Ghost Cult is kicking off our “End of Year Guest Post Extravaganza” with a slew of posts from bands, industry, PR types, and more! We’ll be sharing lists, memories, and other shenanigans from our favorite bands, partners, music industry peers, and other folks we respect across the globe. Dungeon Synth / Black Metal artist Gate Master shares his top 10 releases of 2020.
Bloodstock Open Air is making plans to return in 2021 and every year festival founder Paul Gregory curates a selection from other heavy-metal-friendly artists, both established and new, who has caught his attention the previous year. In 2021, Paul wants to give a chance to artistic newcomers to win the opportunity to hang a piece of their work alongside his own and other respected creatives in the on-site RAM Gallery, so he’s devised an art competition. To enter you need to design and create your own piece of artwork, based around and inspired by one of the bands performing at Bloodstock 2021. Paul will jointly judge the competition alongside friend and fellow artist, Mark Wilkinson (illustrator of album sleeves for Marillion, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, The Darkness), and the winner will have their work professionally framed, lit, and hung in the RAM Gallery on-site next August. In addition to this honour, the winner will bag a pair of weekend festival tickets, a personal tour of the RAM Gallery on-site with Paul Gregory, and the potential to watch 3 songs from the side of the stage of the band they’ve chosen to create their artwork for (subject to closed stages).
Bloodstock Open Air, rebooked for 2021, has announced a new headliner! The great Heavy Metal legends Mercyful Fate, featuring King Diamond, will headline the Ronnie James Dio stage on Saturday, along with Dimmu Borgir as special guests. Watch a new trailer now!
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In the realm that is black metal, fans are usually treated to anti-religious themed lyrics, a heavy dose of blast beats, and at times, cookie-cutter guitar riffs. However, as black metal has evolved throughout the years, we now get more atmospheric-centric style music with lyrics that tell stories of nature, history, or just simply life itself. Winterfylleth falls into the second category especially with their latest release, The Reckoning Dawn (Candlelight/Spinefarm). Spanning across the entire album are memorable guitar licks, thunderous drumming, backing chants, and accompanying synth work that really ties the complete sound package together. It may not be a visual painting to look at, but the UK outfit certainly put together a fine piece of art.
Bloodstock Open Air 2020 is still hoping to go forward with its 20th-anniversary edition this summer in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. The festival has announced that BOA 2020 event planning is proceeding with full care and attention, in order to bring you the best event yet to celebrate 20 Years of Bloodstock. The team is closely monitoring government guidelines and cooperating with the relevant authorities to assure the best and safest environment for our Bloodstockers, bands, staff, and site workers come August and will continue to keep you updated with any further developments. New bands added to the bill include Lost Society, Video Nasties, Wolf Jaw, Grave Lines, Vexed, and more TBA. Continue reading
Bloodstock Open Air 2020 continues to pile on the big names with six new acts added to the lineup! Savage Master, Blasphemer, Liberty Lies, Black Tongue, Pist, and Sharks In Your Mouth have joined a bill that includes headliners Devin Townsend (Friday), Behemoth (Saturday), and Judas Priest (Sunday) as well as Hatebreed, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Skindred, Paradise Lost, Life Of Agony, Bury Tomorrow, Black Dahlia Murder, Diamond Head, Jinjer, Vio-Lence, Sacred Reich, Gloryhammer, Dark Tranquillity, Bloodywood and more! The fest also named this year’s charity partner will be the mental health charity Mind. Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, and campaign to improve services and raise awareness. 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem every year and Mind won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. In addition to guestlist donations, raising funds on behalf of Mind on site at BLOODSTOCK will be festival attendee Michael Lacy, with his Patch Amnesty initiative. Bring your old, spare, or new patches to donate, browse patches to buy, or even just stop by for a chat. All proceeds go to Mind. Please look out for Patch Amnesty/Mind signage and stop by his stand in the main arena to give your support. Continue reading
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
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
It’s spring bank holiday in the UK, which can mean only one thing; a long weekend of headbanging in London’s dingiest venues. 2019 marks the eighth edition of London’s Desertfest; a festival dedicated to the slow, the slower, and the heavy. With a healthy dose of bong and Satan worship thrown in for good measure. Continue reading
