Bloodstock Adds The Nightflight Orchestra, Nekrogoblikon, The Crawling, and More to Thursday Night Pre-Party


Bloodstock Open Air unveiled a slew of new bands recently for the festival proper and now has booked new bands for the Thursday night pre-party! The Nightflight Orchestra, Nekrogoblikon, The Crawling, Raised by Owls, and 2019 Metal 2 The Masses winners for Bournmouths Anakim will all help kick off the weekend. Bloodstock’s 2020 main stage headliners are Devin Townsend (Friday), Behemoth (Saturday), and Judas Priest (Sunday) and also includes Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Skindred, Paradise Lost, Life Of Agony, Black Dahlia Murder, Diamond Head, Jinjer, Vio-Lence, Sacred Reich, Gloryhammer, Dark Tranquility, Butcher Babies, Cattle Decapitation, Bloodywood, Memoriam, Ramage Inc, Green Lung, Bossk, Hatebreed, Bury Tomorrow, Sylosis, Toxic Holocaust, Winterfylleth, Exhumed, and Necrot so far. Many more bands performing over the weekend will be announced soon!Continue reading


Hatebreed, Bury Tomorrow, Sylosis, Toxic Holocaust, Winterfylleth and More Added to Bloodstock 2020


Bloodstock Open Air is barreling into 2020 by adding a bunch of new bands to the bill. Hatebreed, Bury Tomorrow, Sylosis, Toxic Holocaust, Winterfylleth, Exhumed, and Necrot have all joined the bill! Bloodstock’s 2020 main stage headliners are Devin Townsend (Friday), Behemoth (Saturday), And Judas Priest (Sunday). The festival also welcomes Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Skindred, Paradise Lost, Life Of Agony, Black Dahlia Murder, Diamond Head, Jinjer, Vio-Lence, Sacred Reich, Gloryhammer, Dark Tranquility, Butcher Babies, Cattle Decapitation, Bloodywood, Memoriam, Ramage Inc, Green Lung, & Bossk so far. Many more bands performing over the weekend will be announced soon!Continue reading


Devin Townsend Invites You to Help Choose His Setlist for Bloodstock 2020


Devin Townsend Project, by Hillarie Jason

Already one of the most exciting things about Bloodstock 2020, just got cooler as Devin Townsend has asked fans to help him choose his setlist with a vote! You can vote at the poll I in the links below! In addition, new bands on the bill include Saxon, Orange Goblin, Conjurer, The Night Flight Orchestra, and Unleash the Archers to an already crushing lineup. This weekend, Sunday the 15th of December is the last day to get standard weekend tickets to the fest. More bands TBA soon. Final early bird discount, VIP offerings and Ticket deposit scheme details coming soon! Continue reading


Grand Magus – Sword Songs


grand-magus-sword-songs-album cover ghostcultmag

A long time ago, Swedish three-piece Grand Magus were primarily a doomy stoner band. In the years since their 2001 self-titled début, an increasingly large proportion of their sound has been dedicated to bombastic heavy metal. With the release of their eighth album, Sword Songs [Nuclear Blast], the transformation is basically complete.

Magus can still write a chunky riff, the solos still invoke the best kind of air guitar and JB’s vocals still have a Dio-esque quality about them, but there’s a worrying sense that every new album is case of diminishing returns. The songs aren’t bad; far from it, but it’s lacking the heaviness or the spark that made some of their previous work so enjoyable.

There are occasionally occasional great moments; opener ‘Feja’s Choice’ is classic Magus; thick slabs of doom combined with wailing choruses and a heavy dose of guitar solos. The latter half of ‘Last One to Fall’ is heavy with a tinge of Iron Maiden running through it, ‘Born for Battle (Black Dog of Brocéliande)’ mixes a rocking stomp with another epic sing along chorus, while closer ‘Every Day a Battle to Fight’ is probably the album highlight; a mid-paced belter that shows off the best of what the band can do.

But there’s plenty of forgettable or just plain naff moments. Lead single ‘Varangian’ is a perfectly passable sing along number that will no doubt get the fists pumping live, but there’s a definitive aura of cheesy heavy metal about it. ‘Forged in Iron – Crowned in Steel’s chant of “Viking Metal” is probably the worst example of over-egging the Viking aesthetic. It just doesn’t sound like their hearts are in it a lot of the time.

Sword Songs feels like an album to drink mead and sing along to. But as fun as it is, there’s a real lack of memorable songs, the Vikings and war shtick is overplayed, and ultimately it’s definite step down from some of the band’s past glories. Go listen to Iron Will instead.

7.0/10

DAN SWINHOE

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