It is no secret that Bloodstock has curated a ridiculous line-up for this year. Having the headliner trio of Trivium, Machine Head and Gojira alongside the likes of Emperor, Mastodon, Fear Factory, second stage headliners Static X, Obituary and Katakylsm; reformation sets from Nailbomb and 3 Inches of Blood… You get the idea. However, there are still plenty of diamonds buried in the depths of the undercard, so here are some of our picks for bands we think are worth your time to fill gaps in the no doubt full on schedules for every Bloodstocker heading to Catton Hall in 2025.
Cage Fight
It’s always an unenviable task being the band to open the main stage, especially on the Saturday morning; however, if there is one band that can clobber reality back into your bones and breathe new life into a husk it’s Cage Fight. Sitting somewhere closer towards the hardcore side of crossover, the four piece is known for their caustic aggression and propensity for pit dominating anthems. They last played Bloodstock in 2022, impressing with a chaotic set in the Sophie stage and have been moving from strength to strength since, despite playing sporadically between guitarist James Monteith’s bread and butter Tesseract. As anyone who has seen them live before can tell you, this main stage slot is well-earned and is sure to kick off Saturday with a violent roar of renewed energy.
Where? When? – Ronnie James Dio Stage: Saturday, 10:45
Gnome
Thursday night entertainment is always a little off the wall at Bloodstock, and this year we get the distinct pleasure of stoner odyssey Gnome bringing the riffs and the grooves in spades for the opening night. The Antwerp based three-piece don’t take themselves too seriously, with the vast majority of the Bloodstock audience just wanting to party on the Thursday night, Gnome are more than willing to supply everything you need to have a good time. Packed to the gills with stoner, prog, heavy metal worship and more than your fair share of boogie riffs, think of it somewhere like a metal version of Psychedelic Porn Crumpets or the more stoner leaning King Gizzard cuts. This is something for the riff fiends who want a bit of fun without devolving into parody nonsense of full comedy band territory.
Where? When? – Sophie Lancaster Stage: Thursday, 19:45
Z Machine
Despite naively thinking they might be the first band to bring a saxophone to Bloodstock (sorry folks, Norwegian black jazz Shining have definitely beaten you to the punch there); Swansea based no bullshit jazz prog fusion folks Z Machine are certainly something a bit different at Bloodstock. The band sits within full on old-school prog worship, with crazy interwoven melodies and harmonies, sometimes leaning into atonal territory, exuding elements of jazz and citing influences such as King Crimson, Gong and Dream Theatre. There are still touches of chunky distorted guitars in there, however going in expecting anything but honest to god prog would be disingenuous. No doubt the soulful honks of Z Machine’s saxophone leads booming from the little EMP stage tent will draw many a curious metal folk to get whisked away into progressive jams.
Where? When? – EMP Stage: Sunday, 14:35
Devilhusk
Brighton M2TM winners Devilhusk might take the cake for one of the heaviest bands of the weekend. Modern metalcore, deathcore and slam, expect violent bursts of frantic EDM drum breaks and discordant violence guitar riffs cutting through your skull. It’s frantic, janky and overwhelming in their in your face aggression. The band is clear with their influences, having the ultra-processed modern sheen metalcore, choppy what the fuck breakdowns inspired by Code Orange and Vein.fm, but further delving into the use of electronics. Devilhusk present with an aura of destruction and if that’s anything to go by, then you’ll be in for one hell of a battering.
Where? When? – New Blood Stage: Friday, 19:30
Undeath
Part of the blossoming new wave of US death metal, New York’s Undeath have curated a manic reputation for their particular brand of frenzied death metal. The band had a decent head of steam behind them since releasing their debut album in 2020, however they’ve taken themselves to new levels of degeneracy on their aptly named 2024 release More Insane. They tick all the boxes you want from a death metal band at Bloodstock, intricate riffs, pummelling percussion, gnarled bass, unhinged vocals and delightfully gory imagery in the lyrics and song names. Joining their fellow death metal countrymen in Gatecreeper and Frozen Soul in performing at Bloodstock for the first time, if their other shows are anything to go by, then this certainly won’t be Undeath’s last appearance at Catton Park.
Where? When? – Sophie Lancaster Stage: Saturday, 18:25
Tiberius
Formed in Edinburgh in 2014, Scottish progressive five-piece Tiberius are a strange prospect. The band incorporates an absurd amount of earworm melodies between the guitar licks and anthemic vocal lines, crafting catchy progressive music. Tiberius are DIY through and through, from their tours to their music videos, however they don’t take themselves too seriously, always maintaining an approachable tongue-in-cheek aspect to their ludicrous technical chops. Based off a combined desire to push their guitar talents, weaving melodic and progressive metal with wider modern progressive rock sensibilities, it’s safe to say there is a lot going on, from bouncy pop-rock tinged silliness to more driving technical hard rock passages. If there is one thing to expect from Tiberius, it’s a good time.
Where? When? – EMP Stage: Saturday, 18:40
Konvent
All female Danish death doom quartet Konvent are not particularly well known across the UK metal scene, which is a damn shame but not surprising. Having only played two shows on these shores, both at Desertfest in 2022 and 2025, they finally have the opportunity to tap into the underground metal zeitgeist and snatch the attention they fully deserve. With a critically lauded debut album Puritan Masochism filled with ferocious and gut-wrenching death doom, alongside 2022 follow-up Call Down the Sun, the Copenhagen four piece have already got a wealth of material in their back pockets to please extreme metal fiends. Caustic vocals, eerie atmospheres and crushing riffs are sure to help you shake off the cobwebs of the opening night hangover when Konvent pummel the ribcages of early afternoon punters looking for a bit of early extremity on Friday.
Where? When? – Ronnie James Dio Stage: Friday, 12:45
Barbarian Hermit
Making a return with their 2024 album Mean Sugar, Manchester stoner/doom veterans Barbarian Hermit finally return to Bloodstock for the first time post-pandemic. After a killer debut in 2018 on the New Blood Stage, the band were invited back in 2019 to open the Sophie Stage on the Thursday night due to how well their set was received. Does any more need to be said? Aptly described by one of our own contributors as ‘an eighteen wheeler of slick grooves and gargantuan riffs’, that’s the perfect summary of what to expect from Barbarian Hermit: nasty, loud stoner riffs to bang your head and sink some pints to. With the band announcing an indefinite hiatus, it’s worth starting your Sunday off right with a bang, crash and a wallop for good measure one last time.
Where? When? – Sophie Lancaster Stage: Sunday, 11:20
Zebulon
Bringing slow-burn, classic metal inspired riffs, doom metal quintet Zebulon won the Norwegian M2TM finals for the opportunity to play their first UK festival. Their two track single, ‘Desolation I’, shows off strong grooves that are sure to inspire waves of head banging to infect the nearby area. Singing of sulfur, fire and doomsday, the band are bringing just as heavy an atmosphere as the music itself. The band wear their influences on their sleeves, Black Sabbath bluesy grooves and hooks, dramatic vocal howls soaked in reverb. Don’t go in expecting anything but heavy metal as a core element; hair whipping, neck swinging, horn raising, heavy fuckin’ metal.
Where? When? – New Blood Stage: Saturday, 13:30
Maatkare
Wanting to bring a powerful all female force into the death metal world, UK/Netherlands four piece Maatkare are here to bring forth and celebrate powerful women of history. With their band name taken from several royal women of Ancient Egypt, the band thematically explores one of their namesakes with the Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Influence by bands such as Nile, Scarab, Septic Flesh, Behemoth, Arch Enemy, and Kataklysm, they draw from a deep well of death metal sources and put their own spin on it. With lyrics sung in Egyptian at points and some ferocious technical chops, there is plenty of interest on display for Maatkare who are set to make a splash with their Bloodstock debut this year.
Where? When? – EMP Stage: Sunday, 18:30
Paleface Swiss
Paleface Swiss have been making significant waves in the deathcore scene in recent years, becoming well known for their uncompromising tracks balancing brutality and intimacy, as well as their unbridled energy on stage as live performers. This year’s main stage set at Bloodstock marks their first UK festival appearance and after selling out substantial tours across the UK and mainland Europe, it’s no surprise to see them get a featured slot on the main stage. Whilst deathcore is still poo poo’d by some of the more disgruntled elitists amongst the metal community; if their reputation is anything to go by, then Paleface Swiss will no doubt crush it, establishing their place amongst the fellow deathcore heavyweights still beating the life into the enduring sub-genre and proving it deserves it’s place in the metal underground.
Where? When? – Ronnie James Dio Stage: Friday, 14:55
Spitting Teeth
Birmingham based metalcore/deathcore/filth mongers Spitting Teeth were one of the first acts announced for the New Blood stage this year. Having built a strong presence in the UK scene, it’s no surprise they were invited to play this year. They’ve played with metalcore favourites Dying Wish in Birmingham, opened for the likes of underground favs Holding Absence and gnarly upstarts Grief Ritual, causing countless scenes of pure mayhem up and down the country. Vocalist Joel Heywood is regularly a sight to behold, clad in a balaclava and a terrifying commanding presence to encourage their crowds to go hard or go home. This is the type of set you’ll bring your friends along to, blow off some steam and bludgeon the ever loving shit out of each other for thirty minutes of savagery.
Where? When? – New Blood Stage: Sunday, 11:15
Lowen
With the unfortunate news that Arizona metal fiends Spirit Adrift had to pull out of their summer European run due to a family medical emergency, the news came that middle-eastern inspired progressive metal rising stars Lowen have taken their place. Taking inspiration from vocalist Nina Saeidi’s Iranian heritage and merging it with a deep appreciation of progressive, doom, death and stone metal, Lowen have an incredibly unique voice in the modern metal scene. Building an absurd mountain of hype off the back of their 2024 album Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran, Lowen have found themselves opening for the likes of Zakk Wylde’s Zakk Sabbath and delivering breathtaking live experiences that have encouraged their fan base expand thick and fast. This is not a set to missed by any means, as this is certainly another step in the continued rise in one of the most interesting British metal acts of the decade so far.
Where? When? – Sophie Lancaster Stage: Sunday, 15:40
Heriot
The last time Heriot graced the grounds of Catton Park was back in 2022. With their debut EP only months old, the band played to a strong crowd in the Sophie stage on the first marker that the only way was up. Now three years later, becoming one of the most notable upcoming standouts of the UK scene, their debut album got picked up by Century Media and the cult of Heriot has only grown stronger. After playing Download, hitting the main stage and headlining the Cave at 2000 Trees and playing massive sets across the mainland European festival circuit, it’s time for Heriot to get a shot to show the UK what they’ve got on a bigger platform as they’re sure to level the Main Stage when they play Saturday afternoon.
Where? When? – Ronnie James Dio Stage: Saturday, 13:45
Orme
Hertfordshire drone trio Orme have been making a name for themselves across the UK underground for the past couple year, sharing the stages with the likes of 40 Watt Sun, Elephant Tree and Goblinsmoker. Orme may in fact be one of, if not the first drone metal band to play at Bloodstock across its near 25-year history. It makes for a nice change of pace, as drone fans have been clamouring for years for any representation of their beloved glacial sub-genre at the underground metal celebration. Blending the mesmeric and creeping pace of bludgeoning walls of chest cracking riffs and more atonal harsh elements of death metal, Orme are a strong standout and should provide many Bloodstock vets with an outstanding first drone experience when they threaten to pull the EMP tent down with the power of their amps alone.
Where? When? – EMP Stage: Sunday, 16:55
Wall
Instrumental duo Wall are comprised of twin brothers Ryan & Elliot Cole, also of Oxford progressive metal veterans Desert Storm. Originally coming to life as a side project, the band picked up steam previously performing at Bloodstock in 2021 as well as shows with the likes of Discharge and Will Haven. It’s straightforward sludge/doom, pure Iommi worship with a strong streak of Sabbath throughout their non-stop riffage as well as taking inspiration from the likes of Karma To Burn, Torche and High On Fire. Its riffs, stacked on top of riffs, sandwiched between riffs and with a side of riffs for good measure. It will be almost impossible to stand in that tent and not finding yourself nodding along to the relentless grooves that are occasionally broken up with ambient spacey sections to ensure that when the heft comes back, it’ll knock your teeth out.
Where? When? – Sophie Lancaster Stage: Sunday, 13:10
VMBRA
Self-described “progressive music’ from Manchester, winning their Manchester M2TM heat, VMBRA are an incredible interesting prospect on the New Blood stage this year, with progressive being the choice word to anchor their sound. They veer off in wild directions, embracing heaps of groove and swing, dispirit elements of other genres and fusions to play with your rhythmic expectations, leaning hard into oddball song structures and ensuring to expect the unexpected. Already making a splash opening the Kerrang stage at Radar Festival in their native Manchester this year, there is already a bit of buzz around the progressive oddity that is more than worth your time with some collective batshit riff madness that is reminiscent of The Mars Volta if they decided to throw caution to the wind and embrace heavier elements.
Where? When? – New Blood Stage: Friday, 17:15
Vnder A Crvmbling Moon
Yes, the band has those silly V’s where U’s should be, yet Vnder A Crvmbling Moon might not be exactly what you were expecting. The five-piece collective are self-described as a post-metal band, with lengthy and emotional compositions that explore softer spaces while still channelling Pallbearer’s take on longing, lamenting doom metal. Their second album saw the band focus in further on their post-metal influences, building almighty walls of sound and hefty percussive blows sitting beneath gorgeous soaring melodies and soul splitting vocals. The slightly more laid back tempo’s will be a more welcome change of pace with a coffee on Saturday morning for those feeling a touch delicate from going a bit too hard on Friday night without wanting to sacrifice any of the brutality. Expect a tent full of slow head banging and fist pumping, with a crowd lost in the ether that is Vnder A Crvmbling Moon.
Where? When? – Sophie Lancaster Stage: Saturday, 11:20
Creeper
Now, anyone paying attention to British alternative mainstream over the past decade have no doubt heard the name Creeper at some point. What might seem like a strange booking at first to those not in the know, the band started life as an ode to early Alkaline Trio and Misfits with goth tinged punk. They’ve played every alternative festival in the UK you can think of, with them playing damn near every year of 2000 Trees for the past decade, as well as notable slots at Download alongside Reading & Leeds. It’s safe to say that very few people ever saw Creeper playing at Bloodstock. However, over the past few albums they’ve spreading their proverbial wings and exploring different territories. Then with 2023’s Sanguivore they fully embraced classic heavy metal cheese a la Meat Loaf, crafting an infectious concept album rock opera around vampires and embracing the camp nostalgic vibe, likely with a matching classic rock stage show to boot. Creeper’s Bloodstock debut is likely to see them expand their audience and rope in heavier fans who might not have given them a chance otherwise.
Where? When? – Ronnie James Dio Stage: Saturday, 14:55
BA’AL
Formed in 2016, the blackened post-metal five piece from Sheffield have been turning heads in the underground for a little while now. With their recently released new album The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here already netting itself as a critical darling, the emotionally fragile lyricism is reflected in the brutal black metal howls and haunting spoken word passages. Much like other blackened post-metal outfits such as Møl and genre darlings Deafheaven, the band morphs between intimate and delicate instrumentals alongside inhuman black metal beatings. Last appearing on the New Blood stage in 2017, Ba’al have grown significantly since then and their return to Bloodstock is set to be an unforgettable experience.
Where? When? – Sophie Lancaster Stage: Saturday, 12:10