Bloodstock 2026: Saturday Review – Ronnie James Dio Stage
8th August 2026
Words: Dan Barnes
Photos: Tim Finch
Forecasts show no respite from the sun today and the queues at the water points suggests dehydration might not be only related to yesterday’s alcohol consumption.
London thrasher, Inhuman Nature, have an early start and offer no quarter to the small but dedicated collective assembled in front of the Ronnie James Dio stage. Rampant riffs and rapid-fire drumming provokes the instinctive creation of circle pits, with the band serving up a huge slice of latest record, Greater than Death as encouragement.
It’s unclear whether the scantily clad stage-wear of Imperial Age is due to the weather or their commitment to the mythological subject matter of their unbridled symphonic power metal. The sophomore record, The Legacy of Atlantis, is most visited today, with opener duo of The Awakening and And I Shall Find My Way Home setting the scene of bombastic, overblown virtuosity, the very things the original Bloodstock brand was built upon and, with SellSword yesterday, and the announced bands for 2027 including a few from the genre, it seems as though the festival is embracing its past once more.
Dubliners, The Scratch, formed from the remnants of metalcore band, Red Enemy, embraced the Celtic folk of their homeland and have spent ten-years being accepted by both the avant-garde metal and folk communities. Bloodstock has something of a history of hosting leftfield band, and singer, Dan Lang’s use of the cajón as a source of percussion certainly puts the band in that category. Fiercely Gallic in its sound, Pullin’ Teeth has its own dance-floor-come-circle-pit; Cheeky Bastard is compelling and catchy and Dan reckons is good for the hips; Gladrags is meaty and generates headbanging aplenty, while Blaggard is the least likely song to generate a wall of death that actually generates a wall of death. An unlikely cover of Ace of Spades pretty much sums up The Scratch and speaks to the musical diversity that Bloodstock promotes these days.
Now veterans of Bloodstock’s past, London progressive sludge band, Urne, are beneficiaries of the bill rejigging following Of Mice & Men’s withdrawal. Moved up to the main stage, the large platform seems more in keeping with the band’s widescreen approach. Early contender for Album of the Year, Setting Fire to the Sky, provides the opening couple tunes, dense and complex, but thoroughly accessible, both Be Not Dismayed and The Spirit, Alive are minor concept records in and of themselves. Singer Joe Nally admits the band’s 2023 Bloodstock show is a blur and is looking to be able to create a memory from playing A Feast of Sorrows this time around. Final tune, Harken the Waves comes with a shout-out to Nevermore, whom that credit for the inspiration.
Making a swift return to Catton Park come Des Moines natives Vended who now have a record out that people will have been able to spend some time with. Not surprisingly, the self-titled debut takes up most of the set. Early tunes Nihilism and Ded to Me hit the ground running; Am I the Only One lands with an accessible sound, packed full of emotion, but ready to slit your throat at the same time. For obvious reasons there are moments of similarity between Vended and Iowa’s most successful sons, but the temptation to go down that route is side-stepped in favour of the band cutting their own furrow through the music business. Griffin Taylor admits Bloodstock has a special place in the hearts of the band as it was here that they played their first UK festival; closing duo, The Far Side and Asylum both rage and are emotional simultaneously.
Australian progressive metalcore machine, Northlane, make their Bloodstock debut with their seventh studio album, Anemoia, ready for an October 30th release. That doesn’t stop them from airing the emo-tinged Evian and CUT_it to an expectant Catton Park. 4D’s poppy grooves gets the show up and running, the creeping vocals of Bloodline comes along after Evian, and calls for circle pits are made. Welcome to the Industry’s industrial video games vibe finds wide acceptance, as does the medley of Worldeater, Disposition, Jinn and Solar. As the set comes to an end, Talking Heads tears flesh from bone with a huge breakdown and closer, Clockwork is another Northlane tune that has made it’s way on to video game circuit.
Going to admit it to you, but when Nevermore were originally announced to be playing the S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage – and not as headliners – one was a little bemused. Any band with the import and pedigree of the progressive Seattle legends need to be seen by as many people as possible. Luckily, things were changed and we got Nevermore moved and Death Angel, well they played easily one of the weekend’s sets in the tent (but more of that elsewhere).
Returning to Bloodstock for the first time since 2007, but without the presence of the late-Warren Dane (R.I.P.) OG band members, Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams have made inspired recruitments to continue one of heavy metal’s most important, if overlooked, legacies.
Dreaming Neon Black’s Beyond Within, blasts with a chugging riff before dropping into progressive dreamy rhythms, Enemies of Reality’s title track almost grinds at times and The Godless Endeavor’s tracks: My Acid Words, Born and the title land with a ferocity that harkened back to the early days of metal on its 2005 release.
Although Jeff Loomis has been here with Arch Enemy, it great to hear him blasting through Nevermore material and particularly the heavily progressive Dead Heart in a Dead World material. Possibly one of heavy metal’s best kept secrets, Nevermore reminded Bloodstock 2026 that their legacy still endures.
When it comes to a slapping from the hand of Fate, Glasgow’s Bleed From Within were certain assaulted on their first Bloodstock appearance, having prepared themselves to take the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage after Lovebites, but ended up going on after Suicidal Tendencies. It was one of those ‘Sink or Swim’ moments and BFW rose to the occasion, kicking on to bigger things. A stellar show in 2021 has led them to Special Guest status, and deservedly so.
Last year’s Zenith record, the band’s fifth full length, is one they are so proud of it counts for half the set this evening. Kilted and with a stage adorned by pyrotechnics, the band is out for blood, taking no prisoners in the process. The Zenith title-track starts things going, older The End of All We Know comes along next, full of youthful exuberance, Stand Down punches and pummels, Levitate bears its emotional heart for all to see. Singer Scott Kennedy refers to A Hope In Hell as the slowest song the band have written, incorporating a clean female vocal and traces of Deftones in the presentation.
From the slowest Bleed From Within tune to the fastest and heaviest in the brain-frying Violent Nature, gut punching pit-accelerant and purpose made for big crowds. Against such new material, the older Pathfinder feels basic; Dying Sun brooding and doomy, and God Complex, groove-laden. I Am Damnation and A Place of Your Halo take us to the end of the set and another triumphant Bloodstock appearances for the Scotsmen. That’s three now, so I guess you get to keep the match ball.
I little care that this might be controversial, but I had been looking forward to Slaughter to Prevail‘s set since hearing Grizzly last autumn. The short, three-date winter tour back in January proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that here was a band more than capable of delivering a headlining set on a big stage, and – spoiler alert – I going to say I was right.
Maybe deathcore is not everyone’s cup o’ tea when it comes to their headliners, but Slaughter to Prevail have the weapons in their arsenal to obliterate most venues. A long and drawn out into to Bonebreaker sets anticipation levels high, as pyros and explosions mark the arrival of the band. Masked and demonic in appearance, Grizzly’s Banditos smashes in Bloodstock without mercy, ex-Katalepsy drummer, Evgeny Novikov, carves out complex rhythms and guitarist Jack Simmons and Dmitry Mamedov imbuing their riffs with sharp, stabbing notes.
Russian Grizzly in America and Viking come nest, the singalong chorus of Imdead gets voices raised, as does the grooving Babayka. In contrast the second visit to Kostolom, Baba Yaga, is a more direct representation of Slaughter’s earlier deathcore musings. Alex takes some time to address to crowd and he’s clearly making a heartfelt connection with Catton Park, even if a little hampered by English not being his first language.
Koschel’s brooding stomp leads the set into a drum solo, from which comes the devastating Demolisher, proving the band may to growing in stature and popularity, but they are still as savage as ever they were. The set closes with Conflict, Kid of Darkness and Behelit bringing the show to an end with a grandiosity only a ultra-confident act could pull off. It’s reminiscent of Parkway’s punchy and symphonic work, maintaining the aggression as they give it an air of refinement. Whatever you think of the music or the politics, you cannot but be awed by the sheer spectacle of Slaughter to Prevail at their absolute peak.
Photo credits: Tim Finch
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