One of the few bands to get an invitation to play at BOA this year, Stormcast are also one of the more experienced outfits on the New Blood Stage. Mike Angastiniotis gave me the lowdown on the band who initially formed in Cyprus.
Paul: Let’s start with a brief history of the band
Mike: The band formed in 2007 in Cyprus by myself and a couple of friends from school - and for the next eight or so years we were mainly playing gigs around Cyprus, as well as a couple of gigs outside the country (Metaldays 2013, Mammothfest 2014). We had also released an EP (2009) and full-length album (2014). In 2015 the band went on hiatus due to band member differences and it was uncertain whether the band would survive or disband. After a long period of uncertainty, I decided to 're-form' Stormcast with a new line-up in the UK where I had just finished university and pick up from where the band left off.
Paul: Who is the current line up?
Mike: The band lineup now is: Mike Angastiniotis: Vocals & Guitars, Diogo Jones: Guitars, Dinko Pehlic: Drums, Panayiotis Chrysostomides: Bass
Paul: Describe the band’s sound and influences
Mike: The band’s sound is heavily rooted in influences I've had since I started listening to metal, but has unavoidably evolved over the years and in a way represents my own musical evolution with regards to what music I’m interested in. I feel that my affinity towards other kinds of music like prog rock or electronic music has some way creeped into my song writing, but the musical identity of the band is still alive. The main influences you can hear in the music come from bands like Rotting Christ, Gojira and Opeth I would say.
Paul: Prior to Bloodstock, what are some of the highlights for the band so far?
Mike: Releasing our new album The Ghost Eater last October (2018)! It was a piece of artistic work that started during a difficult time in the band, and I was itching to create and release it while overcoming a lot of obstacles. I am very happy that we managed to finally release it and the response has been great so far! Apart from that, Metaldays 2013 in Slovenia was absolutely incredible.
Paul: Let’s move on to Bloodstock and your road to the festival. Please tell us about your journey
Mike: Well as previously mentioned, we spent most of 2018 making the album and by the time that was released, I realised that the band hadn't played a gig in about three years, which was a bit frightening for me. I felt that it would be difficult to play live with the same confidence the band had in the past and that if we were to live up to expectations then we had to work hard. We spent MONTHS practicing the tracks from the album and our first gig since the hiatus in 2015 was the first heat of Metal 2 the Masses in Brighton - which to make amazement we won. Our second gig was the final, which we emerged as joint winners with another band, Gaia (great band by the way!). So, to sum up, it's been quite a journey this past year or so and I'm pleased that we are gradually getting into the stride of things and Bloodstock is the perfect opportunity to establish that confidence the band once had.
Paul: We know from our friends in bands that getting to the M2TM final is a great feeling. Tell us about the build up to your final and how you handled it.
Mike: We were nervous I have to admit, more about technical things i.e. will the sound be decent, will people turn up (we were on first) etc. but we all felt ready and determined to play our best, which I feel we did! We had fun on stage, and I think that positive vibe was emitted to the crowd.
Paul: You’ve been invited to play on the New Blood Stage. What were the emotions like after the final, and when did you find out you’d got the invitation?
Mike: We found out we were given a spot at the festival about a week after the final - the other winners Gaia were announced on the night and we were told that they would like to give us a spot as well, but had to wait a few days to sort out logistics to see if it would be possible. Thankfully they did, and I can't thank Simon Hall enough for the opportunity and believing in us!
Paul: So, moving on to the festival itself, what can we expect from you?
Mike: Expect a great show from us - we are all buzzing and can't wait to travel up to Catton Park and give it our best. Each one of us has played at a festival before with other bands so we kind of know what to expect - but I have a feeling this one is going to be extra special.
Paul: Which bands are you looking forward to seeing there?
Mike: Hypocrisy, Tesseract, Anthrax, Grand Magus, and Wheel mostly - but I’m looking forward to discovering some new bands from the New Blood Stage too!
Paul: Have you been to Bloodstock before?
Mike: Only our drummer, Dinko, has been to Bloodstock before in 2016, with his other band, Vehement.
With Rotting Christ finally getting the plaudits they deserve; it will be good to have some Aeonian balance and Stormcast will help bring that. The band play at Bloodstock on Saturday 10th August and will bring all their experience and passion to the festival.
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