As the most universally beloved of the festival’s headliners, Amon Amarth had a lot riding on them to bring the house down: they had some decent competition as well, with many celebrated acts including Beast In Black and Soen in the sights of many. Sunday ended up as the most consistently explosive and exciting day of the festival, rounding out a fantastic weekend in style.

Opening the day’s main stage were Raised By Owls, who may go down in history as the first comedy band who are actually downright hilarious. The group’s death metal sound is certainly impressive, but it’s their hilarious visual gags and comedic references that draw the crowds: Limp Bizkit, Rotting Christ, Cradle of Filth and more were all in the firing line for jabs, and appearances from Sam Fowler’s mum and the group’s disgusting mascot Mr. Blobby made this a truly bizarre showcase of talent and comedy. Ending things out on an ironic cover of ‘Break Stuff’ ensured this went down as one of the more out-there, memorable acts of the day.

Next up to bat were Venezuelan thrash band Cultura Tres, who had the chance to performing alongside Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson. Opening on the anthemic ‘The World And Its Lies,’ the group plowed through a number of newer hits, bouncing between unhinged thrash and doom cuts with ease. Their performance, meanwhile, was more withheld than expected, with the band lacking the showmanship of some of their contemporaries. Cultura Tres were one of the less memorable acts of the day as a result, even if their musicianship and setlist were, nonetheless, delightful.

Progressive metallers Soen had a surprisingly enraptured crowd welcoming them onto the Dio stage, with screams of excitement almost drowning out the opening of ‘Memorial.’ As masters of the power ballad, the band were able to pull off a number of melodic choruses and sweeping instrumental moments, with Joel Ekelöf’s rich vocals and Cody Lee Ford’s soaring guitar solos earning rapturous applause at every turn. With highlights including the fan-favourite ‘Lotus’ and the explosive ‘Antagonist,’ this was one most fans weren’t soon to forget.

Beast In Black took the the Dio stage with the bravado and confidence of a headliner, and for good reason: throughout the weekend, the excitement for their set had been particularly palpable, with countless attendees eager to dance along to the band’s upbeat tunes. Sporting a sci-fi aesthetic, the group proceeded to bounce through most of their celebrated back-catalogue, although ‘Die By The Blade’ was notably absent. This did little to detract from the show, however, as Yannis Papadopoulos’ soaring vocals exceeded expectations, allowing the crowd to enjoy cuts like ‘Power Of The Beast’ and ‘Sweet True Lies.'

Another crowd favourite, Septicflesh may well have set a new record for most violent head banging at Bloodstock. From the punishing opener ‘Portrait of a Headless Man’ to the anthemic melodies of ‘Anubis’ and beyond, the Greek metalheads kept their set grand, bold and absolutely crushing, with Spiros Antoniou’s magnificent harsh vocals reverberating through the festival. Between their astonishingly detailed banner and the numerous orchestral arrangements, Septicflesh went down as one of the most theatrical and punishing bands of the fest, much to the delight of all who attended.

It may have surprised many metal fans to see the Night Flight Orchestra— complete with air hostess uniforms and aviators— take to the stage: after so many heavy acts, it was quite a surprise for the classic rock band to launch into a catchier, more accessible show. And what a show it was, proving that even the most die-hard of metalheads can enjoy some infectious choruses and good old cheese from time to time. The eight-piece band fired through all their classic hits, even pulling up some particularly dedicated fans to dance the conga to ‘West Ruth Ave,’ though attendees in the pit soon followed suit on that front. With the choruses of ‘Satellite’ and ‘Divinyls’ ringing out across Walton-on-Trent, the Night Flight Orchestra reached new heights.

Taking a break from the blistering sun, we caught Sadus’ long-awaited return on the Sophie stage after the release of their first album in 17 years in late 2023. The fans certainly seemed glad to have them, as Darren Travis’ declaration of “Hey, guess what? We’re back!” went down extremely well— as the opening thrash-infused riffs jumped off the speakers, the place erupted into circle pits galore, setting the tone for the rest of the show. Sadus were hardly ever the most unique or definitive of the classic thrash bands, and it shows here— the forty minute set is dominated by repetitive guitar chugging and by-the-numbers solos that make each track blend into the next. Even still, the fans hardly seemed to mind, as one of the more vicious sets of the festival had the whole place moshing from start to finish.

Legendary death metal band Carcass were second-to-last on the Dio stage, bringing their infamous style of grind core to the fest. The group’s music is certainly ferocious, with cuts like ‘Reek of Putrefaction’ hitting extremely hard, though it was perhaps a little restrained compared to the more explosive and thunderous performances of the festival— the stark contrast between Jeff Walker’s harsh growls and extremely plain speaking voice made parts of the performance almost comical, though the band were nonetheless devoted to playing as fast and aggressively as they possibly could. These aspects were far from the most memorable (or talked about) parts of the show, however, as Carcass had brought their signature visuals to Bloodstock: the display of a number of truly disgusted, vile images threaded together in a powerpoint-style slideshow was certainly a bold choice, carving out Carcass a unique place in Sunday’s lineup. Not so many attendees came away singing the band’s praises, but the show as a whole was discussed non-stop, and we were nonetheless glad to have been there for it.

Closing out the main stage were the much-celebrated Amon Amarth, who hung up a curtain before their set so as not to spoil any surprises. This was, as we soon saw, for very good reason: as things began, we were treated to, by far, the most theatrical and bombastic show of the entire festival. Giant viking statues, an inflatable world serpent, choreographed sword fights and more featured throughout the set, showcasing the band’s more extravagant leanings. The music was no less wondrous, plowing through a great number of Amon Amarth’s legendary hits: whether it was the gigantic rowing pits of ‘Put Your Back Into The Oar,’ the furious head banging of ‘Guardians Of Asgaard’ or the triumphant crowdsurfing to ‘Twilight Of The Thunder God,’ it was undeniable that the fans were loving every minute. Vocalist Johan Hegg could hardly open his mouth without being drowned out by screams of adoration, cementing this as of the most communal and well-regarded sets of the entire fest. What an absolutely unforgettable end to a brilliant weekend.