Live Review: Rabidfest 2025 (Sunday)!

There are more than a few forlorn faces at The Bullingdon as doors open for day two of this years seventh incarnation of Oxford’s finest Metal Weekender as the combination of Raging Speedhorn and one too many beverages of an alcoholic persuasion felt like mindless self indulgence. There is of course no better cure for that than a few more drinks and a few more bands so its time for more wall to wall riffs, thunderous percussion and rumbling bass as the United Kingdom Metal underground scene threatens to reduce the venue to rubble! Are you ready?!

Opening the Sunday are Mondegreen [8/10] a band who bring out the dead with new song “Conversation Ends” and by dead we mean those who are suffering from a hangover and Mosh pit bruises, in need of some paracetamol and ibuprofen washed down with liquor. A combination of aching clean vocals and vicious screams with deep groves in mid-tempo Progressive Metalcore tinged Nu-Metal, the band heavy enough to make the ground shake beneath our feet. “Guidance” offers ice cold programming and dirge laden riffs with the four piece having plenty of stage presence and leaving us to wonder why they’re not far higher up on the bill. We may only get three songs from Æl-Fierlen [10/10] but each of their lengthy compositions is both soul stirring and intoxicating. Delicate clean sung vocals and intricate guitars build to powerful crescendos with harsh unclean outbursts and mesmerizing rhythms. Flowers adorn the microphone stands and American vocalist Stephanie Moffatt has antlers in her hair, summoning a mosh pit during their heavier moments. Guitarist Rob Melville is a gentle giant and an essential part of this well oiled machine who appear to be following in the footsteps of Forlorn but with more focus on folk-inspired Black Metal. Reading Post Grunge act Liquid Dogs [7/10] need to find a way of capturing their live energy on tape because in the live arena they’re an entirely different animal. Tracks like “Medicate” have a hint of Alice In Chains about them particularly vocally with the band offering up wave after wave of funk orientated bass, slick groove laden guitars and pounding rhythms to keep us entertained. They do actually get heavier on a couple of occasions, harsh vocals from their bassist and a couple of breakdowns thrown in for good measure later on, leaving us to wonder where they’re going to go from here.

London Death Thrash trio Lethal Evil [8/10] are seasoned veterans of the game having prior convictions in Savage Messiah, The Heretic Order and Sanguinem and so waste no time in delivering us to evil. Cuts like “We Fight” and “Lone Wolf” are classically styled savage onslaughts that are as timeless as Dracula and in all honesty vocalist and guitarist Juan Pablo does actually look like he’s out for our blood. Instead he calls for crowd participation and for fans to support the bands by buying merch before introducing us to some new violent turbulence, the razor sharp old school riffage enough to sweep you off your feet. After being treated to “Breakstuff” by Limp Bizkit twice yesterday, Collapser [8/10] go one step further and give us a powerhouse rendition of “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against The Machine. That might not be their usual “Big Doomy Riffs that your mum won’t like” style but it works with the tools that they have at hand, bassist and vocalist Sam Rawlingson impressing as part of a dual vocal attack with guitarist Steve Pickin. The Melodic Groove Metal orientated quartet hail from Stoke and with tracks like “Witch Hunt” and “Iron Lung” we’re sure they felt the bands seismic activity in their home town. Who doesn’t like being treated to a new song?! Sheffield road warriors Until 9 [8/10] offer up “Kryptonite” during their set of Nu-Metal inspired anthems with “Headstone” and “Do You Feel Alive?” tearing down the blue skies as the the switch from clean to harsh vocals and back again hits seriously hard. They have the ability to convey a weight of emotion and use that as fuel for their fire, capturing the imagination as they do so.

After Æl-Fierlen decorated the stage with flowers Froglord [9/10] go one step further and put an alter front and center. The masked and shrouded band go on to deliver a set of pure and unadulterated amphibian worship, soaked in heavy dirge laden riffs that feels distinctively like you’re participating in some kind of occult ritual. Sludge fueled Doom Metal is the way they choose to indoctrinate us into their dark and murky world, new album “Metamorphasis” at the heart of it all. A Duracell bunny of a flame haired front man who when he’s not screaming into the microphone or playing the trombone is leaping into the air and busting moves helps give Redeemon [9/10] an electrifying stage presence. A Ska-Metal band with a three piece bass section, they make great use of the saxophone which essentially replaces a lead guitar and makes them easily one of the most unique offerings of this Rabidfest weekend. Bold, brave, interesting and fun they keep the energy high throughout their set and if anyone has any doubts they’re converted by the end. A circle pit during their biggest hit “Anaphylactic” says it all. Seething Akira [10/10] have long been Pitchshifter or The Prodigy for the next generation, the Portsmouth Electronic Nu-core six piece a high energy neutron bomb of band who wear their collective hearts on their sleeves. The crowd is jumping for “Something In The Water” and “Resilient” before the sing-a-long anthem that is “Ixnay” takes the roof off The Bullingdon. As ever the band bring a blinding light show, their themes of defiance in a dysfunctional wonderland pouring out of their souls over heavy breakdowns and programming that bursts at the seams. They have the energy of a headliner and given their quality and trajectory should soon be conquering Europe.

It’s been a long time since Red Method [10/10] gave us any new material but during tonight’s set when they play a new song they warn us that everything is about to change in February. From “Messiah” to “Slaves To The New World Disorder” the six piece throw everything and the kitchen sink into their set from rumbling bass to those trademark early Slipknot inspired riffs, their savage ways a guaranteed good time. In fairness there have been a lot of other fantastic bands this weekend and so they have been kept honest and have no choice but to pull a high grade incendiary performance out of the bag. Fiercely independent the six piece remain a force of nature who refuse to tire, vocalist Jeremy Gomez leading his warriors into battle at every given opportunity. For the mosh pit every riff is a bullet, every song a grenade as the band somehow manage to squeeze five percent more energy from each and every track. Eerie horror vibes from the synths push things forward as battle scarred veterans build atmosphere, turning an ember to a raging inferno with every single groove laden head rush of a song. The mosh pit barely pauses for breath during their entire set and by the end the band are with the fans on the floor in a sweaty heap. Another triumphant Rabidfest return for the band who want to paint the town red, we can’t wait to hear what they have in store for us in 2026.