Photo Credit: Maryleen Guevara
We reached the final day of Rock Am Ring and we are still trying to dry ourselves from the torrential rain that left many hundreds stranded at the festival on Saturday night. We are ready for one last push, one more long day of good music and bad weather!
Opening up the final day of the festival for us are The Warning. This trio of Mexican sisters have been quickly rising up the ranks of the rock scene in the last year and the Utopia stage at Rock Am Ring is their biggest platform yet. The Warning play a very traditional, radio friendly style of rock that seems tailor made for big stages and audiences. Unfortunately though the weather is once again not playing ball. The rainclouds of yesterday have moved on but today is cold and windy, very windy. That wind wreaks havoc with the main stage sound and a lot of the songs lose some of their punch as the wind blows the sound all over the place. It’s a shame because the bands three-part harmonies sound great when they are audible. In a world where Halestorm are an arena band we’re sure The Warning have a very bright future ahead of them and they will be back on this stage sooner rather than later. Hopefully the weather doesn’t get in the way next time. 8/10
The wind doesn’t impact Idles as much as their post-punk sound is much more chaotic to begin with and can survive a muddy mix more than most bands. Despite that, they don’t seem to make a huge number of new friends today. This is Idles’ first time playing RAR and the audience don’t seem to know what they are watching. It’s a shame because Idles are infinitely more interesting and original than 90% of bands who play the Utopia stage this weekend but today’s crowd just want riffs and breakdowns. Idles use their platform today to speak up for Palestine and also call out bands whose members are homophobic, transphobic or racist. We can only guess who they may have been referring to on today’s bill. Idles exist in a strange space and may never be truly accepted by these rock festival crowds as their outspoken nature perhaps holds up too much of a mirror to the audience. 10/10
Over at the Mandora stage Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer offer something much more welcomed to today’s audience. Whilst their music is objectively heavier than Idles, it’s also much less challenging for an audience who purchased tickets for KoRn. This is metalcore designed for big stages like Rock Am Ring. There is nothing wrong with any of it. The guitars are heavy, the loud parts are loud, the quiet parts are quiet, but there is very little in the way of invention. This is Jinjer’s second time playing Rock Am Ring since breaking out in the rock scene over the last few years. On the evidence of today, and the reception they receive from the audience, we’re sure they will return many more times in the future. 7/10
Up next on the Orbit stage are American progressive black metal band Deafheaven who draw a relatively small crowd but give those who do show up a set to remember. From the first note, it is heavy, experimental and emotional. The band sounds huge and every member brings their own unique energy to the stage. Towards the end of their much too short set, Deafheaven break out 2013 epic Dream House and we witness a group of grown men form a group hug for the final minutes of the song. It’s rare for music so heavy to be so affecting but Deafheaven are a rare band. One of the best sets of the weekend. 10/10
Following Deafheaven, Californian metalcore band The Ghost Inside face a very tough task but one they manage to achieve. The Ghost Inside play the style of commercial metalcore that we have seen over and over again this weekend and by the Sunday evening it’s hard for the tropes not be have worn thin. However, The Ghost Inside have enough stage presence and good will from the crowd to power their way through an hour of breakdowns that keep the audience bouncing from beginning to end. 6/10
Up next on the Mandora stage is Lorna Shore. The American Deathcore band have been growing rapidly in the last two years and top it off tonight with their Rock Am Ring debut. From the start, this crowd is absolute chaos and it shows exactly why Lorna Shore have immediately jumped ahead of more established bands on these bills. The set is epic, heavy, very heavy, and challenging but also, somehow, has a big commercial appeal. Much of that appeal comes from frontman Will Ramos who has quickly become an icon in the scene. It’s easy to see why with his natural charisma and insane vocals. A massive set from a band who are only going to keep getting bigger. Surely they will be on Utopia stage very soon. 10/10
Over on the Orbit stage are Swedish metalcore band Thrown, playing Rock Am Ring for the first time. The last glimmer of light after sunset gives us the rare treat of actually being able to see Thrown as their shows are famously some of the darkest in the genre. The band have been building their name over the last couple of years earning praise with support slots for both While She Sleeps and August Burns Red. Their Rock Am Ring debut is another upwards step on their ascent that shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. Tonight they deliver a rock solid set that confirms their place as one of the names to watch in this year’s festival. 7/10
KoRn’s presence as a headliner at this years festival has raised a few eyebrows – it was only a couple of years ago they were main support for Volbeat at this same festival. Yet, here we are in 2025, despite not releasing any new material since their last appearance, KoRn are our Sunday night headliner. So, do they take advantage of the slot and cement themselves as a band who will headline for years to come? Not really. The set is solid but unspectacular. It’s a greatest hits run through that keeps up the pace throughout and prompts circle pits at all the right times. On that basis, it’s a success. However, the comparison with the previous headliners’ production and impact on the crowd is brutal. Here’s hoping their Download headline set will leave a more lasting memory. 7/10
For the past fifteen years Stray From The Path have been one of the most consistently exciting bands in the hardcore scene. Their live shows are a thing of legend at this point and they reliably steal any bill they play on. For these reason it was a huge surprise and disappointment when they recently announced their new album, Clockworked, would be their last and the band would be splitting in 2026. It might be after midnight on the last night of the festival but the Rock Am Ring crowd are not missing their last chance to celebrate with the Long Island hardcore legends. When the band gets their fans to create a circle pit going all the way around the barrier in the middle of the crowd you know this isn’t going to be a teary farewell. Stray From The Path have long been one of the unsung heroes of their scene and on the evidence of tonight they are going to be sorely missed. If you have a chance, get along to their final UK tour and give them the goodbye they deserve. 10/10
Check out our review of Friday here and Saturday here.
Written By: Maryleen Guevara
