REVIEW: Milwaukee Metal Fest 2025 - Day 3

Milwaukee Metal Fest 2025 – Day 3 (Sunday, May 18)

(By someone still half-deaf)

After two days of relentless riffs and mosh pits, and crowd surfing, Day 3 of Milwaukee Metal Fest 2025 proved that metalheads have stamina, and hopefully some earplugs. The final day delivered a diverse lineup, a mix of theatrical performances and raw talent, making sure the Wisconsin festival ended on a high note.

GWAR

GWAR – 40th Year Anniversary

Celebrating their 40th anniversary, GWAR transformed the Eagles Ballroom into a red and green splash pad by the end of the night (much to the dismay of my cameras.) Their signature blend of satirical metal and outrageous theatrics had fans screaming TO BE drenched in the fake blood shooting out of various costumes, (Only the most controversial; Trump, Putin, and… Taylor Swift?) It was with no doubt one of the best ways you could’ve ended a Metal Festival.

Scour

The Dillinger Escape Plan (what just happened??)

Reuniting to support the 25th anniversary of their album, Calculating Infinity, The Dillinger Escape Plan was a sight to be seen. With all of the band members (save for the drummer for obvious reasons), jumping around the whole set, and then former and now current The Dillinger Escape Plan frontman Dimitri Minakakis, jumping straight into the crowd, it was a sensory overload of music and people.

Arch Enemy

Arch Enemy

Closing out their North American Blood Dynasty 2025 Tour, Arch Enemy delivered a set that was both ferocious and polished. Alissa White-Gluz's commanding vocals and the band's tight instrumentation had the crowd cheering and pumping their fists, especially during fan favorites like "War Eternal"

Speed

The Acacia Strain

The Acacia Strain brought their signature brand of heavy to the stage, delivering a set that was powerful even when stuck in the smaller stage. Tracks like "Skynet" had the floor shaking and the pit in a frenzy, reaffirming their place as deathcore heavyweights.

Morbid Saint

Other Notable Acts

• SCOUR: Phil Anselmo's blackened supergroup delivered a relentless set, blending speed and darkness in equal measure.

• Under The Horizon: Opening up the headlining stage early in the day is no easy task. The relatively young looking band from New Hampshire took the lead for the day and left fans excited for what the rest of the festival had in store.

• Exhorder: Their thrash-infused performance was a nod to old-school metal, igniting circle pits and headbanging throughout the whole set.

• Morbid Saint: Stepping in for Sacred Reich, this Sheboygan Wisconsin based band gave fans a ferocious set, proving their place at the festival.

• Toxic Holocaust: Their fast and heavy performance was one of the best shows of speed metal, and left me a 10 times bigger fan than I was coming in. (And maybe a few bruises from stage divers)

Arch Enemy

Final Thoughts

Milwaukee Metal Fest 2025 concluded with a bang, offering a diverse array of performances that catered to all genres on the metal spectrum. Even with how tiring the long weekend was, it left me on the edge of my seat for the 2026 lineup announcement.