Merrimack

We start our day after a long trafficjam where two accidents delayed a good bit. The French traditionalists of Merrimack delivered ice‑cold black metal fury: piercing tremolo picking, relentless blast beats, and austere vocals. Their performance felt ritualistic, invoking grim atmosphere rather than spectacle. A start of the day that brings the chills onto you for the band is much into their role and does not really creep out of it.

Invictus

Having recently released their debut album The Catacombs of Fear (2020) to positive reaction—especially in Japan—Invictus’s buildup to their European appearance had drawn anticipation since their demo circuit and support slots for bands like Exarsis and Rotting Christ.
On this occasion, their performance compressed tight, guttural intensity into a compact set that gained traction early from fans tracking the album online. For many attendees, the show was an introduction to Japanese underground death metal delivered with raw professionalism and passion.

Invictus’s appearance reaffirmed the festival’s ethos: giving emerging, uncompromising acts a platform amidst legends in a no‑frills, fan‑centric setting.

Sabiendas

With roots firmly tied to the classic American death metal sound of the 1990s, Sabiendas have built a reputation through their intense touring and solid releases like their EP Buried Alive (2009), debut Restored to Life (2013), and albums Column of Skulls (2015) and Repulsive Transgression (2020)

On this day at Stonehenge, they brought that signature savage approach to stage: sharp riffs, growled vocals, and disciplined rhythm that resonated with fans seeking raw authenticity.

Define Devilement

Erik introduced the guys from Iceland, the modern death metal powerhouse mixed slam‑like groove with brutal blasts. Their punishing delivery felt fresh yet anchored in brutality.

Their set, placed mid‑afternoon amid relentless intensity, featured tracks drawn mainly from their celebrated album Age of Atrocities (2024), mixing technical riffs and slam‑heavy breakdowns. Also new release Ruthless was highlighting today.

Destinity

Swedish old-school death with melodic undercurrents, churning rhythms, and punchy vocals. A solid mid‑day set that maintained the rising intensity. Destinity presented a tightly executed performance marked by precision riffing, melodic interplay, and dynamic energy—solidifying their space among the festival’s death‑metal heavyweights. Unfortunately we had not been able to see the full set,which was simply too short.

Macaration

From the opening riff of “Serpent Devourment”, the crowd was hooked. What followed was a relentless display of classic Scandinavian-style brutality and precision, delivering the full setlist of twelve tracks including “Transmogrified,” “Emptiness Embraced,” “Where Leeches Thrive,” “The Den of Misery,” and powerful closers like “In Rot Unleashed” and “Pain and Pleasure Incarnate” The formation sets the audience in motion quite fast, a bit of moshing here and there makes the festival come alive.

Burial Remains

Old‑school purists with members tied to Fleshcrawl, Grim Fate, and others. Their set was classic death—dark, raw, retro‑authentic, pulling the crowd deeper into the underground ethos. As announced by host Erik, the band has decided to stop the live performances and focus on the releases from now on, so it was nice the audience got the opportunity to see them play here today for one more time.

Berzerker Legion

Berzerker Legion, the seasoned old‑school death metal super‑group founded in 2016 by Tomas Elofsson (Sanctification) and Alwin Zuur (Asphyx), entereded the stage at Stonehenge. Forged from the combined pedigrees of European underground extreme metal, the band features Fredrik Isaksson (Dark Funeral) on bass, James Stewart (Vader) on drums, and Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath) on vocals—delivering a potent mix of Swedish melodic tradition and brutal sonic weight of what you may expect from their line up.

Master

Paul Speckmann’s death metal institution slowed things into old‑school hammer house mode: mid‑tempo grooves, raw vocals, pure death. Their stage presence was understated—no pyrotechnics, just guitar chug and vocal gravel—and it reminded everyone why they’re a genre bedrock.
Originally based in Chicago and now operating out of the Czech Republic, the band’s current lineup—led by Speckmann and featuring Alex Nejezchleba and Peter Bajci—delivered a powerful set full of punishing riffs and signature growled vocals

Master was received with lots of enthusiasm and whereas the fans were easily pleased the onlookers seems to enjoy their set just as well.

Disharmonic Orchestra

Austria’s avant-death visionaries took the mood into experimental territory—fractured time signatures, shifting rhythms, dissonant riffs. Known for pioneering the fusion of death metal, grindcore, and avant-garde structures—especially on seminal releases like ‘Not to Be Undimensional Conscious’ the band holds a respected place in underground extreme music. Their structures brought the audience to technical extreme-metal artistry here today. a band that has a lot of joy in being on stage, a great add to their show.

Macabre

Touring their 40 Years of Murder Metal collection, Macabre opened with “Zodiac,” which host Erik started for the band, to great amusement of their vocalist. Then the band stormed through “The Unabomber,” “The Wheels on the Bug,” and classic shock‑comic horror riffs like “Ed Gein” and “The Iceman.” The bizarre murders-as-metal-showmanship continued through twelve tracks, ending with “Vampire of Düsseldorf.” Each song a twisted tale, each riff theatrical gore. The crowd responded with laughter, horror, pit‑moshing, and awestruck disbelief. Macabre played several times at this festival, often in the country and has become a true crowdfavorite. For many the show of these guys was on the toplist of the day. It was on ours and maybe even on top.

Massacre

Following up on that was Massacre and that was surely a good match. Massacre, the legendary Florida‑based death metal veterans formed in 1984 and credited with helping shape the early genre alongside bands like Death and Obituary, delivered a ferocious set here today.
Known for their seminal album From Beyond (1991) and their latest releases Resurgence (2021) and Necrolution (2024), the band offered a career-spanning tribute to old-school brutality

The band stood out by their engaging performance where the charismatic frontman had the audience eating out of his hands metaphorically.

Malevolent Creation

To see Malevolent Creation on stage was a bit of strange knowing one of their bandmember Phil was hospitalized and in coma for several days. (now recovering, as day of writing) So, a bit of a different experience here today. Certainly noticeable if you have seen the band before, but the audience was on full support for these guys here today. A moshpit, a crowdsurfer and a lot of appreciation brought a bit of smile on their faces eventually.

Anaal Nathrakh

Finally, the UK duo descended: industrial-tinged black/grind fury led by Mick Kenney and Dave Hunt. Their set started with hellish noise, roaring blasts, shrill shrieks and mechanical percussion—heavy tracks like “Forward!” or “The Lucifer Effect” turned the metallic heavens upside down. No respite, just unhinged sonic terror and cathartic chaos. A show that was appreciated for its tightness, the guys have shown us how to perform their insane sound here today. A highlight for many.

Napalm Death

Just as energy dipped, the British grindcore titans ascended. From blistering blasts to politically charged lyrics and cavernous growls—songs from their 2024 album Resentment Is Always Seismic – a final answer mixed with timeless fan‐favourites created a blistering assault. The briefest song in music history? They likely played it: “You Suffer.” A sonic and cerebral knockout. Now the guys rarely disappoint us and thus we were not surprised to see an energetic show once again. Napalm Death is always what you can expect from them, their own things as they like it and confronting your conscience on their British humorous way.

Nile

Technical death metal titans brought archaeological horror—Egyptian chants, thunderous drums, Middle Eastern scales, occult riffing. Their set balanced songs from Vile Nilotic Rites (2022) and older epics. Immersive lighting and atmospheric layering transported the audience into mythic underworlds.

Nile darkened a day of extreme metal with precision and grandeur, following dozens of fierce acts earlier in the day
The band self is not as energetic as a couple bands that played before them so that makes it all a bit static. Nile brings their intensity mainly with their music, something that people have known them from so not much of a surprise. working through some sound issues they eventually got themselves set for some well deserved cheering.

Autopsy

A godfather of gore/death metal since 1987, Autopsy brought world‑weary grind-laden doom and stunningly slow breakdowns. They leaned on classic grooves, invoking their ‘Severed Survival era spirit.
2022 marked the band’s return with ‘Morbidity Triumphant’, their first full‑length studio album since 2015’s ‘Skull Grinder’, showcasing their undiminished hunger for uncompromising, sadistic aggression’. This also returned in their performance this night. The band had also some sound issues but made it through them somehow. As one of the headliners they were maybe not the most speaking band here today, but surely one that entertained us well.

Dismember

Sweden’s legendary old-school death metal came next, playing songs shaped by Like an Ever Flowing Stream (1991) and later work. Their classic melodies and rhythms drew old-school die-hards up close.

The Stockholm legends closed the festival with a masterclass in old-school aggression, fusing chainsaw riffing, searing melodies, and a career’s worth of anthems into a single blistering set.

Formed in 1988 and often hailed alongside Entombed and Grave as architects of the “Stockholm sound,” Dismember treated fans to a no-compromise mix of deep cuts and classics. Drawing from their breakthrough Like an Ever Flowing Stream and other high points of their discography, the set likely included essentials like “Override of the Overture,” “Fleshless,” “Casket Garden,” and “Skin Her Alive.”

As the final act in a festival stacked with extreme metal legends, Dismember didn’t just meet expectations—they bulldozed them. A triumphant end to Stonehenge!