Reload Festival 2025 once again brought metal devotees together on the dusty fields of Sulingen. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the festival no longer feels like a mere organization, but rather an event with a distinct identity shaped by years of accumulated legacy. Over three days, 18,000 people gathered beneath the sun, united by the music rising from the stages. Chaos, solidarity, friendship, and great music once again laid bare the spirit of Reload.

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Day One: Sun, Dust, and Dope


The festival morning began with traffic chaos already unfolding at the campsite. Tires baking on asphalt, an impatient crowd… yet no one complained. Because this is Reload: a bit of chaos, a bit of patience, and an abundance of passion. As the sun set, the celebratory noise rising from the first tents wiped away all fatigue. SCYTHE BEAST and CONJURER opened the day; DOPE and ADEPT followed, setting the grounds ablaze in every sense. ADEPT’s first Wall of Death in years sent dust soaring into the sky, reverberating deep within the lungs.

Into the Heart of Darkness:

OBITUARY and STATIC-X


As night fell, OBITUARY took the stage, bringing a death-embracing calm to the festival grounds. Every strike was delivered with a patience that seeped into the bones. STATIC-X, on the other hand, rose like an industrial nightmare. With their masked presence, they made up for two years of absence. Then came TRIVIUM—when they stepped on stage, even the sky seemed to fall into rhythm. Their “Master of Puppets” cover may have been cut short, but “Bury Me With My Screams” closed out the first day like a manifesto.


Day Two: Steel Beneath the Sun


The next day, the sun was merciless. Under 34-degree heat, Japan’s HANABIE. detonated the stage with an almost supernatural energy. RIVERS OF NIHIL expanded the boundaries of metal with their saxophone-infused death-grind. In contrast, THE HALO EFFECT embraced the audience with a sense of emotional warmth, whispering “welcome home.” Mikael Stanne’s tears revealed why this festival feels so deeply sincere. In that moment, it became clear that Reload is not just a space for music, but a point of reunion.


GOJIRA and MACHINE HEAD: The Dance of Lightning


MINISTRY’s set, which began with technical difficulties, quickly transformed into a dark ritual. Then GOJIRA took the stage, and the sky lit up once more; sound, light, and the fury of nature fused into a single force. This moment became the symbol of Reload 2025: turning nature into electricity. The night closed with MACHINE HEAD. When Robb Flynn invited Joe Duplantier on stage to perform “Territory,” it became one of those moments etched into metal history. The expression on the crowd’s faces said it all: “this is why we’re here.”


Final Day: The Music Never Stops


Even in the morning, the heat had not relented. BLOOD COMBAT’s energy on stage was raw and sincere; Nikki Brumen’s tears silenced the crowd. When RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR appeared on stage with a cherry blossom tree, it was both kitsch and unforgettable. During CRYPTA’s set, the sound system collapsed—but no one stopped. The four women continued to play, carried by the quiet support of the audience. That was the true spirit of Reload: systems may fail, but the music never does.


Closing: A Memory Space for Metal


On the final evening, DONOTS, AUGUST BURNS RED, and MASTODON took the stage. As “Blood and Thunder” merged with the sunset sky, MASTODON’s Black Sabbath-tinged finale symbolized a chain stretching across generations. With closing sets from WHILE SHE SLEEPS and I PREVAIL, Reload came to an end. But what remained was not just sound—it was a sense of community. Reload is no longer just a festival; every bass drum удар is a memory etched into the soil of Sulingen. Somewhere within the dust, metal still lives.