Bloodstock Open Air Festival // Semi-Final II // Northern Ireland
Thursday night!!! Thursday night!!! we’re back at Voodoo for our second Semi-Final of 2025! The weather is #puregorgeous and it’s been a long ass day entertaining my mother and sister at a day out in Newcastle, Co.Down. A wee world tour of Ireland and back home, walk the dogs, splash some water on my bake and out the door down to Belfast! Jaysus!
Tonight we have a killer collection of bands though, a brutal collection that means it’s going to be one seriously hot, sweaty affair that will go down in M2TM history …. Or in flames! Ask me again at 11:15 when Frayed Ends have finished their set.
Up first we have Devilsome, now I’m trying to figure out if I know them, or have seen them but it’s not ringing any bells, then I checked the poster of their heat and it was Feb 21st so I was at Pantera in Dublin. So I am taking in Devilsome for the very first time this year raw like a big Devilsome Virgin! These guys are a blend of old-school metal, NWONHM and a bit of Doom on the side, there is potential there but from what I am told they didn’t quite hit the heights of their earlier performance in the competition. But there are three more bands to go, so who knows what way this will play out this evening.
https://linktr.ee/devilsomeband
Up next are Cannibalised Seagulls, one of the crazier bands in the competition this year, these young whipper snappers have been chomping at the bit for a while now, making their mark on the local metal scene and in the past I would have said they lacked focus whenever I have seen them, tonight they seem a bit more intense, driven and on the ball which is great to see, they have left the chaos onto their devoted fanbase who wreak havoc wherever they go! And then I realised I’d written that all a tad too early as the 2nd half of the set kinda went downhill …. Cannibalised Seagulls are a rollercoaster of a band, you get everything and the kitchen sink in one set, some good, some bad, but their army of fans have the best time of their lives and thats kinda what it’s all about, not sonic perfection but the journey for the band, the fans, the community you build around it, so fair play.
https://linktr.ee/cannibalisedseagulls
Up next we have the majestic If It Bleeds, one of Belfast’s finest hardcore acts. Their heat performance was one to remember so let’s see if they can deliver on that level again and even up it tonight. It doesn’t take long for that sledgehammer to be driven home and the voodoo faithful and wrecking the fucking joint in celebration! If It Bleeds got the memo and turned up with a stellar performance once again to raise the bar. The floor was a fucking mess of swinging arms, handstands, backflips and bodies flying as the chaos ensues up on stage, these guys have a huge sound, tight as fook and deliver on all fronts. It is a stark contrast to the previous band who I would hope can take something away when watching their peers playing live show how it should and can be done.
Three bands down and Frayed Ends are here to close off tonight’s festivities. Belfast Hardcore is the name and complete utter fucking brutality is the game. Let’s do this!
Frayed Ends offers more of an old-school HC vibe than If It Bleeds with duelling vocalists and a grittier sound while If It Bleeds’s more modern and harder-hitting polished sound with its Djent breakdowns and slamming gear changes. Both bands rip up the room and the Harcore fans seem to be out in droves tonight. Once again the floor is a bloodbath, Hardcore bans are being tossed across the floor like ragdolls, young men and women slamming into each other, arms flailing like windmills as they get all that mid-week angst out of their system. It’s a vicious end to another night of quality music. A different vibe from last week for sure, one more semi to go, still lots to play for.
I wake up on Friday morning to check social media to see how the voting played out and as James said: Congratulations to If It Bleeds and Frayed Ends BC on going through to the Metal 2 Masses NI Grand Final on Fri 9th May. Superb stuff from all the bands last night and a great turnout for a Thursday. Thanks everyone! Special mention for guest headliner Lost Brethren for delivering a killer set as well.
Lost Bretheren Merch
https://lostbrethren.bigcartel.com/
Lost Bretheren – EP
https://open.spotify.com/album/0h72aGb8AUjFfAKOR9x6zO
ONE WEEK TODAY! 
Ticket link: https://wegottickets.com/event/653966
