As we moved into our third quarter final of Metal 2 The Masses Oxford, tonight was already set up to be slightly different. After the chaos of Heat 7, where every band pushed through due to technical trouble, all three were granted a place in the quarters. Which meant tonight wasn’t the usual four‑band showdown. We had five contenders, doors at 7, first note at 7:15, and absolutely no room for delays.
Bloodshot:
Bloodshot took that challenge personally. Adorned with their usual stage setup, they hit the ground running and the pits followed almost immediately. The pit opened so early and so suddenly that I nearly got knocked flat, which my teammates would have absolutely celebrated. I mentioned in their heat that Bloodshot leans heavily on musicianship rather than lyric‑driven structure, and tonight was no exception. Their set was a showcase of exactly why that approach works for them: impressive guitar work, face‑melting solos, and high‑calibre drumming that locked the whole room into their groove. This is a band that feels destined for a bigger stage, and they play like they know it.
Opening their heat clearly suited them, and opening tonight suited them even more. Bloodshot seem to enjoy setting the pace, and the bar, for everyone else to follow. There is no easing people in. The first riff lands, and suddenly the whole venue is awake, alert, and moving. It’s almost as if Bloodshot relishes the responsibility of being the band that drags the audience from casual chatter into full‑body commitment. The crowd responded instantly. What stood out most was the tightness: every transition clean, every breakdown deliberate, every moment crafted with intent. It was another strong performance from a band who know exactly who they are and exactly how to command a room.
Black Market:
BlackMarket hit the stage like they had something to prove, even though their last successful round already scored them the judges vote. You could feel that confidence radiating off them before they even played a note. Their ability to translate that slick, studio‑tight sound into a raw, sweaty live setting is immaculate. I’ve been following them since their heat, and somehow they’ve only grown sharper, louder, and more deliberate in the way they command a room. The set opened with an intense, chest‑rattling intro. They didn’t ease up for a single breath. Every member looked locked‑in and hungry, feeding off the crowd and each other in that way only bands with real chemistry can. And considering the absolutely disgusting heat we were all enduring – the kind that makes your clothes stick to you and your hair feel like it’s melting – their stamina bordered on superhuman. The vocalist especially was a blur of movement, switching between rapping, singing, screaming, and pacing the stage like someone trying to outrun the temperature. What really struck me was how quickly the whole thing seemed to pass. Their energy was so relentless, so immersive, that time just folded in on itself. One moment you’re being thrown into the first drop, and the next you’re blinking at the stage lights, realising it’s already over. That’s what BlackMarket does, they shake you around, pull you into their world, and drop you back into reality before you’re ready to leave.
If this is what they’re doing now, Watford might not be able to hold them for much longer.
Due to circumstances relating to some actions carried out by certain members of barbed wire, there will be no review. Please check out the Metal 2 The Masses Oxford Facebook/Instagram page for the full statement from Two Face Promotions.
Hive Mind:
HiveMind were probably the youngest band on the lineup tonight, but you wouldn’t have known it from the confidence they walked in with. This was my first time catching them after missing their heat, and within minutes it was obvious I’d missed something special. They came out swinging with a mix of tight musicianship and easy humour, bouncing jokes between songs like they’d been doing this for years. Despite their age, they had the crowd wrapped around their fingers. They even managed to spark a lone crowd surfer — a sight that’s becoming more and more common at these Metal 2 the Masses shows, and honestly, it never gets old. There’s something about seeing a room that invested in a young band that makes the whole night feel electric. One of the standout moments came when the band spilled off the stage and into the crowd, leaving the frontman/guitarist alone under the lights. Instead of letting the energy dip, he filled the space with an almost acoustic‑style interlude. It’s not something you see often, especially in a hard‑rock set, but it worked. HiveMind showed they could hit both ends of the spectrum: the full‑throttle, riff‑driven chaos and the quiet, dramatic tension. Speaking of tension, their use of pauses was brilliant. Most bands slam straight into breakdowns, but HiveMind weren’t afraid to hold the moment, tease the room, and make the crowd lean forward before dropping the hammer. Those tiny choices made their short set feel crafted rather than rushed.
Funeral Solution:
I was genuinely excited to finally see Funeral Solution perform after hearing some of their releases. They’ve got that mid‑2000s emo edge I grew up loving, something in the vein of early Breaking Benjamin, where the emotion sits right on the surface and the heaviness feels personal rather than performative. Live, that influence came through immediately. Their set, although cut a little shorter than expected, still landed with real impact. The frontman poured everything he had into each track, delivering raw emotion with zero hesitation. At one point he was practically screaming the lyrics directly into the faces of the crowd. Easily one of my favourite things about shows at this size. There’s no barrier, no distance, just pure connection and catharsis. Musically, they hit that sweet spot between emotional intensity and hardcore grit. The screamed vocals tore through the room with a conviction that felt almost uncomfortable in the best possible way, while the guitars built these thick, atmospheric layers that wrapped around the crowd like fog. And when the clean vocals finally broke through, they sliced straight across the chaos, a brief moment of clarity before everything collapsed back into distortion and weight. It was a powerful end to my night, even if I had to duck out early once again thanks to the trains. Funeral Solution delivered something honest, heavy, and unexpectedly moving. For a shortened set, they made every second count.
And now for the results, the minute we all wait for. I have to receive these results on the train home and I am quite literally on the edge of my seat refreshing my messages every ten seconds. Congratulations to BlackMarket for taking the Crowd Vote and Congratulations to Bloodshot for stealing the Judges Vote!
Some shows are live, some pre-recorded. All times are GMT
