Somehow it's already been a year since I started this gig review blog so it's fitting that we recently returned to the location which kickstarted me into giving it a go in the first place: Bloodstock Festival. The 2026 edition was a milestone in the festival's history, marking the 25th anniversary since it began. To celebrate, the festival pulled out all the stops, including the first ever day of main stage music on the Thursday. There was no shortage of excellent bands on the bill either. The Ronnie James Dio stage featured headliners from across the history of heavy metal. Saxon, Bloodstock's first ever headliners, returned to grace the main stage as the first ever Thursday headliners. Groove metal titans Lamb of God closed out Friday. Slaughter to Prevail, the newest, and arguably most controversial, of the headliners brought their punishing deathcore to the Saturday night. Sunday's closing slot was given over to heavy metal royalty, in the shape of Judas Priest. Once again, we had opted for a day ticket and this year Sunday was our chosen day. In the grip of a UK heatwave, we would join thousands of metal fans braving the sun, the dust and the threat of dehydration to embrace our love of music's heavier genres.
The limits of metal have expanded and evolved considerably over the decades, leading to much genre-melding, boundary-pushing and experimentation. Indeed, the face of modern metal incorporates many different artists with many different influences and an amalgam of new styles. What metal has never been is boring. As it continues to develop, it continues to surprise. With influences as diverse as Dolly Parton and Bring Me the Horizon, and hailing from the deep south (of Basingstoke), cowboy metallers BOOTYARD BANDITS have been given the job of opening the Ronnie James Dio stage on the Sunday. With a square dancing lead singer and stage outfits befitting their Wild West inspired chic, they manage to meld southern fried hard rock rhythms with big riffs, suggestive lyrics and faux American accents. It's very much in the vein of Black Stone Cherry covering Steel Panther, particularly on the distinctly unsubtle Shirt Potatoes. Either way, it's accomplished very well and they draw a big crowd. Over on the New Blood Stage, Cyprus based KA'APER battle through some early sound problems to bring their melodic death metal to a new and very appreciative audience. They certainly seem thrilled by the turnout and they've packed pulverizing guitar riffs and thunderous percussion that sounds absolutely enormous in such a small space. Potentially a band to keep an eye on.
GRAPHIC NATURE are playing their last show of the year before they take a break to record their new album. The Kent crew play metalcore with a nu-metal influence and their very 90s sounding songs certainly dial into the feeling of nostalgia, whilst addressing serious topics at the same time. Killing Floor and Fractured in particular are big slabs of Korn and Deftones inspired metal, with crushing breakdowns interplaying with technically astute melodies. From its earliest inception, metal has been renowned for its theatricality and its world building and you can't say that CASTLE RAT didn't get the memo. They've accumulated a huge crowd for their set of medieval fantasy doom and those in attendance have certainly bought into the mythology created by frontwoman Riley Pinkerton in her alias as the Rat Queen. She lays the 'story' of the band out on stage as they unleash their Sabbathian sermon. Musically it's brilliant. Old school heavy metal played loud, low and slow, just as their vaunted forebears intended it. Downtuned riffs and swirling atmospherics showcase their influences. At one point you'd be forgiven for thinking that they'd wholesale lifted the intro to Black Sabbath, such is the insistent familiarity of their work. They've dialled things up a notch with the stage show, which ends with the death and resurrection of Riley's character following a sword and scythe fight against the Rat Reaperess. Even if you don't buy into the backstory, it's hard to deny that Castle Rat are going places, like the proverbial rat up a drainpipe.
When they first emerged in the late 90s, KITTIE exploded onto the scene with their grunge-driven nu-metal sound. Despite releasing belting albums and singles that put nu-metal on the map before it was cool, music industry misogyny heavily impacted the Canadian quartet's success. Times have changed. Not only are Kittie back but they're here for the crown that should rightfully have been theirs to begin with. 30 years since their formation, they're about to pummel the Dio Stage with 45 minutes of blistering, soaring metal that puts any remaining naysayers firmly in their place. They sound phenomenal from the get-go, the clear sign of a band that aren't about to be told what to do by anyone and aren't about to stand on ceremony.
Morgan Lander's vocals sound ferocious, flitting between monstrous growls and hypnotic cleans. Sister Mercedes on drums is a woman possessed, even appearing to be under demonic influence when she contributes unclean vocals. A storming Fire opens proceedings and, from there, no prisoners are taken. There is minimal crowd interaction, which allows for the songs to move along with a near unstoppable momentum. They sound positively furious as they rightly should. Kittie should have been much bigger first time around and they're not about to let anybody slow their ascent this time. The set mixes newer cuts with older material. The older stuff still packs a hell of a punch. Spit is a monster, We Are Shadows hits like an uppercut and Brackish still opens with one of the best nu-metal riffs every written, instantly recognisable and greeted like the return of an old friend. Whilst the Lander sisters are the only remaining original members, they are complimented perfectly by the rest of the line-up. Tara McLeod is an absolute guitar maestro and Ivy Jenkins on bass is a force to be reckoned with. Clearly they've got the crowd on side too. In and amongst the day one fans who are glad to see Kittie back, there are people witnessing them for the first time. And what an impression they've made. These aren't just metal songs. They are metal songs with important things to say about the treatment of women, both inside and out of the music industry, as well as being rallying cries for tolerance and acceptance. The fact that these songs are still relevant , and somehow more so, almost 30 years after they were written, speaks to the urgency of the message. There are other lessons here too. A few tracks from sixth album I've Failed You make an appearance, including the title track. As well as leaning into death metal stylings, the album was an important meditation on grief and loss. Both We are The Lamb and Empires, Pt. 2 are bruising, devastating songs that hit like a boot to the stomach. Eyes Wide Open ends the set and what a set it's been. Kittie are back, better than they're ever been. They have nothing to prove to anyone. Their time is now. They need bigger stages and the metal world wholeheartedly needs them. Bow down.
Kittie Setlist
Fire
I've Failed You
Cut Throat
Oracle
Spit
Ugly
Empires Pt. 2
We Are Shadows
We Are The Lamb
Vultures
Mouthful of Poison
Brackish
Eyes Wide Open
The oppressive heat leads to a lot of people sheltering under the protection of the tented stages. Those doing so on the Sophie Lancaster Stage during the middle part of the day are witness, whether they want to be or not, to the sounds of NOISEPICKER. The doom/thrash/blues/jazz avant-garde duo certainly make a hell of a racket and even incorporate a thrashy mash-up of Edwin Starr's War and Huey Lewis and The News's The Power of Love into their raucous, riotous performance. It's baffling, slightly odd and very Bloodstock. Back on the Dio Stage and TESTAMENT earn extra points for being the loudest band of the day and for having the best backdrop. A giant, inflatable demon skeleton looms over the drum riser whilst scenes of increasingly dystopian devastation are played on the screen behind it. Their heavyweight thrash is relentless as they showcase cuts from across their extensive career, as well as material from recent album Para Bellum. Throughout, vocalist Chuck Billy's barbed wire vocals carry an urgency, equal parts James Hetfield and malevolent chaos goblin. The whole set is conducted at breakneck speed, with lashings of pyro and aggression. It might be Sunday afternoon but nobody is lying down for a nap after this.
A sizeable crowd has gathered for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, which is hardly surprising given Zakk Wylde and Co.'s penchant for some down and dirty Southern rock. Fiendishly loud from the start, their big bluesy riffs and Zakk's gruff crooning vocals are the perfect fit for this time of the afternoon. Guitar theatrics are on full display as a bekilted Mr. Wylde does things with his instrument that would get you chased out of several conservative states. The Black Sabbath influence is on full display, with rumbling harmonics and pulsing fretwork. It should come as no surprise when they launch into a cover of No More Tears, which has several in the crowd welling up, belying the song's title, but it's still a nice touch to honour a man whose legacy still hangs over this festival and the wider metal scene as a whole. This might have started as a side project but BLS have some belting songs of their own. Fire It Up gets the singalong it deserves and a closing Stillborn is a fitting ending but you are left wishing they'd played In This River. Even for a festival as established as Bloodstock, booking BODY COUNT is nothing less than a coup. After ten years of failed attempts, the festival finally welcomes Ice T and his band of metal misfits to Catton Park's parched turf. They're in imperious form from minute one, coming straight out of the gate with a fiery cover of Slayer's seminal Raining Blood. Anyone even questioning the concept of Ice T fronting a metal band will soon have their doubts put firmly to rest. Even at 68 years of age, he is a consummate performer, and still righteously pissed off with the state of things in the world, in particular back home in the States. Not only that, but he's backed by a band of fantastic musicians who once again prove that our world, and the metal world, is for everyone. Discrimination be damned. Body Count's politically charged rap metal has never been more relevant. Throughout the set, they cover racism (There Goes the Neighbourhood), emasculation (Manslaughter), gang violence (Drive By), inequality (No Lives Matter), poverty (Born Dead) and police brutality (Cop Killer). Despite the serious subject matter, it's done with a purpose: to unite against those who seek to divide us. There's a final call for unity with a closing This Is Why We Ride and they even slip in an Exploited cover. Ice himself, as well as being world weary, is still a voice to be listened to and respected. He laughs and jokes with the crowd between songs and encourages chanting during a 'virtual encore' where he turns his back instead of physically leaving the stage. Not only have Body Count endeared themselves to the Bloodstock crowd, they've shown that they're welcome and needed within the metal scene. Music has always been political and it won't stop having an impact. This has been a triumphant Bloodstock debut.
'Bloodstock, your Priest has returned!', intones Rob Halford, two songs into JUDAS PRIEST's headline slot. Few in the crowd would disagree with the Metal God himself. Five years since their last appearance, Priest are back to close out Bloodstock 2026 with a set of decades-spanning proper heavy metal. This show forms part of their Faithkeepers Tour which, as it says on the tin, is the band continuing to fly the flag for good old British heavy metal after more than 5 decades.
Despite rapidly approaching his 75th birthday, Rob shows no signs of slowing down and the band aren't about to let him, or us, down either. Opening with a one-two of a storming You've Got Another Thing Coming and the stompy, chugging Metal Gods, with Rob clothed in a battle jacket that features the flag of his native Black Country, what follows is a career-hopping masterclass that encompasses everything that's ever made Priest brilliant. Throughout they're polished and in frankly outrageous form. Breaking the Law seems faster and more insistent and generates the first of many singalongs from the massive crowd. So too, the sultry, innuendo-baiting Turbo Lover, which sounds even more devilish than usual. When you've been around as long as Judas Priest and have a 52 year, 19 album back catalogue to draw from, you can basically do what you like. And we are in for a treat. You don't become so revered and long in the tooth by repeating the same tricks over and over again. Not only do Priest showcase their own influences, they've always been savvy enough to take influence from whatever is going on in the metal scene in any given era. The Ripper is a glam-rock serial killer homage that hints at where Ice Nine Kills got the idea in the first place. The creeping psychedelia of The Doors oozes through Desert Plains. Victim of Changes is a tear-jerking examination of the perils of aging, that experiments with prog, especially with its near 8 minute length, whilst Lightning Strike is an exercise in perfectly executed power metal. They can bring things up to date too, even leaning into Viking metal. Halls of Valhalla is a rampaging tour de force that even features a full on death metal growl from Rob. Panic Attack is an urgent and insistent tirade against Internet trolls. Delivering the Goods becomes almost a meta reference to how good they sound tonight. Not only do they deliver the goods but they do so with the nuance and subtlety of a brick through a plate glass window.
With so much material to pick from, you wonder how they make it all sound so fresh. It helps when you're backed by seasoned musicians of the calibre that Priest can call upon. The triple threat guitar and bass work of Andy Sneap, Richie Faulkner and Ian Hill creates a veritable wall of noise that distinguishes Priest's sound and allows Rob's vocals to flourish. Scott Travis is a machine. His drumming is superb. He moves across the kit smoothly, almost like running water, but still carries the intensity required to fit the songs. It goes without saying that he's almost incomparable amongst traditional heavy metal drummers. The standout is on Painkiller, which is already a full-on heavy metal assault as well as being equipped with the best drum intro to a metal song, quite possibly since the Earth was formed. Rob Halford's vocals sound superb. For a man well into his 8th decade, the range and clarity are outstanding. The falsetto is ear-shatteringly impressive, with the lower register a full-throated roar. Every song, every note is struck flawlessly. This is the sound and vision of a band who know how to put on a show and have become accustomed to these occasions. Away from the songs, there's no shortage of spectacle. Rob changes jackets numerous times, the giant screen at the back of the stage shows song-specific animations and graphics. Whilst there's a shortage of pyro or sparks, Priest don't need them, instead opting for red, white and blue lasers, shooting across the crowd and into the darkening sky. We even get a proper disco ball during The Sentinel. Rob's motorcycle makes the obligatory appearance, as he roars onto the stage before Hell Bent for Leather, with Rob himself leather clad, holding a riding crop and with tongue firmly in cheek. A rambunctious rendition of Living After Midnight brings things to an end. Only on this night mind you. You would be forgiven for thinking advanced age and the longing to settle down would make this likely to be the last time that Priest are on this stage. Don't be so sure. They're currently working on album 20 so it would be no surprise if Rob is prowling stages well into his 80s. When they're as good as this, as proficient, as smooth, and as bloody legendary as they'd been tonight, why should they retire? This has been an absolute statement. Lots of bands have headlined festivals and lots of bands have had long, storied careers. Few have done either as well as Judas Priest. There's a reason they're the Metal Gods. What a way to bring Bloodstock's 25th year to a close. By knocking it out of the park.
Judas Priest setlist
You've Got Another Thing Coming
Metal Gods
Breaking The Law
The Ripper
The Sentinel
Desert Plains
Lightning Strike
Turbo Lover
Steeler
Delivering the Goods
Panic Attack
Victim of Changes
Halls of Valhalla
Painkiller
Electric Eye
Hell Bent For Leather
Living After Midnight
Bloodstock Festival returns in 2027, taking place from 5th-8th August. The headliners have been confirmed as Danish heavy metal legends Mercyful Fate, German techno-metal lunatics Electric Callboy and Pennsylvania's industrial metal showstoppers Motionless in White. Other bands on next year's bill include reunited sludge metallers Acid Bath, stoner doom folklore obsessives Green Lung, resurrected Finnish melodic death metal stars Children of Bodom, and animated death metal heroes Dethklok. See you there?
