Satan Sells has been uncharacteristically quiet as of late. Not because I’ve rebranded as a pop aficionado…. The silence has been courtesy of my Master’s dissertation:
“Antichrist Superstar”: Marilyn Manson as a Marketing Blueprint for the Extreme – Shock, Moral Panic, and Newsworthiness in the Music Industry Post-Columbine
In essence, I’m investigating how the Columbine massacre reshaped the marketing strategies of extreme music in the early 2000s, particularly how moral panic morphed into a sales tool, and whether Marilyn Manson epitomises the industry’s capacity for leveraging outrage as a promotional engine.
Once it’s submitted and blessed by academia, expect the full thesis here, because if you’re reading this post, you’ll probably also enjoy 11,000 words on moral panics, goth bogeymen, and the mechanics of turning outrage into ticket sales.
2025 Festival Season: A Whistle-Stop Tour
Of course, it hasn’t all been locked-in-a-library misery. Quite the opposite in fact! This summer has been my busiest festival run to date, and I’m lucky to have had these experiences on both a personal and research level:
Slam Dunk North (Temple Newsam, Leeds – 25 May 2025)
Artists included A Day To Remember, The Used, and Electric Callboy—whose neon‑saturated, pyro-packed set included “Elevator Operator,” “Spaceman,” and of course, “Hypa Hypa.” Their performance cleverly blended originals with covers, including a particularly poignant acoustic rendition of Linkin Park’s “Crawling,” followed naturally by the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” With their infectious energy and confetti galore, I felt Electric Callboy were the ones who really kick-started my summer of live music.
Download Festival (Donington Park, Derby – 13-15 June 2025)
Returning to Donington for my fourth consecutive year, headliners this time around were Green Day, Sleep Token, and Korn; marking a wide spectrum of heaviness from anthemic punk to nu-metal nostalgia and modern cult spectacle. Personal highlights included Cradle of Filth, who brought both their gothic theatrics and a marriage proposal to the Dogtooth Stage, and Sylosis, who sharpened the atmosphere with surgical riff precision. Between the heritage nostalgia and the new-wave headliners, Download once again proved why it’s the UK’s flagship heavy music gathering.
Back To The Beginning (Villa Park, Birmingham – 5 July 2025)
This was billed as the final word from Black Sabbath, and it carried even more weight in the shadow of Ozzy’s death. Seeing the band together felt less like a reunion and more like a memorial in motion; an acknowledgement of everything they created and the legacy they left behind. Classics like “War Pigs” and “Paranoid” carried not just the weight of heavy metal’s history but also the resonance of a band truly closing the book on their legacy. The show reportedly raised over £140 million for Parkinson’s and children’s charities, solidifying itself as both a communal celebration and a cultural milestone.
Offal Fest (Rebellion, Manchester – 25-27 July 2025)
The third edition of Offalfest delivered a grotesque buffet of slam, gore, and brutal death metal. Skinless headlined with a full performance of Progression Towards Evil, their set inciting some of the most frenzied pits of the weekend. Chainsaw Castration, back from hiatus, offered one of the tightest and most energetic sets of the festival, whipping the room up and showing just how exciting extreme metal can be. Between the circle pits, stage divers and unapologetic gore themes, Offal Fest was a celebration of extremity in both sound and spectacle.
Bloodstock Open Air (Catton Park, South Derbyshire – 7-10 August 2025)
My first Bloodstock was crowned by Gojira, whose headlining set blended seismic riffing with cinematic visuals to stunning effect. Earlier in the day, Feuerschwanz were my unexpected favourite discovery—ridiculous, fun, and surprisingly excellent live. Between the medieval costumes, party chants, and serious musicianship, they’ve shot straight to the top of my playlist, and I’m very glad I took a recommendation to check these guys out. With Ozzy tributes all over the site, Bloodstock was a reminder of how much the genre owes him, even as it keeps evolving. Next year’s lineup already looks strong, so much so I’ve already bagged a ticket… Though I’ve still got my fingers crossed they’ll add Powerwolf into the mix to scratch my ongoing power metal itch.
What’s Next
Once my dissertation is wrapped up, I’ll be breaking down each festival properly in the coming weeks. The plan is twofold:
- Reviews – general write-ups of each festival: what I saw, what stood out, and how it all felt in the moment.
- Research Posts – more academic-style pieces that spin out of the festivals, looking at the bigger cultural and industry questions they raise.
Coming soon…
- Lush x Download: The Almost Perfect Brand Partnership
- Corporate Necromancy: Festivals, Funerals, and the Profit of Resurrecting Icons
- Saw in Stereo: Goregrind and the Aesthetics of Disgust