(Paul H) With every type of weather thrown at us, you’d have to be a complete moron not to appreciate the impact that climate change is having. The UK’s number one metal festival endured everything mother nature could throw at it, but not without a few casualties. Preparations are key, and overall, the Bloodstock family coped admirably. With the emphasis on recycling and the reduction in single use plastic this year, it was noticeable around the site, there was substantially less litter strewn across most of the campsites and particularly the main arena. Additional bins would have made it easier for people to recycle, those that were there were often overflowing. In VIP, the cleaners worked admirably to keep the toilets and showers functional and the main arena portaloos were also impressively useable even late on Sunday afternoon. Reports of the usual animalist behaviour reached us via social media, but apart from the odd punter who missed the bowl and shit all over the seat in one of the loos (how???) it was less of an ordeal than in previous years. Mind you, the story of the shit on a stick which appeared in Midguard was just off the chart in grossness. Human beings eh? What a bunch of idiots. Anyway, let’s talk about the music.
Thursday 8th August
Refreshed from an overnight stop, we set up camp as gates opened and with the short walk to VIP, we were tucking into cold beers in the bright sunshine by early afternoon. The campsite appeared fuller this year, but the main arena certainly was emptier than in previous years. As always, action on day one was in the Sophie Tent and it was certainly a warm one to whet the fans appetite for the forthcoming festivities. Opening proceedings, Mancunian doomsters Barbarian Hermit (6) whose heavier sludgy riffs almost broke the girders. Their bruising intensity was perfect for the opening slot, and a huge crowd were roaring their approval with their NOLA doom style. I’d like to see these guys in a smaller show to get the real feel.
If it was warm in the tent before, Blind River (9) stoked the fires completely with a 30-minute set that oozed class from start to finish. Debuting promising new track Made Of Dirt alongside now classic tracks such as Bone House, Freedom Dealer and a raucous Can’t Sleep Sober finale, this was BR at their most majestic, with frontman Harry Armstrong whirling around the stage like a man possessed. Having seen these guys several times, they are maturing like a fine wine and their new album is on my most wanted list.
The food run got in the way of more Mancunians, this time the insanity of Footprints In The Custard and so with apologies to them (not that they needed it as the tent was rammed and a good time was had by all) we encountered our first run in with Irish metal beasts Ten Ton Slug (7) whose crushing metal was mighty impressive With a newish bassist on board in Pavol Rosa, the Slug oozed their way through a particularly filthy slime trail of merciless gastropod goodness. Tracks from Gluttonous Beast and Blood And Slime got the party firing even harder.
Some of our brothers had travelled to Lords of the Land earlier in the year and witnesses the might of Greek Death Metal legends Rotting Christ (9) there. I’d seen the band several years ago in the same tent at BOA and that evening was one of high intensity. With new guitarist Giannis Kalamatas and bassist Kostas Heliotas fitting in comfortably alongside Sakis Tolis and brother Themis on drums, Rotting Christ demonstrated why they are still ascending in popularity amongst the metal community. This was a set to enjoy, with old classics blending neatly with tracks from their excellent Heretics release. Closing with Non Serviam, the Greeks delivered one of the weekend’s most punishingly brutal sets; thoroughly enjoyable and a great start to the weekend.
Friday 9th August
Friday dawned damp and wet after a night of biblical levels of rain. It was destined to be a day of some drama but even worse was to follow on Saturday. With most punters holding their heads after the inevitable first night of partying, it was a quick change into sturdy boots and down to the New Blood Stage for the opening band of the day, Xero (6), from Newcastle. A powerful sound from the band, who play a kind of alt-metal style like Tesseract and Karnivool. Vocalist Steff was having to work hard to maintain the levels needed and whilst the band were certainly giving it their all, I wouldn’t day that it was my type of music. Much more likely to blow the morning cobwebs away was Zealot Cult (7), in the Sophie Stage. The Limerick based outfit play a Floridian death metal in the style of Morbid Angel and Obituary and were in no mood to do anything but level the tent. Crushing riffs ensured a brutal assault which left the punters gathered with melted faces.
With new album Forevermore already a regular on the playlist, I was looking forward to seeing Bristol based Control The Storm (8) who drew a sizeable crowd. Investing in the first pyro of the weekend, the band moved from a cumbersome soundcheck into a slick symphonic metal outfit and provided a solid and spectacular show. Vocalist Firouzah was the star of the show, her eye-catching outfit not distracting from her powerful, operatic vocal delivery which fitted well with the band’s sound. One of few bands to use keyboards over the weekend, Raedon Mac (who still owes me a physical copy of Forevermore!) added layers to the duel guitar assault and was also able to command the first circle pit of the band’s career!
Some of our brothers had travelled to Lords of the Land earlier in the year and witnesses the might of Greek Death Metal legends Rotting Christ (9) there. I’d seen the band several years ago in the same tent at BOA and that evening was one of high intensity. With new guitarist Giannis Kalamatas and bassist Kostas Heliotas fitting in comfortably alongside Sakis Tolis and brother Themis on drums, Rotting Christ demonstrated why they are still ascending in popularity amongst the metal community. This was a set to enjoy, with old classics blending neatly with tracks from their excellent Heretics release. Closing with Non Serviam, the Greeks delivered one of the weekend’s most punishingly brutal sets; thoroughly enjoyable and a great start to the weekend.
Friday 9th August
Friday dawned damp and wet after a night of biblical levels of rain. It was destined to be a day of some drama but even worse was to follow on Saturday. With most punters holding their heads after the inevitable first night of partying, it was a quick change into sturdy boots and down to the New Blood Stage for the opening band of the day, Xero (6), from Newcastle. A powerful sound from the band, who play a kind of alt-metal style like Tesseract and Karnivool. Vocalist Steff was having to work hard to maintain the levels needed and whilst the band were certainly giving it their all, I wouldn’t day that it was my type of music. Much more likely to blow the morning cobwebs away was Zealot Cult (7), in the Sophie Stage. The Limerick based outfit play a Floridian death metal in the style of Morbid Angel and Obituary and were in no mood to do anything but level the tent. Crushing riffs ensured a brutal assault which left the punters gathered with melted faces.
With new album Forevermore already a regular on the playlist, I was looking forward to seeing Bristol based Control The Storm (8) who drew a sizeable crowd. Investing in the first pyro of the weekend, the band moved from a cumbersome soundcheck into a slick symphonic metal outfit and provided a solid and spectacular show. Vocalist Firouzah was the star of the show, her eye-catching outfit not distracting from her powerful, operatic vocal delivery which fitted well with the band’s sound. One of few bands to use keyboards over the weekend, Raedon Mac (who still owes me a physical copy of Forevermore!) added layers to the duel guitar assault and was also able to command the first circle pit of the band’s career!
Then came the first difficult choice of the weekend with UK death metallers Blasphemer clashing with the might of Death Angel (8). I went with the Californian outfit mainly because I’d already seen Blasphemer earlier this year and it proved a decent choice as the Americans scorched the earth with a quality set. Two from debut The Ultra Violence (including a fiery Voracious Souls) sat alongside more recent tracks from Humanicide, The Dream Calls For Blood and The Evil Divide. Whilst Mark Oseguda’s stage-patter remains a little contrived, there is nothing false about the band’s approach with lead guitarist Rob Castanavy and fellow shredder Ted Aguila swapping sides at will. With bassist Damien Sisson and drummer Will Carroll locking down the engine room, this was a fabulous flex of the thrash muscles.
No challenge about the next choice of band, oh no, as the thrash of the mighty Metal Church (9) finished off the bits that Death Angel had left. With Mike Howe in imperious form, the only challenge was which tracks to deliver. Opening with the title track of their excellent Damned If You Do, Howe was all over the stage like a rash, his flexibility and soaring vocals impressing. Little chat between songs as the band hit Needle And Suture. A double tip to the Badlands album was enhanced by a blistering Beyond The Black and Start The Fire from the band’s first two releases. This was fine show which once again demonstrated that Metal Church are one of the most underrated bands.
Things were about to get feisty in the New Blood tent and a quick dash to Lemmy’s Bar for a beer allowed us to reach the New Blood before the heavens absolutely opened. Cue many soggy punters pouring into the tent. Sadly, the crowd thinned as the sun came out and Soulfly hit the main stage. For those of use from South Wales, the New Blood Stage was way more important as our M2TM winners Blind Divide (10) proved the voters, judges and Rob Bannister right. Ferocious, with an intensity not seen in previous shows, the Cardiff band hit the accelerator and didn’t take the foot off the pedal until the 30 minutes was exhausted. Vocalist James EB prowled the stage like a caged tiger, revelling in the extra room but also harnessing every bit of lung capacity for his draining vocal roar which was spectacular. New track Betrayer Of Blood feels like an old friend, the groove from Adam Duffield and James Ponsford infectious. I’ve never seen drummer Anthony Ellis focus so intently whilst bassist Declan McCabe was pure concentration, soaking up every minute. With the front few rows roaring the band on, this was a special set and one that left us all beaming. The lads done good.
In between our scurrying around a few of the other folks on the blog managed to catch a few more bands on the main two stages.
(Liam) Being one of my favorite bands of the weekend I was so excited to see Children Of Bodom (7). But when they hit the stage, I was a little let down, but it’s not the bands fault. The sound system wasn't on their side so it felt like they were playing another field or two over. Apart from the little technical hiccup the band ploughed through classics such as Are You Dead Yet? Angels Don’t Kill & Hate Crew Death Roll, while also adding a few new songs from Hexed to please the newer fans. From the rasped vocals of Alexi Laiho to the furious drum work by Jaska Raatikainen the band are on point and deliver a blistering set to the Bloodstock crowd.
(Paul H) After that, it was time to ease back a bit and a visit to the VIP Bar to see one-man blues/punk machine Noisepicker (7) (Harry Armstrong from Blind River whose drummer was absent). An interesting set, demonstrating the multiple talents of the former Earls Of Mars man which was quickly followed by another foray into the Sophie Tent to catch a smattering of Demolition Hammer before a stunning show by Countless Skies (7). The Hertfordshire band play rich melodic death metal and were on form, their set one of the more enjoyable ones of the weekend.
(Liam) While Djent is not my favorite genre, Tesseract (5) have proved that Djent does belong here. But really, it’s not for me. The band perform a solid and tight set but they’re not really a main stage band. Not yet anyway. The first few songs were decent and sounded great, but not enough to win me over. They have their fair share of fans here, but they need a little longer and a few more crowd inducing sings to be that higher up. Shame really because they do have potential.
(Paul H) Nothing has prepared for the brutality in the New Blood as Weymouth outfit Anakim (8), complete with The Drowning’s vocalist Matt Small played a 30-minute set that literally smashed the roof off, such was the attack. These boys gave the punters exactly what they wanted and that was a good half an hour of old school death metal. A quick watch of Northern Ireland’s Skypilot (7) proved entertaining, but it was challenging to get near the front of the Jaeger Stage due to the supportive hordes.
(Stief) Out of the many bands that have played Bloodstock in previous years, Powerwolf (9) have had one of the biggest leaps. Having last graced BOA nearly a decade ago, where they were headlining the Sophie Lancaster Stage, the band are now support to the headliners, and it’s a long overdue reunion. With a set filled to the brim with classics such as Resurrection By Erection, We Drink Your Blood, and Werewolves Of Armenia, along with a selection of stuff from their latest release such as Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend and Fire & Forgive, there’s something for everyone. Attila Dorn is as charismatic as ever, with Falk Schlegel acting yet again as keyboardist/hype man whenever he isn’t playing. The Greywolf brothers are solid with their riffs and drummer Roel Van Helden does not hold back on the heaviness. The crowd are happy, the band are happy. This is definitely Bloodstock
(Paul H)When Sabaton (6) previously played BOA, as main guest to Trivium in 2015, they had blown the headliners off the stage. It was only natural with the progress the band has made to make them headliners this year. However, whilst I enjoyed their early work, recent albums have left me cold and the latest release, The Great War, isn’t one that has impressed me at all. Sabaton had a massive stage set, including a tank drum riser and the eager crowd were buzzing with anticipation as the Swedes hit the stage in traditional style with Ghost Division. The Great War followed, with the crowd in raptures before Resist And Bite got more singing. However, their set was understandably based heavily on their last two albums and as soon as the comedic side of things started (encouraged by the audience who lapped it up – e.g. the constant gibberish around Swedish Pagans) It was time to head to the Sophie Tent for the final band of the evening.
Whereas Sabaton had all the show, Grand Magus (9) relied on their music to do the talking. A blistering 12 song set list, this was an hour of classic heavy metal, undiluted and distributed with epic style. Opening with I, The Jury, this was a set that contained many massive tracks. Like The Oar That Strikes The Water, Raven’s Guide Our Way and a rare outing for 2005’s Kingslayer all got the crowd pumped. JB was in fine form, his skullet and mutton chops flowing, whilst Fox never changes, although he did take more vocal work this time. Drummer Ludwig Witt spent much of his time shrouded in dry ice but didn’t miss a beat. This was magical stuff and a closing Hammer Of The North had the tent singing long after the band had left the stage. It had been a magnificent day. But much more was to follow.
No challenge about the next choice of band, oh no, as the thrash of the mighty Metal Church (9) finished off the bits that Death Angel had left. With Mike Howe in imperious form, the only challenge was which tracks to deliver. Opening with the title track of their excellent Damned If You Do, Howe was all over the stage like a rash, his flexibility and soaring vocals impressing. Little chat between songs as the band hit Needle And Suture. A double tip to the Badlands album was enhanced by a blistering Beyond The Black and Start The Fire from the band’s first two releases. This was fine show which once again demonstrated that Metal Church are one of the most underrated bands.
Things were about to get feisty in the New Blood tent and a quick dash to Lemmy’s Bar for a beer allowed us to reach the New Blood before the heavens absolutely opened. Cue many soggy punters pouring into the tent. Sadly, the crowd thinned as the sun came out and Soulfly hit the main stage. For those of use from South Wales, the New Blood Stage was way more important as our M2TM winners Blind Divide (10) proved the voters, judges and Rob Bannister right. Ferocious, with an intensity not seen in previous shows, the Cardiff band hit the accelerator and didn’t take the foot off the pedal until the 30 minutes was exhausted. Vocalist James EB prowled the stage like a caged tiger, revelling in the extra room but also harnessing every bit of lung capacity for his draining vocal roar which was spectacular. New track Betrayer Of Blood feels like an old friend, the groove from Adam Duffield and James Ponsford infectious. I’ve never seen drummer Anthony Ellis focus so intently whilst bassist Declan McCabe was pure concentration, soaking up every minute. With the front few rows roaring the band on, this was a special set and one that left us all beaming. The lads done good.
In between our scurrying around a few of the other folks on the blog managed to catch a few more bands on the main two stages.
(Liam) Being one of my favorite bands of the weekend I was so excited to see Children Of Bodom (7). But when they hit the stage, I was a little let down, but it’s not the bands fault. The sound system wasn't on their side so it felt like they were playing another field or two over. Apart from the little technical hiccup the band ploughed through classics such as Are You Dead Yet? Angels Don’t Kill & Hate Crew Death Roll, while also adding a few new songs from Hexed to please the newer fans. From the rasped vocals of Alexi Laiho to the furious drum work by Jaska Raatikainen the band are on point and deliver a blistering set to the Bloodstock crowd.
(Paul H) After that, it was time to ease back a bit and a visit to the VIP Bar to see one-man blues/punk machine Noisepicker (7) (Harry Armstrong from Blind River whose drummer was absent). An interesting set, demonstrating the multiple talents of the former Earls Of Mars man which was quickly followed by another foray into the Sophie Tent to catch a smattering of Demolition Hammer before a stunning show by Countless Skies (7). The Hertfordshire band play rich melodic death metal and were on form, their set one of the more enjoyable ones of the weekend.
(Liam) While Djent is not my favorite genre, Tesseract (5) have proved that Djent does belong here. But really, it’s not for me. The band perform a solid and tight set but they’re not really a main stage band. Not yet anyway. The first few songs were decent and sounded great, but not enough to win me over. They have their fair share of fans here, but they need a little longer and a few more crowd inducing sings to be that higher up. Shame really because they do have potential.
(Paul H) Nothing has prepared for the brutality in the New Blood as Weymouth outfit Anakim (8), complete with The Drowning’s vocalist Matt Small played a 30-minute set that literally smashed the roof off, such was the attack. These boys gave the punters exactly what they wanted and that was a good half an hour of old school death metal. A quick watch of Northern Ireland’s Skypilot (7) proved entertaining, but it was challenging to get near the front of the Jaeger Stage due to the supportive hordes.
(Stief) Out of the many bands that have played Bloodstock in previous years, Powerwolf (9) have had one of the biggest leaps. Having last graced BOA nearly a decade ago, where they were headlining the Sophie Lancaster Stage, the band are now support to the headliners, and it’s a long overdue reunion. With a set filled to the brim with classics such as Resurrection By Erection, We Drink Your Blood, and Werewolves Of Armenia, along with a selection of stuff from their latest release such as Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend and Fire & Forgive, there’s something for everyone. Attila Dorn is as charismatic as ever, with Falk Schlegel acting yet again as keyboardist/hype man whenever he isn’t playing. The Greywolf brothers are solid with their riffs and drummer Roel Van Helden does not hold back on the heaviness. The crowd are happy, the band are happy. This is definitely Bloodstock
(Paul H)When Sabaton (6) previously played BOA, as main guest to Trivium in 2015, they had blown the headliners off the stage. It was only natural with the progress the band has made to make them headliners this year. However, whilst I enjoyed their early work, recent albums have left me cold and the latest release, The Great War, isn’t one that has impressed me at all. Sabaton had a massive stage set, including a tank drum riser and the eager crowd were buzzing with anticipation as the Swedes hit the stage in traditional style with Ghost Division. The Great War followed, with the crowd in raptures before Resist And Bite got more singing. However, their set was understandably based heavily on their last two albums and as soon as the comedic side of things started (encouraged by the audience who lapped it up – e.g. the constant gibberish around Swedish Pagans) It was time to head to the Sophie Tent for the final band of the evening.
Whereas Sabaton had all the show, Grand Magus (9) relied on their music to do the talking. A blistering 12 song set list, this was an hour of classic heavy metal, undiluted and distributed with epic style. Opening with I, The Jury, this was a set that contained many massive tracks. Like The Oar That Strikes The Water, Raven’s Guide Our Way and a rare outing for 2005’s Kingslayer all got the crowd pumped. JB was in fine form, his skullet and mutton chops flowing, whilst Fox never changes, although he did take more vocal work this time. Drummer Ludwig Witt spent much of his time shrouded in dry ice but didn’t miss a beat. This was magical stuff and a closing Hammer Of The North had the tent singing long after the band had left the stage. It had been a magnificent day. But much more was to follow.
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