After their most successful festival to date in 2017 and first ever weekend sell-out at a capacity 15,000 tickets, Bloodstock is thrilled to announce Gojira and Nightwish as its first headliners for 2018's event which will take place at Catton Park from 9th-12th August. Gojira had this to say:- "We are excited and honoured to headline Bloodstock festival in 2018. One of our favourite festivals in the world. We had such a great time in 2016 with the Bloodstock crowd and are sure that 2018 will be even better. We are already planning what we can do to make it the most awesome GOojira show yet. We can't wait!" Nightwish had this to say:- "We can't wait to hit the mighty Bloodstock Festival in 2018! By then we'll be in full flight on our 'Decades' World Tour (a retrospective) so expect an unusual set-list with a bit of nostalgia for the old fans, but some recent epics for the new. We will throw ourselves into it with everything we've got so be there!" The bands were revealed at the festival this weekend, on the big screens at the Ronnie James Dio main stage. See the video reveals at: https://youtu.be/CIwPDJsr3bg and https://youtu.be/X2eTzwnZrk4. Early Bird tickets are available now from http://bloodstock.seetickets.com, priced £125 plus booking fee. VIP tickets will be available from 1st September.
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UK metal stalwarts Fury and Dakesis will be teaming up for the “Lost in the Dawn” tour this November! Following on from an explosive summer of festivals for both bands including Bloodstock Open Air, LoStock, Breaking Bands, HRH Metal and Hammerfest, this tour will be the last chance for many people to see both bands before they retreat back to the studio for work on new albums.  Dakesis recently announced that bass player Amie Chatterley is currently pregnant, and will be 8 ½ months at their imminent performance at Bloodstock Open Air, however she has no plans to sit out on the fun and says “We’re taking a break from touring in September and October, but we’re going to be roaring to hit the road come November, and we couldn’t be more excited to be doing it with our good friends Fury” Fury drummer Alasdair Davis adds “We’ve been itching to hit the road again and for the first time we’ll be doing it as a headline band, sharing the honours with our good friends in Dakesis. We’re looking forward to playing what is sure to be one of the most exciting metal tours in recent times, at some of our favourite venues across the UK” Tickets links available soon, direct from venues or from the band websites below www.Dakesis.com www.Furyofficial.com  Italian progressive rock / metallers Heretic’s Dream are now confirmed as main support for Katatonia's shows in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Check out the details below. December 04 - Klubi Tapper - Tallinn December 05 - Melnà Piektdiena - Riga December 06 - Loftas - Vilnius  As previously announced, Heretic's Dream will share the stage as special guests on Amaranthe's shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow, as follows: December 01 – Saint Petersburg – Aurora December 02 – Moscow – Volta Just recently the Italian progressive rock / metallers Heretic’s Dream joined the Finnish progressive metal masters Amorphis on the 10th Eclipse Anniversary Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Spika tour Agency has released the full video of Heretic’s Dream show performed at Zal Ozhidaniya Club 13.05.2017, Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIEGJ36VUZE http://www.hereticsdream.com https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAlphaOmegaManagement  It seems Australia and New Zealand can’t get enough of Hevy Devy. Melbourne’s 170 Russell Show on 24th May has completely SOLD OUT and a second show at the same venue has now been announced for Tuesday the 23rd May. Tickets for the additional show are now on sale at mjrpresents.com. Post-Rock/Prog legends sleepmakeswaves will be taking the stage with DTP on the whole tour - and they will have their new album “Made of Breath Only” out in time for the tour. New single Tundra is already a triple favourite and the shows promise to be an epic one-two punch of prog goodness.  Previously here in 2015 on a string of sold-out shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne – this time Perth and Auckland (NZ) are getting some HevyDevy love. The guitar virtuoso is one of the most celebrated singer/songwriter/guitarists in heavy music and Devin Townsend Projects’ live show never fails to satisfy and amaze. Tickets for Devin Townsend Project’s Australia/New Zealand Tour in May 2017 including the added Melbourne show on May 23rd are now mjrpresents.com. Wednesday 17th May - Powerstation, Auckland Saturday 20th May - The Triffid, Brisbane Monday 22nd May - Enmore Theatre, Sydney * JUST ADDED * Tuesday 23rd May – 170 Russell, Melbourne Wednesday 24th May - 170 Russell, Melbourne - SOLD OUT Friday 26th May - Capitol, Perth Tickets at MJRPRESENTS.COM  By way of a late Valentines Day gift, Bloodstock is thrilled to announce 3 more bands for 2017’s event! Arch Enemy will be joining us as Sunday’s special guests. Get a taste of their Swedish melodeath with the live video for ‘War Eternal’, shot at Wacken 2016 and check out what’s in store this August - https://youtu.be/p5etfIwlRbg. The band, now fronted by Alissa White-Gluz, are set to release a new live DVD / Blu-Ray of their full Wacken set titled ‘As The Stages Burn!’ on 31st March via Century Media. Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott states "We're very much looking forward to being a part of this year's edition of Bloodstock, which actually takes place very close to where my father was born. We'll be bringing our 'pure fucking metal' attack home... Hail to England!" www.facebook.com/archenemyofficial/. Salt Lake City deathcore mob Chelsea Grin also land an early main stage slot on Friday. The band released their fourth studio album, ‘Self Inflicted’ via new label home Rise Records last summer and unveiled a video for ‘Broken Bonds’ - https://youtu.be/awa50gXnOdw. Frontman Alex Koehler tells us “We are looking forward to heading back overseas this summer to be part of Bloodstock 2017. When we were offered the show and we saw the lineup we were extremely excited. We’ve seen tons of videos from Bloodstock in the past and cannot wait to be there.” www.facebook.com/ChelseaGrinMetal. Lastly, prog metallers ONI join the ranks on the Sophie stage on Saturday. Signed to Metal Blade, these Canadians recently unveiled a creepy video for ‘The Only Cure’ from debut album ‘Ironshore’, featuring guest vocals from Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe. Check it out at: https://youtu.be/ERFBmOtElKU. Frontman Jake Oni says “In the past year, we’ve had the pleasure of playing the UK a few times, but being a part Bloodstock 2017 is a huge honour. We are not only excited to show this festival what we’ve got, but also to see some of the masters that are playing!!! You don't want to miss this!” ONI warm up for their Bloodstock debut by traversing Europe next month with Children of Bodom. It’s nearly the ‘last chance saloon’ for the very popular ticket payment scheme! Bloodstock’s deposit plan helps ease the pain of paying for your standard weekend ticket by breaking it up into five smaller, more manageable sums. Sign up in the ticket store before 28th Feb with your initial payment of £34.80. Thereafter, four additional instalments of £27.80 will debit your bank account on 1st April, May, June and July respectively. Job done, ticket purchased! Get full info at http://bloodstock.seetickets.com. If you’re coming to Bloodstock by coach, you might want to secure your spot now to ensure you’re not disappointed. Big Green Coach have 21 departure cities for coaches directly to Bloodstock in 2017; Birkenhead, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Chester, Glasgow, Gloucester, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Newport, Oxford, Preston, Sheffield, Southampton, Sunderland, Swansea, and Worcester. Big Green Coach will bring you, all your camping gear, & beer supplies and drop you hassle free right inside the festival grounds. Check out the details and secure your seat for only a tenner (with the rest payable in July) over at http://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/events/bloodstock-festival-tickets-coach-travel. Bloodstock will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 10th-13th August 2017. Standard weekend camping tix are on sale at £139 (plus booking fee), plus limited VIP packages/upgrades and car parking tickets (at a cheaper price than ‘on the day’ purchase) from http://bloodstock.seetickets.com. Children’s weekend tickets are also available, priced £35 (+ booking fee) and under 4’s go free! Camper van pitches have now SOLD OUT.   De Profundis have been confirmed as part of a touring package that will be bringing an icy chill to spring in the UK. Along with atmospheric black metallers Fen and tour headliners, the Norwegian lords of the dark, Taake, De Profundis will be descending like black angels upon Bristol, London, Manchester and Glasgow during April. The dates are as follows: April 6th - Exchange, Bristol - https://www.facebook.com/events/1174269739347094/ April 7th – The Dome, London - https://www.facebook.com/events/341771126204589/ April 8th - Ruby Lounge, Manchester - https://www.facebook.com/events/1765262270462391/ April 9th - Ivory Blacks, Glasgow - https://www.facebook.com/events/1514083958606600/ On this tour De Profundis will be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the release of their debut album, Beyond Redemption. There will also be a very special release to commemorate the first decade of De Profundis being unveiled at this time, featuring artwork from renowned artist Gary Ronaldson (Kreator, Napalm Death, Benighted etc) – more details on this to follow soon. Meanwhile the band are nearing completion on recording work for their fifth album which will be released later in 2017.  ONI have announced they will be joining Children Of Bodom on their entire 20 Years Down & Dirty Tour across Europe next month. The progressive metal outfit only recently finished impressing on a lengthy UK and European run with The Devil You Know will also be joined by Forever Still making up the package. Children Of Bodom + Forever Still + ONI March 08 - Capitol, Hannover (D) March 09 - Longhorn, Stuttgart (D) March 10 - Den Atelier, Luxembourg (L) March 11 - Academy 2, Manchester (UK) March 12 - Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London (UK) March 14 - Le Cargo, Caen (FR) March 15 - L’Echonova, Vannes (FR) March 16 - La Nef, Angouleme (FR) March 17 - Disney - Le File 7, Magny-Le-Hongre (FR) March 18 - Le Metaphone, Oignie (FR) March 20 - Komplex, Zurich (CH) March 21 - Theaterfabrik, Munich (D) March 22 - Live Club, Milan (IT) March 23 - Tvornica Kulture, Zagreb (HR) March 25 - Arena, Vienna (AT) March 26 - Strasse E, Dresden (D) March 27 - Astra, Berlin (D) March 28 - Serikovka, Plzen (CZ) March 30 - Pustervik, Gothenburg (SE) April 01 - Pumpehuset, Copenhagen (DK) April 02 - KB, Malmö (SE) April 03 - Rockefeller, Oslo (NO) April 04 - Debaser Strand, Stockholm (SE) April 06 - The Circus, Helsinki (FI) 2016 was a breakout year for ONI, who proved their lasting prowess with the release of their debut album 'Ironshore', toured with heavy metal greats such as Max & Iggor Cavalera and Children of Bodom, and tore up the stage at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest with Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God with whom they collaborated on the recently premiered video of “The Only Cure”. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERFBmOtElKU With their influences rooted in progressive metal, ONI's sound can be compared to the genre's heavy hitters - The Human Abstract, Protest The Hero and Between The Buried And Me - yet they remain truly unique. With Jake Oni handling vocal duties, Martin Andres and Brandon White on guitar, Chase Bryant on bass and Joe Greulich on drums, they are also perhaps the first metal band to feature a xylosynth player, Johnny D, which adds an intriguing dynamic to the nine tracks found on 'Ironshore'. Produced by Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God, Gojira), the album takes listeners on an absorbing ride that provides ample opportunity for head-banging, singing along and deep introspection. To preview and purchase Ironshore, please visit: www.metalblade.com/oni https://www.facebook.com/theoniband https://twitter.com/theoniband https://www.instagram.com/theoniband  Epica attracted a huge crowd, the streets of Tilburg left empty It's always a special occasion when a band decides to do an album launch concert, gig, party, however you wish to term it. The truth of the matter is that not only are album launch parties great for showcasing a wide variety of bands, in this case metal bands, but also the nationalities drawn it from it. With Epica's EpicMetalFest II, people from far and wide came to the 013 Poppodium in Tilburg to witness bands from Europe and as far away as Tunisia and Canada. (This was my first time at a concert abroad and first time flying alone having come from the UK) Sadly despite best efforts, due to some rather annoying maintenance works going on the Dutch railway and highway between Arnhem and Tilburg, I missed Off The Cross (BE), For I Am King (NL) and Myrath (FR / TN) and so cannot really report on either band. However, by chatting to some punters who said all three bands were on the ball, I'll take their word for it and give all three bands a 7.50/10.
Dutch Modern Metal outfit Textures certainly had their A-game in check as they carried off where Tunisian Oriental Metallers Myrath had finished. By unleashing a charismatic on-stage presence with some rather tight and malicious sounding music, there was no reason why the crowd couldn't have matched the intensity radiating from Textures performance. Underrated at times, Textures have shown during this evening why they're worthy of a Bloodstock slot next year. Ballistic at all angels, Textures were simply raising the bar for the evening, was there anyone capable of stealing the show (besides Epica)? [8/10]
Having only made their Napalm Records debut last year, Belgian Speed Metallers Evil Invaders showed exactly why the Austrian label snapped up the quartet without question. Blisteringly fast riffs crashed against all four walls of the Universe Stage, all whilst Textures were doing their own shindig next year on the Storm Stage. Evil Invaders have been knocking around for nearly 10 years and yet despite the age of the band as a unit, the members started off as teenagers, yet they're capable of proving that they've shed their teenage skins and morphed into a formidable, respectable force. By belting out songs as if they went out of fashion, Evil Invaders only had one thing in mind... total carnage and boy did they deliver. [8/10]
One of a handful of Dutch Metal bands performing at this year's EpicMetalFest, Stream Of Passion are really no newcomers to the erotic world of female-fronted Symphonic Metal, in fact all but one band member have been in previous bands thus being no strangers to the scene. Moreover here is a band who despite their best efforts at delivering sweet music that is so sumptuously good to the ears, hasn't yet managed to reach the heights of their fellow contemporaries in Within Temptation and Epica. However their set demonstrated that they're on the path to achieve that goal and despite it still being late afternoon, had no reservations about keeping the crowd on their toes. Drinking was in full flow during their set, Stream of Passion? A Stream of alcohol more like. [7.5/10]
Since the departure of Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist kicked Alissa out of the band, thus enabling her to join Arch Enemy after Angela Gossow became band manager; thereabouts), The Agonist have been finding their way with their new vocalist Vicky Psarakis. Now, Vicky showed she is up to the task-in-hand by delivering a performance worthy of continuous applause if not for some of the other band members who seemed rather lost and at times not fully convincing; it's as if they haven't stepped out of the shadows of their former vocalist, resulting in a rather disappointing set. Not entirely sure what their plans were for the evening but it seemed to not involve band practise, despite this the whole set was of reasonable standard yet without a doubt, probably the most disinteresting performance of the night. [6/10]
Herewith is an example of grandiose perversion of the extremely meticulous kind, and now you're probably thinking what the actual f*ck am I on about? It's certainly a technical sentence no? Perfect for Italy's Fleshgod Apocalypse who once again don the theatrics and emit such musical ferocity that earth tremors could be felt. Seriously enough they did not put a foot wrong, in fact they are so rehearsed in their dramatis personae that they would do well at Eurovision next year (are you reading this RAI?). Strobe lights abound and an air of operatic grandeur circumventing the venue was certainly the case, plenty more where those came from as walls of death came to and fro by the commands of Tommaso Riccardi; it was as if he was playing the king and the punters as the fools, either way Fleshgod Apocalypse demonstrated once again why they are still underrated. [8.5/10]
Where Fleshgod Apocalypse managed to succeed in shitting the audience, Katatonia did not, instead they commenced the slitting. A once great and brutal institution has now turned for the dank and dismal worse; it was as if they weren't meant to be here because to be quite frank, the music did not fit in with the rest of the evenings line-up. That said, at least Katatonia trump Justin Bieber hands down and have the decency to sing, not lip sync live. But Katatonia just could not get the audience going, some just standing and watching bare-face, expressionless, it was as if they have been subjected to a public culling of animals, it was horrific. Despite all their might, Katatonia just did not deliver tonight... well they delivered, but the music was stale and too depressive. [5/10]
Now whilst I interviewed Anis Jouini from Myrath, The Ocean were doing their thing (and we could hear it, so let's give them a decent 7/10). Now the time had come for the star performance of the evening, well it is Epica's show of course... joking aside, Epica are another band who know how to deliver a mesmerizing yet epic live show and they did not disappoint. Using props designed to mimic their new album's artwork (The Holographic Principle), Epica used laser deflecting pyramids to divert light beams across the stage, creating a psychedelic feeling as a result. Additionally in tow was Coen Janssen and his 'keyscooter' (let's call it that because it's a keyboard on wheels) and of course the expected pyrotechnics (which culminated in the end to a firework explosion). Epica simply were sensational, by delivering a set, performance and indeed day-concert worthy of being unleashed on DVD, all in the namesake of their new album, calling it magical is simply not enough and does not describe the overarching package that is EpicMetalFest... may the 2017 edition be as breathtaking. [9/10] RHYS STEVENSON It's always a blessing when a band from a country so far away comes over to play in the UK, it's even more majestic when it's their second and consequential time(s). But for Scarab (previously known as Hate Suffocation), this was another step in their quest to place their beloved Egypt on the metal map. Having pummelled out their second album 'Serpents of the Nile' last year (released via ViciSolum Productions), it was clear that Scarab are to become eminent within the MENA region alongside fellow bands Myrath (Tunisia), Nervecell (UAE), Acrassicauda (Iraq), Orphaned Land (Israel) and to a newer extent Blaakyum (The Lebanon). However fixating complete attention onto Scarab and you begin to realize this is a band breaking boundaries, opposing Governmental oppression and above all us standing up for a form of music they feel has a powerful presence and message within. This was evident at their London show, performing in front of a mere 50/60 people, it was almost as if they were born to play music; come on they've already got Bloodstock pedigree. As the crowd began to increase and doors were well open, Atvm were the first band to set the mood for the evening.
Having only been beating around the bush for four years, you would have thought that Atvm would have had a near-perfect craft to showcase, sadly this was not the case. Despite the best efforts from Harry (vocals) and Luke (bass), the atmosphere did not ignite and the rest of the band seemed to lack confidence in their stage presence. Sure the stage width-wise was not the largest, but to compensate you can easily think of something to get the crowd going; some seem perplexed as to what to make of Atvm, with the occasional arousing cheer making itself known. Musically they seem ok, a bit sloppy here and there and at times trying to make their set more artificial than natural. If they're to gain a name for themselves further afield, then they need to redesign their blueprints because this effort has very little to appraise for (unless being sarcastic, then it's the case of turning up...). As soon as Atvm wrapped up their 'could-have-gone-better' set, the Egyptian horde known as Scarab were donning their make-up in traditional Pharaoh-style, setting up their stage layout and even managing to set the mood with some incense candles... the sandwalkers have arrived.
Scarab, the more beautiful sister to Nile, are no strangers to these shores. Having played Bloodstock a few years ago to a relatively-packed Sophie Stage tent, they were once again gracing us with their 'True Egyptian Death Metal' sound. Rallying out with epics such as 'Blinding The Masses', 'Valley Of The Sandwalkers' and 'Serpents Of The Nile' among others, they wasted no time in correcting the atmosphere left unbalanced by Atvm. Tight, precise, brutal, you could probably whip out a thesaurus and find better words to describe their performance but truth be told, these are guys who know their craft, know how to put on a damn good show and above all are showing to the world that metal is global, and that it's about bloody time the Western metalheads acknowledge this. Having had a line-up change since their first outing on British soil, with bassist Bombest, drummer Hatem El Akkad and guitarist Tarek Amr being replaced by Omar Assem, Michel Khater and Stephen Moss respectively, their sound remains unchanged... it's as if Ra spared the death of the previous incantation. Slamming away through their set like a desert storm blasting Cairo with such intensity, the sandwalkers are on the path to international recognition and a sharp contender to challenging the metal band elite. With moshpits, the expected headbanging and sweat emerging all around, it was too clear that the crowd love this band as much as Scarab loves their fans, they will be welcomed back to British soils and indeed London anytime. As the desert storm calmed down and Horus signalling that the Egyptians are finishing their set, it was time for De Profundis to limber up, pay respect to their brothers and co-headliners in Scarab and wrap up this interesting evening.
Four albums in and eleven years of activity, not bad for a band who by far deserve more attention than they currently have. Bloodstock 2017? Why the f**k not! De Profundis came prepared for this, by unleashing a barrage of Progressive Black / Death Metal to the statically-charged crowd; after being immersed by the energy Scarab spewed out, De Profundis knew that they had a challenge on their hands and one that they achieved in style. Here is a band who should be gracing the European shores on an annual basis, with their performance this evening leaving the crowd gasping for air or maybe thirsty for more, De Profundis show that they're no pushovers. Intricately balanced and finely tuned, these London chaps know how to leave a scar in their backyard scene, savage yet epically sound, De Profundis are a sight to behold. Of course there is much more this band can deliver, time will come for sure as they continue the path to success, for now they're decent enough to earn themselves a slot at Bloodstock next year (Scarab in tow of course). What makes the De Profundis unit a force to be reckoned with is they're craft, perfecting it over years and mastering a sound that can be identified as their own, something that seems to lack with some bands these days. De Profundis, Scarab and Atvm have collectively proven one thing, metal is not dead. Metal is a thriving, breathing animal that has a lot of love, passion and life coursing through it and as the night came to a close, there was indeed the feeling of ultimate satisfaction radiating from the punters. Not even the nicest smile went amiss, the crowd were left totally content. Atvm [6], Scarab [8], De Profundis [8] Rhys Stevenson  Highly complex progressive sci-fi themed metallers VEKTOR kicked off their European tour today at the Brutal Assault festival in Josefov, Czech Republic.
The eagerly-anticipated tour will see the band performing at a number of festivals, including the Netherlands' Into the Grave festival and the UK's Bloodstock festival, as well as a series of club shows throughout August. VEKTOR are touring in support of their new album, 'Terminal Redux', which featured rave reviews from the likes of High Times, Metal Hammer, Outburn and many more, and resulted in the band being featured as the cover artist and lead track on Spotify's New Metal Tracks playlist in May. Get 'Terminal Redux' now on CD and limited edition coloured vinyl in Europe at http://webstore.earache.com/vektor or in North America at http://uswebstore.earache.com/vektor The album is also available now on iTunes at http://bit.ly/terminalredux-itunes Don't miss VEKTOR on tour in Europe at the following shows: Aug. 12 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Into the Grave Festival Aug. 13 - Corroios, Portugal - Vagos Open Air Aug. 14 - Walton-on-Trent, UK - Bloodstock Open Air Festival Aug. 16 - Dublin, Ireland - Voodoo Lounge Aug. 17 - Manchester, UK - Star & Garter Aug. 18 - London, UK - The Underworld Aug. 19 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Little Devil Bar Aug. 20 - Mean, Belgium - Metal Mean Festival Aug. 21 - Saint-Nolff, France - Motocultor Festival Aug. 22 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Eightball Club Aug. 23 - Athens, Greece - AN Club Aug. 25 - Bergamo, Italy - Festa Bikers Aug. 26 - Innsbruck, Austria - PMK Aug. 27 - Neu-Anspach, Germany - Neuborn Open Air Aug. 29 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Opera Concert Club Aug. 30 - Moscow, Russia - Volta Get more VEKTOR news and info: Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/VektorOfficial Twitter - http://twitter.com/vektormetal |
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