The last day of Graspop Metal Meeting turns the field brown with dried grass and the stages grey with veteran headliners. We kick off with strange sounds from Japan by Crossfaith and SiM, witness a phenomenal stand-in show by Heaven Shall Burn, and watch old rockers who’ve been around for fifty years climb the stage once more. Krokus and Judas Priest show their craft in varying ways and German superstar Till Lindemann gets to close the festival in his own eccentric style, though with some adjustments. Ruben covered the last bands for us, and Birgit could add some impressions too. The photos are by the Graspop Metal Meeting press team.
Crossfaith 12:00 – 12:50 (North Stage, Ruben)
The honor of opening the main stage one last time goes to the Japanese band Crossfaith. It turns out to be the final show of their tour, because guitarist Daiki Koide turned out to be quite the creep, though we didn’t know that at the time. If you need to wake up on the fourth festival day, Crossfaith is not a bad pick to start with. The music is of an elusive genre that resembles breakcore, but with lots of electronic elements. So many, in fact, that the power even cuts out completely for a moment. Catastrophy was a fitting title for that song.
Angelus Apatrida 13:15 – 14:00 (Marquee, Birgit)
Thrash isn’t exactly my favorite genre, but I’m happy to stop by the Marquee for the Spaniards of Angelus Apatrida. In 2022 they were added to the bill last minute due to a cancellation, but this time they were booked well in advance. And rightly so. Tight and fast. Not a single moment do they let up. Sometimes with thrash I get the feeling the songs are pretty monotonous and just rattled off, but that’s not the case here. There’s a wonderful groove in tracks like Indoctrinate and We Stand Alone, and the crowd loves it. From one pit to another, ending in a massive wall of death, the audience does it all and the band clearly enjoys every second. Great to see (from a safe distance). After Sharpen the Guillotine, the band pauses for a quick photo moment, making it look like the set is over and I slowly head out. But apparently there’s still You Are Next. And with that, the show really ended.
Creeper 13:30 – 14:00 (Metal Dome, Ruben)
The elusive band Creeper plays the Metal Dome with their most recent material. With every album these Brits do something different and by their third album Sanguivore from 2023, they’ve arrived at their gothic rock opera phase. The opera vibe is fairly subtle and mostly thanks to Hannah Greenwood, who does the backing vocals alongside keyboards and violin. Opening track Cry to Heaven sets the tone with catchy melodies and easy-to-sing-along lyrics. The band clearly enjoys these, as the new single Headstones continues in pretty much the same style. The next record has already been announced as a literal sequel, titled Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death, set for release sometime this October. Judging by these songs, a sequel seems like a good idea: it’s well put together and very pleasant to listen to. A mosh pit might be taking it too far, but the crowd disagrees. Everyone clearly had a good time at this version of Creeper.
SiM 14:00 – 14:45 (Jupiler Stage, Ruben)
Another Japanese addition, and just as baffling as the first. SiM takes a different route than Crossfaith by mixing metalcore with ska and reggae. The odd name stands for ‘Silence iz Mine’ (with a z, because everything about this band is random), but silent they are definitely not. Vocalist MAH can scream quite well, but clean vocals really aren’t his thing. Already in the first song we’re subjected to ear-piercing autotune that keeps coming back during the ska parts throughout the set. Recently these guys got attention for their opening songs for the final seasons of the anime Attack on Titan, and we hear those tracks here too. A sharp contrast with the reggae songs that have the audience swaying along. Frontman MAH himself admits he doesn’t know what kind of music they actually play, but they clearly have fun doing it. For me, it’s too much of a “hoompa” vibe. People who happily watched Skindred yesterday probably loved this too, but I can’t switch that easily between all the genres SiM throws together here. The rest of the crowd seems to have far less trouble with it and happily sways along to the madness.
Nothing More 14:00 – 14:50 (North Stage, Birgit)
Another band I was really looking forward to this weekend is Nothing More. The Americans won me over with their mix of clean and heavy vocals and soft and loud music. The intro Carnal plays and is followed by House on Sand, which is immediately my favorite. Frontman Jonny’s voice is crystal clear on the cleans and deliciously deep on the harsh vocals. Jonny himself has, for the occasion, covered his six-pack in black and gold body paint, and I can hear and see quite a few ladies being very pleased about that. The backdrop, an enlarged photo from their most recent album Carnal, and the rest of the stage setup share those same colors, tying it all together beautifully. The devil is in the details.
The Nothing More set flies by as both band and crowd give it their all. Singer Jonny gets plenty of sing-along support during the choruses and nearly flies from one end of the stage to the other to make sure everyone feels the love. At the end of the set, guitarist and singer climb onto the barrier at the front row. Jonny gets handed a set of drums and sticks, and together they pound out one last thunderous moment right over the heads of the fans in front. Everyone loves it. Not bad at all for their second time playing Graspop.
Massacre 14:40 – 15:30 (Marquee, Ruben)
Some death metal bands are probably better off staying dead. Hats off to anyone who can still keep track of how many times Massacre has broken up and gotten back together. Frontman Kam Lee has at least convinced a few musicians to give it another go. Personally, I could’ve done without it. We only hear material from the debut album From Beyond, which was one of the early sparks of the death metal genre, but not even the full record, since Dawn of Eternity is missing. Instead, we get a partial cover of Raining Blood by Slayer. This band has come back from the dead so many times it’s starting to look like an actual zombie band. There’s zero energy left in it. Sure, it’s a piece of genre history, but this is as dull as a real history lesson at school. After all the electrifying frontmen we’ve seen this weekend, Lee does absolutely nothing to engage the crowd, and the incomprehensible growling he produces sounds more like noisegrind than death metal. Just pull the plug for good, because this patient can’t be saved anymore.
Beyond the Black 15:00 – 15:50 hrs (South Stage, Ruben)
Beyond the Black however are bursting with energy. The symphonic metal band led by vocalist Jennifer Haben mainly revisits their older work here, with four songs from their debut album Songs of Love and Death and another two from its successor Lost in Forever. That feels a bit bittersweet, because after that second album, Haben replaced the entire band. Despite those albums now being just ten years old, it seemed like they had already moved away from that sound toward something more modern and pop-oriented, but here they show they haven’t forgotten their still not-so-deeply-rooted origins. We also hear the new single Rising High, which starts with a vocal hook I can’t quite place. It’s neither English nor German. Haben sounds as sharp as ever and that’s ultimately what matters most, though I did find the male growls in the older songs a welcome addition. This track also seems to have a bit more guitar focus and a heavier drum line. The audience is enthusiastic in any case and even the first and only raindrops of the weekend can’t spoil the fun.
Fit For An Autopsy 16:10 – 17:00 hrs (Marquee, Ruben)
Fit For An Autopsy firmly leave the past behind. We hear nothing here from before 2019, with last year’s The Nothing That Is of course taking center stage. The deathcore band delivers a whirlwind of bass drops and circle pits that’s over before we realize it. With three guitarists, there’s plenty to dissect in the riffs, but the whole thing sounds great. The highlight is still the song Warfare, which is performed excellently here and gets the crowd moving. For Hellions, guest artist Taylor Barber from Left to Suffer joins the six-piece band for extra support. This is really one of the better shows of the day and a perfect band to close out the Marquee at this festival. I heard that Paleface Swiss also delivered an outstanding performance and there were more great names here later in the evening, but choices had to be made. Those who stood here for Fit For An Autopsy definitely didn’t make the wrong one.
Krokus 17:00 – 18:00 hrs (South Stage, Ruben)
Creaking and squeaking, the men of Krokus kick off their set. That’s not just thanks to their old bodies—two-thirds of the band are already in their seventies—but also to technical issues. As the curtain drops and the first notes of Headhunter roll across the field, frontman Marc Storage’s vocals sound very crispy indeed. The problem persists with Long Stick Goes Boom, but the gentlemen don’t seem to notice and play on. The old rockers perform what we did the past few nights with Stayed Awake All Night, because the party here went on until sunrise every day. And again, audio channels drop out. This is not acknowledged at all by the rock veterans currently on their 50th-anniversary tour. Six years after announcing their farewell tour, they seem to have finally found their groove with the most stable lineup in their history.
Winning Man is dedicated to the late Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, and it won’t be the last tribute he gets tonight. The sound problems remain until Bedside Radio, but by then there are only two songs left to play. The final one is Heatstrokes, something quite a few people probably experienced this weekend. As the only band this weekend, Krokus ends their set with a drum solo. Flavio Mezzodi, the band’s “young god” at 42, clearly isn’t tired yet and can keep going. Fun to see how the Swiss have found new energy, though modern equipment let them down today.
Heaven Shall Burn 18:10 – 19:10 hrs (North Stage, Ruben)
It’s quite surprising to see that it’s not Marcus Bischoff stepping onto the stage with his bandmates from Heaven Shall Burn, but an equally impressive screaming lady. She’s not unfamiliar, as we saw her just last week at Into the Grave. This is Britta Görtz from the band Hiraes, who’s filling in for Marcus while he recovers from an infection. After seeing Hiraes last week, I already said Görtz could easily stand among the world’s best, and she proves it here once again. She looks anything but awkward on a main stage before thousands and even asks for crowd interaction, which she gets, because it doesn’t take her long to convince everyone of her talent. With a new album on the way—Heimat is now out—they also play the new My Revocation of Compliance. Just as politically charged as we’re used to from Heaven Shall Burn, which isn’t surprising given world affairs and the band’s outspoken views. Görtz adds her own twist with a pigsqueal: something we’ve never heard Marcus do. A unique show from the band with a stand-in who is rapidly claiming her place on the global stage. You only witness something like this once, and we were there.
Currents 19:10 – 20:00 hrs (Jupiler Stage, Ruben)
One last visit to the Jupiler Stage this weekend for Currents. The Americans have become popular in recent years with their take on the metalcore genre. With emotional lyrics and quieter moments, both the emotional weight and the breakdowns hit that much harder. Their last two albums—The Death We Seek from 2023 and breakthrough The Way it Ends from 2020—dominate today’s setlist. Older, much heavier tracks like Into Despair and Apnea show up halfway through to keep the crowd awake. A good old-fashioned “blegh” is enough to get some crowdsurfers moving forward again. The newer sound soon takes over again, but the heavy basslines remain. Definitely not a bad band to close this stage with. There were still two other interesting acts here tonight, but unfortunately, we couldn’t split ourselves. With Kill the Ache and Better Days, these guys deliver a powerful finale for this stage.
Katatonia 20:05 – 20:55 hrs (Metal Dome, Ruben)
The last band we’re visiting in the Metal Dome for this edition of Graspop Metal Meeting is Katatonia. At the start of June, the album Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State was released, and this is the first time songs from it are performed live. The album art featuring the deer is displayed prominently on the screens behind the band as they showcase their prog metal. Hard melodic parts make the band anything but catatonic. Thrice, Temporal, and Winds of No Change from the new record make an appearance. If that last one is meant to parody the Scorpions track Winds of Change, I don’t see how. For prog metal, this remains digestible. No fifteen-minute tracks, but standard lengths of about five minutes. A slick set with a build-up that you could easily listen to for longer. That new album definitely deserves a proper listen from start to finish with good headphones. Also new for this set are the guitarists. Co-founder Anders Nyström has departed and Roger Öjersson, who was around for ten years, has also left. Former Entombed star Nico Elgstrand has taken their place along with Sebastian Svalland, both of whom have played with the band before. They can handle the material and prove that again tonight. The new era of Katatonia has begun and the band still looks strong.
In Flames 20:40 – 21:55 hrs (North Stage, Ruben)
The Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames is the festival’s last sub-headliner. The band has to manage without drummer Tanner Wyne, who recently left, so seasoned Jon Rice takes over the sticks. Here, the guys try to deliver a set full of fan favorites and kick off right away with Pinball Map. And then it immediately becomes clear that frontman Anders Fridén can no longer keep up. We’ve known that for years, of course, as proven by the disastrous attempt to re-record the Clayman album in 2020, but he keeps trying. Plenty of people still want to see him do it, since the sold-out festival crowd is in for it. The band quickly switch to the most recent Foregone album, which does have some fun tracks. We keep hearing the band alternate between old and new material, with the modern songs consistently coming across better. Fridén appears tired and his voice cracks multiple times. Fans don’t care much; they go wild regardless of the quality. When asked, they even make the biggest circle pit of the festival.
It’s interesting to consider the longevity of vocalists who scream and growl. Today with Krokus and later with the headliners, we see that if you stay healthy and motivated, you can keep singing clean vocals well into your seventies. But we’ve heard Corey Taylor complain for years about how wrecked his voice is, and Fridén is clearly struggling too. These men are in their fifties—can this really last another twenty years?
Judas Priest 22:05 – 23:35 hrs (South Stage, Ruben)
We’ve arrived at the final headliners of the festival and just like last year, Judas Priest is back. This time, they’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Painkiller album. Eight out of the ten songs are played tonight, counting Battle Hymn which rolls off tape. Only Leather Rebel and Metal Meltdown are missing, and that’s no problem at all since the set is complemented with the hits we’re used to and deep cut Solar Angels. For musicians in their seventies, you wouldn’t say Rob Halford and Ian Hill show any signs of fatigue. The tempo is high, as is the quality the gentlemen deliver. A big downside is that something isn’t quite right with Scott Travis’s drum kit. One of the cymbals hits something whenever struck, creating a noticeably off note in an otherwise flawless performance.
This is the Shield of Pain tour, so we also hear tracks from last year’s Invincible Shield. But this year, they’ve chosen the overlooked songs that didn’t get played on the previous tour. Of the three selected tracks, Giants in the Sky clearly stands out. Halford dedicates the song to deceased musicians and we see many faces appear. Among them Lemmy Killmister, Ronnie James Dio, Paul Di’Anno, Chris Cornell, Randy Rhoads, Taylor Hawkins, Jill Janus, and Eddie van Halen. Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac, Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries and Queen’s Freddie Mercury also feature in the collage, even though they’re outside the genre the Brits are playing tonight. In any case, it’s a beautiful tribute to the band’s departed friends. If you’ve been around this long, inevitably people around you pass away. Original Judas Priest drummer Les Binks passed away this March, which surely hit the band hard. But tonight, thanks to these old legends, we all feel very much alive.
Till Lindemann 23:45 – 1:00 hrs (North Stage, Ruben)
After four days of frontmen and women involving the audience at every opportunity, the old rock stars must now show how it can be done differently. And there’s no bigger rock star than Till Lindemann to give us a final masterclass. The now 62-year-old stage master has the crowd in his grip like no other. Only once, at the beginning, does he briefly address the audience, and from there, his mere presence is enough to mesmerize everyone. The creative brain behind Rammstein also gives his solo project a theatrical look while keeping it minimalist. There’s no extravagant fireworks show as we’re used to. It’s also the first time it becomes apparent that we haven’t seen any pyro at all today, and from someone so inseparably linked to fire shows, we had certainly expected it. Tonight, Lindemann takes a different approach: no flames but an intense, filthy performance you can’t look away from.
On the screens, we see a camera being pulled from a singing Lindemann’s esophagus until it’s uncomfortably close to his mouth. The band plays entirely in red, with a sort of twisted hospital theme. Drummer Joe Letz takes it up a notch by playing in drag and wearing an uncomfortable-looking mouth spreader. Even though Lindemann is known for shocking shows, he’s apparently still been denied from showing everything here. The third song, Fat, is the first time the accompanying video is abruptly interrupted by a flashing text clearly stating it’s censored. And that happens many more times. It must be truly offensive material because two days earlier, Behemoth showed naked, beheaded and burned women’s bodies and that was apparently no problem. We’ll just have to accept it.
Just like with Behemoth, Till still uses the tunnel between the two main stages to greet the crowd. During the song Platz Einz he sings about how everything revolves around him, yet he’s not too proud to shake a few hands. He’s also not too proud to hand out cake by throwing it into the audience during Allesfresser. But he also makes life tough for the front row by spraying fake blood and throwing real mackerels at them during Fish On. There’s an incredible amount happening in a short time. Dirty lyrics, industrial disco beats, a pole-dancing keyboardist who can play whether she’s on time at the keys or not. After every song, Lindemann throws the microphone to the ground, which a stagehand has to quickly pick back up. Strangely enough, we hear no audio issues at all.
The band closes with the cutting Ich Hasse Kinder before taking a final bow. A digital version of the frontman sings to us once more from the screen. While the song Home Sweet Home plays, we finally get to see a fireworks show today. The grand finale behind the stage, professionally spread across the Stenehei. The artistic Lindemann delivers an unparalleled show we won’t soon forget.
Graspop Metal Meeting is over for this year. It was hot, it was a party. We saw the festival rejuvenate with new genres, and we saw old masters flex their muscles. A successful edition we’ll be reminiscing about for a long time.
Read the report of day 1
Read the report of day 2
Read the report of day 3
Date and location
22 juni 2025, Stenehei, Dessel
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