FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2022 Part 2


Catton Park, United kingdom, 14 Aug 2022, Lamb of God performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine

 

SATURDAY

Considering most people are already feeling like overcooked baked potatoes wrapped in tin foil, the fact that today is meant to be the hottest day of the festival really isn’t the best news. Still, that certainly doesn’t deter a healthy crowd from shaking off the hangovers and getting on with the business at hand, Baest and Lost Society both grabbing the main stage by the scruff of the neck while Sister Shotgun and Mastiff do the same on the Sophie stage.Continue reading


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2022 Part 1


Catton Park, United kingdom, 12 Aug 2022, Behemoth performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine

Main Stage and Sophie Lancaster Stage

 

THURSDAY

If there are two things we love doing in the UK, it’s complaining about the weather and queuing for things. Well, this year at Bloodstock Open Air, both are freely available and at no extra charge. Not a moment goes by without a comment on the sweltering heat or about having to wait to cross the road to the festival ground. Yes, not content with spending two hours in the main queue, campers have now invented a brand new line to join before even getting that far. For the first time ever, a line has formed for people pulling trolleys and sack carts. Almost a quarter of a mile of people waiting in a surprisingly orderly queue before joining an even bigger queue. England, never change.

 

With the heat already playing its part, I finally arrive at the Sophie Lancaster Stage in time to catch Italian nutters Nanowar of Steel who send the audience into hysterics with daft costumes and a “Wall of Love” (a traditional wall of death that climaxes with people hugging each other to George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’). Preceding the infuriatingly catchy ‘Norwegian Reggaeton’ with Burzums outdoor recipe for roasted salmon (“you place the freshly caught salmon on a rock and burn down the church next to it”) the band then take the opportunity to use the mighty ‘Valhalleluja’ to build an Ikea coffee table, holding it aloft for the elated crowd. Accompanied by an actual goblin for the duration of their set, US act Nekrogoblikon certainly put on an enjoyable show but find it tough following such a display of irreverent insanity.

Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2022


Bloodstock Open Air (BOA) 2022 is almost upon us. Kicking off on Thursday the 11th of August, this most metal of all festivals runs until Sunday the 14th, damaging necks, air guitar strings, and bank accounts along the way. After Covid put paid to the 2020 festival, an admirably safety-conscious BOA returned with a five day bang last year! (read our review of BOA 2021 review here), selling out weekend passes well in advance and things promise to be just as busy this time.

Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Welcome To Rockville 2022


Welcome To Rockville – America’s Largest Rock Festival–will kick off the Danny Wimmer Presents festival season in Daytona Beach, Florida Today! The top-notch talent includes headliners KISS, KORN, Guns N’ Roses, and Nine Inch Nails, plus appearances by 80+ additional bands including Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, The Smashing Pumpkins, Breaking Benjamin, Megadeth, Porno For Pyros (in place of Jane’s Addiction,) Papa Roach, Rise Against, Halestorm, In This Moment, Seether, Bush, and many more.

Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Shadow Frost Music and Arts Festival


 

Shadow Frost Music & Arts Festival is here and it promises to be a unique experience. The debut the hotel-based fest is brought to you by the producers of Shadow Woods Productions, LLC and Shadow Woods Metal Fest, and is the winter-time companion to the Shadow Woods Metal Fest, expected back in action this summer. The Shadow Frost fest takes place on February 21st and 22d and will feature Oakland’s Vastum as well as a special set from their guitarist/ambient industrialist Leila Abdul-Rauf. Also on the bill are Deceased, Barishi, Magic Circle, Doomstress, Alms, Darsombra, Fell Ruin, Yatra and many more! Check below for daily lineups with set times and all of their amazing vendor options.Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Damnation Festival 2019, Leeds University


Events Center, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV 8/18/19

Damnation Festival is upon us, returning tomorrow, 2 November for that is extreme, unholy, and revolutionary in music. The festival is Sold out completely. Among the bands on the stacked bill are Opeth, Mayhem, The Vintage Caravan, Alcest, Venom Prison, Birds in Row, Dawn Ray’d, Imperial Triumphant, Lord Dying, Inter Arma, Primordial, Dragged Into Sunlight, Gaahl’s Wyrd, Gost, Voices, Blood Red Throne, Jo Quail and Carnation, and more.Continue reading


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Slipknot, Tool, Korn, Rob Zombie, Staind, and More Rule Aftershock 2019


It comes as no surprise that this year’s Aftershock Festival was once again sold out. I mean, how could it not with big-name talents such as Slipknot, Tool, Korn, Rob Zombie, Blink-182, Lamb of God, Dropkick Murphys, Marilyn Manson, Bad Religion, Chevelle, and many others. And with the über-early announcement of next year’s headliner—Metallica, for those of you living under a rock—there’s no question that 2020’s Aftershock will sell out as well. In fact, as of this writing, VIP weekend passes were all gone. A year in advance! So, how was this year’s outing? Damn good, in our humble opinion.Continue reading


PREVIEW: MegaCruise Makes Its Debut at Sea Today!


Following the pre-cruise party last night with UFO, Raven, and Armored Saint, the Megacruise tales off today from Los Angeles for its maiden voyage! The cruise features members of Megadeth, and performances from Lamb of God, Anthrax, Testament, Dragonforce, Overkill, Corrosion Of Conformity, Queensryche, Suicidal Tendencies, Death Angel, Sacred Reich, Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons, Doro, Armored Saint, John 5, Metal Church, Danko Jones, Beastö Blancö, Metalachi, and Toothgrinder. Megadeth tribute band Mechanix will also take part in the cruise, hand-selected by Dave Mustaine himself. In addition, Official Cruise Hosts Eddie Trunk (VH1, SiriusXM, Axs), Luc Carl (SiriusXM) and Jose Mangin (SiriusXM) will be moderating Q&As and events. Departing out of Los Angeles aboard the Norwegian Jewel, the five-day/five-night full ship charter cruise will set sail toniht, October 13-18, 2019, visiting two ports of call (Ensenada, Mexico and San Diego, California) and host two heavy metal-filled days of music and events. The cruise will also feature an optional pre-cruise party in Los Angeles (details to be announced), Megadeth wine and beer tastings and a ton of metal fan frivolity! Stay tuned for our review coming in a few weeks!

Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Aftershock Festival 2019


Aftershock Festival gets underway this weekend in Sacramento, California! The now three-day event is sold-out and features Tool, Slipknot, Staind (in a rare reunion show), blink-182, Korn, Rob Zombie, Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember, Marilyn Manson, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Dropkick Murphys, BABYMETAL, Bad Religion, Stone Temple Pilots, Chevelle and many more. Ghost Cult has been fortunate to cover the fest for many years, often the highlight of our annual festival coverage. Al lthe bands are tight, but clashes being what they are, check out our day by day list of can’t miss acts.Continue reading


REVIEW: Psycho Las Vegas 2019 – Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino


As far as large multi-day fests go, Psycho Las Vegas is still pretty wet behind the ears having only just had their fourth annual incarnation this August but already it has begun growing into what will likely continue to be the summer juggernaut of partying and music. New this year, to the dismay of many, was the location change from the off the strip and perfectly themed haunt, The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, to the megaplex that is Mandalay Bay. Gone is the feeling of a true fest take over and in its place, a sprawling amalgamation of “psychos” and people from any town USA or abroad there simply to gamble, throw pre-wedding bashes, get drunk or maybe attend a conference (*ahem* “conference”). Once everyone got their bearings and navigated through this corporate mega casino/hotel/shopping mall, pushed back a few drinks or whatever preferred substances they were into, and found the locations of the four stages, the complaining ebbed and instead, people experienced the fest for what it is. A gigantic party with a great combination of bands playing for four days.Continue reading