SOS Festival always promises an interesting mixture of rock and heavy metal bands, with the opportunity to see current favourites once again, welcome back some long-established acts and discover something new. Looking at the lineup ahead of this three-day extravaganza, it was clear that once again the organisers had drawn together a weekend with something for everyone.

Friday evening starts with Slander UK whose traditional heavy metal and bonhomie goes down well with the gathering festival crowd who are keen to get the party started. Vocalist Steve Whittington has great stage presence, drawing everyone in from the opening salvo of Deguello through to set closer Fighting Talk. He ventures out into the audience several times while his bandmates churn out the riffs thick and fast, keeping the energy levels at maximum throughout the set. Silk Spinster keep the momentum going on the hot ‘n’ sweaty indoor Skull stage. With a look that is part Viking and part Mad Max road warrior, the band’s sound spans the intersection between rock and metal which soon wins the crowd’s approval. There is some bemusement when vocalist Kyrantula aka Kye Coulson announces that the next song is a cover of Ricky Martin’s late 90s chart-topper Livin’ La Vida Loca. But somehow it works and before long the whole room is singing along to a rocked up version of the Latin hit. Keeping the party going, although sadly without any cheesy pop songs in the mix, Black Country rockers The Soul Revival are the first big draw of the weekend. Although they have only been around since 2023, the band have quickly established themselves as powerhouse hard rockers who deliver a set of memorable and insanely catchy songs that get the crowd moving. Singer Ste Steson’s gravelly voice tickles the earlobes while guitarist Andy Dove’s blonde mane is a constant blur as he grinds out the riffs (capturing a clear shot of his face in a photo is tricky!). Rhythm section Matthew Higgins (bass) and Karl Selikis (drums) keep things tight as they drive the songs forward with swagger and precision. Before you know it, the set is over but the smiles on everyone’s faces linger long after the obligatory crowd photo at the end.

It’s been a few years since I last saw Anchor Lane, during which time Connor Traill has joined the band on guitar, so I was particularly looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with this hard rockin’ three-piece from Glasgow. All I can say is that the wait was totally worth it: the band have boundless energy, particularly frontman Conor Gaffney who bounces around the stage as if his life depends on it. He has to rein himself in on several occasions when he remembers the instruction not to swear (this is an all-ages festival), not least when he forgets the set list and introduces the wrong song; but no one really cares (and I’m sure that the kids present have heard it all before)! New songs Five Knuckle Shuffle and It’s The End, My Friends go down really well, proving that there is plenty of gas left in the tank and boding well for the future of the band. Which brings us to Friday night’s headliners Juliet’s Not Dead, who are no strangers to the SOS festival stage. Although I have seen them on several occasions over the past couple of years, there is something about tonight’s show that confirms them as a headline band. Not everyone can make that leap from a 40 minute support slot to a 60 minute headline set while maintaining the audience’s attention and enthusiasm, but tonight Juliet’s Not Dead do so with ease. They have been upping their production values for some time and now they really look the part as well as having hook-laden songs that demand your attention. Stevie Stoker leads from the front, drawing the crowd in and keeping them on side throughout the set, which is a perfect blend of melodic hard rocking tunes. Album 3 is in the pipeline and is sure to catapult them on to bigger and better things, but for now we get to enjoy the best of This World Is Ours as the evening draws to a close. However, Friday night is not over just yet as back inside Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disasters are treating the festival diehards to one final round of rabble-rousing rock ‘n’ roll. The after-party crowd are more than up for it as Beth leads her band through some kick-ass tunes designed to keep the good times coming.

Saturday begins with a kill or cure one-two of Promethium and The Dead List. The former delivers some solid headbanging heavy metal which sees the live debut of new singer Lee Richards. Although he has only been an official member for a few months, he soon settles into his new role and leads the band through a rollicking set. There is a nice moment at the end when father and son fans join the band on stage to help shout out the chorus to Murder Inc, clearly making their day. The energy continues with The Dead List whose riffy, catchy groove metal lifts the spirits as that first pint of the day hits the spot and headaches start to clear. With a mixture of clean and growly vocals, soaring riffs and driving rhythm section this is compelling stuff. Well worth catching if they are on a lineup at a venue near you. There’s a change of pace next as blues-rockers Cry For Mercy set about winning hearts and minds on the Skull stage. Vocalist/bassist Kev Plant’s easy humour combined with guitarist Andy Cutty’s earworm hooks and drummer Dermot Hall’s beguiling rhythms combine to create an irresistible experience for fans old and new. While there are plenty of blues rock bands out there, few do it so effortlessly well as these guys. Similarly, outside on the Viking stage, Wailing Banshee demonstrate why their stock is rising. I first saw the band playing their Maiden-inspired traditional heavy metal at SOS in 2024 and have seen them a few times since then, but today they are on another level. Maybe it’s the extra experience that comes with playing relentlessly or maybe they have found another gear; but whatever the reason the band are on fire today. The focal point is singer Dani Louise whose voice cuts through the mayhem like a knife through butter; but her band mates are equally committed to the cause, riffing and headbanging their way through an invigorating set. Currently on the All Guns Blazing tour and building momentum towards their debut album, Wailing Banshee are definitely ones to watch.

Godsticks have been serving up their melodic prog metal for a while now, and that experience comes across on stage as they build their complex soundscapes. This is music that demands the listener’s full attention, and it probably helps if you are familiar with their body of work before dipping a toe into their live show. However, it is easy to surrender your senses to the ebb and flow of the songs as they wash over you. No such preparation is required for Dead Zebras whose in your face, 80s-inspired hair metal is the white-knuckle ride of a lifetime. With tongues firmly in cheek, they thrust and preen their way through a set of good time, sleazy rock ‘n’ roll straight out of the scuzziest bar in West Hollywood. The no swearing guideline somewhat restricts vocalist George Alex’s explanation of the storyline behind pretty much all of the songs (basically they are all about sex), but that doesn’t stop the fun for too long as the crowd fills in the blanks. Next, we move inside and a thousand miles eastwards from California for Katie & The Bad Sign’s bluesy Americana. Blending passionate vocals and gritty guitars, the band take us back to the roots of blues rock and folk story telling with a touch of modern sass. Yorkshire heavy metal stalwarts Rhabstallion are NWOBHM survivors enjoying a second bite of the apple and loving every minute on stage in front of an audience. Saxon are the most obvious reference point, not least because of singer Andy Wood’s vocal style, but the band follow their own musical path and are not afraid to mix things up.

It’s not often that you come across a genuinely exciting live band, but Brighton’s The Rattlebacks are such a beast. I caught them with new singer Alex Martucci a couple of weeks ago at Wildfire Festival and was impressed, so I was really looking forward to repeating experience at SOS and they certainly did not disappoint. The energy levels are off the scale as everyone bounces around, on and off the stage, for the whole set. They are actually quite difficult to photograph as there is so much happening and you never know where to point your lens for fear of missing a move! Musically they deal in catchy, muscular punk-flavoured hard rock that demands your attention. I can’t wait to see them again! Thieves of Liberty are another band that I am always pleased to see, and I’m happy to report that after their time out while vocalist James Boak recovered from throat surgery, they are better than ever. The songs from debut album Shangri-La sound slick and polished, despite the obligatory rain at SOS trying to dampen spirits, and it’s clear from the smiles on everyone’s faces that both the band and crowd are enjoying themselves. We are treated to a couple of new songs which bode very well for the next album, guitarists Kieran Wilson and Liam Lindsley go walkabout in the crowd to trade licks like a couple of gunslingers facing each other off and there’s a playful dig at Firevolt Festival compere Paul Cash as masks are donned. Taking a break from the rain we head back inside for Welsh metal titans King Kraken who are taking no prisoners. There must be something in the water (or maybe it’s the beer) at SOS because, like a number of other bands, King Kraken are on blistering form today. Having seen them impress on a large stage at Call of the Wild earlier this year, they are positively feral tonight trapped within the confines of a small sweaty room. Vocalist Mark Donoghue is the focal point, with guitarist Adam Healey and bassist Karl Meyer content to grind out the riffs away from the spotlight; but the noise that they make is overwhelming and all embracing. And so to our Saturday night headliners The Karma Effect. Riding high on the chart-topping success of their third album Cruel Intentions the band are unstoppable at the moment. With the new line up fully embedded and road tested, the live show is honed to perfection. The rain can’t stop the party as we dance away the night to a setlist with something for everyone. The evening is rounded off by party band Captain Sack Blabbath and a set of tunes guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Sunday morning brings the sad news that, due to a medical emergency, openers Night Thieves can no longer play. Rather than leave the slot vacant, the Appleton brothers Chris and Luke step in and join forces with drummer Graham Darbyshire to give us a set of classic rock covers to get the juices flowing. Vazon pick up the baton as they launch into a set of genre-fluid alt-rock that blows away the cobwebs. The duo, comprising Robin Parker (bass/vocals) and Aiden Greasley (drums), really push the boundaries by embracing a wide range of influences outside the traditional rock sphere. The resulting sound is eclectic, passionate and unique. While some of the older members of the audience seem a little bemused, the younger crowd at the front are clearly up for it. The mood changes abruptly as we go back to the Viking stage for Rare Breed and another burst of sublime blues rock. Having recently released their excellent debut album and with album 2 well under way, the band have a strong selection of hook-laden, foot-tapping, gritty blues at their disposal. Guitarist/singer Adam Brooke has the sort of voice that was born to sing this type of working man’s blues while band mates Arty Haire (bass) and Ollie Sergeant (drums) lay down rock solid rhythms. Back on the Skull stage French thrashers Gang race through a set of old school metal tunes. It’s loud, it’s proud and it’s unashamedly retro with no compromise and no quarter given. The heavy metal marauding continues with Death Valley Knights who give it everything that they’ve got. The riffs come hard and fast, but there is also melody and plenty of catchy choruses that you can sing along with. There is no doubting the commitment to the cause as the aural assault batters all and sundry.

Coming more up to date, Aethoria entice with their blend of prog metal and soaring melodies. Mecia-Jade Holden’s passionate and plaintive vocals create sonic pictures while her band mates pump out churning metal riffs. It is not difficult to fall under their spell and surrender to the maelstrom. Look out for their debut album Fools Gold which is due out at the end of August. Things get decidedly more scuzzy as Manchester’s own We Three Kings are welcomed to the Viking stage like conquering heroes. There is a lot of love for Rich, Pete and Bonesy as they rattle through a high energy, fuzzed out set of bangers from their second album Stone Cold Kiss plus the obligatory Gold Digger and Walk. The formula is simple but highly effective: ear-worm riffs, drums that swing and shout-along choruses that rarely hang around for more than 4 minutes. The perfect way to take the party up to the next level. The vibe inside is mellower as Kit Trigg’s rocked up blues take us on a journey to a better place. Kit is genuinely overwhelmed and grateful to be headlining the Skull stage, but once he has gathered himself he wrings out breathtaking solo after solo. The message is very much one of positivity and inclusion, backed up by some hard rockin’ jams. Which brings us to tonight’s headliners and festival closing act Apriori. As I have already mentioned several times in this review already, there seems to be something special happening this weekend that has brought out the best in the bands. That same magic wand has sprinkled fairy dust over the trio from Blackpool because they are on top form tonight. A firm fan favourite, they prove themselves to be worthy headliners with a set of hard rocking tunes that are welcomed with open arms. The set list is packed with banger after banger spanning their three album career. The only disappointment is that it is over all too soon as SOS XVII draws to a close.

Lynne Hampson and her team have pulled off yet another successful SOS weekend. The work involved in organizing an event of this nature cannot be understated, but from front of house it all went without a hitch despite unavoidable last minute lineup changes. Everyone I spoke to had nothing but praise for the bands, venue and organisers which is the mark of a much-loved event on the grassroots festival scene. Next year’s dates are already in my diary.

Full photo gallery available at https://www.nickashtonphotography.co.uk/-/galleries/festival-season-2026/sos-festival-3-5-07-26