Leaving the tent, I headed back out to the Jupiler Stage. Since the wind had picked up a bit today, it felt noticeably more pleasant than on the previous days. And here, a premiere was about to take place: SiM (short for Silence Iz Mine) were performing at Graspop for the very first time. The second Japanese band of the day, moving in a similar musical realm as Crossfaith earlier around noon, though taking things in a slightly different direction.
From the high‑energy show by Crossfaith, I headed over to the large Marquee tent. Something more classic was on the schedule now. The Spanish band Angelus Apatrida were visiting Graspop for the second time and had brought thrash metal in the finest Bay Area tradition. The tent was well filled for this early hour, though not packed. Still, the guys around vocalist and guitarist Guillermo Izquierdo quickly got the crowd moving.
The final day of Graspop Metal Meeting 2025 had dawned, and it was set to begin with guests from the Land of the Rising Sun. Crossfaith from Japan had already appeared at the festival several times, usually on one of the smaller side stages. But today, they finally received the honor of opening the Main Stages — and they delivered a truly impressive set.
The finale of the third festival day was approaching, and it came with a premiere: for the first time ever, Nine Inch Nails were performing at Graspop. Unfortunately, after Korn’s phenomenal show, the crowd had thinned out noticeably. A shame, really. The two guys from the USA would have deserved a much larger audience. At exactly midnight, the first notes of “Laura Palmer’s Theme” echoed through the speakers, and a stage completely shrouded in fog was slowly illuminated by the first spotlights.
For the first time that day, it was time to head to the main stages. The sun had set, the area was packed, and the next band was one I had long wanted to see live. Korn from California were headlining the evening, bringing plenty of old material and very little new.
The third day of Graspop Metal Meeting moved steadily along, and it was time to head back into the Marquee, which was already packed to the brim. Unfortunately, that also meant the tent was noticeably hotter and stuffier than the blazing afternoon sun outside. The reason for the crowd was the Mongolian band The Hu, who spice up their metal with traditional Mongolian influences.
The day of contrasts continued. From the dark atmosphere of Primordial, it was back out into the sunshine at the Jupiler Stage, where it was time for more hard rock, this time from the Australian‑American band The Dead Daisies. The only remaining founding member is guitarist David Lowy, who surrounds himself with a rotating cast of genre heavyweights.
It was still very warm, so after Sylosis I stayed in the shady Marquee tent. With Primordial, things shifted stylistically into even harsher territory. They are one of the pioneers of Celtic Metal, blending black and pagan metal with folk influences, and have been spreading their message since 1987. What’s remarkable is that despite nearly 40 years of history, the lineup has barely changed.
Back in the large Marquee tent, things got heavier again. Sylosis from the United Kingdom were ready to show what they could do with their blend of thrash and melodic death influences. From the original lineup, only guitarist and vocalist Josh Middleton remains — but with his massive growls, he absolutely tore the stage apart.
From the pop‑infused sounds of Self Deception, it was time to head back out to the Jupiler Stage, where some good old classic hard rock awaited. Dirty Honey from the USA were on the bill, kicking off an entertaining journey through the ’70s and ’80s that brought to mind bands like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, or Aerosmith.