Live Review: Mangata Festival 2025

Review by Rick Eaglestone Photos by TJX Photos

On what was easily one of the hottest days of the year I paid my first visit to Nottingham’s Mangata Festival 2025 which even though only its fourth year looked to deliver an exceptional day of heavy music that highlighted the breadth and depth of the UK's metal scene. Spread across multiple venues including Rescue Rooms, Liquid, and Tap & Tumbler, the festivals am to create an intimate yet expansive experience that allows fans to discover new acts while enjoying established favourites.

Early Afternoon Discoveries The festival kicked off at the Rescue Rooms with Mallavora, who have recently singed Church Road Records they certainly provided a solid foundation for the day ahead. And delivered a tight performance that set expectations high for what was to come. 

Following them, were Shadowvale whose lead singer felt "better-behaved sibling of Vic from Pretty Addicted." There set was punctuated by a memorable grit and savagery.

Alunah brought their newest lineup to the stage, and the changes energized their sound. Their familiar fuzz-laden tones were given new life, with the creative use of a megaphone adding an extra dimension to their performance. This iteration of the band has found something special in their chemistry.

Mid-Afternoon Momentum

The afternoon continued with Recall the Remains, who have consistently obliterated every stage I have seen them on. Again, technically tight, and immense from start to finish, already feel the need to revisit that set again soon.

Wolvencrown followed with a black metal assault that perfectly utilized Liquid's intimate atmosphere, creating an almost claustrophobic intensity that suited their sound perfectly.

Phoenix Lake brought operatic modern metal to Rescue Rooms, demonstrating the festival's commitment to showcasing diverse subgenres within the metal spectrum. Their grandiose approach provided a nice contrast to the more underground acts that surrounded them.

Outergods managed to pack Red Rooms to capacity, a testament to their growing reputation and the festival's ability to create buzz around emerging acts. The packed venue created an electric atmosphere that fed back into the band's performance, resulting in one of the day's most memorable sets – standing room only was an absolute understatement. 

Evening Highlights Eville delivered one of the standout performances of the day at Rescue Rooms. Their electronic led ‘Brat’ metal with attitude proved to be a perfect fusion of styles, incorporating a healthy dose of drum & bass that kept the crowd moving.

The trio's energy was infectious, with the aesthetic of anarchy and Pink Knuckle Dusters” perfectly captured their playful yet aggressive approach. The highlight of their set, "Leech," displayed their ability to blend electronic elements with traditional metal structures seamlessly.

Cavekiller marked their first visit to the festival with a return to breakdowns at Tap & Tumbler. Despite working with a replacement drummer, the band's performance of "Awake in the Nightmare" was particularly noteworthy where drummer George proved that new blood could add a new dynamic. 

Seething Akira provided one of the most entertaining sets of the day at Rescue Rooms with a Fat Old Love Slap. It was wonderful to see Spud reunited with the rest of the band, and their chemistry was immediately apparent, and the crowd engaged from the start, but by the third song, the performance had descended into beautiful chaos.

The stage was covered in confetti and filled with beach inflatables, creating a party atmosphere that perfectly matched the band's irreverent energy.

Triumphs Abduction were absolutely sublime, their rise from humble solo beginnings to label singed stalwarts has been etched with intensity and determination that certainly is the faint hearted, their intensity on stage in unrivalled in the modern black metal setting and their level of foreboding and technical prowess is nothing short of awe inspiring 

Late Night Intensity

As the evening progressed, the festival ramped up the intensity. Wolves Don't Sleep brought deathcore brutality to Tap & Tumbler, while The Five Hundred delivered a solid set at Rescue Rooms.

Devastator lived up to their name armed with scythes and scowls alongside a bullet speed performance that prepared the crowd for the evening's main events.

Headlining Acts

Raven Age took the main stage as headliners at Rescue Rooms, delivering a performance that justified their top billing. Their set was professionally executed and crowd-pleasing, though perhaps lacking the raw energy of some of the day's earlier acts.

Ante Inferno closed out Liquid venue, and despite some initial delays, they provided what many considered the best conclusion to the evening. The air conditioning at Liquid was working overtime, but the band's performance heated things up, creating the perfect end to a long day of metal.

Eschalon rounded out the official programming at Tap & Tumbler, delivering a solid performance that satisfied the dedicated fans who had stayed for the entire marathon day.

Festival Atmosphere and Organization

Mangata Festival 2025 succeeded in creating a sense of community among metal fans. The multi-venue approach allowed for different atmospheres and experiences throughout the day, from the intimate settings of Tap & Tumbler to the larger capacity of Rescue Rooms. The festival's scheduling was well-managed, though some sound issues and delays reminded everyone that live music always comes with its unpredictable elements.

The inclusion of a Silent Disco provided a unique way to wind down after the intensity of the main performances, showing the organizers' understanding that festival-goers needed different ways to experience music throughout the day. This was my first silent disco, and it will not be my last, The DJ’s, Crew and Crowd at Lunar were spectacular and cemented my overall of feeling of enjoyment. I can confirm that going forward Mangata is certainly being added in to my future festival rotations.

Final Verdict

Mangata Festival 2025 was a resounding success that highlighted the vitality of the UK metal scene. From the experimental sounds of Eville to the traditional heaviness of Devastator, the festival provided something for every metal fan. The intimate venue settings allowed for genuine connection between artists and audiences, while the diverse lineup ensured that discovery was as important as seeing established favourites. A Metal Marathon Worth Every Moment.