Live Review: A Bloodstock Experience (Sunday)

If you wake up on the final day of a festival and you don’t feel like s*** then have you really had a good time?! One thing we can say about the organizers of Bloodstock is that they know how to get things done right. Unlike other festivals we’ve been to the toilets are being cleaned and emptied on a regular basis and aren’t completely destroyed within hours of the gates opening. That means that there is no sense of dread, just sweet relief the morning of the night before. Caffeine calls.

We start the day with Moon Reaper [9/10] on the Sophie Lancaster stage. A band invited back following their success on the New Blood Stage last year, they don’t disappoint with their blend of Blackened Sludge infused Doom Metal. We always felt that they didn’t get the credit they deserved for their debut EP “Descent” but having retooled for the follow up “Black Sun Sorcery” it feels like they have reached critical mass. A dual vocal attack to rival any other means the big top is alive with the sound of music, the riffs cutting through the hangovers like the finest of pain killers.

Deicide may have won the award for the heaviest band at Bloodstock this year but Northern Deathcore collective Osiah [8/10] are a close second with their seismic activity registering low end. Unique Leader Records A&R dude and Viscera frontman Jamie Graham is spotted wondering around presumably in support of his brethren but sadly doesn’t offer up the guest vocal appearance we crave. Instead the band offer up a collection of ferociously intense tunes with bowel clenching low vocals soaked in deep groove. What they lack is some between song banter but perhaps it’s too early in the morning for that so instead we get an extra tune from a band we’ve waited to see for an awful long time. We want pyrotechnics but maybe that’s unwise in a tent…

The inflatables are out as south coast crossover kings Grove Street [9/10] demonstrate precisely why they are tearing up European stages at the moment. Their axe wielding mascot even dares to take his life in his own hands, crowd surfing in an inflatable dinghy as the band blitz through tunes from their current album “The Path of Righteousness” with Thrash riffs and Hardcore attitude going very well with a cold beer. Given the recent riots in the North of England “Divided Kingdom” seems poinant while “Lessons of the Past” and “Born II Lose” ensure we all get what we came for.

The second band of legendary status from Greece at this year’s incarnation of Bloodstock are SepticFlesh [9/10] who bring offer up and interesting blend of Symphonic Death Metal. “Neuromancer”, “The Vampire from Nazareth” “Hierophant” are performed back to back in the middle of a short and sweet set with sees singer and bassist Spiros Antoniou performing like an absolute beast. Hopefully 2022’s “Modern Primitive” album is not their last…

Over at the New Blood Stage tired bodies are hitting the floor as Dead Flesh [7/10] subject us to combinations of blast beats, breakdowns and downright disgusting vocals as they highlight the horrors of modern society one dilemma at a time. Sadly for them the sound isn’t great meaning that most of the guitars are drowned out by the bass, drums and vocals where we are stood. Make no mistake however, they will rise again and if a label like Unique Leader Records can give them some cash then they’re destined for America because their EP “Dehumanise” is nothing short of brutal.

“Scorched and Burnt“, “Ride the Knife” and “Certain Death” are amongst the unholy confessions of Sadus [8/10] the surprise being just how much of their 2023 album “The Shadow Inside” gets performed during the American Death Thrash acts set time. Life Forbidden earlier in the weekend the band are back after a long hiatus with a fresh line up, sounding rejuvenated with Darren Travis and Jon Allen at the helm. It’s wall to wall riffs like it’s 1985 all over again, which is perfect for the occasion.

On that score, it’s as if Bill and Ted went back 1986 and brought back the “Master Of Puppets” era Metallica to play Bloodstock when Xentrix [9/10] take to the stage. Billed as the United Kingdom’s premier Thrash act by the announcer, they don’t disappoint, tearing down our blue skies with vintage Bay Area San Francisco style riffage in adrenaline pumping fashion. There is a lot of love for the band at Bloodstock with impromptu fists in the air and sing-a-long moments completely unorchestrated, the way they should be. “Reasons For Destruction“, “Dark Enemy” and “Balance Of Power” are an absolute masterclass.

From “The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue” all the way through to “Reek of Putrefaction” Extreme Metal merchants Carcass [8/10] prove that despite being older and wiser, they haven’t lost any of their bark or bite, Jeff Walker’s trademark sneer a call to arms. You can’t help but wince as they make good use of the big screens behind the stage, putting up rotating images of infections, infestations and injuries throughout, close up and personal. How long they can keep going remains to be seen but there will always be “Genital Grinder“.

They don’t say anything to the audience swaying to their symphony of destruction in the big top but Infected Rain [9/10] speak to each other and their sound technician in their native tongue which indicates there is some kind of issue during their set. However they don’t let that slow them down, bringing a wealth of downtuned riffs to accompany Lena Scissorhands incredible vocals. Live they lack a certain brightness that would have previously come from their second guitar but that doesn’t change their energy which is seriously infectious. A band for whom there is a lot of love in front of the stage, they keep the sing-a-long moments and anthems flowing until the very last second. Can we get one more song at a festival?

Building the sense of drama, a black curtain hides the Ronnie James Dio main stage from sight as a classical overture sounds in the Derbyshire night sky. A call to witness Viking warriors Amon Amarth [10/10] is heeded by the masses who flood the arena before the curtain drops as the band begin their first song of a triumphant set that feels like a homecoming. As legend has it, the Swedish masters deliver a set rich in Norse mythology, Viking history, folklore and culture while commanding the crowd row together. On the stage the drum kit sits on a half Viking helmet, the horns rising up either side as the eyes glow with white heat. Early on “Guardians of Asgaard” is fierce while rowing to “Put Your Back Into the Oar” feels hilarious but the anthems just keep coming. Part of the encore is the almighty “Crack the Sky” and there aren’t many who aren’t left grinning from ear to ear.

Having not played a show since 2019, a festival run this summer is a reminder of just how much love their is for Satyricon [9/10] which in turn explains why they final band of this years event. “Black Crow on a Tombstone” and “Fuel for Hatred” are fantastic before and “King” brings the house down, the verve, swagger and confidence the Black Metal act have as they unleash their pent up aggression is phenomenal to see. Battered, bruised and surprising hungry we find a beer and trudge back to camp, the end of a glorious weekend reached… What will 2025 bring?