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Gold Member
The morning breaks with gold‑dust sunshine and the restless buzz of a metal congregation rousing itself. As the gates part, Catton Park became a ritual gathering. After Thursday’s warm-up, BOA 2025 had officially started.Words: Kathryn Edwards Photos: Jez Pennington
Konvent
Over on the Ronnie James Dio Stage, Konvent prove that death-doom doesn’t need speed to crush. Rikke Emilie List’s gutturals feel like they could level Catton Park, while the riffs on ‘Sand Is King’ and ‘Fatamorgana’ roll in like a storm front; slow, suffocating and utterly commanding. The crowd don’t mosh so much as get swallowed whole, heads nodding in heavy unison before erupting into roars between songs. Bleak? Absolutely. Boring? Not for a second. Konvent turn grim intensity into one of the weekend’s most captivating sets.
Flotsam and Jetsam
As the first major act of the day on the Ronnie James Dio Stage, Flotsam and Jetsam deliver a high-energy set that sets the tone for the rest of the festival. They kick off with ‘Hammerhead,’ immediately igniting the crowd with its aggressive riffs and rapid tempo. The band continue to showcase their thrash prowess with ‘Iron Tears’ and ‘Desecrator,’ each song building upon the last in intensity and precision. Midway through, they dedicate ‘I Am the Weapon’ to their fans, a moment that resonates deeply with the audience. Closing with ‘Doomsday for the Deceiver,’ they leave the stage to roaring applause, having delivered a masterclass in thrash metal.
Rough Justice
Rough Justice bring a punchy, no-nonsense dose of punk straight to the crowd. Songs like ‘Chaos Reigns’ and ‘Burn It Down’ ignites the pits almost immediately, the fast riffs and snarling vocals leaving little room to catch your breath. Fans bounce and shout along with every chorus, the energy in the tent electric and relentless. By the final chord, it was clear Rough Justice have left the crowd buzzing and fully charged for the rest of the day.
Paleface Swiss
Then Paleface Swiss step up, carving out a set that is part atmospheric doom, part hypnotic sludge, and entirely captivating. Tracks like ‘Frosted Veins’ and ‘Mirror Lake’ roll in heavy and slow, each riff layered with a sense of foreboding that made the crowd lean in rather than rush about. The vocals alternating between guttural growls and mournful chants, giving the songs an unsettling depth that lingered long after each note. Fans respond with rapt attention, heads nodding and fists raised, drawn into the oppressive beauty of the sound. By the time the final chord echoed across the festival grounds, it’s clear that Paleface Swiss have left an indelible mark on Bloodstock 2025.
Orange Goblin
Orange Goblin mark their farewell show with a high-octane dose of stoner metal that has the crowd moving from the very first riff. They kick off with ‘Red Tide Rising,’ immediately throwing the crowd into motion with heavy, groove-laden riffs. The set moves seamlessly through fan favourites including ‘Scorpionica’ mid-set, giving moments for both headbanging and fist-pumping. They close with ‘Some You Win, Some You Lose,’ leaving the audience roaring in appreciation, fully aware they were witnessing the last live performance of a band that have defined modern stoner metal for decades. The energy never dips and by the end of the set Orange Goblin have left the stage chaotic, intense and impossible to ignore.
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil have the crowd completely captivated, delivering a darkly theatrical set (fans would expect nothing less from them), absolutely dripping in melodrama. Opening with ‘Heaven’s a Lie,’ the band instantly establish a gothic atmosphere, enhanced by black and white face paint, and red roses scattered across the stage. As the set unfolds with ‘Layers of Time’ and ‘End of Time’ mid-set, the crowd is drawn into their world of soaring choruses and heavy, hypnotic rhythms. Closing with ‘Our Truth,’. Fans sway and sing along in unison, caught up in the spellbinding combination of haunting visuals and commanding performance. By the final song, the stage looks like a gothic tableau and the crowd are left in awe, buzzing long after the last note faded.
High Parasite
On the Sophie Lancaster Stage, High Parasite unleash a punishing, unrelenting set that keeps the audience on edge from start to finish. They open with ‘Vermin Crawl,’ immediately setting a frenzied pace that never let up. Midway through, they pause to honour Sophie Lancaster, dedicating ‘Wired for Decay’ to her memory, which was met with a respectful, hushed reaction from the crowd. They close with ‘Cleansing Fire,’ leaving the audience exhilarated and emotionally charged by the intensity, chaos, and raw emotion of their performance. Though the crowd is light on the ground to begin with, fans continue to filter in throughout the set, banging heads and spinning pits in every direction as the band maintain relentless energy. By the end of the set, High Parasite have carved a raw, unyielding mark on Bloodstock 2025, leaving the audience buzzing from their uncompromising heaviness.
Emperor
Back on the Ronnie James Dio Stage, Emperor command the evening with their signature symphonic black metal. They open with ‘I Am the Black Wizards,’ immediately filling the space with grandiose, atmospheric intensity. Mid-set tracks like ‘Inno a Satana’ showcase both the technical precision and theatrical flair that have become their hallmark, with the audience mesmerised by the wall of sound. They close with ‘Thus Spake the Nightspirit,’ leaving the crowd in awe, applauding the masterful blend of darkness and musical intricacy.
Nailbomb
On the Ronnie James Dio Stage, Nailbomb explode onto the stage (go figure) with the ferocious energy their industrial thrash is known for. Opening with ‘Wasting Away,’ they instantly draw the crowd into their chaotic, politically charged performance. Midway, ‘Guerrillas’ sees mosh pits forming and hands thrust skyward, the intensity only building from there. They close with ‘Illegal Alien,’ leaving a lasting impression with the raw aggression and confrontational energy that defines the set, earning raucous cheers from fans who had been carried along for every punchy riff and pounding beat.
Trivium
Headlining the Ronnie James Dio Stage on Friday night, Trivium deliver a set that feels both triumphant and reflective, marking a major moment in their career. Returning to Bloodstock after several years, the band is playing to a homecoming crowd that had followed them through two decades of releases and tours. Opening with ‘The Sin and the Sentence,’ they immediately ignite the audience, with singalongs and circle pits forming across the front. As the set progresses, tracks like ‘In the Court of the Dragon’ and ‘Strife’ showcase their ability to balance technical intricacy with stadium-ready hooks, keeping energy levels sky-high. Mid-set, ‘Catastrophist’ and ‘Like Light to the Flies’ gives longtime fans a moment to revel in nostalgia while newer material demonstrated the band’s evolution.
The significance of this headline slot is clear; Bloodstock has long been a proving ground for metal acts, and for Trivium, it represents both recognition from their peers and a chance to celebrate their ongoing relevance in the scene. Throughout the performance, the crowd’s enthusiasm is relentless, responding to every riff, drum fill, and vocal flourish with fervent applause. They close with ‘Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr,’ a high-energy finale that leaves fans shouting and cheering long after the final note. The performance captures Trivium at the peak of their powers, blending showmanship, technical mastery, and emotional resonance in a way that few headline sets manage, cementing their place in Bloodstock history.