Bloodstock Festival 2023 – Sunday. You might think that spirits and energy levels might be sapping as we are into our fourth day, but there is little evidence of that. Cobra The Impaler and Sanguinem, the latter fresh from their appearance at The Underworld where Metalworks and Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner popped in, kept the Metal mood in good steamroller fashion.
Sanguinem
Winning London’s Metal to the Masses is no mean feat, so for Melodic Death Metal band Sanguinem, this was a big weight to carry. They open with an aggressive stance, exploding into life in bursts of red spotlights. 
They carry enough melody to please those who may not want the total ferocity of Death Metal but enough bite to sate those who do. 
A muscular set does everything you would expect, winning a reception befitting a band carrying such a crown.
Cobra The Impaler
Making their UK debut, Belgian powerhouses Cobra The Impaler, headed by ex-Aborted guitar player Tace DC, sound huge on the Sophie Stage. 
Their music combines crunching Death Metal with melodic elements, atmospheric interludes and a strong bite. They are clearly pleased to be here, and those that join them find a band whose approach stands a little outside the norm. 
The clean vocals are a treat, whilst their thick riffage adds a ferocious element which works well.
A solid debut. Remember the name. 
Bloodstock Festival 2023 is held over the weekend of 10-13 August 2023. MetalTalk’s Paul Hutchings and Adrian Stonley report from Catton Park.
All Photography: John Inglis and Paul Hutchings
All MetalTalk Bloodstock Festival 2023 coverage can be found at MetalTalk.net/tag/bloodstock-2023.
Weekend early bird tickets for Bloodstock 2024 will be available to purchase at the box office on-site for £165. This is the cheapest way to buy a 2024 ticket, minus any online booking or admin fees.
Bloodstock 2022 can be relived at MetalTalk.net/tag/bloodstock-2022.