From “Who?” To “Holy Sh*t!”, here are our picks for the acts you can’t miss at this year’S epic sold-out rendition of Bloodstock Festival 2025…

Words by Felix Bartlett | July 18, 2025

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Roll up those sleeves, get those patches sewn on your battle jacket, and pack the factor 50 because Bloodstock Festival is just around the corner! And to get you prepped for this year’s record-breaking event, we’ve put together a nifty little list of some of the bands that might have flown under your radar that you can’t afford to miss at this year’s epic rendition.

From gothic theatrics to bone-crushing metalcore, flamenco-infused metal to relentless hardcore, Bloodstock 2025 is stacked with some epic acts this year! So without further ado, here are our top picks across the weekend. Get your clashfinders at the ready!

Paleface Swiss | FRI – Ronnie James Dio Stage

Swiss slamming beatdown icons Paleface Swiss are guaranteed to incite one of the most violent pits of the weekend. If you’re craving unrelenting brutality, this a must-see at this year’s Bloodstock. Hailing from Zurich, this deathcore juggernaut blends beatdown hardcore, slam, and metalcore into a sonic battering ram, think Slipknot’s intensity stripped of theatrics and cranked to 11.

For fans of: The Acacia Strain, Slaughter to Prevail, Bodysnatcher

SPITTING TEETH | SUN – New Blood Stage

Spitting Teeth are guaranteed to deliver one of the most punishing sets of Bloodstock 2025. Born as a pandemic-era catharsis project by vocalist Joel Heywood, this UK wrecking crew crafts a wall of sound that blends old-school hardcore aggression with UK beatdown ferocity, drawing comparisons to Justice For The Damned, Backtrack, and Bodysnatcher. Their live shows have earned them a reputation as one of the underground’s most uncompromising acts.

For fans of: Slipknot, Kublai Khan TX’s, Malevolence.

HERIOT | SAT – Ronnie James Dio Stage

Emerging from Swindon with a genre-agnostic but devastating metalcore sonic arsenal, they fuse sludge, industrial, hardcore, blackened and atmospheric elements into a nightmarish soundscape. If that sounds like your idea of a perfect Bloodstock, then Heriot on the Ronnie James Dio Stage is an absolute must.

For fans of: Code Orange, Nails, Pupil Slicer

THROWN | SUN – Sophie Lancaster Stage

Sweden’s “pissed-core” provocateurs Thrown are bringing their beatdown grooves, nü-metal bounce, and razor-sharp metalcore precision to Bloodstock for the first time this year. Check out their 20-minute debut album EXCESSIVE GUILT and get a taste of its suffocating adrenaline shot of fury that’s sure to give you a kick up the ass on the final day of the festival.

For fans of: Alpha Wolf, Graphic Nature, 156/silence

BREED 77 | SAT – Sophie Lancaster Stage

Gibraltar’s finest flamenco-metal warriors are fianlly back after a long hiatus, and they’re poised and ready to bring perhaps what’s set to be one of the most electrifying and unique performances of the weekend. Known for their explosive blend of alternative metal, Latin rhythms, and flamenco guitar, Breed 77 crafts anthems like no other.  We’ll see you for the flamenco-infused pit on Saturday!

For fans of: Machine Head, Korn, Life of Agony

CAGE FIGHT | SAT – Ronnie James Dio Stage

A TesseracT guitarist’s rage project turned full-throttle hardcore wrecking crew, need we say more? If you haven’t felt the fists-up fury of a Cage Fight set yet, Bloodstock 2025 is your reckoning. Blending Slayer’s aggression, Hatebreed’s bulldozing hooks, and Terror’s pit-ready chaos, they’re raw, unscripted, and relentless. Frontwoman Rachel Aspe is poised and ready to take command of the Ronnie James Dio Stage and give you a pit to remember.

For fans of: Une Misère, Tortured Demon, For I Am King

BAD SMELL | SAT – EMP Stage

Don’t let the name fool you, there’s nothing bad about this band (although we can’t speak for the guy with his top off next to you). Leeds’ Bad Smell are the rowdy, riff-packed newcomers you need in your life. Formed in 2024, this three-piece powerhouse cuts straight to the chase with blistering riffs, thunderous rhythms, and a raw, unapologetic attitude that harks back to the golden era of gritty British rock.

For fans of: Airbourne, Motörhead, Kid Kapichi

Creeper | SAT – Ronnie James Dio Stage

Fresh off the announcement of their new album Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death and a summer of touring across Europe, Creeper are set to deliver a flamboyantly macabre spectacle that will sure to be one for the Bloodstock books. Known for their over-the-top stage antics, the band’s goth-punk opera blends Jim Steinman-esque grandeur with horror-punk ferocity. Expect a theatrical, blood-soaked performance you won’t forget.

For fans of: Ghost, Avantasia, My Chemical Romance

DEVILHUSK | FRI – New Blood Stage

Brighton’s most volatile metalcore upstarts DEVILHUSK are here to destroy. Fresh from their Metal 2 The Masses victory, they mash Meshuggah’s crushing polyrhythms with industrial electronics into a terrifying new beast. Their debut single ‘I SEE GOD’ delivers three breakdowns of pure fury, landing somewhere between Knocked Loose’s violence and Vildhjarta’s dissonant groove. Prepare yourself for this one, it could get messy…

For fans of: Loathe, Vildhjarta, Marauda

STATIC-X | SAT – Sophie Lancaster Stage

If you’re like me and grew up watching Scuzz TV’s nu-metal marathons, then you already know why you can’t miss the return of Static-X. Yes, frontman Wayne Static may have passed away, but his spirit lives on. Head down to catch them headline the Sophie Lancaster Stage on Saturday night for some epic throwbacks that defined a generation as the Wisconsin crew carve out a new chapter for the band.

For fans of: Fear Factory, Rob Zombie, Dope

DEAD FLESH | THU – Sophie Lancaster Stage

Fancy kicking things off in style? Then Dead Flesh are the perfect way to get your weekend started! Hailing from Hertfordshire and bursting onto the scene with their blistering debut EP Dehumanise, they bring a potent blend of blastbeats, crushing breakdowns, and dark, industrial-tinged grooves, think Chelsea Grin or Enterprise Earth, but with a sharper, more atmospheric edge. 

For fans of: Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, Aborted

PHOENIX LAKE | SAT – Sophie Lancaster Stage

Closing our must-see list are Phoenix Lake. Draped in cinematic riffs, soaring vocals, and metalcore flair, Phoenix Lake feel like the lovechild of Within Temptation and Ad Infinitum. Born in 2018 as ‘Descending Angels’ before solidifying their lineup with powerhouse singer Lana Phillis and drummer Joe Synnott, they’ve crafted anthemic weight with a melodic heart. Those searching for a twilight ritual of soaring choruses and shattering riffs look no further.

 

This year’s sold-out Bloodstock Festival kicks off on August 7-10th.