Continuing our run of letting you know a little more about as many of the bands on at Bloodstock 2025 as we possibly can before you get a chance to see them, we have Ofnus. This bunch play on the Sophie Lancaster Stage on the Friday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Ofnus are from Cardiff and the surrounding area.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
We formed in very late 2021, began writing and rehearsing in mid-2022, and then began playing live from January 2023. Not too long in the grand scheme of things, but we knew to ensure that we were prepared before we took the band to the stage for the first time.
Where does the name of the band come from?
“Ofnus” is a Welsh word for “Scared” or “Afraid“. We try to incorporate elements of that theme into our music in a very broad sense, but it’s not exclusively the theme we opt for.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We’re something of an amalgamation of influences that can at times be a little challenging to pigeon-hole, but we’re fine with that. Our particular soup of genres spans across atmospheric black metal at its root, but takes elements of melodic black metal, progressive rock, folk, post-metal, doom, and a generous slathering of symphonic orchestrations that draw influence from modern classic cinema. Think sad Lord of the Rings with occasional manic episodes and you may not be too far wide of the mark. Whilst we believe it’s folly to claim true uniqueness, we do believe that what we offer as a whole is rarely replicated.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
We do offer something quite different – we play the sort of music that you can close your eyes and let yourself be transported to, relying quite heavily on dynamic changes in mood, tempo and tones to keep things fresh. Our tracks are narrative driven, not exactly radio-friendly, but if you are open to a really emotive and thought-provoking listening experience, then we’ve got you covered. Equally, we do know how to dial up the intensity when it matters, so we’re quite happy to throw in the heavier numbers to wake people up.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Have you played Bloodstock before? If so, when?
Yes, as it happens. Ofnus performed back in 2023 in our fifth show at 10:30am on the Sunday – New Blood stage. It was an exceptional experience, and we were incredibly flattered to have packed the tent out at that time. It just made us hungry for more, so we’ve been working hard since – performing around the country and releasing a second record. A few of our members have also performed in other bands historically through Blind Divide & Agrona – but those experiences help with us seeking to make the most of the new opportunity.
How/when did you find out that you’d be playing the SOPHIE stage?
We found out late last year after having sent a copy of our most recent record over to the festival well before it was released. Having had such a great performance back in 2023, we thought it was worth chancing another bite at the cherry, and we are over the moon that they’ve taken another punt on us. Receiving that nod was just as exciting as the first time round, except now we get to show how far we’ve come.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
One with very minimal talking! Our songs are all unfeasibly long, however we have curated a set-list that will fit the time slot – just about. It’s a diverse run of four tracks that will take listeners through the full spectrum of our soundscapes, so we are tentatively hoping this will go down well and win us over some new fans. What we will say though, is those who stick it out to the end will be rewarded. We’re a band with a lot to say, but with very few words – the music will be doing that lifting.
Stage times haven’t been announced yet, so which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
So, what we do know is that we are opening Friday on the Sophie Stage. That means that we will only clash partly with the main stage opener, and also a New Blood band. We’re already gutted that we know we’ll be missing Shrapnel on that basis, but it would be nice to catch Baelfyr or Thunarwulf on the New Blood stage.
What are you working on at the moment?
We always have a number of things in the works – the most important thing for us is to not knowingly, or unknowingly let ourselves stagnate. We have some new merchandise being prepared for us exclusively available at Bloodstock first, we’ve got some additional shows in active discussion in the background too, as well as some tentative European contacts. Most notably though? We’re working on a third record.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Probably not the wildest thing we’ve collectively seen, but just recently we played a bill with Acid Reign on it. Nothing is safe from their vocalist H. Nothing. If it exists, he will climb it. If it’s not tied down, he will collect it and/or redistribute it to the crowd. The man is an un-containable ball of energy, and the crowd benefited from beers, balloons, and an apple on his behalf, in between his sliding around the stage and ordering drinks whilst standing on the bar – mid performance. Rock & Roll is NOT dead!
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
We’re all boring and prefer caffeinated beverages, sorry. Though after the performance, we’ll be at the VIP bar being fed intravenously with Lillies Cider. See you there.
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Ofnus: facebook | instagram | threads | bluesky | bandcamp | ampwall | spotify | tiktok | youtube
