Live Review: Rabidfest 2025 (Saturday)!

As is tradition, the dawn of the dead on the day after Halloween means its time for Oxford’s finest Metal Weekender Rabidfest. Those who attended the now infamous The Fight Before Rabidfest show at The Jericho Tavern will no doubt be hungover but they will also have witnessed a headlining set from London Metalcore heroes Confessions Of A Traitor who have returned from their second conquest of North America. Now that the fake blood has been washed off and replaced by corpse paint, it’s time for the blood, the sweat and the beers of the main event, mosh or perish!

Cutting the metaphorical red tape and opening this year’s Rabidfest are Hardcore Punk upstarts R.P.C [7/10] who despite having run the gauntlet of Metal 2 The Masses as well as having played in Europe this year are a little nervous. Perhaps its the occasion or perhaps its having a fill in bassist who by the end of their set is learning songs from guitarist Jim Spillane but to be fair, they’re here and it doesn’t get more Punk Rock than that. The tunes are all raucous two-step worthy easy abrasive listening to warm up the crowd for the shape of Punk to come and that’s exactly what those who came to the pre-show need. “Molotov” is of course a stone cold winner. Peterborough Hardcore crew Break Them [8/10] storm The Bullingdon and capture the crowds attention by force as they blitz through a set of heavy hitting Beatdown infused Hardcore with a Metallic thump. Their new EP “Ultra-Violence” is the main source of their set with “Bury The Hatchet” an absolute pile driver, the quartet bringing all the energy of a highly caffeinated beverage straight to the vein. The twist in this tale is that the band have a love of Nu-Metal and fire a warning shot with the introduction to “Blind” by Korn before later giving us a Hardcore rendition of “Breakstuff” by Limp Bizkit that gets everyone off their feet. Having arisen from the ashes of Bring to Bear in recent times Talassum [7/10] are a Doom Folk four piece who have replaced the lead guitars with a violin to give them another dimension. They have the audience swaying like marionettes and toasting them with a poison chalice by the end of their captivating set with tunes like “Never Alone” and “Rain“. Any band who leave you wanting more by the end of their set are ones to watch and these gentlemen are a fine example.

Death Metal infused Grindcore with a healthy amount of whammy bar action is the order of the day from three piece Korrupto [8/10] who get the crowd chanting “chop the cop!” at the top of their lungs during a blistering set of furious tunes that simply say f**k the establishment in the nicest possible way. There drummer Steve Butler is not only a force of nature but a Metal hero having turned up despite being as sick as a dog to give us a punishment beating. He pushes his fellow comrades into making the earth shake beneath our feet with their audio violence and “Victim By Choice” absolutely slaps. A heroes welcome is also reserved for returning Oxford royalty in the brothers Ryan and Elliot Cole, who are fresh from the Sophie Lancaster stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival. For those not in the know, when the Desert Storm pairing are not performing with their main squeeze, they’re performing as instrumental duo Wall [8/10] and bring weighty Progressive Sludge Metal riffs inspired by the likes of Black Sabbath to the Kings table. A cover of “Nineteen” by Karma To Burn is a nice touch and in all honesty their music is not only captivating but strangely uplifting too. A late addition due to Thrashatouille dropping out, Coventry five piece Chaplain [8/10] step onto the Devolution Magazine sponsored main stage with their war paint on, hammering out the likes of “Doctrine” in ferocious fashion. The raw power off their riffs which have moments of Groove orientation within capture the attention, as does the range of their vocalist who not only has plenty of bark and bite but also gives us the odd blood gargling moment as well. The savage beating anti-establishment “Manipulate” is a set highlight with its bass and then guitar soloing, the ending reaching downtempo Deathcore heights.

Returning Nu-Metal heroes Arimea [9/10] may have relocated to Bristol but… technically tonight is a home town show for the four piece who put on a spellbinding set of sing-a-long anthems for everyone to enjoy. Long gone are the DJentisms of debut EP “Castle Bravo” and instead they are a re-imagined force and come across like a heavier incarnation of a band like Flyleaf, their 2024 EP “Orchid Street” providing the backbone of their set. Vocalist Whitney Cooper is an impressive vocalist who delivers the soaring “Nostalgia“, the band providing suitably heavy rhythmic backing, making them a joy to watch. Leaving the crowd in a sweaty mess with a Death Metal rendition of “Breakstuff ” by Limp Bizkit and a cookie monster mascot on the stage Raise By Owls [10/10] are a masterful live band. Getting the crowd going with their brand of tongue in cheek humour and songs like “I’m Sorry I Wore a Dying Fetus T-Shirt to Your Baby’s Gender Reveal Party“, they give away a few hilariously questionable t-shirts for things like best Barney Greenway dance, adding to the entertainment. When to comes to the music they’re deadly serious and anvil heavy, fusing Death Metal and Grindcore together with wave after wave of buzzsaw riffs while leaving us wondering just how screamer Sam Strachan is taking care of his vocal chords. Manchester Industrial Metal force Kill II This [9/10] have been thriving in their second incarnation with last years album “Variant” in their arsenal, this is so much more than a nostalgia trip. “Coma Karma” and “SleeperCell” are more than enough to get the crowd worked up into a frenzy, the flecks of Death Metal and heavier vocal moments confirming there is plenty of life left in the beast. By the end the band, including new bassist Caroline Campbell are all smiles, loving the energy of an adoring audience.

The lads from Corby politely referred to as Raging Speedhorn [10/10] tear a new hole in the space time continuum at The Bullingdon with a venue sized mosh pit going on throughout their career spanning set. “Every Night’s Alright for Fighting” is a scream-a-long anthemic opener accompanied by Frank Regan swinging his microphone by the chord like its a lethal weapon and Dan Cook stalking the stage in menacing fashion. The Sludge Metal riffs and trade mark energy are electrifying as the band bulldoze their way through the likes of “Hard To Kill” and “F**k The Voodoo Man“, the six piece a much loved unstoppable force of nature who aim to reduce the venue to rubble before the end of the night. “Spitfire” and “Thumper” hit particularly hard tonight, the pit going wild in front of the barrier as it’s all about the blood, sweat and beers. It has to be said that the new songs have been well integrated into the set list and feel like they’ve always been part of it, “Buzz Killa” and “Night wolf” both particularly good tonight. “Knives and Faces” finishes the set in time honoured fashion, a wheelchair user being pushed in and out of the pit to enjoy the moshing while taking out a few people at the same time. Just when you thought you’d seen it all. Only at a Raging Speedhorn show.