After four heats, two quarters, band dropouts, public transport delays, foul weather and mystery illnesses, it was finally time for the first Bloodstock Metal To The Masses Semi Final of 2024. Starting in Cardiff at Fuel Rock Club, the four bands competing were the choices from the judging selection and fan vote combined, representing the best of the Cardiff Side for this year.
With the play order chosen at random it was Root Zero who began the evening. They play Gothic/ethereal metal starting out with haunting keyboard melodies and dual female cleans and growls from their singers. Having been one of the biggest fan vote gathers, they had a big crowd to start the night. Their music is slightly doomy and gothic bewitching the Fuel audience to get things started, though I do find them a little fixed to their spot when they perform, a bit more animation in the performance they will be hard to beat as they progressed to the Final.
Next up was Beyond Sorrow, having only recently reformed at the beginning of the year, diving into this initiative as your first load of gigs is very impressive. Again buoyed by the fan vote and the judge vote too in their heats they are an experienced band who have really locked in to their modern metalcore sound, when they have their heaviness going they're beastly and brutal however the clean vocal harmonies do need some work in future. Still they also had one of the biggest crowds and with more gigs under their belt this year, they were unlucky not to progress but will be much more honed if they re-enter next year.
Following the modern metal it was something a bit more retro as the immensely experienced Rites To Ruin stormed the stage, with Bloodstock pedigree behind them in other bands, they even had a stand in drummer due to their normal stickman celebrating a birth. You couldn't see the join though as they were well rehearsed and slick, shaking up the set each time they play. They bring chugging classic/thrash metal riffs, proggy leads and the formidable vocals, all coming through some great song writing it's very clear to anyone, but especially the judges that Rites To Ruin have all the tools to get themselves to Bloodstock.
Finally closing us out was the primordial/caveman sludge of Thrakian. Rattling the walls with every performance they are a brutal, hefty live showing, ferocious vocals, screamed with derision as the cataclysmic grooves bled through the speakers. Slow head nodding and abject fear are the name of the game, their frontman drawing a lot of the attention with the way he abuses his guitar and assaults the mic. Once again the judges were driven to choose the heaviest band in the Cardiff side of the bracket this year. Inside the Patti Pavilion they are going to sound massive.
So Rites To Ruin, Root Zero and Thrakian are the first three bands of M2TM South Wales to head to the Patti Pavilion for the Day Of Wreckoning All Day event on Saturday 29th June. Let's see who moves ahead when the Swansea Semi Final takes place on June 1st.
With the play order chosen at random it was Root Zero who began the evening. They play Gothic/ethereal metal starting out with haunting keyboard melodies and dual female cleans and growls from their singers. Having been one of the biggest fan vote gathers, they had a big crowd to start the night. Their music is slightly doomy and gothic bewitching the Fuel audience to get things started, though I do find them a little fixed to their spot when they perform, a bit more animation in the performance they will be hard to beat as they progressed to the Final.
Next up was Beyond Sorrow, having only recently reformed at the beginning of the year, diving into this initiative as your first load of gigs is very impressive. Again buoyed by the fan vote and the judge vote too in their heats they are an experienced band who have really locked in to their modern metalcore sound, when they have their heaviness going they're beastly and brutal however the clean vocal harmonies do need some work in future. Still they also had one of the biggest crowds and with more gigs under their belt this year, they were unlucky not to progress but will be much more honed if they re-enter next year.
Following the modern metal it was something a bit more retro as the immensely experienced Rites To Ruin stormed the stage, with Bloodstock pedigree behind them in other bands, they even had a stand in drummer due to their normal stickman celebrating a birth. You couldn't see the join though as they were well rehearsed and slick, shaking up the set each time they play. They bring chugging classic/thrash metal riffs, proggy leads and the formidable vocals, all coming through some great song writing it's very clear to anyone, but especially the judges that Rites To Ruin have all the tools to get themselves to Bloodstock.
Finally closing us out was the primordial/caveman sludge of Thrakian. Rattling the walls with every performance they are a brutal, hefty live showing, ferocious vocals, screamed with derision as the cataclysmic grooves bled through the speakers. Slow head nodding and abject fear are the name of the game, their frontman drawing a lot of the attention with the way he abuses his guitar and assaults the mic. Once again the judges were driven to choose the heaviest band in the Cardiff side of the bracket this year. Inside the Patti Pavilion they are going to sound massive.
So Rites To Ruin, Root Zero and Thrakian are the first three bands of M2TM South Wales to head to the Patti Pavilion for the Day Of Wreckoning All Day event on Saturday 29th June. Let's see who moves ahead when the Swansea Semi Final takes place on June 1st.
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