Bloodstock 2019, Catton Hall, United Kingdom
Saturday 10th August
(Paul H) Whereas Friday had dawned relatively calm after the heavy rain, Saturday would be challenged by the 40mph winds that were sweeping across the entire festival. With the weather changing every few minutes, it was time to man up, move away from the swaying tent and focus on the music. And what a start. Opening the main stage was none other than one of our favourite bands, Northamptonshire’s Krysthla (9) who were simply devastating. Frontman Ade Mayes was in no mood to fuck up his big moment, and this bear of a man was pumped to the eyeballs as he stalked the stage, his massive roars heard miles away. Alongside Mayes, the duel guitars of Neil Hudson and Noel Davies shredded like there was no tomorrow, alongside bassist Carl Davies and the precision drumming of Liam Turland. Krysthla’s technical extreme metal is not to everyone’s tastes, but if you do enjoy their distinctive surgically meticulousness approach then this would have had you crying tears of joy. New tracks Remembrance and Zero-Sum Game from the forthcoming Worldwide Negative album were well received with Neil’s clean vocals impressing and the translation to the main stage comfortable. Closing with the massive Luminosity this was one of the sets of the weekend.
Across to the New Blood stage to catch some of Nicosia and Brighton’s combined metal talent with Stormcast (7) whose variety of influences quickly made themselves apparent. With a cross between Opeth, Rotting Christ and Gojira, the band went down well, and I was impressed with their delivery.
Back to the Sophie Stage for one of the discoveries of the weekend, Bulgarians Odd Crew (8) who have been going for 21 years. Their diversity in sound proved a winner and as the crowd slowly swelled, the band relaxed and delivered an impressive set. Their final track, a semi-ballad, took the band in a different direction again but a huge ovation told you all you needed to know. Back to the New Blood Stage for the next band, the notable thrash of Corby outfit Reaper X (7). With drummer Carl Sheldrick wearing an intimidating mask, he and the rest of the band provided a gutsy 30 minutes of new style thrash which was certainly sufficiently impressive for me to follow them with more interest now. Plenty of shredding riffage, tight compositions and full throttle approach. This was good stuff.
(Stief) It’s not surprising that Guardians of Time (8) drew a great crowd within the Sophie Tent, their Norwegian heavy metal stylings clearly popular with the festival goers. It’s not hard to see why. It’s a great mix; a frontman with as brilliant a range as Bernt Fjellestad, backed up with guitar work from Paul Olsen and relative newcomer Anders Danielsen (who I managed to have a brief chat with later on in the day) as well as drummer Jan Willy Aarass and Jonkis Werdal on bass, all working together to make a tight sound. There’s even some comedy when Bernt introduces their track As I Burn (sans Tim “Ripper” Owens), twice after Jan Aarass misses the mark first time.
Overall a brilliant set, which unfortunately can’t be said for Bloodstock favourites Evil Scarecrow (6), as I headed over to the main stage to catch the end of their set. Despite drawing a large crowd, the band have their sound marred by the heavy winds battering the fields of Catton Hall. Extra points for perseverance, however, as they battle through the winds to deliver the audience participation we’ve all come to know and enjoy.
(Paul H) A few minutes of North Wales M2TM winners Scars Of Remembrance (6) followed, their mix of influences resulting in a schizophrenic sound which was certainly worth listening to. Vocalist Mike owned the stage, his presence important. By now the wind was at its height and we raced across to catch Teutonic riffers Dust Bolt (8) on the Sophie Stage. Another band who sit very much in the 1980s thrash style, Dust Bolt are actually very good, and their set had much dandruff flying in the main tent. Sadly, an emergency tent repair meant I missed some of the band’s set, but they were vicious with their thrash onslaught.
(Matt) Just before Thy Art is Murder took to the mainstage we got a big solid chunk of old school death metal from Pemphigoid (8) who brought their flesh rotting death metal to the Bloodstock stage on its smallest but often most interesting stage. The three piece used all.of it to full advantage sounding bigger than their component parts, fully prepared to bludgeon anyone that dared to stand at the stage. Never ones to move around they concentrated on bringing the riffs and splitting as many skills as possible. One of the sleeper hits of the weekend.
(Liam) When the Aussie Deathcore titans Thy Art Is Murder (9) were first announced I'd have no idea that they would have gone over so well with the Bloodstock crowd. But with the tongue-in-cheek humor of CJ McMahon and the brutality performed by the band themselves, they’ve certainly gained a new fan base. Although the strong winds disrupting their set and not allowing for any pyro the band still set their sights on Bloodstock and perform a blistering set including song from new record Human Target, including the title track and New Gods go down a treat. While classics such as Reign Of Darkness & The Purest Strain Of Hate send the crowd into a frenzy of circle pits and crowd surfers, When performing Slaves Beyond Death, McMahon takes advantage of the winds to perform a ‘Michael Jackson’ moment with his shirt blowing behind him. And while joking they’ll be back to headline next year, there’s no doubt next time they’re here, they’ll be a few notches up the line-up.
(Paul H) Having resolved the tent issue, I made it back to the tent to catch a bit of 3 Headed Snake (5), the project of Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin. Despite the high-quality line-up, 3 Headed Snake were typically generic metal and interest was not held for long, so it was back to Belfast progressive thrash merchants in Lock Horns (7) on the New Blood stage who amongst other things incited a one man mosh pit which was funny to observe. On stage the band carved their way through their well written numbers and they delivered a storming set.
With the wind now stopping play on the main stage, it was down to those in charge to make the tough calls. And without much of a problem, they jigged things around to ensure the day continued. With the lighting rigs lowered to the stage, the Cradle of Filth fans waited patiently to hear that Dani and co had been rescheduled to Sunday, with several other switches as well. With a risk to life and limb, this was a superb reaction by the whole Bloodstock crew, and they deserve kudos for their decision making.
Back at the VIP bar it was a chance encounter with Slay Duggee (5), the children’s metal outfit whose motto is to bring metal to the U.10’s. They were certainly entertaining enough and probably on long enough as well. Meanwhile, one of the must-see acts of the weekend, Black Country’s Master’s Call (8) brought an air of mystery with their bludgeoning black metal. Pits a plenty as the band dished out misery and despair. A hop across the muddy field to the Sophie Stage whilst there was still no action on the main stage found me watching Saturday special guests Divine Chaos (8) tear the Sophie stage apart. A last-minute replacement for Skeletal Remains, who were stuck at the mercy of a ferry, Divine Chaos brought the monstrous thrash metal and were one of the stars of the weekend.
Meanwhile on the main stage Anthrax (8) had now started the music again and despite seeing them three times last year, they remain an entertaining force to watch despite a rather predictable set list, although the return of A.I.R. was welcomed. Before the festival, the announcement of Australians Parkway Drive (6) as main headliners was met with derision by those with an elitist attitude. Whilst I watched about 40 minutes of their set, I simply do not get why these guys are so revered. A flashy stage show appears to wow those wanting a flash bang wallop approach. Their songs whilst catchy are somewhat repetitive and after about six songs I was ready to return to the Sophie Tent for the headliner, Taake (7). His brutal black metal was intense and the scene in the tent was one of chaos as the occult metal swirled around. A neon blue sign with the Norwegian’s name on it at the back of the stage was an interesting choice and as the embers burned, so the crowd of the curious slowly filed in. By this time, the efforts of the day had caught up and it was time to head back to VIP.
Sunday 11th August
Having survived the night and a rather unpleasant stomach pains, the final day arrived and promised to be just as busy. First up was the BOA veterans Resin, who hadn’t played at the festival for five years. With a string trio backing up violinist Emma Bennett, Resin (7) provided some respite from the raging fires of the previous days and their Alice In Chains style was a great start to the day. The arrival of Krysthla frontman Ade Mayes for a bit of additional vocal support didn’t do any harm either and the Leicestershire band were roundly applauded at the end of their set. Heading over to the New Blood Stage, 28 Double (6) were in full flow. The Leicestershire winners of M2TM, the band were utilising their hard rock with a passion and with a solid support got a deserved response.
(Liam) Some destructive death metal from Belgian on an early rainy Sunday morning, could always be hit or miss. But Aborted (6) wake up the groggy crowd and soon have us all headbanging and circle pitting. The rain gets progressively worse, but no one cares, as the band rip through their set with no cares in the world. With material from both their latest offering & going back to 2001, it’s quite the sight to see the band rip through their classics and new songs as they stand side by side sounding like they belong together. It’s a brilliant set but does get a tad repetitive, but hey, what can you do? I’m just glad I've seen the death metal outfit prove that they’re needed higher up on the bill.
(Paul H) Why does it always rain just before Welsh bands play? The deluge that had occurred on Friday returned just minutes before Fallen Temples hit the stage. Sadly, the rain departed as quickly as it had arrived, and the tent was suddenly less full. Not that this bothered our Welsh heroes and Fallen Temples (9) proceeded to provide the second stellar set by a Welsh band of the weekend. Quickly getting into their stride through Cut The Wire and Phoenix, the band revelled in the extra space and whilst drummer Joe Stirland was bathed in dry ice from most of the show, his backing vocals and excellent drumming were certainly not quiet. Out front Joe Lewis, resplendent in his Musipedia Of Metal shirt bounced around the stage whilst Adam Vaughan focused on his superb guitar work and vocals. Roared on by the vociferous Welsh support, the set flew by. This was a stellar performance from a band who seriously deserve all the plaudits they get.
A quick dash to the Sophie Stage once more for a bit of Nottingham’s Witch Tripper (9). These guys are massive favourites, and this was my fifth time seeing them this year. The power trio never let you down and their groove infested dirty rock n’ roll went down a storm in the packed tent. Richie Barlow was as hyperactive as ever, shirtless from the opening bars as the band blasted through the quickest 40 minutes I’ve ever experienced. It appeared that bassist Chris Stoff had a minor amp issue which happily he was able to resolve. The true professionals that they are, nothing phased them at all and by the time they had hit White Lines the crowd were down and grooving. A fabulous set and another one to remember. Following Witch Tripper were Solitary (8), the UK thrash veterans who belied their age with a fresh, spunky attitude.
Fired on from their excellent XXV release, the band’s intensive thrash assault went down a treat. And then we arrived at that moment of the weekend when you hear a band you really hoped would be half as good as they were. Finnish progressive rockers Wheel (10) proved to be everything we wanted and more in a mesmerising set. English born vocalist James Lascalles is a captivating front man and appeared genuinely moved by the response of the crowd. For those who were unaware of Moving Backwards before, it will surely be on their shopping list afterwards. Roni Seppänen’s guitar work was sublime, whilst Mikko Määttä’s pounding bass is the driving force for their songs. Any band that can throw a ten-minute track in Wheel into their festival set really need it to work and it was simply stunning. Possibly the band of the weekend and I cannot wait to see them again at Damnation.
(Matt) It was Wigan band Boss Keloid (8) who had the unenviable task of following the amazing Wheel but this proved to be an inspired move as what is better than prog on a Sunday afternoon than double prog? Stylistically different to Wheel, Boss Keloid are much more of a spacey affair with the sludgier, stoner riffs matched by the at times overwhelming keys that were quite high in the mix which added to the space rock feel of the band who played a set mainly from their new album Melted On Inch. It was a great way to while away 40 minutes in another world away from the heaviness on the rest of the bill.
(Paul H) At last time to get back to the main stage and what a set to do so. Swedish Death Metal legends Hypocrisy (8) played a blinding set, full of heavy riffing and visceral thrash sections. Peter Tägtgren, was on ferocious form, his snarling rants about being asked to play in the morning (it was 3pm) and constant haranguing of the crowd to get involved. A set list to die for included tracks from several releases, including a monumental A Fire In The Sky and the mandatory set closer Roswell 47. Mikael Hedlund, Horgh and touring member Tomas 'Elof' Elofsson added all the meat you needed, and this was one of those sets that it was vital to watch. Not over yet as a further trip to the Sophie Tent introduced us to Crescent (8), whose Egyptian death metal was brilliant and deserved a bigger audience. Clashing with Dee Snider was not helpful, but the Egyptians were robust and quite fantastic. With incense wafting through the whole tent this was what we wanted.
The two European bands put through as M2TM finalists were Golden Core (6) from Norway and Seithist (5) from Poland. Whilst Golden core impressed with the two piece’s talent and age, they struggled with the occasion, the size of the stage. Seithist were hexed by an awful sound but just were not very good. In between these I’d watched Suffolk’s most famous son scream his guts out as Cradle Of Filth (8) put in a commanding performance. Following Seithist, we were treated to the hyperactive Leadrobot (6), the machine metal from Leeds who varied between worst band of the weekend and most intriguing. It was the arrival of the blackened thrash of Damim (8) which restored faith as Nathanael Underwood, Flo, Edd and Faust blasted through their set with a ferocity that was incredible for the penultimate band of the weekend. Fresh from their latest excellent release, A Fine Game Of Nil, this was uncompromising stuff and for those unsuspecting souls who had wandered into the tent out of curiosity, probably quite a shock.
(Nick) One of the bands that I was most looking forward too this weekend, Queensryche (9) entered the stage with little fanfare, having been bumped up to the special guest spot due to Dimmu unfortunately having to pull out. Immediately breaking out heavy riff filled Blood Of The Levant, from new album The Verdict, the band set about introducing their new sound to the crowd. However, only really accepted by the die hard Queensryche fans the song finished with an undeserved splattering of applause. From here on though, it was to be hit after hit. Delving deep into the band's back catalogue at times, songs from the Operation:Mindcrime, Rage For Order and Empires were offered up.
Starting with title track Operation: Mindcrime and moving on to Walk In The Shadows and Queen Of The Ryche the band drew the crowd in, mainly due to the yet again flawless voice of Todd Le Torre. Hitting every note perfectly and mostly effortlessly Todd is the key to the modern version of this band. As the majority of the crowd joined in singing along to hits such as Empires, Screaming In Digital and the beautiful Take Hold Of The Flame, the combination of Wilson, Rockenfield, Jackson and Lundgren with La Torres voice offer up a majestic brand of prog metal that has and will carry on to live throughout the years. Queensryche are have always been one of my favourite bands, no matter who fronts them and here they proved why.
*On a side note, to the greasy numpty who was stood next to me proudly proclaiming "I don't know who these guys are, but they're just trying to be Iron Maiden... Desperate". You sir did nothing but embarrass yourself, nonetheless; you are a heathen, you should not be allowed to speak let alone listen to music. You should be banned from all music and your family should be ashamed of you.* (I think Nick was a little tired and emotional here)
(Matt) As we moved towards the main stage for the German hard rock legends in the Jagermeister stage for Womenowar (8) made up of members of Dakesis and Fury who, in the wake of their male counterparts not playing Hellfest, said that they would not be pulling out of Bloodstock as it was not a valid method of contraception. They crammed onto the stage with Erica Had'Ems (Dakesis Singer - Gemma Lawler) using her amazing pipes to blast out Manowar, Kings Of Metal, Hail And Kill and of course Battle Hymns as Joanne Lmao (Dakesis Bassist - Amie Chatterley) cranked out the low end (even treating the unworthy masses to the world's greatest bass solo), the guitars were taken by Davina Shenkels (Dakesis Guitarist - Matt Jones) and Floss The Boss (Fury Guitarist - Jake Elwell) while The Pleasure Slave (Occasional Fury Bassist - Josh Cureton) sat behind the drumkit. The keys (for what is a Womenowar show without massive orchestrations to get hysterical over were handled by The Man-O-Whore (Fury Bassist Becky Baldwin) and Thunderprick (Dakesis Drummer - Adam Harris). They truly played a headline set turning Bloodstock Fest into WomenowarFest. As is only right they played when no other band were performing making them the most authentic tribute to Manowar in the world. Other bands play Womenowar kill so hit The Gryphon later this year to see them make the wimps and posers leave the hall!
(Paul H) And so, we arrived at the Sunday headliner. German legends Scorpions (7) have been touring their Crazy World tour for several years. Slick, choreographed and at times a little self-indulgent, this was still a show that demonstrated why the band are so well regarded. Klaus Meine’s voice started ropey but improved although there were times when he really did show all his 71 years. Rudolph Schenker, meanwhile, didn’t stop, running along the walkway which split the crowd and going through several costume changes. The set-list was almost identical to the set I’d seen in Lille several years ago and the absence of some of their heavier tracks was disappointing. Still, Make It Real and The Zoo both still send shivers up and down my spine, Blackout was thrilling, and Winds Of Change is still in my most hated songs. Mikkey Dee may be a fabulous drummer, but a ten-minute drum solo was unnecessary. Mathias Jabs remains a superb guitarist and it was a pleasure to watch him play. Closing with a ghastly Still Loving You and the inevitable Rock You Like A Hurricane (to the wildest sing-along of the evening), this was possibly the German’s swansong in the UK.
Heading back to the campsite, I reflected that this had been one of the most demanding Bloodstock festivals for a long time. Huge numbers of bands to see, challenging weather and a tiredness which has yet to leave. But it was amazing, and I am sure that this time next year I’ll be writing up my summary of the 20th anniversary.
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