Symbyote
Winners of the London Metal 2 The Masses competition, Symbyote opened the day at the Fresh Blood stage to a swarm of people. Amongst the crowd were friends and family, yes, but also a boatload of sleepy-eyed strangers who made sure not to miss this absolute bonanza of genre-blending newcomers to the metal scene. Symbyote only appeared on Capital’s stages last year and already achieved a milestone that many had chased for years. I’m not surprised, as their overarching and binding deathcore/death metal sound, carried by the intense growling vocals of their vocalist, Dan, was unstoppable. He could hardly keep his feet on stage, constantly coming down to greet the crowd and even ending up in the circle pit by the end of their set. Instrumentally, there were no mishaps; they delivered a solid show, even though I knew some of them had pre-gig jitters, as this was the biggest stage they had graced to date. What’s certain is that this is not the end of the journey for this extreme metal band; they’re already making a name for themselves in London’s underground scene, and playing at Bloodstock will open up many more doors for them. You just wait. (NK)
PENGSHUi
What’s another way to get a slot on the Bloodstock stages? A well-placed social media tag alerting the organisers about “the existence of a really cool band that they should check out”. I was actually a little surprised this was Pengshui’s first time here, as they’ve been around for a good while. I’d put them in the Skindred category of “fun times in the pit” kinda acts, with their mix of hip-hop and grime with almost tribal drum and bass rhythms, played, of course, on actual drums and bass that’s making you bounce. Sophie Lancaster’s tent was full of happy people, shaking their heads to funky rhythms that, on paper, you’d think wouldn’t belong at a metal festival. I’m so happy they got noticed in such a sweet and unassuming way. And you should have seen the Bloodstock beakers spinning round and round in the circle pit, the ultimate confirmation that this booking was the right booking choice. Looking up at the big screen, I could see a hint of disbelief on their faces as they took in the crowd’s reaction to their music, a stark contrast from when I saw them last year in a tiny basement venue, spitting water everywhere and climbing on everyone’s shoulders, their energy was pure fire. (NK)
Waterlines
Yorkshire lads Waterlines brought the Party to the Sophie Lancaster stage this afternoon with their high-energy set. They have created a safe environment to be able to let loose and get down hard with their daisy chain (Brace) left to right, creating one of the biggest movements for the band to date, with “Pretty Green Eyes” bringing in our inner classic child. They are fun and just are hear for a good time. Performing their new song ‘Sinister’, they show how much they are growing into everyone’s favourite band!
Creeper
Time to nip over for our Vampire-inspired band of the weekend, Creeper. With Bloodstock being the only UK festival this year, they put the time and energy into creating an extra special stage show. From the small details to like the throwing of heads into the crowd, to bring in the mosh pits, and pyros as hot as the blistering festival heat. Creeper slayed their set, collecting the souls of everyone who came to witness them live.
Fear Factory
Following the chaos left behind by Kublai Khan TX, Fear Factory take over the Ronnie James Dio stage and immediately reframed the mood. The same boisterous energy from Khan switches gears headbanging and crowd surfing, and the medium age of the crowd climbs by about a decade. This year marks thirty years since Demanufacture, and tonight the album is given in full, end to end. Milo Silvestro wastes no time in demanding the crowd open the pit for the title track and ‘Self Bias Resistor’. Fear Factory’s last outing at Bloodstock came 9 years ago, and to a crowd a fraction of the size. The punishing upgrade the band have made for this set is both visibly and audibly noticeable as the long, foreboding intro of ‘Zero Signal’ is championed by bassist Ricky Bonazza and drummer Pete Webber, who collectively shake the Derbyshire ground. Anyone with a copy of Demanufacture has a copy of the setlist, as ‘Replica’, ‘New Breed’ & ‘Dog Day Sunrise’ all roll through one after the other. There is no mistaking the efficiency of this newer line up, particularly Silvestro. While visibly fans can see the veteran that is Dino Cazares, the intensity of the band’s new blood means the old hits make a statement as well as any new band of the weekend.
One standout memory of the band’s 2016 effort is the major insistence for fans to fly over the barrier under a punishing sunlight. This set was definitely no different as they quite appropriately rumble through ‘Body Hammer’, though the heat is replaced by a very sternly lit sunset that in Bloodstock terms signifies a key band of the day. The fans, given the accolade of a 30th anniversary, chant almost incessantly for Dino specifically, given he was the only one on stage that actually recorded on the album. The final tracks of ‘Flashpoint’, ‘H-K’, ‘Pisschrist’ & ‘A Therapy For Pain’ breeze by as the daytime draws towards its end. The set reaches its finale with ‘Linchpin’, joined by Tony Campos. It might be a show rooted in nostalgia, but Fear Factory still aren’t entirely standard for Bloodstock faire. In 2025 they deliver an industrial masterclass that dripped with potential for where their present could take them.
Ministry
Ministry is one of the few bands with the credentials and the history to follow and industrial masterclass like that of Fear Factory. This set feels a long time in the making, as on record Ministry’s reputation precedes them, not unlike other legendary acts like The Killing Joke in previous years. Al Jourgensen has been in the game long enough that his craft as a showman is ironclad, and his method of repeatedly pointing the mic to the more game members of the crowd irks a few in close proximity during opening numbers ‘Thieves’, ‘The Missing’ and ’Deity’ from their early years. There’s a certain “Time Capsule” aspect to both this set and Fear Factory’s before them, and it’s a shame that the nostalgia doesn’t seem to carry over for everyone. That said, the moaning few does nothing to dispute the sheer mass of crowd Ministry manage to draw, and production wise they certainly demand the slot on the bill during newer material ‘Rio Gande Blood’ and ‘LiesLiesLies’ from 2006, which does a lot more to force some energy and movement in the middle.
There’s a place for their latest material in the set with ‘Goddamn White Trash’, with various semi-satyrical visuals coming up on the large LED screen at the back of the stage, while Jourgensen makes some very pantomine-eqsue facials to the crowd. Ministry do fall into a similar bracket as Fear Factory with how their new blood is doing wonders to invigorate the classics in their set, notably in Cesar Soto on guitar, as well as Paul D’Amour on bass (who ironically replaced the “Was-just-on-stage-with Fear Factory” Tony Campos). The Chicago mob are very aware of the pomp they carry, and aside from 2021’s ‘Alert Level’, the entire remainder of the set is composed of their late 80’s, early 90’s material. Hopping back and forth between the Mind, Land and Psalm albums, this is really the Ministry people came to see. The years we still have with them are notably limited, with them being on record as only having one album left. THis was a major coup to bring them to Bloodstock in 2025
Machine Head
A lot of metalheads have seen many of today’s headliners more than a few times. Seasoned veterans often rock vintage band t-shirts from lineups where those same names appeared far down the bill, bands that now top the biggest festival days. Machine Head is one of those headliners. They’ve been around for so long that, dare I say, some people might even get a little unexcited about them. But let me tell you: if you love the band and listen to their songs a lot, seeing them again is actually pretty incredible. You never quite know what’s in store when you’re standing in front of an empty stage right before their set goes off and they sing your favourite songs live.
This year, Saturday ended on a massive high. We had an incredible showcase from one of the biggest acts in metal history; you simply can’t talk about the ’90s/’00s without acknowledging their contribution to the scene. Their hour-and-a-half set was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I last caught Machine Head 14 years ago and was expecting a fun time, but I didn’t expect them to engrave themselves into my core memory. And I don’t just speak for myself, the crowd was insanely excited, with many people buying an extra day ticket just so they wouldn’t miss them.
Robb Flynn was the perfect host on stage, striking a balance between tender, emotional moments (like his tribute to his friend and publicist Michelle Kerr, who sounded like an incredible woman) and hilarious antics involving Banana Man, Beer Box Jesus, and their battle to catch a precious cold pint of beer. Filling in on guitar for a short stretch of shows was Vogg from Decapitated, which stirred me personally as Decapitated is one of my top 5 bands of all time, now sharing the stage with another band on that same list.
Amidst all the shenanigans, the setlist was laid out fantastically, with every riff, drop-kick, and vocal line timed to perfection, the result of decades of touring experience. Add to that the exploding fireworks, and it was already a spectacular show. But as a cherry on top, we broke the Bloodstock crowd-surfing record: an insane 1,011 people, myself and one of my best friends included (we even went up twice!). Riding that wave during what was arguably Machine Head’s greatest show in their history was unforgettable. Cheers to many more. (NK)
Static-X
The final act of today’s festival, Static-X, with the loss of Wayne Static, tonight’s show is a Regeneration era. Many fans are pouring into the arena. They bring all the little details while showcasing the new ideas that they are bringing to the table tonight, from new frontman Xero’s eerie mask to an Iron Maiden’s Eddie-styled oversized Franken-Wayne. Static-X are ready for this new chapter of music.
