Chaos Theory Festival 2025 – Day Two

The Second Day of Chaos Theory Festival: the 15th anniversary edition was packed with quality heavy bands in Camden, and the line-up definitely lived up to its high expectations. The Underworld was a bit more rambunctious than the previous Saturday up in Walthamstow, but Camden Town certainly had a reputation to maintain. Here’s a quick recap of what you have missed (naughty, naughty!).

First up was one of my favourite stoner-doom band from London, Morag Tong. They might have had a very early start at 1:50 pm, but they were absolutely brilliant in warming up the audience in the smoothest possible way. Playing a short set consisting of old classics and newer gems, they delivered all the slow, heavy riffs we came to know and love them for. Of course, there was a part of me who wished them to have a longer set of maybe one or two extra songs, but quality over quantity has always been Chaos Theory’s motto, so I would be remiss making a fuss on that one.

The following band was one of the main reasons I was delighted to have been invited in the first place to cover, not only because they are great people, but also because I will always have all the time in the world for Codex Serafini, one of the most interesting psych-rock bands of the moment. The Brighton-based quartet came on stage at around 3 pm and, as The Underworld started to fill up a little, the members of the audience got really quickly into dancing to their free jazz, Arthur Brownesque style of music.

They were loud, they were clearly having fun, and they were phenomenal. Ana Terr, their vocalist, has such a way of enticing the audience into her chants and getting them to follow into their trance. And guess what? Everyone else who saw them also thought they were fantastic. I would seriously keep my eyes on them if I were you, as they have recently finished recording their new album, and rest assured, they will be playing somewhere near you very soon.

It wasn’t even 5 pm yet, and I was already excited about the next band, Shooting Daggers, who have also gone from strength to strength since the release of their debut album last year, Love & Rage. The queercore power trio from London were, as usual, very unapologetic about the importance of community and solidarity, about the divisive conflicts in the world and how women’s and LGBTQ+ rights were under attack in the UK (that statement did NOT age well, unfortunately).

Salomé (guitar/vox) and Bea (bass/vox) belted their punk anthems like nobody’s business when they were not singing in harmony during their ballad A Guilty Conscience Needs An Accuser, where Sal got all of us – including the photographers – to sit down quietly. All we could do was just stare and enjoy this vulnerable moment. I will be honest, it was very reminiscent of all the riot grrrl-adjacent bands I loved to listen to religiously as a young adult (Babes In Toyland, Heavens To Betsy, The Distillers, early Sleater-Kinney…), and that’s probably why people loved them so much.

After this short but pleasurable punk break, it was time to return with some ambient jazz-doom with Five The Hierophant – also based in London. What can I say about this set apart that it was groovy and trippy as hell. The voyage they took us on that day was something that no amount of magic mushrooms or other psychedelics could ever replicate. You could just close your eyes and be there as if you were Lisan Al-Gaib in the flesh, stranded in the desert, looking for that spice everybody and their mothers are on about. But as soon as you open your eyes, you’re back in the venue and enjoying the trip in between heavy headbanging.

It was also one of those sets that I wished to be longer, but damn, it was one hell of a trip and nobody there wanted it to stop… unless a heavier band comes along and make the floor stickier than it already was. That was the job of Hundred Year Old Man. No gimmicks, no faff, no pleasantries, the Leeds quintet had something in mind, and it was to obliterate our ears with heavy, heavy doom metal, big growls and a whole lot of moshing.

Just as expected, they were impeccable, incredibly catchy and also smiling a lot. I’ve always found it endearing to see band members beaming whilst playing and smirk at one another. Sure, the audience wasn’t as big as it was at ArcTanGent last year, but they gave the same type of energy, and they were sensational. I would have been happy if they played for a hundred years, it was that good!

The two final bands on the bill were Underdark – or what I like to call the best thing that has ever come out of Nottingham since Earache Records – and Svalbard, who might just be one of the most in-demand UK metal bands of the decade. Both conveyed different emotions and different vibes, and both frontwomen, Abi Vasquez and Serena Cherry, commanded the stage like the goddesses they are.

Sure, the Underdark set did not start in the best possible way due to unfortunate technical difficulties, but that would not impact the quality of their set as heavily as you would imagine because Abi is a powerhouse when it comes to the stage and would growl, shriek, and bend her body as if she was possessed and the audience would be asking for more. I must admit that I wished I had heard the drums a little clearer, but the shredders did an impeccable job at keeping the momentum going whilst the room started to get really rowdy.

As for Svalbard, you couldn’t ask for a better closing band than them, they got the entire venue headbanging and cheering for them. They played a lot of songs from their newest record to date, The Weight Of The Mask, and were engaging a lot with the audience, hyping up all the bands on the bill, thanking the audience for such a warm reception and kept reminding the crowd of what unites us the most: being a supportive community of like-minded individuals who love heavy and experimental music. Knowing how big they are becoming, being able to see them during a Chaos Theory show, is a privilege that many of us feel grateful for. And to end with Greyscale? Top-tier! Chef’s kiss.

And just like that, Chaos Theory Festival is over for this year. To say that I had the time of my life is the understatement of the decade because every single band gave their all with the audience. It is because of people like Kunal Singhal who keep the scene alive, and I’m already looking forward to the next Chaos Theory shows. And if I don’t see you there, I hope to see you soon. Maybe for Chaos Theory‘s Sweet Sixteen? Also, I have to give a big shout-out to Désirée and Alan from Lay Bare Recordings for finally meeting them in the flesh and having the opportunity to give them my gratitude for their work.

Svalbard

Underdark

Hundred Year Old Man

Five The Hierophant

Shooting Daggers

Codex Serafini

Morag Tong

Words & Photos by: Nessie Spencer