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Once again the weekend has flown by and the final instalment of RADAR 2025 is here. This third day also dawns with a number of line-up adjustments yet, despite this, the day takes off without a hitch.
The Sneak Energy stage has already attracted a crowd for Waterlines. Based out of the Northwest, the band release urban vibes with electronics, beats and breakdowns. Alongside aggressive breakdowns and dark mood, there are also melodic aspects peeking through. As a precursor to their last song, Ben Mars shares his thoughts on the scene, and how tiny bands no one has heard of can put on just as good a show as the big guys. Amidst yet another volleyball game in the crowd over on the Kerrang! stage, Scottish progressive metal outfit Tiberius unveil their distinctive take on the genre. Vocals fly above intricate technical guitars, powerful percussion in an interesting textural display. Incorporating shoegaze and Britpop, Love is noise take the audience on an empathic journey. From the distorted aggression of Jawbreaker to the ambient dreamy aspects of Soft Glow, Love is noise explore fully the human condition.
Composer and multi-instrumentalist David Maxim Micic fills the Kerrang! stage with progressive ambient goodness. The guitar driven set list manifests a huge soundscape with further instrumental textures. The presence of powerful melodic vocals elevates the style fusion even further. High Regard’s pop-punk and alt sound brings charisma to the Sneak Energy stage. Their performance includes Blindside, as well as the festival debut of their track Red Lights. Shields present a deeply raw, harrowing and honest spoken word introduction about experiencing abuse preludes the band’s new single Abuser. Releases of anguish through ferocious screams explode into life, leading through a track list of groovy rhythms and soaring cleans. The set closes off with Black Dog. Welsh metalcore act Continents are back in full swing following a hiatus; the energy is infectious. Their newly released single Corrupted turns up the heat. It’s an assault on the Sneak Energy stage.
A pop-rock display with aspects of alternative, punk and hip-hop stems from Yonaka. The Kerrang! stage fills with uplifting vibes. Yonaka reveal the breadth of their sound across the likes of the punk-fuelled Hands Off My Money, pop driven Welcome To My House and the more sinister PREDATOR. Channelling their rage against inequality and injustice, Artio’s punchy tracks not only have widespread appeal they are an apt fit for the line-up using their platform to call out discrimination. Rae Brazill’s impressive vocals are a conduit for a multitude of emotions across a setlist containing the likes of Split Soul, Wallflower, and Pyrokid. Afterwards, the Kerrang! stage is packed for Vukovi’s performance. Janine Shilstone seems perfectly at home on the main stage. Flooded in pink and blue light, and adorned in a glittering fringed catsuit, the theatricality of Vukovi is amplified through the incredible proficiency of each individual. Heavy rhythms, a nightclub atmosphere, seductive with catchy hooks and a dark undertone, it’s a show stopping set.
There seems to be something in the air for the Sneak Energy stage headliners this year as each one soon has the room in an uproar. Dream State turn it up a notch with a charismatic, high-octane show. The mosh pit is soon spinning with crowd surfers flying past one after another. It’s not long before drummer Tom Connolly takes a brief percussion break and dives over the barrier into the pit. Vocalist Jessie Powell later jumps into the crowd with microphone in tow, making the intimate space of the second stage even more personal. Bringing both the brutal heavy and emotive melodic across at set list including Chin Up Princess, Are You Ready To Live? and the newest single Bittersweet Scars Of My Past. Having recently celebrated their 20th anniversary, the Tampa, Florida-based outfit Underøath take on the headline slot on the Kerrang! Stage closing this year’s edition of RADAR with impact. Holding nothing back, Underøath unleash all with unyielding rhythms, electronics and soaring choruses. Having travelled all this way, the metalcore act provide one hell of a finale.
Words by Holly Royle
Photos by Will Robinson (Instagram)
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