Featured image: Katja Ogrin

With many sore heads and limbs this morning after the most hardcore day of the festival taking place yesterday, many are recovering from the moshing and pit brutality of the previous day’s antics.

As the tradition of a morning movie in the Serpents Lair prevails, the crowd sprawls out onto the plush, red beanbags and indulges in the comedy of Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

As the sun blazes down onto the crowd yet again, people flock to the shade. Those who do not, drape themselves in bandanas and various merchandise caps as they wait for their favourites of the day to grace the stage.

Canadian quartet Kittie boom onto the stage with confidence and swagger. Many in the crowd welcome the nu-metal pioneers after a brief, indefinite hiatus from the band. With hits like ‘Spit’ bringing out the nostalgia in the crowd, allowing those to reminisce their teenage years of jorts, eyeliner and heavy moshing. Frontwoman Morgan Lander, a vision in red, stands stoically centre stage, screaming and riffing with minor effort. The crowd, though tame, bounces off the band’s charisma, peacocking their evolution as musicians. 

With the crowd showing no signs of slowing down, crowd surfers continue to emerge as security works overtime to keep up with the increasingly feral pit. Battle jackets become blankets for sunbathing, while patches of shade become sanctuaries from the relentless heat. 

Meanwhile on the New Blood stage, a new talent emerges. Through mastering the art of guerrilla marketing, hardcore duo Chug resurrects the heat-exhausted crowd and encourages them to mosh, old school hardcore style. With spin kicks, windmill arms and enough anger to challenge Phil Anselmo, the band chugs – literally – on their instruments.

With groove metal being brought to the forefront, Black Label Society takes the crowd back. Metal veteran Zakk Wylde dominates the middle of the stage with an almost God-like presence. Wylde bounces off Dario Lorina, matching each other’s energy as they riff with their guitars behind their heads. The band ends the set with a tribute to metal forefather, genre pioneer, and close friend and mentor, Ozzy Osbourne. Wielding his now infamous ‘bullseye’ guitar, Wylde shows his skills off unto the crowd.

Police sirens echo across the field, as the crowd erupt into cheers. “Alright, motherfuckers!” the bands personal hype man, Lil’ Ice shouts as he speeds across the stage, grabbing the attention of everyone in the field. As a pit big enough to rival the one seen during Slaughter to Prevail’s set emerges in the crowd, the band break out the necessary tunes to send the crowd into a psychotic frenzy to round off the weekend.

Breaking out ‘There Goes the Neighbourhood’, dust rises from the middle of the crowd as the stage camera pans over the centre, watching the chaos emerge from afar. “BLOODSTOCK!” cries out frontman Ice-T, of rap fame, bringing the metalheads to a halt. A mock fight breaks out on stage, a violent allegory for gang violence in the States as various members of security debate stepping in, unsure whether it is simply part of the show or a crazed fan attack. 

As the sun sets over the Hallowed Grounds for the last time and the energy dies down after peaking after a chaotic set from Body Count, the crowd dons its leather and studs. As the infamous riff of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ sounds from the PA, as the Judas Priest banner drapes itself over the stage, billowing in the wind.

The crowd erupts into headbanging, devil horns raised, as Rob Halford vocally matches the tone of Andy Sneap’s guitar with grace and ease. Holding the microphone out into the crowd to witness the fruit of his 57-year labour, Halford watches as they sing along with nothing but confidence.

With classic metal anthems such as ‘Breaking the Law’ and opening with sing-along of ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin”, the band celebrates their genre and what metal means to them. With a very special Bloodstock coming to a close, Halford thanks the crowd for welcoming them back, and for celebrating a very metal festival on its 25th year around the sun.

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