2022. The band have a lot of pedigree, there members have been a part of so many other acts before this one, Dreadful Fate and The Crown to name a few, clearly these guys know what they’re doing! Their last record, their debut full-length Sculptured By Torture came out in 2024 and now after a quick turnaround, 2026 brings us Covenant Of Carnage.

The first five tracks provide a very feral outlook, they prioritise speed for the most part with some change I there to keep the metal heads on their toes guessing. There are some hits and misses in this first stretch but it provides a good platform for the rest of the album to build upon.

From track six onwards, it genuinely feels like Nekrodawn's prioritises have a change of heart as the songs have a more atmospheric touch to them with plenty of songs that are locked in to hard hitting grooves that just make you want to band your head aggressively.

The aforementioned track six, Crowned Devourer, shows the band at their very best, it’s my favourite song on Covenant Of Carnage. Its not only catchy but it transcends into something which sounds so regal and operatic within its instrumental. It makes me envision a stage show where the world shown and this is caused by fireworks that won’t stop exploding.

Overall, the listening experience provides one of those rare cases where the LP feels particularly back-loaded, keeping you satisfied throughout its runtime. Nekrodawn has my stamp of approval with Covenant Of Carnage, it’s multi-faceted, well performed and a whole lot of fun. Though Death Metal isn’t typically my cup of tea, there’s something about Covenant Of Carnage that makes me come back for seconds. 7/10

Reviews: HAAST, Dysthymia, Risperidrone, Destroy My Brains (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

HAAST - Dreams Of Home (Self Released/Majestic Mountain Records) [Matt Bladen]

There's a real beauty to the music of HAAST, since they are no longer Eagled, it seems that they have expanded their musical palette beyond the post-metal/sludge/doom beginnings into a cinematic sound where this heavy style is manipulated though progressive atmospheres, the emotional catharsis of grunge and the directness of alt metal.

Their first album as just HAAST,, 2021's Made Of Light saw them embrace new styles, strengthening their change of name, but with Dreams Of Home they have created their best work yet, consumed by a feeling of hiraeth, the stirring strings and clean guitar from opener Black Light sets the tone of the record, epic from the first moments as they move further towards grunge and alt metal.

Dreams Of Home is a record from a band carefully crafting every moments so it just hits right, the string section of this first track in the first moments used an impressive overture before starting properly, the distortion kicking in for some thunderous grooves driven by the muscular bass parts of Elliot Blake and the progressive drumming of Hwyel Williams.

With the strength of this rhythm section creating the foundations for brilliance, the windscreen guitar playing of James Tottle and Adam Wrench bring the melodic contours with plenty of dual harmonies on tracks such as the fabulous National Razor, where the dual vocal approach of Wrench and Williams is used to full effect.

There's also bucket loads of energetic riffs on the ragged Mastodon-like Cratered Pilots, the vocals here counter point between cleans and shouts. With just three tracks into the album and Dreams Of Home feels huge, the scope is phenomenal, increasing again on the glittering Lark Song, a majestic end of side one, where there's some movements from Holst weaved into the fluid progressive rock changes.

Side two begins with something even longer, as Denial In The Lion's Den brings 14 minutes of Soundgarden meets Alice In Chains grandeur, a spoken word middle and Celtic storytelling that continues into the latter part of the album with Clychau Arian and Clychau Celyn inspired by the sunken kingdom (Welsh Atlantis) of Cantre'r Gwaelod and the very real sinking of Capel Celyn in 1965 which is still to this day a driving force of Welsh nationalism.

Both can be seen as one track as the haunting silver bells give way to the dramatic doom of homes lost many years ago. Climaxing with the intense In The Voice Of Rhodri Mawr where Welsh and English lyrics are intertwined between the wise words of three influential Welshmen and more magnificent music where sludge, alt metal and traditional folk instruments combine.

Creating vivid and poignant Dreams Of Home, HAAST's second full length enshrines them as one of South Wales' finest acts. 10/10

Dysthymia - The Morning Darkness (Hypnotic Dirge Records) [Mark Young]

And then a thing of raw beauty appeared.

That’s it, that is the review. 10.

The Morning Darkness, their sophomore release channels a weary, lived-in atmosphere leading to each track standing out as something that is tangible, something that feels more alive. For me, this is a release that you have to sit down with and do nothing else other than absorb it. That’s my recommendation for this. I know we have talked about atmospheric black metal before, and it seems to always follow a pattern or type.

This is different. Yes, the traditional tropes are there – the constant rhythm guitar and its wall of sound played out against a melodic line and of course the extreme vocals (that sound like they are being dragged out of Grushenka) but its not the harshness that does you in. It’s when they combine with relative cleans with those melody line. 

Again, we know its not a new thing but there is something different at play, possibly it registers on a personal level. You might describe the music here as rough, unpolished and to an extent you would be right. Just because it’s this way doesn’t mean it has no value. It is rough, its jagged and torn and uncomfortable.

I realise that I’ve kind of written my main points without actually talking about the songs; I think that if you look to their respective lengths, you could be forgiven for feeling discouraged. After all, the opening duo of I Live With What You Created and We Can Never Go Back combined are 18 minutes long. That is a long time to be sat in darkness. Of the former, they waste nothing in filling that space out. Once it starts you are locked in. 

We Can Never Go Back is closer in spirit to what I class as normal Black Metal, something that is atonal and harsh splintered by lighter guitar lines that almost break into lead territory. The thing is that they never completely move out of the shadows, its like they cannot afford to allow themselves to do that. Like the opening track, there’s no wasted space. 

To Choose Life Is To Choose Grief comes in from the opposite end, a short and focused 4 minutes that is more fury that anything else. The shorter run time gives you the chance to take a breath (of sorts) as their focus here is hammer the song home and be quick about it. 

If you get this on Vinyl, you have hit the end of side A. Get a drink and then settle in for the ethereal beauty that starts Until I Was Nothing, and as expected they kick it over, because there’s no way they could possibly stay that way, the depression has to find its way out.

Even so, those cleans don’t completely quit, dropping in as necessary to great effect. It’s the same on The Morning Darkness, their final act. They use cleans to elevate and give the music that darkened edge. What they do is pick the right riffs, the right changes dropped in at the right time.

I’m sure that those who have listened to a lot of Black Metal, including this sub-genre of depressive Black Metal will have something to say. I have to repeat myself that the music you hear here might be similar in execution to something else. I’m not saying that it is new, or that they have done something magically different. I’m saying that there is something in the way that they have written and recorded this music that lands with me. 

Other releases haven’t, and yes, I can like them because they fulfil one of my core requirements – for example its fast and aggressive – The Morning Darkness resonates in a way that is possibly due to where my head is at. I don’t honestly know, but none of this feels forced or inauthentic in any way. I hope that this pulls you in to give this a listen. If you do, please give it the respect it deserves by providing your full attention. It deserves it. 10/10

Risperidrone - Black Shuck (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

The debut album from Cardiff sludge doomers has been long away at but Black Shuck has finally arrived and it brings with it more fuzz than a cashmere sweater. After a six year digestion period and honing them with stage time across the UK to get these songs just right, we finally have the first collection of tracks from Risperidrone.

They manage to capture their live stage heaviness with the record, guitarist/bandleader Wigg Grant handles the production/recording/mixing/mastering of the record and makes it sound like those classic doom/sludge records from the 90's. The riffs create walls of fuzziness and woozy atmospheres on tracks such as Spectre where the groove doom metal merges with the prog metal of Elder, the fusion of clean and heavy used really well on the title track as well.

The bass is both fluid and grooving alongside being droning and earthquaking on the synth Dirge. The drums are given room to expand, controlling the pace but adding fills and moments you may not expect, like the jazz/prog on Swamp Ape, with a snap to them that takes me back to those Sleep records. Vocally there's an echo effect on the cleans that clearly has Ozzy/Maynard inspiration while the screams are raw adding groove and death/doom, though Never Again brings some Type O Negative and guest vocals from Root Zero's Sasha Bannister.

The only thing I would say is that Wizard Weed works as a better opener than Reptile, however closing with Anvil makes sure that the Risperidrone's swampy, groovy, doom sludge gives you everything you want from them as they end the record with the song that taps into every part of their influence.

Risperidrone delivers on record what I've seen on stage a fair few times now, a band with a vision born from the darker side of doom, filled with horror and folklore themes. Black Shuck claws at the door, begs you to stare into it's green eyes and listen to it's heavy fuzz riffs. 8/10

Destroy My Brains - WILT (Self-Released) [Mark Young]

Destroy My Brains is the sound of sludge pulled through a unique and extreme Canadian filter that draws from the industrial roles that some in the band complete in their day to day lives. The album itself, according to their bio completes a 5 album journey that commenced in 2018. 

Of those, I can’t tell you if this is a step up or down when compared to those. What I know is that this bio promises a collection of face melting riffola and extreme music, a form of sludge that is completely removed from what I’m used to on these shores. So no pressure, obvs.

OCI is their starting statement of this intent. By their own words, they wanted something that explodes out of the gate, grabs the listener by the throat and doesn’t let up. It is exactly that. Straight forward attack, one purpose in mind, to just crush you. Showing that sometimes simple works as well as complex measures in being able to hammer the listener, OCI takes this approach and batters you. They wrap this in vocals that run the full range from shrieking to the guttural, underpinned by ferocious drumming and you have a starter that makes good on their promise. 

Keen to avoid any repeated measures, Burn The Virgin gives us the first of their long descents into doom territory. Rather than follow a dense, traditional bottom end break out where not a lot happens, this is a well-constructed and executed ten minute special. 

Its there for you to hear; the arrangement is one that is filled with mint riff-building that builds and builds during each section. Does it sound like the wheels could fall off at any moment? Most definitely but that only adds to it. What you have is a release that tells you upfront not to expect an easy time here. It’s harsh and abrasive but accessible at the same time. 

Take Decontribute that mixes in the blasts with an almost laidback riff set. The vocal delivery from Jarret doesn’t alter, its fully on, no respite or quarter given. That mix is almost hypnotic in the way they deploy it and the unannounced stop at doom central takes you by surprise. 

It’s a massive break without resorting to something that is overly produced to get that heavy sound, something that I think is becoming a lost art. It is surprising how their sound differs from song to song, running from sludge/doom to punk to death metal, it comes across as washed-out depending on the style they are dropping, giving each of the songs a unique flavour. 

The closing track, WILT, is where they bring it all together. This is one of THOSE tracks that pulls you in and keeps you entrapped by its shifting arrangement that rips from one extreme to another. It goes where it wants to go, almost as if they had no control over how this turned out. Its brutal, uncompromising and maintains that harsh approach that has been in place from the start. I’ve mentioned before about bands that confuse song length with having something to say. 

Destroy My Brains have no trouble in making the song lengths seem almost too short given what they are trying to fit into that space. Its autobiographical, and in their own words weaponizing certain feelings and experiences. Its not easy listening, but Christ it is something else to listen to. 

WILT, as a final track is up there as one of the best songs of 2026. Put it on your list, and I’m loathe to mention AOTY positions but as a release its criminal if people don’t get to hear this. 9/10

Reviews: TX2, Metasoma, Rot Box, Devilhusk (Matt Bladen)

TX2 - We're Going To Hell For This... (Self Released)

TX2 are "one of the biggest success stories in alternative music in the past year" following how well their debut album has gone down. It was highly critically acclaimed, had them perform at Download Festival, support Black Veil Brides, Beartooth and Ice Nine Kills and heard on BBC Radio 1.

So to capitalise this they've released their new EP, We're Going To Hell For This which is a five tracker that features some of their most personal material to date, be it singer Evan Thomas' queerness and religion on Confession, how Evil Is Contagious, on the song of the same name and how we should learn to just give up and not give a crap on Pickup Truck.

A lot of emotions running through this EP which is why at its heart TX2's music is strongly inspired by 2000's emo and nu metal, both Confession and Pickup Truck have some heavy Bizkit vibes while I Know What You Did and The Human Disease drip with angst. The one that does change it up though is Evil Is Contagious where Reel Big Fish up the ska quotient.

TX2 have a rocket strapped to them and they'll be headlining bugger venues before you know it but if you're not a alt metal/emo/nu metal then We're Going To Hell For This may not hit the spot. 5/10

Metasoma - Omen (Self Release)

Omen is the new EP from London made up of veteran Polish and English musicians and playing heavy, aggressive modern groove metal.

They've supported the likes of Sanctuary, Illusion and Vader and even enlisted Filip Halucha, the engineer behind Behemoth and Vader, to helm opener Downfall. The rest of the EP is produced by Dawid Konrad Rydz, both able to capture the melodic power and metallic force of Metasoma.

Build on personal struggles such as death, toxic relationships, they have formed these songs so they connect with the listener in their own way, creating a catharsis for their own struggles though the radio baiting American metalcore of Downfall, the alt metal of Attic and Shock or the ferocious duo of Omen and Horizon.

Omen is a brief introduction to Metasoma, groove driven metal quintet who hit hard though heavy riffs and huge choruses. 7/10

Rot Box - Death Ride (Self Released)

Rot Box are a NY based three piece thrash metal with members from Tombstoner and Cranial Damage. They play thrash that moves towards the crossover style that's engrained into the New York scene.

This is raw, fast and furious thrash metal with a streetwise attitude and a snarling delivery that features some satirical/comedic lyricism that Municipal Waste have become best at but Rot Box definitely throw their hat in the ring with tracks such as Trash Mouth Skuzz Bucket, Crankin Hoons and Gas Station Sushi.

Now for crossover thrash there's a lot of technicality to the playing, both guitars in syncopation for the solo sections while the riffs shift often several times within one song, more impressive when you consider most of these songs don't go past 3 minutes.

This is blue collar thrash metal where it's ok that it doesn't take itself too seriously, jump on this Death Ride with Rot Box. 7/10

Devilhusk - Goretech Intimidator (Brickeater Collective)

Another EP this time from Devilhusk who claim that their mission is to create music that "simply does not exist yet." I mean that nonsense as there probably aren't any sounds that haven't yet to be made and Devilhusk definitely play music that will be familiar to anyone who was around in the early to mid 2000's.

What were are dealing with a mix of djent, hardcore, dubstep, and D&B, throbbing beats, palm-muted riffs and general intensity that comes through frantic changes of pace. Too frantic in as much that it never clicks the way it should be being too abrasive and trying to throw the kitchen sink at every track.

Is Goretech Intimidator by Devilhusk, music that does not exist? I mean yeah, if you've never heard Slipknot. 5/10

Reviews: Iron Flame, Only Echoes, Castiel, Suffer UK (Matt Bladen)

Ironflame - Worlds To Conquer (High Roller Records)

Ohio musician Andrew Della Cagna has been a a got it name on the Ohio trad metal scene for a long time now. He's been a part of Brimstone Coven and Icarus Witch but Ironflame has always been his pet project. It's Cagna's solo outfit as he writes, plays and sings everything in true multi-instrumentalist, virtuoso fashion.

Founded in 2016, Worlds To Conquer is the fifth full length on which Cagna can show off his passion for classic heavy metal and it is a passion that has meant this album has been been recorded over three years, as Cagna's live guitarists add solos, it's also the first Ironflame record where Cagna mixes and masters to give it a retro contemporary sound.

Building from Night Closes In, through the driving Legions Of Fire, there's plenty of heavy metal history contained in these tracks and while Ironflame never fully get into the lane of speed metal, through Crimson Shores gets close, Worlds To Conquer has a lot of anthemic heavy metal with tracks such as Shadow Slave and the battle hymn of Valhalla Is Calling.

It seems there are plenty of Worlds To Conquer for Cagna and Ironflame with this fifth studio record. 7/10

Only Echoes - Born Adrift (Braeburn Records)

Instrumental post metal act Only Echoes have dropped a conceptual, six song 35 minute EP which concerns a journey through hostile waters.

It certainly begins with hostility as with the title track you can feel the churning waters cascading all around you, open water and very little hope as Only Echoes begin this journey with that feeling of desperation, their innate heaviness separating them many of the other post-metal bands.

It's metallic, instrumental storytelling at its most potent, the brilliant producing, engineering, and mixing from Austin Minney capturing the dynamic power of the band as they go though shimmering tones and more heaviness on Tempest which segues into the synth forward Inter we step into the Dreamlike state of Steps Ahead Of Drowning, the heaviness sprawling into ambience, creating the drama in this concept record.

With the final of Shimmering Death, the chapter closes on this harrowing tale told through musical intensity. A record to avoid if you have aquaphobia but if thrilling journey for those who enjoy cinematics from their post metal. 7/10

Castiel - All Returns To Hollow And Silence (Seek and Strike)

I struggle with deathcore, that's it, that's the review, it really has to do something to make me pick up and take notice.

Unfortunately Austrian deathcore bands are exactly the reason why the genre is tough for me. Their new EP All Returns To Hollow And Silence, is four tracks but that's enough, there's only so much start-stop chug, into double kick blasts, into punch riff breakdown hangs I can deal with.

I get it's supposed to be atmospheric and immersive, especially as this is concept release but I find it boring when there such little deviation, give me a melodic part, an electronic part, something other than just breakdowns and chuggage. There's some strings that add to the story being told here and I'm sure if you're a fan of deathcore in all it's formed there's a much higher level of understanding.

Unfortunately even with quite a few previous releases I don't find too much to get excited about on All Returns To Hollow And Silence, except when it returned to silence, but that's just me I'm sure. 5/10

Suffer UK - Soul From Flesh (Self Released)

Yet more deathcore, this time from Wolverhampton but unfortunately it may be the same result as their Austrian freunde. Categorised as brutal and slamming it's deathcore just how you would want it, with as much brutality as you can get but not much of anything else.

Soul From Flesh is also an EP and begins with an intro track that sets a symphonic element that is more pronounced, but it's still chug, chug, blegh even in what they call their 'third chapter' after more line up changes that has lead to a new vocalist and guitarist.

I will say the vocals are often much closer to black metal than death so there is a raw quality to their music but again it's the lack of variation that distracts me from enjoying it, there'll be lovers of this but I had to Suffer to get anything from it. 5/10

A View From The Castle: The Hollywood Vampires (Matt Bladen)

The Hollywood Vampire & The Damned, Depot Live, Cardiff Castle, 14.08.26



There's an energy in Cardiff, it's the beginning of a huge weekend, two massive sold out gigs in the castle and a big football fixture means people are in a jovial mood.

Many it seems have had a few pints on the train on the way down from The Valleys, a huge contingent have made their way to the capital as they do for every classic rock based show, but this particular show offers something a bit different as though it features some rock legends it also boasts a genuine A-List celebrity.

This particular gig sees Cardiff Castle at the busiest I've ever seen it, constantly being told to move from the path, swathes of people making their way into the castle grounds two whole hours before the show even started (would it have killed anyone to have a local opener?), many dressed in their goth/post punk finery, others in horror and film themed outfits because of a certain members filmic slant.

Before all that though let's discuss the opener as it was The Damned (8) who took to the stage first. The London based band were born out of punk but have transcended that label through psychedelia and establishing themselves as one of the most notable goth acts.

You could call them the original musical vampires, especially frontman David Vanian who's baritone vocals and sartorial class led the congregation in tracks such as Eloise, Is It A Dream and great version of White Rabbit, the Cardiff crowd singing back when required, though perhaps not as loud as Mr Vanian would have liked.

Captain Sensible punched out the riffs in his trademark beret, offering words of encouragement and general madness between songs while Paul Gray set the pacing on bass against the percussive drummer Rat Scabies as Monty Oxymoron's keys brought the baroque as they stormed through Neat Neat Neat and New Rose to a wider recognition.

The coffins had been opened by The Damned and as the light dimmed it was time for the most famous vampires in the world to bring their rock n roll celebration to Cardiff.

In case you didn't know the Hollywood Vampires is a supergroup band named for the legendary drinking club started by Alice Cooper back in the 1970's at Rainbow Bar & Grill, it featured numerous world champion caners most of whom are now dead, which is basically the entire ethos of the band, as this is a rock n roll variety show where originals and covers merge to entertain the masses.

For the rock lovers, the band Hollywood Vampires (8) features the godfather of shock rock Alice Cooper up front in full master of macabre mode, all costume changes and sneers, with movements of a man a third of his age, he's flanked by Aerosmith six stringer and Toxic Twin Joe Perry who's effortlessly cool and peels off riffs and solos throughout with the sort of louche approach he had through his days with the veteran blues rockers..

It's Cooper's long time guitarist and full time vampire Tommy Henrikesen who is the cornerstone of the whole live show for my money, leading the touring band of drummer Glen Sobel, bassist Chris Wyse and keyboardist Buck Johnson through a set that featured their own tracks such as I Want My Now, Raise The Dead and Dead Drunk Friends into the first cover, a triumphant I'm Eighteen.

The fourth Vampire was the one most of the Cardiff audience came to see, the female contingent were particularly excited the the first time one Mr Jonny Depp came on the screen. Putting the Hollywood in theses vampires I was actually surprised how good of a guitar player he is and his low vocal was perfect for the darkly sensual Venus In Furs and People Who Died by The Jim Caroll Band.

Though he could have been egotistical about things, it seems Depp is quite happy to be a team player in this supergroup as they shifted through a 21 song set where Boogieman Surprise and Who's Laughing Now were the last two originals as the remaining tracks were all covers but with the caveat that they came from bands who had had famous, now dead, member who was a mythical drinker such as The Who's Baba O'Reilly,  The Doors' Roadhouse Blues and AC/DC's Highway To Hell and David Bowie's Heroes.

Or they were songs from the Vampires other bands such as I'm Eighteen, Living On The Edge, Walk This Way and Schools Out, which was mixed with Another Brick In The Wall, each cover lapped up by the Cardiff audience as they were pretty much all rock classics that are made for huge stages and the type of theatrics like massive inflatable teeth, giant balloons and all manner of rock n roll vaudeville. I did find the tributes to Jeff Beck particularly heartfelt with Becks Bolero coming in the middle of the set and Hi Ho Silver Lining closing the show, as Cardiff was in full voice one last time.

The Hollywood Vampires is an experience, a super group of super groups, the definition of a big rock n roll show, who like a vampire could arguably go on forever with different members paying tribute to their lost friends.

A View From The Hallowed Ground: Bloodstock 2026 Sunday Review (Rick Eaglestone)

Bloodstock Festival Review 2026 – A Quarter Century Of Chaos

Every Bloodstock Sunday carries the same bittersweet charge: bodies running on fumes, campsites in a state of glorious disrepair, and the creeping awareness that in a few hours it will all be over for another year. But the 25th-anniversary Sunday came loaded with an extra weight of occasion, because closing the whole thing out were the Metal Gods themselves. 

From the moment the gates opened, the Ronnie James Dio Stage rolled out a main-stage bill of almost absurd depth, running from Wild-West rowdiness through occult doom, a landmark reunion, Swedish groove-metal firepower, Bay Area thrash royalty, Zakk Wylde’s monolithic riffing and Ice-T’s Body Count, before Judas Priest brought a quarter-century of Bloodstock to its knees. For me, Sunday was entirely a Ronnie James Dio Stage affair, and what an affair it was.

Sunday

If Sunday morning threatened to ease everyone in gently, Graphic Nature had other ideas. The British metalcore crew came out swinging, bringing crushing, contemporary heaviness to a main-stage slot that felt like a genuine step up for a band on a steep upward curve. This is modern, downtuned, emotionally raw metalcore built for exactly this kind of moment, and the sizeable early crowd many clearly there on purpose rather than by accident was proof of how quickly their stock has risen. A statement booking, seized with both hands.

New York’s Castle Rat brought their medieval-fantasy doom to the Ronnie James Dio Stage as a fully realised world unto itself — the Rat Queen presiding, the costumes and lore deployed without a hint of irony, the songs heavy enough to justify every bit of the theatre. Off the back of their second album, this was a set that trusted the audience to buy into the world entirely, and a big early-afternoon crowd duly did. In a scene that can take itself far too seriously, Castle Rat’s combination of genuine doom heft and unabashed spectacle was a joy, and precisely the kind of act a festival celebrating twenty-five years of the weird and the heavy should be putting on its main stage.

For a large section of the crowd, this was the set they had circled on the timetable weeks in advance. Kittie’s return has been one of the more emotionally resonant reunion stories in recent metal and seeing the band on a Bloodstock main stage for many, a first-ever chance to witness a group whose late-’90s and early-2000s records were formative carried real weight.

The London, Ontario band have always been heavier live than the casual observer expects, and the ferocity was fully intact, Morgan Lander commanding the stage with the authority of someone who long ago earned her place in this scene’s history. Spit and Brackish the two songs that, fittingly, remain the band’s most recognisable calling cards and drew the biggest roars of recognition. What is beyond dispute is the reception: a large, genuinely moved crowd greeting a band who, against considerable odds, have earned their return to a stage of this size.

Few bands have risen as fast, or as deservedly, as Orbit Culture, and their mid-afternoon set confirmed exactly why. The Swedish outfit deal in a colossal, groove-laden strain of modern metal — all cavernous low end, martial rhythms, and enormous, instantly memorable hooks — and on a big festival stage it sounds vast. Opening on Death Above Life and The Storm, the band had the field moving from the first riff, and the run through North Star Of Nija, From The Inside and The Tales Of War underlined how deep their catalogue of festival-sized songs has already become.

The set carried one sobering interruption: Hydra was halted after a crowd injury, the kind of moment that briefly turns a field of thousands into a single concerned crowd looking out for one of its own. It speaks well of the band and of Bloodstock’s crew that the priority was clearly the wellbeing of the person involved. Once the situation was managed, the set closed on Vultures Of North, and Orbit Culture left having thoroughly justified their high placing on the anniversary bill. On this evidence, a main-stage headline slot in the not-too-distant future feels less like a question of if than when.

Testament have been levelling stages for four decades, and a Sunday main-stage slot at Bloodstock proved the ideal setting for a concentrated dose of Bay Area precision and power. Opening with the taped Catacombs before tearing into Into The Pit, the band wasted not a second of their 45 minutes, and the crowd many of whom had been running largely on lager and adrenaline since Thursday found the energy for exactly the sort of circle pits the moment demanded.

The set was a lean, muscular parade of the essentials: the enduring bite of Practice What You Preach and Sins Of Omission, the more recent Nature Of The Beast standing shoulder to shoulder with the classics, and the immortal Over the Wall Testament’s calling card since 1987 sending the whole thing off in a blur of flying hair and flying beer. Chuck Billy remains a commanding presence and the band around him is as tight as it has ever been. No frills, no filler, just world-class thrash delivered by masters of the form.

There is a physicality to Zakk Wylde’s playing that translates perfectly to a field this size — the tone vast, those trademark squealing harmonics carrying to the back of the arena, the riffs built on sheer heft. Black Label Society arriving in the late-Sunday-afternoon slot felt exactly right: a chance to plant your boots, raise something cold and let the weight of it wash over you. There is nothing subtle about BLS and there is not meant to be this is heavy metal as monolith, built on tone, groove, and the unmistakable presence of one of the most recognisable guitarists alive.

The set moved from the doom-laden Funeral Bell through the swagger of Destroy & Conquer and Fire It Up to the enduring anthems Suicide Messiah and Stillborn, the latter still one of the great communal fist-in-the-air moments in the band’s catalogue. The emotional high point, though, was a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tears Wylde’s long history at Ozzy’s side lending the moment a genuine poignancy, and the crowd responding in kind. A masterclass in exactly what it says on the tin: enormous riffs, delivered by a titan of the instrument.

Ice-T bringing Body Count to Bloodstock was always going to be one of Sunday’s loudest, liveliest hours, and so it proved. More than three decades on from the furore that made them infamous, Body Count remain one of the most viscerally exciting live bands in heavy music — a genuine crossover of hardcore, thrash and hip-hop attitude, fronted by a man whose charisma and command are simply undeniable. This was the sort of set that draws in the merely curious and refuses to release them, an hour, and a quarter later, hoarse and grinning.

Opening on the taped Civil War intro before Body Count’s In The House tore the evening open, the set was a masterclass in pacing and provocation. A savage cover of Slayer’s Raining Blood / Postmortem paid respect to fallen giants; the socially charged one-two of No Lives Matter and Talk Shit, Get Shot showed the band’s teeth are as sharp as ever; and a cover of The Exploited’s War / UK 82 / Disorder nodded to the punk DNA in their bloodstream. Then, inevitably, Cop Killer — still incendiary, still delivered with total conviction — before the encore of Born Dead and This Is Why We Ride sent a jubilant, sweat-drenched crowd off towards the headliners. Ice-T worked the field like the seasoned showman he is, and Body Count justified their special-guest billing completely.

And then, the Metal Gods. There is a pleasing symmetry to Bloodstock’s 25th anniversary — a festival that opened its first-ever indoor edition in 2001 under the stewardship of Saxon closing its quarter-century celebration with Judas Priest, the Birmingham band who, more than almost any other, wrote the rulebook that everyone else at Catton Park has spent the weekend following. This was the Faithkeepers tour, a band north of fifty years into their career and playing, remarkably, like one with everything still to prove. Rob Halford — the Metal God himself — remains an astonishing presence, that operatic wail undimmed and every ounce of the band’s theatre (the motorcycle entrance included) delivered with total conviction.

The setlist was a victory lap through one of the deepest catalogues in the genre. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin' and Metal Gods set the tone; Breaking The Law turned tens of thousands of voices into a single chant; and the deeper cuts — The Sentinel, Desert Plains, a gloriously unexpected Steeler rewarded the devotees. The modern material held its own, Panic Attack from Invincible Shield proving Priest are no heritage act content to coast, before the one-two of Victim Of Changes and a titanic Painkiller brought the main set to a shattering close. 

The encore was pure celebration: Electric Eye, Hell Bent For Leather and, to bring twenty-five years of Bloodstock to its feet one final time, Living After Midnight. A twin-guitar attack honed over half a century, a singer who remains the genre’s definitive voice, and a field full of people who found their tribe in this exact spot there was no more fitting way to draw the celebration to a close. When the last chord finally rang out, a quarter-century of Catton Hall’s finest weekend was, officially, done.

As a final day, Sunday was close to flawless: a main-stage bill with barely a weak link, spanning theatrical doom, a landmark reunion, Swedish groove-metal on the cusp of the very top table, first-generation thrash, a guitar titan, Ice-T’s incendiary Body Count and, to close, the Metal Gods delivering a masterclass in exactly why they matter. As a full stop on twenty-five years of Bloodstock, it was perfect. 

This festival has grown from a one-day indoor event into one of the most important fixtures on the European metal calendar without ever losing the thing that made it special: the sense that everyone in the field, from the New Blood hopefuls to Rob Halford, is part of the same tribe. Across four days, Catton Park once again became its own heavy-metal universe and then, as it does every August, it vanished, leaving twenty-five years of memory and the certainty that we will all do it again. 

Here’s to the next twenty-five!

A View From The Hallowed Ground: Bloodstock 2026 Saturday Review (Rick Eaglestone)

Bloodstock Festival Review 2026 – A Quarter Century Of Chaos

Once more unto the breach mighty metal warriors. Saturday offered barely a moment’s respite but there were two defining moments, an opening statement from a British crossover force, a genuine reunion for the ages and an extremely long wait after things we'd rather miss for Swedish prog veterans. It was a day of discovery in the smaller stages with South Wales shining. 

Saturday 08.08.26

Handing a British crossover-thrash band the job of opening the main stage on the busiest day of the weekend is a statement of faith, and Inhuman Nature repaid it. There is nothing fashionable about what they do, this is fast, mean, riff-first thrash with hardcore in its bloodstream and at a quarter to eleven in the morning that is precisely the jolt a hungover field needs. They played to a crowd notably larger than a main-stage opener has any right to expect, a sign both band’s rising stock and of a Bloodstock audience that has always turned up early for its own.

An early Sophie-tent slot for Outergods brought a welcome dose of genuine extremity to Saturday morning, churning, punishing heaviness that rewards the committed few who make it into the tent before lunch. There is a particular satisfaction in a band who treat a late-morning festival slot as an opportunity rather than a warm-up, and Outergods played with the conviction of a group determined to be remembered by everyone who wandered in.

One of the earlier names on a stacked New Blood Saturday, Vampyra brought a dose of theatrical darkness to the tent while much of the site was still surfacing. Playing early on New Blood is a trial by fire small crowd, everything to prove and it is exactly the crucible that has forged so many bands who later graduated to the bigger stages. Vampyra used their window to make the case and left a trail of newly curious onlookers heading back into the day. I have not stopped humming baked bean monster since I have got back.

By early afternoon, the New Blood tent had properly filled, and Apothis stepped up to a crowd with its blood up. This is what the stage does best — hand a hungry, ambitious band a proper audience and let them prove they belong. Apothis attacked the opportunity, the sort of set that sends a knot of new believers off to the merch stall and to follow the band home online. Grassroots metal doing precisely what grassroots metal is for.

URNE, on a blazing Saturday afternoon at Catton Hall, arrived by both routes at once. Bumped up to the Ronnie James Dio Stage after Of Mice & Men's late withdrawal reshuffled the weekend's running order, the London four-piece could have looked like beneficiaries of a lucky break. Instead, they played like a band that had been waiting for exactly this a big, open-air canvas broad enough to hold everything they have been building toward.

It is not, of course, their first time up here. URNE tore up the same stage back in 2023, and the memory of that showing is a large part of why the promotion felt less like a gamble and more like an overdue correction. This time they came armed with Setting Fire To The Sky, January's third album and comfortably their most ambitious statement yet — a record that trades some of the suffocating darkness of A Feast On Sorrow for something more expansive, defiant, almost triumphant.

The set opened the way the album does, an acoustic passage drifting out across the arena before the band crashed in on top of it. Be Not Dismayed is a canny choice of curtain-raiser — a song written, in part, to reassure younger fans not to feel intimidated by the seasoned, patch-clad regulars at metal shows — and its lurch from gentle intro to grinding riff set the template for everything that followed. This is a band that lives in the space between crushing weight and open melody, and they spent their whole slot proving how much territory that space contains.

Now bolstered to a four-piece with the addition of second guitarist Kurtis Bagley, URNE sound denser and more muscular live than the trio that made their name, the extra guitar thickening the sludgier passages without smothering the intricacy that sets them apart. Songs like the title track a sprawling monster of a thing churn between thrash urgency and doom-weighted heft, while Nally's voice ranges from guttural roar to genuinely stirring clean, dismissing once and for all the old accusation that he was a one-trick vocalist.

It is the light and shade that lingers. For every pulverising breakdown there is a passage of real beauty, the band unafraid to let a song stretch out, wander, and build. That progressive streak, the willingness to follow a riff wherever it leads rather than bludgeon a crowd into submission is exactly what marks URNE out from the crowded field of UK heavy bands, and it translates surprisingly well to a festival field that, minutes earlier, had been baking quietly in the sun. They do not offer an easy way in. They make you meet them halfway. And on this evidence, plenty were more than willing.

By the close, any lingering question about whether URNE belonged on the main stage had been answered emphatically. This was a band seizing an opportunity with both hands, delivering the kind of performance that sends the uninitiated scrambling to find out who they had just watched. Vended had the unenviable task of following it.

Britain's heavy underground is in ferociously good hands. On this showing, URNE's next promotion up the bill will not need a last-minute reshuffle to justify it.

A mid-afternoon New Blood slot gave Metal To The Masses South Wales winners INSCAPE their moment in front of one of the day’s more engaged tent crowds, and they seized it. There is a particular energy to a New Blood set that lands the sense of a band visibly levelling up in real time, playing what may be the biggest show of their career to date and rising to meet it. Inscape had that quality in droves and watching the crowd and band themselves go through the emotions of dejection at some quite serious technical issues beforehand and the elation which the band used a huge positive carried them through and honestly and were among the acts I was still enthusiastically thinking about over the weekend. I cannot wait to see what they do next.

This was the one. Sixteen years on from their last UK appearance Nevermore walked onto the Ronnie James Dio Stage and reminded a packed field why their name has been spoken in reverent tones for a decade and a half. Few bands from the American progressive/power-thrash tradition ever fused technicality and genuine emotional weight the way Nevermore did, and the question hanging over this reunion can they still do it with such huge boots to fill and well, this was answered within the first few minutes.

Opening with the taped strains of Ophidian before launching into Beyond Within, the set leaned hard on the material that made the band’s reputation. Inside Four Walls and the surging This Godless Endeavor landed with the force of songs a crowd had waited a very long time to hear in the flesh; The Heart Collector provided the set’s dark, dramatic centrepiece; and the run through Narcosynthesis, The River Dragon Has Come and Enemies of Reality underlined how much ferocity still lives in these songs. For a certain kind of Bloodstock veteran, this was the set of the entire weekend a performance that justified itself completely, staged in front of exactly the crowd who had kept the flame burning.

Four decades on and still one of thrash’s most dependable live thrills, Death Angel brought their full arsenal to a Sophie tent packed out long before they struck a note, the kind of set where the crowd, the hair and the airborne pints all end up moving in the same direction. Slotted opposite the back end of the main stage run, this was a set for the purists, the people who would happily sprint across a field for a taste of genuine, first-generation thrash.

The band tore through a career-spanning selection, from the older venom of Evil Priest and Seemingly Endless Time to the more recent bite of The Moth, Hatred United/United Hate and The Dream Calls for Blood, closing on Thrown To The Wolves. Mark Osegueda remains one of thrash’s great frontmen, all wild energy and easy command, and in the compressed 45-minute festival format the band simply hit and kept hitting. No theatrics, no fat — just four-plus decades of Bay Area thrash delivered at full tilt to a crowd who knew exactly what they were there for.

Closing off the night for me was the SWHC of the primal Døsed who offered another of those left-field festival discoveries that reward anyone willing to wander away from the bigger names for half an hour. The EMP Stage spends the weekend quietly turning out gems for the curious, and as it turned was a low-stakes, high-reward proposition you go looking for somewhere to stand in the shade and leave with a new band followed being battered along the way.

Saturday is where Bloodstock’s scale and its soul meet most obviously. What it felt like was a festival firing on every cylinder at once, from the grassroots urgency of New Blood to a genuine, era-defining reunion in Nevermore and the first-generation thrash mastery of Death Angel. the signing queues and the campsite chaos, and you have the quintessential Bloodstock day: too much to see, no way to see it all, and not a single dull hour in which to try. Twenty-five years in, the festival’s middle day remains its most complete argument for itself.