FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Festival 2023 Part 3


 

Friday:

A challenge of being a concert photographer is seldom experiencing a full set. Often, I dash between stages, trying to capture each band as if on a Pokémon quest – though “gotta shoot ’em all” has a different ring to it. Nonetheless, the silver lining is I often witness a good portion of every set over the weekend. Here are my top picks and suggestions from Bloodstock’s two smaller stages, showcasing their stellar support for the underground scene and nurturing emerging metal talent in the UK and beyond.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Trollfest – Flamingo Overlord


If you’ve ever found yourself unable to sleep, deeply troubled by an almost primal need to comprehend the diverse sociopolitical ramifications of what would happen if a ruthless, semi-robotic and fully weaponized flamingo overlord was installed as the leader of a society of subservient worker flamingos, then seek immediate psychiatric help. Seriously, just leave and come back to this later. It can wait.Continue reading


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2019


Now in its nineteenth year, the annual metal pilgrimage to Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Hall in Derbyshire was joined this year by a very special, but highly unstable, guest.

The weather.

Yes, I know it’s England in August, and we should be more than accustomed to inconsistent weather conditions, but this really was something else. Tents too hot to be inside one moment were waterlogged the next. People soaked to the skin by sudden, torrential downpours were suffering sunburn minutes later. Grass turned to mud, mud became rivers, and the unprecedented winds would go on to cause problems all of their own.Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2019


The time is nigh! Bloodstock 2019, the best major independent music festival in the world is here! Ghost Cult’s crack team will be on-site as we have been every year in our existence, bringing you this vital heavy music event and experience! Featuring Sabaton, Parkway Drive and Scorpions, along with Anthrax, Batushka, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Cancer Bats, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Krysthla, Rotting Christ, Aborted, Skeletal Remains, All Hail The Yeti, Incite, Hypocrisy, Taake, The Lazys, Xentrix, and many more on the Catton Park stages this August. More bands are still being announced, but see the line-up so far here. Check out our day by day list must-see list below and everything else you need to know! Continue reading


Bloodstock Open Air is in 8 Weeks, Adds More Jager Stage Bands


Bloodstock Open Air, the best independent Metalfest in the world has added two more bands to its 2019 bill. Skypilot, Graves, Beggar, Black Shuck, Foul Body Autopsy, Jailbirds and Womanowar have all been added. More Jager stage bands will be announced next month. BOA also announces more Metal 2 the Masses winners: Grand Elder, Blind Divide, Scars of Remembrance, Elyrean, Fear Bound, Lost in Lavendar Town have all joined the fest. Bloodstock boasts headline bands Sabaton, Parkway Drive and Scorpions, along with Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Cancer Bats, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Krysthla, Rotting Christ, Aborted, Skeletal Remains, All Hail The Yeti, Incite, Hypocrisy, Taake, The Lazys, Xentrix, and many more on the Catton Park stages this August. More bands are still being announced, but see the line-up so far here.Continue reading


Bloodstock Announces First Metal 2 The Masses Winners, Day Tickets on Sale This Week


Gojira, photo credit Bloodstock Open Air on Facebook

Blood Stock Open Air will release their day tickets this week. A limited amount of day tickets for 2019’s event go on sale at 9.00am this Thursday 30th May, priced at £65 (+ fees) for adults and £20 (+ fees) for children aged 4-11. Children under 4 go free! Head here to snap them up! You can still also pick up 4-day ‘weekend tickets with camping’, priced £145 (+ fees) and children’s weekend tickets at just £35 (+ fees). VIP tickets are expected to sell out shortly, including limited Podpads, Bellepads and Octopads, plus limited remaining VIP upgrades (for those who’ve already purchased a standard ticket). Camper van plots & Luxpads are already sold out. Links below for more details. BOA also announces the first batch of New Blood winners from their ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ finals, who all bag a slot to perform on the Hobgoblin New Blood stage! The finals are still taking place around the country. Saturday’s New Blood stage bill welcomes Coventry winners Djinova, Glasgow victors Inferiem, and Deformation Of Man, who took top prize in the Sheffield heat. They’ll be joined by Belfast top dogs, Lock Horns. Black Country band Masters Call also win a New Blood slot after impressing the booking team via their CD submission. Sunday brings Dublin champions Aesect, Norwich leaders Bastard, and Take Refuge, having clinched first place in the Milton Keynes final. You’ll also get to see 28 Double, who took Leicester’s gold medal! Continue reading


Footprints in the Custard – A New Low


How do you know if an elephant has been in your fridge? Because there are Footprints in the Custard. Bad Jokes are the order of the day here and following on in a long line of British comedy metal acts such as Lawnmower Deth, Evil Scarecrow FITC are making a name for themselves as an absolutely essential live act capable of making even the most pious of metal head laughing their arse off in record time. Continue reading


Bloodstock Open Air 2019 Adds Xentrix, Karybdis, Control The Storm, Helheim and More


Bloodstock Open Air has filled the last few slots for the Ronnie James Dio main stage and Sophie Lancaster stage bands, as the Metal 2 The Masses finals roll through the UK to find the best of the grass roots to flesh out the New Blood stage. The dest also announced a limited number of day tickets for 2019’s event will go on sale at the end of May. Joining the stacked lineip are Xentrix, Karybdis, Control The Storm, Helheim, Guardians of Time, and Odd Crew. Bloodstock already includes headliners Sabaton, Parkway Drive, and Scorpions, with Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Rotting Christ, Aborted, Skeletal Remains, All Hail The Yeti, Incite, Hypocrisy and many more on the Catton Park stages this August. With more bands to come, stay tuned for even more artists to be announced soon! Bloodstock will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2019. Get additional information and tickets at the link below.Continue reading


Bloodstock 2019 Adds Six More Bands, Schedules Metal To The Masses Finals


Bloodstock has added six more bands and firmed up their schedule for their Metal To The Masses competition finals. Now on the bill are Wheel, Solitary, Vioblast, Crescent, Blood Red Hourglass and The Paralax Method! The Metal 2 The Masses finals kick off soon too, so make plans to support your local event detailed below and you might even get to win a pair of weekend tickets for just taking a photo! Full dates below. Bloodstock already includes headliners Sabaton, Parkway Drive, and Scorpions, with Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Rotting Christ, Aborted, Skeletal Remains, All Hail The Yeti, Incite, Hypocrisy and many more on the Catton Park stages this August. With more bands to come, stay tuned for even more artists to be announced soon! Bloodstock will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2019. Get additional information and tickets at the link below. Continue reading


Bloodstock Adds Sulpher, Def Con One, Damnations Hammer, Blasphemer, Zealot Cult, Witchtripper and Harbinger


Bloodstock Open Air has added seven more bands to the bill for this August! Sulpher (members of Marilyn Manson), Def Con One (ex-Venom), Damnations Hammer, Blasphemer, Zealot Cult, Witchtripper, and Harbinger have all joined the bill. Bloodstock already includes Friday night’s headliner Sabaton, Parkway Drive on Saturday, and Sunday night headliners Scorpions, with Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Rotting Christ, Aborted, Skeletal Remains, All Hail The Yeti, Incite, Hypocrisy and many more on the Catton Park stages this August. With more bands to come, stay tuned for even more artists to be announced soon! Bloodstock will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2019. Get additional information and tickets at the link below. Continue reading