As BLOODSTOCK’s regional finals for their grass-roots-artist-supporting METAL 2 THE MASSES scheme thunder through local venues around the country this month, the festival is very excited to announce the first winners who won themselves a slot on 2018’s New Blood stage this August.  

Joining the bill on Friday are hard-rocking trio, PELUGION (www.facebook.com/pelugion), victors of the Coventry heat, who blend classic metal styles reminiscent of Diamond Head & Black Label Society, as well as Glasgow’s winners, A RITUAL SPIRIT (www.facebook.com/aritualspirit), Edinburgh-based heavy rockers whose debut album, ‘Carnival Carnivorous’ is available now.

Landing a Saturday spot are Sheffield’s winners and symphonic metal 7-piece, AONIA (www.facebook.com/aoniauk). The band feature two ‘soprano with balls’ vocalists and have been compared to Therion, Avantasia, and Nightwish. If your tastes are more on the brutal side, check out the champions of the Reading heat, crust/grind/powerviolence trio, NEGATIVE THOUGHT PROCESS (www.facebook.com/negativethoughtprocess). Also gaining a Saturday New Blood slot are Belfast’s groove metal victors, ORACLE (www.facebook.com/oraclebandni/), whose debut EP, ‘Tales of Pythia’ is out now.

Rolling in on Sunday are Dublin top dogs, THIS PLACE HELL (www.facebook.com/ThisPlaceHell).  The five piece’s ferocious metal show is renowned at home in Ireland and has been described as ‘organised chaos’!  Also appearing Sunday are irreverent power metal bards, SELLSWORD (www.facebook.com/mercenarymetal) who grabbed their slot via CD application. Their debut album, ‘...And Now We Ride’ is available now. The CD applications were so good, BLOODSTOCK’s also added OBZIDIAN (www.facebook.com/ObzidianBand), purveyors of classic thrash from the home of metal in the Midlands.

Alongside the first phase of M2TM winners come some of the Jagermeister Stage bands. Expect to see THE HERETIC ORDER (www.facebook.com/thehereticorder) on Friday. The band recently signed with Massacre Records and release their second album, ‘Evil Rising’ on 22nd June.  Saturday brings you a set from Belfast’s SINOSENCE (www.facebook.com/sinocence), who’ve just completed work on the third of their trilogy of EPs under the ‘No Gods, No Masters’ banner - expect Vol.3 to land this summer.  Also booked for Saturday’s Jagermeister Stage are West Midlands hard rockers, VOODOO SIOUX (www.facebook.com/Voodoo-Sioux-234030206630714). 

Sunday, we welcome one for the classic metal fans, Aussie rockers TRUE BELIEVER (www.facebook.com/truebelieverofficial), who describe themselves as a blend of Dio, Mastodon, Ghost, Foreigner, Alice In Chains and Deep Purple!  Also appearing are black metal experimentalists, ABDUCTION (www.facebook.com/abduction616) who bring their extreme sonics to the bill and GEMMA FOX (www.facebook.com/gemmafoxmusic), frontwoman for prog metal outfit Collibus, in her solo guise.

June’s BLOODSTOCK club nights are locked down and rack up as follows.  Get along to your local club for the chance to win weekend tickets and associated prizes and hear tunes from BLOODSTOCK bands, old and new.

Fri 1st June - Nottingham Student Union (Tactical Assault)
Sat 2nd June - Brighton Envy (Apocalypse)
Sat 2nd June - Stoke Sugarmill (Devil’s Night)
Sat 9th June - Southampton Engine Rooms
Fri 22nd June - Camberley Agincourt
Fri 29th June - Leicester Firebug
Fri 29th June - Exeter Cavern Club
Sat 30th June - Birmingham Eddie’s Rock Club
Sat 30th June - Sheffield Corporation

Come join us in August!  Standard weekend tickets are on sale now, priced at £145 for four days of metal fun.  Grab yours at https://bloodstock.seetickets.com.  If you already know you can only attend for one day, sign up for an email reminder so you don’t miss out when a limited number of single day tickets go on sale at the end of June.  Register your interest here - https://www.seetickets.com/register/bloodstock.

With Friday night headliners JUDAS PRIEST, Saturday headliners GOJIRA and Sunday’s bill toppers NIGHTWISH announced, as well as EMPEROR, AT THE GATES, DEVILDRIVER, WATAIN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, WEDNESDAY 13, JASTA & FRIENDS, FOZZY, COMBICHRIST, BLOODBATH, VENOM INC., MR BIG, ORPHANED LAND, KAMELOT, POWER TRIP, CONJURER, DORO, ORDEN OGAN, SEPTICFLESH, EXHORDER, PALLBEARER, MEMORIAM and many more, we’re more excited than ever for BLOODSTOCK 2018!

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 9th-12th August 2018.  Get additional information at www.bloodstock.uk.com.  

Rising rock band Crown The Empire have announced a UK headline tour this September.
Support comes from Volumes and Coldrain.

You can see Crown The Empire at the following dates:


Tue 18 Sep The Haunt Brighton - Tickets
Wed 19 Sep Talking Heads Southampton - Tickets
Thu 20 Sep The Fleece Bristol - Tickets
Fri 21 Sep 02 Islington Academy London - Tickets
Sat 22 Sep Asylum Birmingham - Tickets
Mon 24 Sep Green Room Dublin - Tickets

Tue 25 Sep Oh Yeah Centre Belfast - Tickets
Thu 27 Sep Classic Grand Glasgow - Tickets
Fri 28 Sep Riverside Newcastle - Tickets
Sat 29 Sep Academy 2 Manchester - Tickets
Sun 30 Sep Waterfront Norwich - Tickets

Tickets on sale
Friday 1st June at 9am

The band are returning to the UK this weekend and will be playing Slam Dunk Festival.

You can see the band at the following dates:

May 26th - Slam Dunk Festival - Leeds, City Centre
May 27th - Slam Dunk Festival - Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire
May 28th - Slam Dunk Festival - The Nec, Birmingham

https://www.facebook.com/Crowntheempire
https://twitter.com/crowntheempire 
https://instagram.com/crowntheempire 
http://riserecords.com/

After NAĐRA have recently been announced as third band from Iceland for De Mortem Et Diabolum, another highlight from the small isle follows: The blackened Death Metallers Zhrine will enter the stage in Berlin in December as well. 

The last of the limited Early-Bird-Tickets for 60€ instead of 68€ are available here:  https://www.folter666shop.de/de/Tickets/eTicket/de-mortem-et-diabolum-vol-iv-early-bird-hardticket.html

DE MORTEM ET DIABOLUM on Facebook
DE MORTEM ET DIABOLUM event page onFacebook

Fast food-themed Black Sabbath cover kings Mac Sabbath have officially reached road (hot) dog status, announcing a slew (or slaw, in this case) of 2018 tour dates beginning today in Las Vegas, NV! The band will perform at six venues in the western U.S. in May and June, and will pick up touring again in the fall, beginning in September. More dates are scheduled to be announced soon.
 
See below for all confirmed tour dates! Tickets are available via each venue. Learn more here: http://www.officialmacsabbath.com/
 
MAC SABBATH Confirmed U.S. Tour Dates:

5/9 - Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
5/11 - Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theatre
5/12 - Denver, CO @ Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center
5/13 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
5/15 - Flagstaff, AZ @ The Green Room
6/16 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
9/7 - Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver

9/14 - Tustin, CA @ Marty's On Newport
11/1 - San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
11/2 - Crystal Bay, NV @ Crown Room at Crystal Bay Casino
11/3 - Portland, OR @ Dante's
11/4 - Tacoma, WA @ Jazzbones
11/16 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall
11/17 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
 
Don't forget to snag Mac Sabbath's first ever recorded music - the single Pair-A-Buns - via flexi disc in their official colouring activity book. The colouring book is chock full of fantastically-ridiculous images to colour, dots to connect, mazes to solve and more. Order for just $15 via www.officialmacsabbath.com

Mixing raucous comedy with borderline-horrific theatrics, the only thing more petrifying than impending health problems resulting from years of overeating is a Mac Sabbath show. Show attendees should be prepared to partake in the fun - Mac Sabbath puts on a theatrical, multimedia stage show - complete with a smoking grill, laser-eyed clowns, bouncing burgers and many more magical surprises... basically anything and everything an unwary show-goer could ever want in their wildest dreams. Named by Buzzfeed as one of the "13 Metal Bands You Didn't Know How to React To" + Named as LA's "Best Tribute Band" by LA Weekly.

www.facebook.com/macsabbath/
Twitter: @macsabbath
Tumblr: macsabbath
IG: @officialmacsabbath

Carach Angren have announced new live dates in support of their latest release 'Dance And Laugh Amongst The Rotten' this summer. The Dutch horror fanatics are scheduled to perform several festival and headlining shows. See below for all currently confirmed dates including festival performances.

Carach Angren comment:-

     "The coming months we will make you dance and laugh amongst the rotten as we are haunting many festivals across Europe. After an incredible European tour earlier this year, we can't wait to get out there and summon our new stage presence for all of you!"

CARACH ANGREN festivals

04 May 18 Paola (MT) Sin Fest 2018
09 Jun 18 Würzburg (DE) Skaldenfest
22 Jun 18 Dessel (BE) Graspop Metal Meeting 2018
23 Jun 18 Halden (NO) Tons of Rock 2018
06 Jul 18 Bucarest (RO) Headbangers Meeting 2018
04 Aug 18 Tampere (FI) Festival Saarihelvetti
11 Aug 18 Vagos (PT) Vagos Metal Fest 2018

CARACH ANGREN live

14 Sep 18 Moscow (RU) Zil Arena
15 Sep 18 Saint Petersburg (RU) Mod Club
21 Sep 18 Athens (GR) Kyttaro Live
22 Sep 18 Thessaloniki (GR) Eight ball Live Stage

Carach Angren will be playing in support of their latest release 'Dance and Laugh amongst the Rotten'.

www.carach-angren.nl
www.facebook.com/carachangren

Mysterious Portuguese blackened death metal sect The Ominous Circle has declared their maiden raid of the US, booked in conjunction with their appearance at Migration Fest.
 
The Ominous Circle is a burning black sphere of sinuous torment taking shape over their native land. Appalling Ascension, their initiation into this upper physical world, was released in early 2017 through 20 Buck Spin. While the reverent tropes of nowadays death metal will be recognizable to the band's adherents, the cauldron is mixed in myriad conjurations that stray from the retreating safety inferior forces are prone to linger in, with moments of oppressive death doom, grinding blasts of mania, rancid melodies and mid-tempo dynamic necromancy throughout. The late obsession of some to ignore songwriting in favour of cavernous ambient suffocating "evil" doesn't play on Appalling Ascension - here instead, and most welcome, are crushing and barbarous dark death metal songs for initiates to devote themselves to, and to enter the pantheon of most memorable debut recordings.
 
Poison Fumes Over North America MMXVIII will see the shrouded members of The Ominous Circle storming the East Coast from July 24th through July 31st. With support from labelmates Scorched, the tour will hit Brooklyn, Providence, Worcester, and Montclair on their way to perform at Migration Fest 2018 where they'll share the stage with Khemmis, Krallice, Pelican, Panopticon, Mournful Congregation, Bongripper, Zombi, The Cancer Conspiracy, Deadbird, Spirit Adrift, Thou, Yellow Eyes, and more. Following the fest, the tour will continue through Philadelphia and Washington, and end in Richmond.
 
See The Ominous Circle's "As The Worm Descends" RIGHT HERE and stream the entire Appalling Ascension album HERE.
 
THE OMINOUS CIRCLE - Poison Fumes Over North America MMXVIII w/ Scorched:

7/24/2018 Saint Vitus Bar - Brooklyn, NY
7/25/2018 Dusk - Providence, RI
7/26/2018 Ralph's Rock Diner - Worcester, MA
7/27/2018 The Meatlocker - Montclair, NJ
7/28/2018 Mr. Small's Theater - Millvale, PA @ Migration Fest [info]
7/29/2018 Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA
7/30/2018 Atlas Brew Works - Washington, DC
7/31/2018 Strange Matter - Richmond, VA
 
Featuring artwork by Timo Ketola (Dead Congregation, Sunn O))), Teitanblood), Appalling Ascension is available on CD, LP, and digital formats in North America through 20 Buck Spin; stream and purchase the album at Bandcamp HERE and find physical order options HERE. The album is out in Europe through Osmose Productions.
 

https://www.facebook.com/theominouscircle
http://www.osmoseproductions.com
http://www.20buckspin.com

Legendary doom metal band Mood reunite for 25-Year Anniversary in 2019

Dear media partners!

After 17 years the cult, Hungarian doom band, Mood is going to give one-off 25-Year Anniversary show in Budapest, Barba Negra on the 4th of January 2019.

The vital and internationally highly praised band of the local scene brought out 4 records during theirs 8 years career, last in 2001. The Fourth Ride of Doomanoids has been released by Hammer Records.

The era was closed by the official bootleg DVD, titled The Last Ride Of Doomanoids and recorded at the last show of the band. Members brought onward the nature of Mood in bands like Magma Rise, Stereochrist and Wall Of Sleep.


The band issued the following statement about their reunion:

“In the past 16 years, the idea of ​​coming together has been raised many times, and most of them have been encouraged by promoters. We were getting close to implementation, but it did not happen.Mood was formed in December 18th in 1993, 25 years ago, we think it’s a good timing to remember with respect and to raise the dead for a while.  So, after 17 years, Mood will be on stage early next year. It is a single concert in Hungary. If there is a good opportunity, especially abroad, later next year we are open for that.We have a few months to complete and to close this story, in 2019.We are very pleased to return... for a while.
Raise the flag of doom high!

Sanyi / Kolos / Gábor / Balázs / Tamás”

On occasion of the event Mood discography will be available again, also the show will be recorded!

▶️ Facebook event or the reunion show:
www.facebook.com/events/2087241494864533/?__mref=mb

▶️ Mood on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/moodtheband/

▶️ Ticket prices:
Early bird: 1999 HUF (Until 31st May)
Pre-sale: 2499 HUF (Until 31st October)
Pre-sale 2: 2999 HUF (Until 3rd January)
on the day of the concert: 3999 HUF

▶️ Get your ticket here:
jegy.rock1.hu/mood_20190104

One of the best parts of music is how it brings people together by giving artists a platform to share their personal experiences that gives listeners comfort in knowing they aren't alone in the trials and tribulations they face in life. Denver metalcore band, The Anchor, strives to make meaningful music that fans can connect to their own lives. Describing their inspiration as "Knowing first hand the refuge that music can offer away from life's struggles, we hope to be a voice of understanding and provide a place that someone can call their home." The West Coast band is excited to announce they will be taking their infectious live show on the road with their first ever East Coast run which features support from VRSTY (We Are Triumphant).

The Anchor has seen success since their debut album was released in 2016 (hitting #7 on the iTunes metal charts) and their most recent EP on Manic Kat Records, "Make It Last," catapulted the band to a new level earlier this year hitting #19 on the Billboard Heatseeker Chart along with multiple iTunes charts. Frontwoman Linzey Rae has made a name for herself in the metal community as not only an immensely talented screamer and clean vocalist, but also for her YouTube stardom showcasing her vivacious personality.

The "Make It Last Summer Tour" kicks off on May 31st in South Bend, IN and wraps up on June 17th in the band's home town of Denver, CO. The band is stoked to be heading out later this month and shared, "We are super excited to finally be heading to the East Coast with our new friends in VRSTY!"

The "Make It Last," EP is available on all streaming platforms including Spotify with physical merch at Big Cartel.

The Anchor is a five-piece, female-fronted, metalcore band from Denver, Colorado. The Anchor and Linzey Rae have made a name for themselves since the viral explosion of their YouTube series, Metal Kitchen. In December 2016, The Anchor released their first full-length album, A World Ahead, which charted #7 on the metal iTunes charts. After signing with Manic Kat Records, The Anchor released their next EP, Make it Last, in February 2018. Following the EP release, Make it Last charted #19 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, #11 on the iTunes Alternative chart, and #99 on the iTunes New Release chart.