A View From Shredenhams: SOHC Takeover (Heather Louise Ash)

FoeFest x Betrayed By Life Records Presents: SOHC Takeover, Shredenhams Bristol, 01.08.26

FoeFest and Betrayed By Life Records presented SOHC Takeover which saw Chained Existence, Curfew, Concrete Jungle and Not Without Punishment take over Shredenhams (the former Debenhams, now skatepark/venue/event space) for an evening of hardcore.

Chained Existence (8) got things started with a heavy set that you could feel through the concrete floor. It didn't take long before the first two-steppers appeared and the crowd started warming up, setting the tone for the evening.

Between bands, people wandered between the bar, caught up with friends outside or grabbed their skateboards for a session on the ramps. The clatter of skateboard wheels and the crack of boards landing between sets and became part of the soundtrack to the night.

The vocals from Curfew (9) during soundcheck cut through the venue like a siren call. Instinctively, everyone scurried back towards the stage, quickly filling the room back up ready to watch them. Their breakdowns caused a chain reaction of spin kicks and windmills, with the pit in constant motion from start to finish. It was one of those sets where the intensity never let up.

Concrete Jungle (8) kept the momentum going, the room in constant motion. People pacing the edge waiting for the next breakdown before throwing themselves back in. Their energy never dipped, with everyone feeding off every riff and breakdown from start to finish. You only had to look around the room to see how much everyone was enjoying themselves.

Not Without Punishment (9) took to the stage and there wasn't a hint of anyone slowing down. During the final song, everyone seemed determined to get to the microphone, climbing over each other just to be part of it. It instantly reminded me of the painting The Raft Of The Medusa, bodies piling on top of one another, all reaching for the same thing. What a way to close the night.

One thing I really noticed throughout the evening was how much the bands supported each other. They weren't just turning up to play their own sets and leave. They were watching each other, joining in and clearly enjoying seeing everyone else do well. It felt like a community rather than just any old line-up.

Shredenhams suited the event perfectly too. Because it's so well lit, you don't miss the little moments. The grins from ear to ear, feet stomping, fists pumping, hugs, jazz hands, spin kicks, windmills and people picking each other back up all become part of the experience.

One moment summed the whole evening up for me. Someone slipped on wet patch in the pit and within seconds people had helped them back to their feet while others grabbed blue roll and cleaned the floor so nobody else would go over. A few minutes later, everything carried on as normal and shapes were being thrown.

That's one of the reasons I love hardcore. If you've never been to a show, it's easy to look at the pit and think it's just aggression. Spend an evening in a room like this and you'll see something completely different. People look after each other. They celebrate each other's bands, pick each other up when they fall and make sure everyone leaves with the same smile they came in with.

A View From The Castle: The Streets (Richard Herbert)

The Streets, CASISDEAD, Jimothy Lacoste & Local And Lucas, Depot Live, Cardiff Castle, 31.07.26

Elevate!

Explain!

Exterminate!

"It was supposed to be so easy." From the opening words of the 2004 album about the life of a geezer, Mike Skinner turned this 50-minute classic into as much of a theatrical event as any gig. Here in the sun, with the castle providing a perfect backdrop, he invited us on a well-polished journey of everyday folks—like the Waltons of the drug-fuelled generation.

Before he took the stage, Cardiff’s own Local And Lucas (8) opened the day. It was a little early for the masses of the sold-out crowd to be in the venue just yet, but it was a lively set for the faithful nonetheless, with them singing back Of Course We’ll Have A Look in all its glory. It was a great opener for this day at what must now be Alexandra's second home.

Jimothy Lacoste (7) then brought his unique look and sound to the stage. It was a set that he grew into, but he seemed to fail slightly to engage with the audience, despite saying all the right things.

CASISDEAD (8), in stark contrast, prowled the stage, spitting dark lyrical content over synth-laden beats. He seems to be growing into this new persona, becoming slightly less elusive and embracing his infamy. The crowd definitely filled out for this set, and it was great to see so many people singing along and recognising a genuine legend of the UK scene.

And so, as the bus stop from the album cover was revealed and Mike Skinner sat beer in hand, the live musicians broke into It Was Supposed To Be So Easy. Could Well Be In and Not Addicted quickly followed, as Mike scrawled a Doctor Who tribute on the plexiglass as an ode to Cardiff’s links to the TV series. As the syncopated beat of Blinded By The Lights kicked in, Cardiff was in full voice.

Inevitably, Fit But You Know It took things to even higher levels, as the crowd bounced through what is perhaps the most crowd-pleasing song from A Grand Don’t Come For Free. However, the unexpected highlight for me was an intense rendition of What Is He Thinking?, as Mike and Kevin Mark Trail debated exactly what was going on.

This was followed a few songs later by the epic Dry Your Eyes. The crowd sang every word. So many people had their arms around each other—lovers, mates, and even the stags from Swindon standing behind me. It is a truly great breakup song that everyone understands and has lived through at some point, and it was delivered with huge success this evening.

The last track on the album, Empty Cans, is a typically clever The Streets (9) anthem. It shifts from a dark, brooding first verse about a man who has given up, to a positive second spin on the exact same verse, with major keys coming into play to paint a much brighter ending to a great first hour. Taking a bow, the whole ensemble of cast members played their part in an epic retelling of a classic album.

What happened next was fast and furious: Turn The Page, Who's Got The Bag?, Let's Push Things Forward, and Don't Mug Yourself. It was banger after banger, and the crowd loved it. Never Went To Church laid things back down before Mike got somewhat distracted. Eventually getting what he wanted, he ended up crowd-surfing from the back of the venue right to the front as he sang Take Me As I Am, pink fan in hand.

All in all, it was a great day out, complete with a fantastic vista of the castle lit beautifully by the setting sun.

Reviews: Madball, Disfiguring The Goddess, Allt, Coven Japan (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Madball - Not Your Kingdom (Nuclear Blast Records) [Matt Bladen]

It’s Madball, it’s NYHC, and it’s what you’ll expect and what you’ll want from these bonafide legends of the scene. 

Politically charged, rage fuelled and still consistently pissed off with the world, Not Your Kingdom is their tenth studio album but their first since 2018’s For The Cause, so somewhat of a return but Madball never went away.

They just seethed on stage and in the studio until this record was right, perfecting the bouncy groove riffs and gang vocals as they balance the full on raw hardcore punk of their early days on Don’t MisStep with the perhaps more mature sound it has today with tracks such as Clockwork.

This isn’t saying that there’s any notion of selling out, Madball don’t sell out frontman Freddy Crcien is a lifer, since his early days watching his brother Roger Miret in Agnostic Front, he’s been hardcore until death and every Madball album is just an extension of that passion, that lifestyle and his unwavering commitment to the hardcore scene. 

Their discography have shown the evolving face of the genre, the energy, the stomping riffs, the gang shouts all still there but now with some nuances that have brought Madball into the 21st Century, and on Not Your Kingdom, they’ve gone further recording in Nashville to add wider sonic elements. Though nuances haven’t softened the blow just found a new way of delivering it, they’re still angry and disillusioned, telling everyone who will hear what they think.

Hardcore, especially the New York variety, is more than a genre it’s a state of mind and few bands encapsulate that more than Madball, ten albums, nearly 40 years and still vital! 8/10

Disfiguring The Goddess - Bloom (Seek & Strike) [Mark Young]

Well, I’m not sure what or who this is aimed at, or if there is a masked figure stood behind a curtain barely covering a laugh. Looking online, its noted that this is a combination of death/slam/industrial which on paper felt like it would be a heady mix up of genres that if done right would be something else.

Just before we get into it, DTG is a project essentially driven by Big Chocolate (or Cameron Argon) and there has been a steady stream of releases that started back in 2008 (or so). I need to remind myself that whenever someone says that ‘insert content name’ is continually pushing the boundary or stretching the envelope, I need to ground and prepare myself that it might not be that good.

Samba Of The Faceless kicks it off, a colossal guitar tone and a repeated vocal line I can’t make out. Then come the death vocals but it doesn’t do or go anywhere. It must have meant something to him, but to me it feels like a waste. That approach is shifted on Echoes Fade, I Remain which is straight up extreme metal for a spell, until electronica is brought in. I don’t know what point it serves, but I do know that I’m barely two songs in and I’m not sure I want to continue.

So I’m going to continue and review by exception and concentrate on the good. In its favour, and something that is maintained across the album is that crushing guitar tone. I mean it is massive, especially when its slowed down to a crawl but what you find is that riffs are generally recycled across the album. 

The vocals though, they are top class; the guttural is super low, the screams anguished and you can hear why this talent is in demand elsewhere. I don’t necessarily pick up on an industrial tone, its more that there is an EDM bleed into it, such as on AWOL. I don’t hate it, but I can appreciate its use. It’s likely that the intent behind this has passed me by.

There are some crushing moments on here; Mask Off is blinding and Sweet Dreams is that head-splitting combination of themes that work incredibly well. This is my issue with it – there are these moments where it batters you (looking at you Low Slam Low) that increase as the album runs to the end. The problem is that they feel like we are in a loop and that they start to merge into another, no matter what samples are dropped into them.

Bloom comprises 17 songs, deployed in 50 minutes. Was there a need for all 17? its representative of how this material came to fruition; no filters, just get this down on tape and get it out the door. I’m probably being mean in saying that, after all this is someone’s art and just because it does nothing for me, you can’t say that the next person won’t be all over this. It just won’t be me. 6/10

Allt – Ataraxia (Century Media) [Matt Bladen]

Get ready to set your neck to chug and your face to the deepest gurn it can do, as two years after their critically acclaimed debut record, Swedes Allt return with more Meshuggah inspired ultra-heaviness,, or do they?

As it does seem that Allt have shifted focus as you can throw in comparisons to Vildhjarta and ten56 and you get a follow up record that manages to shift djent into nu-metal (rap vocals on Omerta) metalcore into alt metal all through a readjusted lens that focusses on the reality. 

Making this a more personal record than their more conceptual debut, there’s still a theme to the record as they linger in doubt but it’s not as pronounced, letting the individual tracks tell their stories. It means that Ataraxia is Allt at their most open, written from their own experiences, their own vulnerabilities, its Allt embracing the human and the search for peace and fulfilment.

It means that they can bring more clean vocals to tracks such as Nevermind and Enemy, which both rely more on melody and ambience cut with heaviness rather than the other way round. They still are heavy, crushingly heavy but the massive cavernous riffs are used to punctuate the tracks more often than not, electronics, angsty vocals and introspective lyrics playing a bigger part than heavy chugs and growls do, for instance the title track feel like Daft Punk goes metal, from here the clean vocals are the most prominent.

Tracks such as High Hopes still features some more extreme blasting but I do find Ataraxia to be a bit too melodic and angsty, it’s much closer to post hardcore than anything else and while there’s flashes of Swedish face melting, but Allt have shifted their approach on album two and while I don’t hold that against them, it didn’t do much for me. 6/10

Coven Japan - Promised Land (No Remorse Records) [Mark Young]

OK, now for a change of pace an approach. Hands up who likes Saxon? Maiden (early 80’s classic) and maybe NWOBHM as a basis. Are those hands up? Then you should jump onto Coven Japan whose approach is to drop melodic, fists in the air metal that is heavy on guitar lines and epic lead breaks served up with a bit of panache. 

Promised Land is straight from that songbook; In fact if you had a time machine and played this at the start of that decade it would be looked upon most favourably. With this in mind, if your tastes fall more towards a genre that ends in ‘Core then you might not find much here. Same for those who play that overly technical material. For those who do love a bit of it, this will scratch an itch. 

The opener, Promised Land is pure Maiden, replete with an epic solo break. The vocals are a bit rough; I think that there is an attempt to hit certain high’s and it doesn't quite happen for them. Samurai Rising is a foot on the monitor; hair being blown epic. That wish to replicate a certain sound is done on here, the dual harmonies and guitar lines, including that slow gallop are totally Maiden, and its difficult to say anything else. 

With this in mind, I guess your enjoyment of this will depend on your view; is this a shameless rip-off of certain albums and artists from that time, or is the sound comparisons unavoidable given that particular style? Each song is so deeply rooted in that style that it is difficult to ignore but then given the cyclical nature of music, and that everyone ‘borrows’ from everyone else you should give this a fair shout. And by a fair shout is by staying until the end. 

Some tracks work better than others, Sein zum Tode is too close to home when it picks up the pace, I’ll acknowledge that as is What Is Called The Life, and I’m sure that someone would be able to say that they echo these tracks. Not me now, I’m just enjoying this for what it is; Good clean metal fun that ticks all of the right boxes: Riffs, leads and histrionic vocals. I mean, what is wrong with that? 

Heading towards the end they give us the one-two of Eternal Oath and Retribution Of Death. Both are exactly what you would expect them to give us in order to close the album. Eternal Oath is the set-up, quick and to the point, its length reduced in order to allow them to drop a 7 minute master-blaster. Retribution Of Death has everything you associate with this time; Fast and loud into quiet and introspective and back again, it does what good metal should do; be exciting, and in some ways offer a little bit of nostalgia. 7/10

Reviews: Caelestia, Ambrotos, Heretic Cult Redeemer, Cleavercult (Matt Bladen)

Caelestia - Revelations In Black (Eclipse Records)

From Athens, Greece comes Revelations In Black the new album from Caelestia, their third album overall it's their first since 2017 and features drummer Marc Reign who has previously played with, well, everyone but mainly acts such as Destruction and Morgoth. His addition has brought them yet more ferocious aggression and a broader scope than before because of his skill.

Caelestia, like fellow Greeks Septicflesh, combine sweeping symphonic elements with a mixture of European and American death metal, the musical power harnessed by produced Zack Ohren who makes sure that each moment of this technically impressive death metal can be heard, from the thick groove from Stelios "SD" Tragos (bass) and blistering drumwork of Reign, through the virtuoso guitar prowess of Andrew Geo and Bill (Vassilis) Thomas.

Acoustic beginnings give way to the rumbling Buried while the atmosphere builds for the consuming grind of Jutlan, Wolves brings the Gothenburg double kicks and some US style aggression as vocalist Pantelis “Lordwinter” Daskalelos' has some massive gutturals right from the depths of hell, barking even when they take a more doom driven route on Fall Of The Demon King.

A band like Caelestia bring a lot of expertise to their music but with this third album they have shifted to a much higher level, the metallic assault, the symphonic elements, the varied compositions there's something for fans of all death metal fans on Revelations In Black. 8/10

Ambrotos - Atrocious Chants (Satanath Records & WP Productions)

Black metal bands from Greece, there's quite a lot of them but Ambrotos has return after four years with their new album Atrocious Chants. Featuring a realigned line up with a new vocalist and the addition of keyboard player joining the founding guitarist and drummer to make this new version of Ambrotos it's most vicious.

Atrocious Chants is a concept record which explores the depictions of Satan in Medieval and Byzantine narrative surrounding the fall of Constantinople and how faith was used as a way of persecution above all else, influencing conflicts that have been inflicted on humanity due to religious differences.

Because this is conceptually driven black metal, it means that Ambrotos can shift their focus away from glacial blasts to heavy chugs, through ambient moments and then back to the black metal intensity as tracks such as The Age Of Torture, Horned Gods and The Black One display.

Hellenic black metal has a certain expectation to it and Ambrotos exceed this expectations with this conceptual records. 7/10

Heretic Cult Redeemer - In Oculum Chaos (Serpent Sun Records)

Athenian four piece Heretic Cult Redeemer have been placing Satanic blessings on the world since their covenant began in 2009.

Through three previous full lengths and two splits they have been refining their Avant Garde black metal taking it into realms only visited by the likes of Dødheimsgard and Greek bands Acrimonious and Serpent Noir, both of whom have previously featured members of Heretic Cult Redeemer.

If you're not familiar with what Avant Garde black metal is then this is good place to start as it's a style of extreme metal that draws from various genres and musical styles to make it's point. Yes there's tremolo picking and blast beats but many of these songs have a foreboding atmosphere, irregular time signatures, jazz flourishes and angular noise.

Add to that some varied and unhinged vocals and you've basically got what Heretic Cult Redeemer, having steadily built into the band they are today's since their debut, In Oculum Chaos is as wild and chaotic as it's title. 7/10

Cleavercult - A Throne Made By Human Parts (Self Released)

Brutal death metal that comes from Northern Greece. Comprised of guitarist Nikk aka Hellmaster 666 of Temple Of Katharisis, vocalist Valantis Cannibal and bassist Alex, they formed in 2020 to play the most disgusting form of death metal they can influenced by Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus and Deicide.

Kicking off with the explosive sub 3 minute assault of Deadly Reflections, this record is full of the standard brutal death samples, on Disgusting & Deformed a scream of "You're Going To Die" begins another sub 3 minute blast of guttural growls and grinding riffs.

Most of the songs on A Throne Made By Human Parts are below 3 minutes but for me that's probably about as much brutal death as I want, short, sharp, stabs of extremity that arrive and then leave just as quickly, created for maximum intensity you want from blood spilling brutal death without sacrificing complexity. 7/10

Reviews: BIG|BRAVE, DDENT, Mimi Barks, Profane Burial (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

BIG|BRAVE - In Grief Or In Hope (Thrill Jockey) [Matt Bladen]

BIG|BRAVE are one of the bands that exemplify experimental music more than any others, the trio have never played anything they've done safely, and with this new album they make a shift towards another style yet to be utilised.

In Grief Or In Hope favours an "electro-acoustic" sound where the guitars take prominence for the first time, these songs are all hooked around dense distorted guitar walls, effects laden and just at the apex between noise and beauty, cascading between shimmering highs and fuzzing lows, there's a balance been natural and unnatural here.

It's the first time long time touring bassist Liam Andrews has joined Robin Wattie and Matthieu Bell band in the studio and his contribution cannot be understated. Creating a density below the guitar explorations, his bass adds a heavy thump below the dissonant guitars, repeating loops and haunting vocals.

There's a juxtaposition on this tenth album as BIG|BRAVE have created a style I can only refer to as "drone pop", expanding on the lyrical content from their previous albums, this is record that has been etched by pain and struggle but counters these dense caverns of distortion with acoustic layering and melodic phrasing, welcoming hope against the tide of pain grief can brings. 8/10

DDENT - Feeding The Voids Luster (Chien Noir) [Mark Young]

I just want to confirm something with this. The accompanying bio made quite a statement that I feel is completely necessary to add into this review, just before I get started. The five songs here were effectively captured in two takes, sans samples or any other studio fripperary. 

I’m so intrigued by this, given the relative length of the songs within, I’m hoping that once I press play that this will be one of my listening experiences of the year. That statement, to me, promises a lot. It suggests that this is a group of musicians that are potentially operating at the top of their game and that they take this game very seriously. Or it could be just smoke and mirrors, but I’m hoping that it’s the former.

DDENT is a French instrumental post-metal and doom metal band, just to set that scene, and the lead off track is Dis à la lune qu’elle vienne, a slow and lumbering beast in which they also drop the guttural of guttural vocalising in to add an even harder edge to it. Leaning more to the doom side, it’s a heavy sound that acts as a simple appetizer, one that leads straight into the longer Longue, obscure et triste lune. That it shares a similar pace and build as the opener isn’t a real surprise and makes perfect sense in making sure that the leaps it takes are perfectly organic. 

The thing here is that it is built around ascending patterns, ones where it will tee up an emotional reaction in the listener. This one is definitely cut from the doomier side of things, with arrangements that are the sonic equivalent of a clenched fist and I guess you could describe it as pugnacious, its certainly focused. The story takes a turn, the speed increased and those vocals return. 

What I do love about this is how they take that central melody and weave a frenzied web from it. Suddenly its two songs down and you aren’t quite sure where that time went. And then they go into cavernous riffs with Arzel. Tempo is slowed, but a gear is stepped up. That initial 1-2 riff build changes into something that is beautifully heavy, delivered without changing the pace so it hits with you. 

What they show with this one is that you don’t have to squeeze a million notes in, something that is authentic and chooses the right things to say will go so much further. That magic riff returns around the 5 minute mark and I want you to listen for it because its mint. The whole thing is actually, especially the ending two minutes where they change it around again, its just quality. 

And they don’t stop there, Kohol kicks in, absolutely soaked in wah and its conscious of the mood created by the three that came before and just sets about keeping that mood going. It’s the strangest thing, being locked in so quickly that the review is practically writing itself. 

Is Kohol much different from the others? Well if you look at tempo then not really but then they are not here to break speed records. They are looking to evoke feelings in you, and more importantly to make you move. If you are of the persuasion to smoke or imbibe certain products, you would do it to this. At the heart of it is a simplicity, driven by a need to make things as memorable as possible.

The end track is massive, a near 22 minute monolith called Noir taureau de douleur. Loosely translated as a Black Bull Of Pain, this is the masterwork here, the other tracks just setting things up for you. They don’t deviate from the established patterns, and for that I’m glad because as it stands this is a focused exercise in sonic storytelling, one where (and I’m going to repeat myself) they look to use standard arrangements but with super simple (ok, I mean not THAT simple) measures that mean so much more to me than a virtuoso display of nothing. 

This is real music with a heft to it that you can switch on and just slip away to. It sounds fantastic too, possessing a warm feel to it but still hits hard when they step on the distortion. This is as good as anything I’ve heard that sits within the doom adjacent field, and the mark of this is wanting to actually play this on the guitar (at least for me it is). Exceptional stuff! 9/10

Mimi Barks - Dreamstate Of Fear (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Doom Trap, yeah me either, but that's the genre tag for experimental Germany, read Berlin, via London scene artist Mimi Barks. 

Known for ritual exorcism ms on a live stage that has garnered Barks plenty of press coverage and converted slots at Download, Wacken and Bloodstock. Her sound has developed from the influences that surrounded her, punk, hip-hop, techno and metal that all collided on her debut record Doom Trap, but with Dreamstate Of Fear there's yet more uncompromising music which doesn't want abide by any sort of rules, taking her unique style of dissonant industrial metal meets pulsating trap beats down even darker pathways. 

There's an intimacy to this record, it's perhaps more introspective than previous releasea however it means that the songs here are perhaps much heavier, angrier promoting fear as a weapon rather than a weakness. It's an EP that came from "emotional exhaustion", beginning with the pulsing beat of Dreamstate Of Hell as the guitars kick in for the extreme flashes. 

Ophelia gets a little more melodic with a big chorus and electronics glistening, while the introspection of Jericho brings a cleaner vocal style, two short cuts, one in German, leading into the insistent Butterfly In Chains. 

With three short, interlude-like linking tracks, you get probably four new actual songs but that's not the point as an artist like Mimi Barks is about creating something with that is a collective whole rather than individual moments. 7/10

Profane Burial - Desolate Echoes Of Turmoil (These Hands Melt) [Mark Young]

Den Fortaptes Krønike is the mental starter from Profane Burial, in which there are certain points where I had to check that it hadn’t flicked into double speed. It hadn’t, it was just the way they wrote it. The closest way I can describe this is being technical death metal with a beating heart. Yes, it’s incredibly technical but there are moments where they run with pure brutality combined with moments of symphonic beauty. 

There are moments where they are flying and perform the musical equivalent of an emergency stop, only to start the machine up once more. Having a run time of over 7 minutes is a bold move, having the confidence that their material will grab the listener in a positive way and then keep them engaged is massive so its lucky that it doesn’t suffer from any kind of arrest. 

Repeating what ultimately feels like a repeat of it with Prognostic Augural Obsolescence is not the best. Let me point out that from a technical standpoint, it is mind blowing. In some ways, it could be considered the flip side but for me they said more or less the same thing on that track and there is only so far this will take them. For those that live and breathe the technical side of metal, this is definitely for you. For me, I’m hoping that the remaining songs offer up something different.

Triumph Of Dreadful Aftermath royally kicks off and thankfully moves into the cinematic/symphonic with a blinding song. They dial back on the madness and hit us with a more streamlined but furious attack that is still chock full of melodic patterns that make symphonic metal so good to listen to when its done right, which it is on here. Pulling back on the technical side allows them to do more with their sound and I would suggest that this should have come as track 2. Again, purely my opinion and you might think differently. 

Channeling Epiphany comes in with riffs that sharp you could slice a loaf of bread on them. This one is more frenzied in approach, almost like they are just about staying in control before the whole thing collapses under its own weight of ideas. Those riffs are sliced open with a lead break which then moves aside for a piano led moment, its tempo speeding up like its possessed and bang they are back. It’s another massive step forward for them, this and Triumph repairing the damage caused earlier. I have to point out that at no point does their energy fall away, even in those restrained moments where they are waiting for their moment to kick back in.

Horror Code Pt 2 picks up on a classical motif and supercharges it, expanding as a wall of sound as they run forth with it. That super tight control in full display on this one, and you can’t help but marvel at it.

It leaves Malicious Discomfort to pull the shutters down as we say goodbye to their 3rd full length release. You expect them to come out at a full tilt, and for 20 seconds they do before for some reason they drop it to remind us that they still have a piano which could be used at any time. They come back to the front with all guns firing – its technical, emotive, symphonic, all of the things you wanted and it needed to be. 

There is nothing left unused on this, no trick not tried in order to make this one of the key songs of the year. I’ve often said that the last song should equal the first in how it lands with the listener. Great albums don’t fall away and the final berth should leave you wanting more from them. Its exactly the case with this; It is the best of the material here (apologies to the others) as they machete their way through it with a display that is sometimes controlled, other times off the rails, it is absolutely manic.

Ultimately, it’s a mad 40 or so minutes in their company. For the most part, it’s a stunning piece of work, my only criticism is the opening 1-2 sounding too close to each other. That is my only issue, and its one that is soon buried by the technically driven symphonic madness that follows. There is riffs for days, handled with a ferocity that a lot of bands would give their picking hands to have. Top class. 8/10

Reviews: Boundaries, Haken, Cinder Well, Droner (Matt Bladen, Alex Swift, Mark Young & Spike)

Boundaries - Yearning: The Unbeautiful After (Sumerian Records) [Matt Bladen]

Get that running man ready as Boundaries love a breakdown, on the opening track I count four separate ones after the publishing of the main body of the track where the phrase "I Just Want To See You Suffer" is screamed right in your face. They're deathcore that takes no prisoners but there's more to it as this record carries with it a "state of perpetual mourning" as due to it being inspired by and in tribute to friends whose lives had been taken by an accident.

The brutality of existence fuels this record so the band locked down in the studio with producer Drew Fulk (Knocked Loose, Fit For A King), to make their most focussed and ferocious album yet. A record without compromise then, not looking for radio play but to define themselves as one of the hardest hitting bands in their genre.

There are moments of clarity where clean vocals are used however it's mostly absolutely crushing start stop riffs, industrial dissonance, flashes of metallic hardcore (Unequal Whole), inhuman blastbeats, ultra aggressive vocal shouts from vocalist Matthew McDougal who's joined by Landon Tewers of The Plot In You and Make Them Suffer on two tracks.

Yearning: The Unbeautiful After, preaches catharsis through brutality, suffocating heaviness throughout Boundaries are monstrous on album four. 7/10

Haken – In A Fever Dream (InsideOutMusic) [Alex Swift]

Haken have been through a lot of changes of late. A few years ago, the bands keyboardist Diego Tejeida parted ways with the band, citing creative differences. Then, last year, for reasons that remain elusive, bassist Conner Green and guitarist Charles Griffiths left, pairing the prog-outfit back to a four piece, and forcing them to cancel every one of their tour dates. It’s been three years since the enormously ambitious Fauna. Even longer since the brilliant companion albums of Vector and Virus. The question now is, how does the act adapt to the changes that they’ve endured, on their new EP?

Let’s begin with the positives – this project see’s the band experimenting further with the electronic elements that have been a core part of their sound since Affinity. There is a distinct effort to ‘test the waters’, as they meld their distinctive soaring melodies with forceful instrumental backdrops. 

While some fans will be saddened by the absence of an album at this time, a shorter transitional piece was definitely the most logical move the quartet could make at this stage in their careers. This is Haken in a state of Flux. “I am shedding skin. I let go and I learn to breathe. I am at the end of my fever dream” Ross Jennings sings during the emotional climax of the album. Reinvention always entails a transitionary process. And yet, for Haken, the challenges of this are on stark display.

The most striking element from the opening title track is that Haken have undoubtedly lost elements in their sound. That’s to be expected following the loss of members. However, the empty space that’s left is not filled with anything satisfying. 

Whereas once you could rarely predict the direction that the bands compositions would take, this one feels hollow, and stagnant. The contrast between the mellow and aggressive sections are uninspired, following the playbook of a million alt-metal bands that have come before them. There is little space for subtlety or experimentation, in what proves a pale imitation of the band’s sound.

Then there’s the issue of how the electronic elements are incorporated. Eclipsed By You and Bleeding Sky are significantly more thought provoking then the opener, with the later bearing a fascinating progression that feels straight from the Affinity-era playbook. The issue, however, lies in the incredibly out-of-focus production. 

The problem with so much of this EP is not that it represents a band finding their feet after a turbulent period. Rather, its creators seem afraid to commit to any of the interesting ideas that are present. Intriguing musical concepts are either half-committed to before being abandoned, or else buried beneath an avalanche of noise. Its incredibly frustrating coming from a band who have never previously been afraid to challenge themselves or the listener.

As far as prog metal is concerned, Haken have earned the right to be held in high regard by myself, and by their fans. I’ve alluded to the possibility that this isn’t the end for the outfit, and that this is merely a deeply a reflection of growing pains. These musicians have already committed themselves to future projects. If that is indeed the case, then they must set a direction that sees them harnessing their unique songwriting and performance skills, and committing to their chosen creative direction with zeal. 

It’s certainly possible that I will reflect on A Fever Dream as a odd yet crucial juncture. Until Haken can prove that to me, however, this will remain a disappointing nadir in an otherwise impressive discography. 4/10

Cinder Well - A Blooming Body (Hen House Studios) [Mark Young]

Sometimes the boss likes to throw me a curve ball, I’m sure he does it just to see if I can appreciate the other side of the musical coin. He does this by sending me something that is (by my own admission) so far removed from the standard stuff I listen to; I don’t know how to approach it. In any event, I want to give A Blooming Body a fair crack, and I will.

So, just in case you don’t know who or what Cinder Well is: Step forward Amelia Baker, an American multi-instrumentalist who can write and perform songs of a haunting beauty in much the same way as you or I can breathe the air around us. As in, naturally. Amelia handles nearly all of the instruments present on this, and it’s a collection of songs that stay with you after the final notes are played out. 

In trying to give you an idea of what they sound like, none of them sound like the others, apart from the voice and the way its deployed on here. Its described as Americana, cinematic folk, doom but played in a way that feels unique to the artist themselves. It certainly doesn’t sound like the folk that springs to my mind, which is a good thing in all honesty.

A Blooming Body is like a season of your favourite programme. There is the start, where it establishes itself and either makes you want to see what happens next or switch off. Each of the songs takes you on a journey, telling a story, sometimes dark in tone other times in bright textures. The constant in each case is Amelia’s voice. It has this quality to it, a rich fabric which doesn’t rely on vocal gymnastics to make the material sing. 

Is it something that I could drive to work on? No, definitely not but then Its not built for that, at least from my perspective. It’s also something that I can appreciate the beauty of, and why as an artist Amelia is held in such high regard. Taking the closing moments of Ashes for example, the song has been a soft and gentle exercise until it decides that discord is the way forward. Elsewhere there is some fabulous guitar playing, passages that would be amazing to play and would surely ease your mind.

So, now for a score. Generally accompanying press overegg an artists release, but that is not the case here. It is as good as its made out to be, and as long as this sits within your wheelhouse of musical interest then it’s a straight up must have. If cinematic arrangements are your thing, then you should sidle on over to this and check it out. 8/10

PS – Check out the theme to Small Prophets that was broadcast earlier this year on the BBC. Cinder Well did the score for that too.

Droner – Nuclear Waster (Doomsayer Records) [Spike]

Sometimes you don't want a pristine, perfectly engineered record. You want something that sounds like it was recorded in a damp cellar with the amplifiers turned up until the walls start sweating. London’s Droner deliver exactly that on their second album, Nuclear Waster. It’s a massive, 17-track trek through sludge, doom, and grunge that demands you sit back and let it grind its way through.

I missed their debut, but after spending time with this record, I’m definitely going back to check it out. What I like right off the bat is that they don't take themselves too seriously. The opener, Weed, starts with a laugh before dropping into a heavy, rumbling riff. It sets a great tone. They’re having fun with the noise, even when the sound itself is heavy enough to crush a car.

The album builds a huge, filthy atmosphere across its long runtime. Songs like All It Took, Medicine, and Tell Me Something have a real grunge-laden drag to them. The vocals are haunting and raw, sitting right in the middle of the distortion rather than floating polished over the top. It’s unvarnished, a bit rough around the edges, and honestly, it works so much better because of that lack of high-end gloss.

What’s interesting here is how they show you their building blocks. Towards the end of the 17 tracks, you get an acoustic version of Hear What You Want. Stripping away the massive fuzz pedals feels like the band showing their workings, proving that underneath all that weight, there are solid, memorable songs.

Then they throw in a couple of unexpected covers to close things out—The Specials AKA’s What I Like Most About You and Dawn Penn’s No No No. It shouldn't work on a sludge doom record, but somehow it completely fits their laid-back, DIY ethos.

Nuclear Waster isn't a quick or easy background listen. It’s a long, heavy grind that rewards you for putting the time in. If you like your doom raw, noisy, and full of character, this is well worth taking for a spin. 8/10

A View From The Castle: Biffy Clyro (Michael Chapman)

Biffy Clyro, English Teacher & Humour - Cardiff Castle 30.07.26

Another glorious sunny day in the capitol saw a packed crowd invade Cardiff Castle for another steller night of music in a summer of music that has kept on giving.

Tonight’s offering was served up by Scottish rock stalwarts Biffy Clyro, with support from English Teacher and Humor.

Humor (6) took to the stage with a sense of purpose, their melodic brand of punk an energetic introduction to concert goeers that really left a mark. The Glasgow band had a real presence on stage and the crowd felt that energy, moving through each song with a confidence of a headline act.

English Teacher (7) were next to entertain the masses at the castle, starting with The World's Biggest Paving Slab, the Leeds outfit bringing a real sense of rhythm and pace, songs filled with melody, purposeful & driving baselines coupled with Staccato guitar bringing a real intensity to their melodic variety of post-punk.

Singer Lily Fontaine has a fantastic delivery, a voice so easy to listen to but also a voice that commands attention, English teacher were a fine addition to this bill and a real crowd pleaser.

And then there was Biffy, preceded by an atmospheric electronic rendition of Barber’s Adagio For Strings as well as other classical favourites, Biffy Clyro (10) takes to the stage and immediately captivate.

Anthemic is a word all too often lazily used to describe musicians who can get you singing, but I feel Biffy Clyro are the embodiment of anthemic in the truest sense, their music subtle yet brutal, complex yet powerfully accessible.

The presentation and lighting really added to the experience, artistic visuals, superb lighting and staging that allowed for movement and the energy on stage to flow with the performance.

Each member of the band showing genuine enjoyment as they begin with The Captain and effortlessly move through favourites such as That Golden Rule & Who’s Got A Match, the crowd in awe, Biffy Clyro demanded undivided attention and they got universal adoration.

A setlist that contained old and new, crafted for a stadium and certainly fit for a castle, Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies raised the energy to the next level. Black Chandelier & Mountains a fitting end to a glorious set, but we all knew there was more to come.

After the briefest of intermissions the band return to deliver the final blows, an encore that contained fan favourite Bubbles and the timeless Many Of Horror capped off an evening that will live long in the memory of all in attendance. 

I have no doubt there will be many stories of when those of us recall the time we saw Biffy F****** Clyro.

Reviews: Future Palace, Sinner, Dry Wedding, The Salt Pale Collective (Spike & Matt Bladen)

Future Palace – Resurgence (Century Media Records) [Spike]

German alternative metal trio Future Palace have been quietly sharpening their blades over the last few years, and Resurgence feels like a band pushing their sound right to the edge. There is no denying the sheer technical ability on display here. The tight, punchy dynamic between guitarist Manuel Kohlert and drummer Johannes Berg gives the whole record a polished, modern weight, while vocalist Maria Lessing continues to prove she is one of the most versatile voices in the current post-hardcore and modern metal scene.

The album kicks off with Deep Blue, dropping you straight into a driving mix of heavy riffs, atmospheric synths, and massive vocal hooks. It sets an energetic pace before launching into the title track, Resurge, which stands out as one of the album's strongest moments. The way Lessing switches between soaring clean melodies, nu-metal-tinged verses, and brutal growls gives the song a genuine emotional punch.

As you move through the tracklist, the band isn't afraid to experiment with different textures. Supernova brings in glitched vocal samples and unexpected acoustic passages, while The Shades and Nixy lean heavily into crushing, low-tuned breakdowns and frantic drum work. Tracks like Nightfall and Symphony Of The Clouds give the album some breathing room, showcasing a darker, more cinematic side to their songwriting.

By the time the final cathartic moments of Tidal Waves and Cyclone fade out, you're left with a record that is undeniably tight and incredibly well-crafted. Lessing’s vocal performance is a standout from start to finish, shifting effortlessly between raw vulnerability and total aggression.

Yet, for all its technical polish and vocal brilliance, I walked away with the distinct feeling that Future Palace still have even more to give. They've built a rock-solid foundation and mastered the modern alt-metal formula, but there’s a sense that they are capable of pushing things into even wilder, unchartered territory on future releases. 

Resurgence is a strong, highly engaging album that delivers plenty of heavy highlights. These are very much one to watch. 8/10

Sinner - Boom Bang Goodbye (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Matt Bladen]

The end of an era, the last hurrah, better make it a big one then aye? 

Sinner is the hard rock project of songwriter/bassist/producer Mat Sinner, initially begun as a raw speed metal band in 1980's Germany, then went on a hiatus, in that time Sinner turned them into a melodic metal/heavy rock project which started to run parallel with Primal Fear who Sinner co-formed with Ralf Scheepers in 1997.

If we're being honest Primal Fear has always been the bigger band, played the arenas, headline shows, become the Judas Priest continental Europe always wanted.

With all this success Sinner continued pumping out heavy rock alongside the more metallic Primal Fear. Nineteen albums worth in fact, always driven totally by Sinner's creative vision, throbbing basslines and production skill.

As the title probably reveals, Boom Bang Goodbye will be the last rites of Sinner but Mat is determined to go out with some of his strongest work and closest friends performing them. 

Produced by Mat along with guitarist Alex Schlopp, given that final shiny mix and master by Jacob Hansen, the band remain Alex Schlopp and drummer Mortiz Müller while Jim Müller (Kissin' Dynamite) and Lisa Müller provide guitar and keys and former Sinner guitarist Mathias Dieth makes a return.

Magnus Karlsson, guitarist of Primal Fear, joins on guitar AND vocals, part of stellar line up of singers from the melodic/heavy rock scene, including Ronnie Romero (Every band ever), Michael Bormann (ex-Jaded Heart), Michael Sadler (Saga), Björn „Speed“ Strid (The Night Flight Orchestra), Erik Mårtensson (Ecliose), Renan Zonta (Electric Mob) and Sascha Krebs who has sung with Sinner on and off for over a decade.

A lot more than just an album then it's a celebration of the sound of Sinner, crafted like so many Frontiers projects, through strutting rockers like All Night Long, metallic offerings like Hellbreaker and ballads such as Leave It All Behind, Born To Run and the Celtic Turn The Page.

Boom Bang Goodbye is a record of nostalgia, and one that puts things to rest with songs like Are You Ready, Dreams Come True and the Thin Lizzy-like drive of Road To Remember.

So it's Boom Bang Goodbye to Sinner, but they leave with an album of big hitters. 8/10

Dry Wedding - The Back Of Beyond (Vesperian) [Matt Bladen]

I've always fancied myself as a latent goth and while the hairspray and eyeliner have always alluded me, my generally moody demeanor and all black outfit choice surely gets me into the room where the cool kids are right?

I've also got a love of post punk, if it's got open chord bass gallops, jangling guitar riffs and semi operatic baritone vocals I'm all in and Dry Wedding all that and more. With a revival of this style in recent years, there's certainly a love of this style of rumbling misery and Dry Wedding have been bringing the gloom on two albums before this.

The Back Of Beyond sees them getting angry, furiously attacking their guitars for plenty of angular noise (The Serpent Box), brooding doom (Moths) and extreme metal ferocity continued within this post-punk/gothic country wrapping where the inspiration of Nick Cave is overwhelming on Sure As A Gun.

One Last Strand employs the sprechgesang of Mark E Smith while on opener Arrowhead there's touches of early The Cult, all adding to the gothic post punk menagerie that is Dry Wedding on this great third record. 8/10

The Salt Pale Collective – ...And God Said Nothing (Self-Released) [Spike]

Someone wrote recently that my generation doesn't really talk about feelings, we just use music instead. If you're happy, there’s a track for that. If you're angry, there’s another. And then there’s the big stuff, the emotions you can’t quite put a name to. Listening to ...And God Said Nothing by UK post-metal outfit The Salt Pale Collective feels like discovering a brand new emotion altogether. This is the stuff of my dreams or nightmares, which ever fits.

The experience starts with Raised Aloft Upon The Horns Of The Celestial Bull, and it hook you immediately. It starts with this slow, ghostly, choir-laden harmony that lulls you into a complete sense of false security. And then the band drops the absolute weight of the universe on your head. The shift from that quiet choral atmosphere into a mountain-collapsing wall of sound is nothing short of epic.

As you move into the title track, ...and God Said Nothing, and Our Pale Madonna, the band shows off one of their greatest weapons: the clash of dual vocals. You get these abyssal, throat-shredding growls colliding with soaring clean melodies. It gives the heavy parts even more weight, balancing terrifying sludge and doom with moments of pure, tragic beauty.

Then you hit Litany for a dying sun, which might be the absolute peak of the record. They blend crushing riffs and chaotic time signatures with layered choir effects and even a manic, wailing saxophone that cuts through the noise. It sounds like an apocalyptic storm, yet every piece of the mix feels deliberate and crisp.

By the time the dark piano notes and crushing weight of Ahoy! The Black Caskets and The Stars Fade And Reel In Confusion fade out, you're left completely drained in the best possible way. This isn't just an album you listen to in the background; it’s an immersive experience that demands your full attention.

...And God Said Nothing is an absolute masterpiece of modern post-metal and doom. It’s heavy, layered, and deeply emotional without ever feeling forced. As soon as the final track finished, I knew I was heading straight back to track one to listen to the whole thing all over again. More than that, straight on to bandcamp to buy the physical record and to look for where they are playing. I want to see this live. 10/10

Reviews: Sellsword, God Unknown, Mountainscape, Cairiss (Matt Bladen)

Sellsword - ...With Might And Vengeance (Self Released)

How do you solve a problem like Stuart Perry?

The powerhouse vocalist of Yorkshire based Epic/Power metal band Sellsword, became so synonymous with the band that, when he retired from frontman duties in 2020, it did seem that they may never be able to find someone to take over as the siege captain of this trebuchet obsessed warrior clan.

However in 2022 step forward Nathan Harrison, a brave warrior ready to accept the sword from the Lady Of The Lake and lead Sellsword into future sieges and conquests. He has made an impact immediately with the live shows they have had since he joined.

Stepping into the frontman role brilliantly, bringing his own vocal style but one that still has the dramatic delivery of his predecessor, perfect when the band has always reminded me a lot of a band like Saracen who managed to transcend their NWOBHM meets AOR beginnings and become their own style of epic symphonic backed British metal.

This is what Sellsword do, with the epic, symphonic elements and keys and frantic pace of Euro power metal, the gallops and choppy riffs of NWOBHM it's heavy metal bravado that expects you to pump your fist and put on your armour ready for another crusade, with a sound that can be traced to such cult acts as Warlord, Omen, Blind Guardian and of course legends like Iron Maiden.

You could also trace Sellsword's style to Sabaton, but while the Swedes are strictly history, Sellsword merge history with myth be it mercenaries vs vampires, Boudicca/Boadicea (which features a guest voice from South Wales' own warrior Queen) or massive trebuchets, it's all got the swashbuckling approach of an Errol Flynn movie, the dramatic New Gods especially.

The rest of the band remains unchanged, Tom Keeley's bass shifting the rhythms from speedy gallops to mid pace grooves while Tom Warner's drumming always robust and rampant, the mighty engine room, storming on these tracks like Alexander The Great's Companion Cavalry.

Henry Mahy and James Stephenson share the guitar duties and fill these songs with the heaviest, darkest, thrashiest riffs the band have come up with, with the lycanthropic grunt of Warwolf and the almost black metal blasting on opener The Bringers Of War.

Fear not though as there's still plenty of melodic shredding and cinematic symphonics, Saxon Steel propelled by Euro Power metal fury, some while Reignite The Flame is chugging anthem and a song highlighting Sellswords resilience as a band.

So how do they solve a problem like losing their vocalist? With ease! As Sellsword 2.0 return with another absolute classic in the epic/power metal genre pantheon. 9/10

God Unknown - Last Glimpse Of Daylight (TM Productions)

Musical project? Supergroup? No matter what you want to call it God Unknown is a collaboration of musicians from across the doom metal spectrum, based mainly out of the UK and Sweden.

Last Glimpse Of Daylight is their debut album after a lot of studio work, produced by God Unknown and mastered by Dan Swanö, it's an funeral doom record that doesn't spare on the atmosphere, organs/keys and introspective ambience spooned over the slow downtuned riffs that have a frostbitten rawness while the sombre lyrics are delivered by embittered vocals that range from shouts to whispers for Frost On The Windowpane.

It's all the brainchild of guitarist John Courage, he has has recruited a band that all have a history with death/doom, funeral doom and any music that revels in its misery. Joining him are guitarist/bassist Adam West, Grimtone's bassist Micheal Lang, Loft drummer Tats McGee, Pantheïst founder Kostas Panagiotou on keys and vocals come from Daniel and Camilla Tjernberg of Shrouded In Darkness/Dark Legacy.

With an Intro and an Interlude keeping the musical narrative moving and creating that oh so important atmosphere, God Unknown hits all the right note for a fan of funeral doom fan, and while it may not get you to smile, you'll certainly nod slowly in approval of this quality debut record. 8/10

Mountainscape - Traversing Realms (Road To Masochist)

We like a bit of cinematic post metal here and at just three songs but well over 28 minutes of music this new EP is definitely one to pick up of you like your songwriting, long and complex and mostly instrumental.

Formed in Reading, Mountainscape is drummer James and guitarist Dan Schrivener (Traces/Aklash/Saturnian) along with bassist Ethan Bishop of Cairiss, they have released three full length records before this, always experimenting and trying to make what they write unique.

Traversing Realms they have really showcased their composing skills as the first two tracks Dune and The Elder Scrolls are tracks inspired by those two epic franchises. However this isn't just inspired by, this is almost a case of re-arranged by, the band taking themes and melodies from Hans Zimmer's Dune soundtracks and Jeremy Soule's Oblivion and Skyrim soundtracks, pulling them apart and reconstruing them in their own way but with the spirit of the original compositions.

By, in their own way, I mean turning them into huge post metal showcases where massive melodic moments are turned into ferocious blasts of extremity, the cinematic scope allowing them to move between the several genres within their songs.

On Dune the spectacle of a desert world is created with huge vistas of melody and the brilliantly evocative vocals of Amaya López-Carromero (Maud The Moth/Healthy Living), while The Elder Scrolls is a fantastical adventure with a dark underside built on morality so the clash of dark and light is obvious here.

Traversing Realms comes to a head with Closure, a paean to lost loved ones, despite the source material of the other two songs the honesty and emotionally driven content here makes it the most powerful track on the EP. The kind of cathartic experience post metal should be, the addition of a string quartet makes for added potency.

Traversing Realms sees Mountainscape paying homage to things, and people they love, beautifully and brilliantly. 9/10

Cairiss - Wilderness (Self Released)

Their first album in a decade, Wilderness ISA stunning return for Cairiss. While this beginning may give away the end a little, there's plenty to talk about so let's dive in shall we? Wilderness was recorded over several years mixed and mastered by guitarists Ethan Bishop.

He wanted to let the more natural aspects of their music speak volumes, shunning digital perfection for authenticity of a band who meld blistering black metal, acoustic beauty and haunting atmospheres into some all consuming blackgaze which has been compared to Alcest, Sylvaine and Oathbreaker.

While I'd add they also have links to Dawnwalker and even Opeth too when the South Of England based collective, fully embrace the folksy acoustics in Integrate are segued into the stunning dissonance of Dissociate, the trio of vocalists, Freya Brown, Lydia Williams and Martin Williams, in an union of black metal screams, death growls and spectral cleans, adding more dynamic layers to music that is already huge in its scope.

Martin and Ethan's guitar playing is sublime, clean melodic phases, shift into acoustic beauty, through classic metal leads and tremolo picked savagery, their diverse and cinematic songwriting allowing orchestrations to swell against the crushing heaviness and incendiary pace powered by bassist Alex Taylor and drummer Connor Frapwell.

Wilderness is a concept record but around a "gruelling traversal through a psychic interior" the band set out a story that is a search for meaning, a long struggle though harsh metal landscapes, where grief is a mask and safety only comes when confronted, ultimately how trauma can soften through the experience of music, catharsis found at every moment of this record, even when they're at their most intense.

A decade in the making, Wilderness is a wonderful record from these blackgaze veterans, well worth the wait, Cairiss' debut album is something emotional, poignant and extremely powerful. 9/10

Bloodstock Preview 2026

Bloodstock Festival 2026 Preview



We here at Musipedia Of Metal have been covering Bloodstock Festival for around 15 years now (probably with one or two gaps) and as we’re also one of the sponsors of M2TM South Wales it seems apt that we’ll be covering the 25th Anniversary of Bloodstock Festival once again from Catton Hall.

So we thought we’d map out a few things you may want to check out when you’re on site as this year has one of the most eclectic line ups for a long while including some metal legends (and original headliners from when it first started), some modern metal heaviness and a few high profile returns and of course glut of bands making their debut at the festival.

Four days, across four stages, let’s get to it then!

Thursday

Usually Thursday is party day the Sophie Lancaster stage opens for around five bands to get the festivities up and running, however as this year is special the Ronnie James Dio stage will also be open and will welcome The Mighty Saxon as headliners of Thursday night, as the headliners of the inaugural Bloodstock (when it was still indoors), expect the Wheels Of Steel to be in full motion for the first day of metal.

Before that though Evil Scarecrow will be once again getting an entire field of people to make perfect robot squares and scuttle as they return with their unique brand of horror adjacent silliness, expect a workout and plenty of laughs.

Over on the Sophie stage there’s some excellent music to be involved in, opened by former Birmingham M2TM winners Mantis Defeats Jaguar, the Black Country collective will make sure to get the crowd going early with their crossover/hip-hop/metal hybrid. 

While from their it’s pure rock n roll from Black Spiders who will bring the spirit of Lemmy (and accusations against Kiss) to the Sophie for the rockers in the audience preparing for Saxon. 

If of course you want something different to the RJD headliner, the Thursday Sophie is headlined by the tech death devastation of Crytopsy making for a brutal end to the first day of the mammoth Bloodstock.

Friday

On Friday it’s the first ‘full day’ and the RJD stage will be taken to the motorbike cyber fantasy of Battlesnake who’ll roar on to the mainstage with some mad as hell stage outfits and fist full of speed/power/trad/something metal

From there it's something with a bit more legacy behind it as Life Of Agony will be bringing the grunge/alt rock to the RJD, prefect for all the 90's babys to throw themselves about to.

Speaking of throwing yourself about, expect nothing but constant pits and stage dives when NYHC legends Biohazard and crossover nutters Municipal Waste hit the RJD with plenty of razor sharp riffs and chugging grooves, our advice is avoid the dudes in the camo but get down the front and get involved.

Carrying on with the thrash assault will be Brazil's most famous metal band Sepultura who will be saying goodbye to the UK stages at Bloodstock, so you will want to be part of their final assault as they will be showing exactly why they will be missed by metal fans around the world.

Then it's time for the main event as Richmond, Virginia's heaviest sons Lamb Of God again take the headline spot at Bloodstock, with ten studio albums and countless shows under their belts, it's fair to say they've got enough bangers to get all of Bloodstock going wild.

With the indomitable Randy Blythe as the ringleader, get ready to Walk With Them In Hell all the way through Catton Hall's hallowed ground.

That's just the mainstage though as over on The Sophie Stage there's absolutely loads to get your heads banging, with the noise coming early from the Countess Bathory inspired Blood Countess who will bring the tremolos and blast beats early.

Gurt however are more Transylvanian Chunder as their party sludge, will insist that you have an adult beverage in hand as they will pour crushing heaviness on you, any hangovers you have will be destroyed by Hammer as the Scottish extreme metal crew show no mercy no matter how bleary eyes you are, this is the start of your headache.

In our opinion there's no better way to shake off extremely heavy metal than with a good old shout along to songs about trebuchets. Happily this is pretty much what Sellsword do and the Saxon (the people not the band) metal crew return to Bloodstock armed with hymns from their upcoming thirds album as well as their sword waiving classics.

The Sophie Stage closes on Friday with Shining, the Norwegian one, not the Swedish one, which you know immediately when you approach the tent and hear those saxophones. There's is a weird and wonderful world as Jørgen Munkeby's creative vision will draw you in with impressive experimental metal.

Elsewhere on the New Blood Stage get over for some prog/alt rock from Temples On Mars and thrashing from Bristol M2TM winners MartyrsSaint while over on the EMP stage you need to catch Vanitas, it's prog/power/death categorised by powerful vocals and technical accumen.

Saturday

Whew Saturday offers perhaps the least for us a collective howerer, there one band we will NOT be missing no matter what.

So the RJD stage offers slimmer pickings but an opening slot from Inhuman Nature will do just fine to get the blood pumping after two days of "excitement".

Crossover thrash that will bring the pits early as the epic heaviness will increase for the mighty Urne, who are steadily climbing up the Bloodstock bill on the back of their incredible second album, it'll be progressive and dynamic so you won't want to miss these future headliners.

Speaking of headliners Vended have a lot of familial headliner pedigree behind them but they are very much their own band, although with their outright intensity they do have a lot in common with the 36 limbed extreme machine from Iowa so let's hope you'll be Surfacing for this group of talented youngsters.

Then for us what is the main event on the RJD stage as it's the return of Nevermore for their first UK show since the untimely death of the much missed Warrell Dane. Jeff Loomis was wasted in Arch Enemy let's not beat around the bush, he was just too good to play melodeath.

Thankfully he felt the same and along with longtime drummer Van Williams has reactivated the American prog metal masters. With a new bassist and co- guitarist it's vocalist Berzan Önen who has stolen the headlines with his uncanny similarity to Dane.

There will be tears, none morseo than from a certain Mr Hall as Nevermore will be majestic.

On the Sophie Stage its more riffs as those amphibian doomers Froglord take to the BOA stage once again, with low end fuzz and swamp dwelling riffs to get a heavy start to the tent

The pace will pick up considerably though from there with the crushing blackened death metal of the cinematic Outergods followed by the modern thrash aggression of Imperium which brings us neatly into thrash veterans Death Angel another long time visitor of BOA and another band who will get the pits moving.

If this trio are the pace then the headliner are the heart, the incredible live show that is Leprous pulls into the Sophie for soemthing a bit different to the breakdown driven main bands on the RJD stage, wrapped in brilliant visuals, melodic and anthemic songs and Einar Solberg's crystalline vocals, this will be much needed emotional catharsis after a heavy as hell day.

Over to the other stages and you CANNOT miss for the New Blood Stage are M2TM South Wales winners INSCAPE who will storm the stage with their electronic driven modern metal sound, clashing and contrasting but delivered with intensity, they wowed everyone this year so get down early if the likes of Don Broco and Enter Shikari are your thing.

Continuing the Welsh theme on the EMP stage make sure to catch up with stoner doom trio Goat Major who'll be slinging riffs all the way from Wild West Wales, then Caerphilly rockers Cancel The Transmission will be getting you bouncing in between the mainstage acts, while the always incredible Dosed will be injecting some hardcore into your veins right in time for that Bleed From Within/Slaughter To Prevail closing duo.

Sunday

Breathless, tired, hungover, it's into the last day and there's some serious treats for you here, again starting with the RJD mainstage and fantasy metal crew Castle Rat, a band who have been on a huge upward trajectory will be kicking off Sunday with some sword waiving battle metal.

From there it's time for some nu metal originators now as the much lauded return of Kittie hits the Bloodstock stage, since reforming in 2024 and releasing their first new music in 13 years Morgan Lander and co look to fill the RJD stage with massive grooves.

Speaking of grooves, Orbit Culture, and their Swedish mechanised metal will be looking to steamroll you with riffs straight from the Gothenburg scene and beyond, perfect soundtrack of anyone who still has the energy to pit.

As the day progresses things get a bit more old school with thrashers Testament, ready to see you go Over The Wall as they roll into Bloodstock with over 40 years of thrashing behind them expect wall to wall thrash classics.

Body Count, will be turning BOA into warzone with their aggressive, politically charged, crossover metal. One of the first bands to meld metal and rap, you can expect confrontational classics like There Goes The Neighborhood, Cop Killer and maybe even their cover of Comfortably Numb.

To close out the Ronnie James Dio stage on the last day of the UKs premier metal festival, you need something a bit special and Bloodstock deliver with the Metal Gods themselves Judas Priest.

Packing 50 years of British Steel into two hours means that you may not get every single brilliant track you want but we can guarantee you, their set will feature some of the best heavy metal anthems ever and also some deep cuts from their huge back catalogue.

A celebration of heavy metal music to close out the weekend.

However there still loads going on the other stages to as the with New Blood Stage hosting some crossover violence from Bristol ragers Overpower.

The Sophie Lancaster stage plays host to some massive doom riffs courtesy of Acid Throne and Alunah, fuzz and distortion are the order of the day here getting your morning/early afternoon tinnitus juuuust right after three days of heavy music.

Trivax then increase the stakes with blistering exile black metal, this Iranian, by way of the UK band combine black metal assault with themes of Middle Eastern heritage and a continuing fight against the oppression of the Iranian state. It will be brutal and uncompromising.

Speaking of brutal masked madness from Mushroomhead as the revamped line up, now featuring three vocalists, will be spitting venom from their latest record Call Of The Devil along with some other prim cuts of industrial/alt metal from their chart topping career.

Going down the weirder path Noisepicker take to the Sophie Stage with some D.I.Y doom blues punk, Harry Armstrong (ex-Orange Goblin) and Kieran Murphy have been delivering the experimental sound of Noisepicker since just before Lockdown and from there it's only gotten weirder. Get down to get your noise picked.

Back to a band who are a bit more conventional but always deliver, as Welsh alternative rockers Dream State will make sure to display just why there deserve such a high billing on the Sophie Stage, headliners in their own right, this will be a set field with modern anthems.

Closing out the Sophie Stage will be the apocalyptic race that is Carpenter Brut. Thumping satanic synthwave with the best visuals you'll get all weekend, Brut is part of the new wave of metal where the riffs and attitude of our denim and leather tribe combine with the processed beats and wonos of electronic dance music.

If you've still got the energy, then be sure to throw some illicit shapes as the French producer/alchemist welcomed you to his Leather Temple.

A full four days of this music we love so much, if you don't like our suggestions then that's fine seek out the bands that appeal to you, read through the bios on the Bloodstock page, use this week to do some pre-listening, but most of all enjoy the best celebration of heavy metal in the country!