When Skindred was announced to perform at Bloodstock 2017 there were a number of people who took their angst onto social media, raging at a band not being 'metal' enough being booked to play, when they should be at Download. Reality check, they've done Download, they've had their song 'Nobody' on the NFS Underground 2 game soundtrack, they've been going nearly 20 years, they've played Wacken for heaven's sake. That's metal enough for us.

Despite the whinging and whining on the net, the amount of festival goers Skindred pulled was more than adequate to put the elitists in their place. The well known 'Newport Helicopter' was a fitting way to end their set, even the ShowSec crew in front of the Ronnie James Dio stage got involved:- watch their song 'Warning' with the Newport Helicopter included here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpnPeFtUGkU); credit goes to YouTuber Jamiet1994 for the video - skip to 3:51 for the legendary Newport Helicopter. 

Benji Webbe and Mikey Demus both were more than happy to spend time with GMA to talk about their origins, playing BOA for the first (and possibly not the last) time, plans ahead, the origin of the Newport Helicopter and much more... over to the Welsh Ragga Metallers.

So guys the 'Newport Helicopter', did you come up with it yourself? It's become a staple part of your performance hasn't it.

Benji:-

     "Yeah man one day I was on tour and we just erm... I decided to do this thing called the 'Newport Helicopter' and make everyone take their t-shirts off and swing them, it just seemed to catch on and people really dig it and if they didn't dig it, we wouldn't do it. Yeah yeah yeah, but you know what like I said if it was something that people didn't like, they wouldn't do it and people do enjoy it (goes on to say that when said topic comes up in interviews he admits it's really cool)."


Brexit is hugely topical at the moment, so as a band are you worried about what could happen?

Benji:-

     "I don't wanna know anything about that..., absolutely we're worried; it's pushing people away. Do you know how much money it's going to cost just to change the signs? Millions. Millions and millions and that's pathetic, you know I mean? I want to be part of a union, like what Mikey said we're about unity and I was quite upset when we're (The UK) in favour of leaving the E.U., I love Europe and I want to be a part of Europe you know? May the people have the power you know."

Mikey:-

     "No go on..., I mean everyone's got a different stance on it, I personally don't think it's a good idea, don't think it's a good thing, we're a band about unity and that whole thing is not about unity. I don't see the purpose or the point, not into it personally."


Skindred has been going for nearly 20 years. So over the course of your discography have you changed your music style slightly, or kept it the same?

Benji:-

     "Yeah solid. You know if something isn't broken, don't fix it. People don't know that we're a band who draw in a lot of different musical genres, a lot of different musical instrumentations and we just put it in together you know? The way I look it is like someone once said: 'by any means necessary, we'll make the people rock', and that means putting all the stuff together and that's what we'll do."


Focusing on the band name Skindred, what does it mean, was there any inspiration? What does your family think of your music?

Benji:-

     "Well it comes from... because the genres have come from different places, when we started the band we wanted something which represented the hardness and also the mellowness, so we took Skindred. 'Skin' coming from skinhead, which represents the sort of British urban kind of vibe and the 'dred' comes from the more danceable kind of thing... [so like a portmanteau? - Benji had not heard of this word so explained that it's a combination of 2 words], yeah man I like that, portmanteau, portmanteau"

     "My family has always been supportive of what I do, they love what I do, they're very happy and they know that. In all honesty in my mind what Skindred is, is me, it's outrageous, it's bold, you know it's me and my family love what I do, they don't f*cking buy the records but they're very proud of what I do and they're happy that I'm happy"

Mikey:-

     "In the same way that Skindred sort of drags in a very varied audience, it's the same with our families. Like my dad, my wife, they're not metallers you know what I mean? They'd be here clapping and waving a t-shirt around in the crowd just like the rest of those people. We did the same thing at Boomtown where it's all kinds of different people, today it's a field full of metalheads, they're going to get into it just the same. So we don't bring that 'we're this (splat), if you're not this then you're not going to like it'".


This is Skindred's first ever Bloodstock appearance, both of you how are you feeling about it?

Benji:- "Excited!"
Mikey:-

      "Can't wait, you know it's our first time here, I feel like we're at home, everyone I've spoken to is buzzing and pleased to play, we can't wait it's going to be great"


For those who have never checked you out, what song would you recommend and why?

Benji:-

     "'Nobody' is a good song. I think 'Rat Race' is another one I thought of. Stay away from the 'business card', stay away from that."

Mikey:-

     "Nobody is a good one, sums it up I think. 'Nobody' is kind of autobiographical you know? It's kind of a good business card but if you're not into that, fair enough."


What wares / equipment are you using right now? Benji what inspired you to become a vocalist?

Benji:-  "Microphone... (all laugh)"

     "Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck... I just watched cartoons as a kid and started impersonating the voices and then watching movies like 'West Side Story', 'Carousel' and then realizing I can actually... from mimicking the cartoon characters I can actually mimic the voices on 'West Side Story'. As a kid at school, our teacher would mostly sing us a song, tell us a story and I love it and I'd do all the voices. Like I said before music I was inspired by just voices, sounds, tones, etc.,"

Mikey:-

     "I'm using Orange amps, Manson guitars and a bunch of cool sh*t as well (Benji and Mikey laugh), loads of cool sh*t (Benji), been using the same stuff for quite a while"

Bloodstock has a competition called Metal 2 The Masses that unsigned bands enter, and so what advice have you got for those bands? Any advice for children getting into music?

Benji:-

     "Keep doing what you do and love what you do, that's the best thing I can offer because this business is not about promises, or because you've been playing guitar for so long that don't you're going to get paid for it. Just enjoy it man, try to enjoy it and that's what it's for - life's too short for you not to be enjoying yourself"

     "You got to love it if you want to do it, that's my advice, love the people around you and I'll honestly say this 'when I'm on stage and I've got Mike, Arya and Dan with me, you know honestly mate I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have them, I'm in awe and I feel very blessed to be on the same stage as them'. If you can feel like that with the musicians around you, that's part of the battle, I think you've got to really love the people around you, you got to love each other.... that don't mean being in other's houses everyday... but you got to love each other to do this (being in a band). We're a family, that's how it should be."

     "My son, he was at the concert last night and the beautiful thing about it when he was growing up, even though there was a lot of music around I made sure he knew who The Clash was, he knew who The Ruts were, he knew all these different punk rock bands, and I was with him the other day and we were driving along and he played me some new Kanye West stuff, but he also played me some new Metallica stuff, which is great."

Mikey:-

     "I think if you have no expectations about anything coming out of music, you can only be positively surprised and if everything goes well. I think if you have expectations around you, you're going to be potentially disappointed because it's a difficult world to survive in. We're still figuring out 15 years in, trying to improve on the last thing we did, you know staying busy and staying active."

     "I would say for me I think, it's important for kids to play instruments and be into rock n' roll, because that's something that's kind of comes and goes and kids are growing up with f*cking celebrity nonsense and reality TV, it's all bullsh*t... it wasn't really a thing when I was a kid... I bought records and read magazines. I don't know if kids still do that now, I mean I've got a young kid who I hope grows up to be into certain things that you know, you want to keep that alive. I wouldn't just want them to be into f*cking 'Frozen', 'Disney', you know what I mean? I want them to be into f*cking Metallica, Pantera., etc"


Could you enlighten us as to where the 'Nobody' music video was filmed?

Mikey:-

     "That was down near Toronto in a warehouse with a production company from New York and we pitched all kinds of ideas for the song, hit the nail on the head of everything we're about and wanted to do, and yeah they nailed and we had a great time doing it. It was in a room probably twice the size of this (the Gibson bus), there was probably about 110 people in there kicking the sh*t out of each other, with us in the middle ground"


With your 'Ragga Metal' style, was there any inspiration behind it or did it just come naturally?

Benji:-

     "Well, for me personally when I was a little boy there was a band called The Specials, and they played punk rock and reggae and, basically they were playing covers of my dad's record collection but in a punk rock way. There were black guys and white guys and they all looked like they could live on my housing estate, on my council estate in South Wales and I was like 'wow I want to be in a band like that' and I believe, I really believe that I'm going to achieve that; bringing black people together, white people together no matter what, gay people, straight people, etc., I believe that's what we do"


Of course that's one of the great things about metal, it unites people from all over the world.

Benji:- "Oh yeah it's beautiful"
Mikey:-

     "The metal community is a very loyal community as well, they embrace what we do and when they're into it it's like they're into it for life. You know what I mean, we go away for a couple years and then come back and people still turn up. It's not like a fickle kind of world where maybe pop is, indie you know, because it's not a massively fashionable... fashion-orientated world where people just love what they love"


Regarding metal elitists, what are your thoughts on them?

Benji:-

     "What's a metal elitist?" (someone who sticks to one metal genre, bashing the others), "well they're missing out aren't they."

Mikey:-

     "I like the challenge of it, because those people who are on the forums going 'Skindred are playing, ah I'm not going this year', mark my words they're going to be f*cking out there later losing their sh*t, guarantee it that they'll be saying 'ah that was brilliant', can guarantee it."


So what's next for Skindred after Bloodstock?

Benji:-

     "We're off to Australia for an Australian tour, we're all excited about it. We'll be playing a show in Japan with Alice Cooper, so yeah we've got some pretty big things coming up and then we're going to start writing a brand new record, this is like the end of a cycle of 'Volume' so 'Volume's out there with the other records and then when we get back we're going to start again. A whole new album, which we hope to get out this time next year (August 2018)"

    [Is there any New Zealand dates?]

     "No mate, I don't understand. Seriously it's been too long man, New Zealand? What's wrong with you?"

Mikey:-

     "I don't think we could this time, we'd love to go down there - not happening this time.


Have you got any greetings, thank you's, etc you wish to send out?

Mikey:-

     "We'd like to thank everyone who is here today and everyone who's been supporting us playing this festival and just our fans in general, if it wasn't for the fans we wouldn't be here sat having this conversation ('That's right' - Benji)"

Benji:-

     "It's all about de fans man!"


Skindred are currently touring in Australia.

https://www.facebook.com/skindredofficial/about/
www.skindred.net

Some metal music fans might not know it, but the Chilean Metal scene has been around for quite some time, at least since the 1980's. One Chilean-born-German Anton Reisenegger was a part of this movement and still is involved with other metal bands. He is a member of Pentagram, Fallout, United Forces, Lock Up and of course Criminal of whom we interviewed him about.

Criminal have had a remarkable 26-year career thus far with a healthy amount of albums and demoes in their discography, but of course one of the more momentous periods of their career was in 2001 when Anton upped and left Santiago in favour of Ipswich, Suffolk - quite the change right? The thing is with the South American metal scenes is that sure there are great bands, great achievements but the one thing that seems to hinder most bands is the travelling and gigging potential. Whereas in the UK you have within a 4-hour drive of London the cities of Birmingham, Manchester, Portsmouth, etc so forth, to tour in South America predominantly involves flying and so logistics come into the fray.

Last year Criminal released their eighth album entitled 'Fear Itself' which marked five years since their previous album 'Akelarre'; the longest period between any two albums in their career, moreover it marked their 25th anniversary since their inception and they are without any doubt one of Chile's finest ever metal bands. GMA spoke to Anton to find out what life was like back in the 80's Chilean Metal scene, how they came to move over to England and the whole issue with metal elitism.

Forever Still are a young Danish Alternative Metal band who have without a doubt came out of nowhere, having released their debut album 'Tied Down' and then end up signing with Nuclear Blast; 'Tied Down' was then re-released', to then secure a slot on the Ronnie James Dio stage at Bloodstock is a tremendous achievement given the band has been around 7 years... well actually it's Maja Shining and Mikkel Haastrup who lead the front-line and are supplemented by live musicians (who include Rune Frisch).

Despite their seemingly sudden explosion onto the metal circuit, they've been around since 2010 and have released 3 EP's prior to their big break. Denmark has had a decent record of metal exports from Artillery to King Diamond and from Mnemic to Raunchy and are still delivering more and more top notch metal bands like Akoma and of course Forever Still.

Mikkel was up for the task of informing us what makes the band tick, the state of the Danish Metal scene, Mikkel's music tastes among other things that make Forever Still as equally if not more important than Denmark's biggest exports besides metal... bacon and Lego.

So what do your parents think of metal music Mikkel, what support do you get from your family / friends?

     "My parents aren't into music, actually my mum really hates music so she's like if there's any kind of music... when I grew up she was like 'can you f*cking just turn that off!'. My dad is really into jazz and stuff, but really doesn't like heavier music so yeah I didn't get anything from them heh.

     The way we built this band it's just Maja and I doing everything ourselves without any support from anyone else and that's how we started, I think the first album has quite an isolated sound as well and that's just because we were like 'we can do this'. We just do everything ourselves, so we recorded it and mixed it, shot our own videos and everything. I think that it worked out really well"


Having just finished your set, opening the main stage at Bloodstock, what plans have you got for the rest of the year?

     "We're playing Sabaton Open Air next week [was 19th August], then we're going back to the studio to just record and write, so that's the plan for the rest of the year and then hopefully the album will be out early next year and we'll start touring a lot. We've been on some amazing tours at the end of last year and at the start of this year with Lacuna Coil and Children of Bodom, so hopefully we'll get some great support for us and then do a headline tour as well"


Aside from the core Scandinavian countries, would you play in the Faroe Islands? What do you know about the metal scene there?

     "Yeah I would love to, they've got the G! Festival up there, I would love to play that and I would love to see the nature up there. My best friend is from the Faroe Islands, so yeah, we'd love it.

     I don't know a lot about the music from up there actually, they've got all these strange names as well because they call themselves something from their own language [Faroese]"


Finally do you have any greetings, thank you's that you wish to send out?

     "Yeah I would just love to thank Bloodstock for letting us play this festival, it's been amazing!"

'Tied Down' is out now via Nuclear Blast.

http://foreverstill.dk/
https://www.facebook.com/Foreverstill/

As the Metal 2 The Masses (M2TM) kicks into full swing with heats across the breadth of the UK and abroad taking place, bands progressing whilst some fall by the wayside, it's once again time for GMA to probe the bands who have entered this prestigious competition that allows the eventual region winners to earn a slot at playing the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival near Burton-Upon-Trent.

Second up is Black Atlas from Luton; questions answered by guitarist Peter Hunt.


How did Black Atlas form and what is the meaning behind the band name?

     "Black Atlas formed through a want to get back out on the local scene and play music we enjoyed. We had all been in previous bands at one point with one member or another. We gelled together pretty quickly, working on a few song ideas which have stuck with us since the beginning.

     The name came through the normal pain of us passing ideas around. Black Atlas was an idea Peter had knocked about for a while. As a few of our favourite bands are Black Sabbath and Black Label Society we went with it. The idea behind it is a simple combination of Black signifying the music as it simply defines Heavy Music. Atlas is to show we pull influences from a range of bands, and that we don't want our music to be defined by borders."


What range of influences do you take? Band-wise and sound-wise?

     "This question would have a massive list of bands, but I guess our main core influences fall as;
Kyuss; Corrosion of Conformity; Fu Manchu; Black Sabbath; Black Label Society; Alice in Chains. Those bands show what we are about and capture the sound we want to put across."


Is this your first time participating in M2TM? (If yes are you / were you nervous? If no what emotions were / are you feeling?)

     "We actually took part last year as well. It was great fun. Even though we were did not progress we really enjoyed it. The mix of bands was great, showcasing all varieties of heavy music.

     We are also fortunate to know previous winners in bands such as Scar City and Countless Skies. That makes it a lot more real, seeing local bands we've played with or know from the scene. We've all seen BOTB competitions, and with rubbish on TV like X Factor and the Voice manufacturing bands and artists, M2TM is something which is a lot more relatable and to us will have a greater longevity and meaning than the others. It's just what real music needs."


What is the Luton / Bedfordshire Metal scene like? 

     "We've been knocking around the scene for a few years now. We once got refereed to as the 'old guards' even though we consider ourselves still young. Overall the scene is healthy, there is always young blood coming in so there is never a shortage of bands. I think the main struggle we've seen is the willingness for venues to support heavy music. Getting a crowd down and making nights successful for a venue has been what has hit the scene the hardest. We've seen a few venues close, and some fortunately open up again. 

     Too many people would prefer to pay money to see someone play a cover of a song someone else sings, and was most likely written by another person. The best thing about metal though is it doesn't die. With ongoing support from promoters like Luton Lives and Bedford Alternative Music it has all lived and will always live."


What hobbies does the band have outside of music?

     "We've all got a collective mix really. Peter is into his cars, running a Japanese car club and probably spending too much money on them. He also enjoys his photography and is a keen cinema goer. Wilson also has a passion for cars, and usually if you don't find us playing music we will be tinkering on our cars. He also has his own business. SWFX (swfxpedals.co.uk) He designs and builds custom stomp boxes/pedals. We actually use a lot of them in our sound. From fuzz pedals, to custom wahs and delays. 

     Mikey recently became a father for the second time. So he has his hands full looking after a the little one currently. Aside from that he enjoys his 5 a side football. He used to also scout bands back in a previous life, working with Basick Records finding some great new artists. Jimi is a big horror fan and a prominent gig goer. He used to support the local scene by putting on gigs around Luton and support Luton Lives in its early days. We all like to keep fit as well, through either the gym or running. 


What plans do you have for the rest of the year? 

     "Our main goal for this year is to be gigging more, building up a solid fan base and then spreading too some wider locations. We're working on some new material as well, writing new songs and developing our overall sound. 

     We are also looking to do some more recording to follow up our debut EP, and then hopefully tie that in with a video. And while all that's going on we will have a right old laugh as well. As you've got to enjoy what you do."

https://www.facebook.com/BlackAtlasBand/

As the Metal 2 The Masses (M2TM) kicks into full swing with heats across the breadth of the UK and abroad taking place, bands progressing whilst some fall by the wayside, it's once again time for GMA to probe the bands who have entered this prestigious competition that allows the eventual region winners to earn a slot at playing the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival near Burton-Upon-Trent.

First up is Kill For Company from London; questions answered by guitarist Quinton Lucion


How did Kill For Company form and what is the meaning behind the band name?

     "We formed in 2014 as our singer Tom got in contact with me (Quinton) to finish off a set of tracks we wrote in 2012. My only stipulation was that I wanted to write with a live drummer and so we found Dan. We solidified the line up in mid 2015 and have been playing live since. We just thought the name sounded cool to be honest."


What range of influences do you take? Band-wise and sound-wise?

      "In terms of image we don't model ourselves on anything in particular. Sound wise we take influence from bands like Pantera, Megadeth, Metallica, Pantera, Gojira, Vader, Decapitated to name a few."


Is this your first time participating in M2TM? (If yes are you / were you nervous? If no what emotions were / are you feeling?)

     "This is our first time round [playing] the M2TM cycle and are delighted that we are in the quarter finals. We weren't sure what to expect in our heat but it was well organised and we just felt happy to be a part of it."


What is the London Metal scene like right now?

"It's pretty good at the moment. Lots of good bands supporting each other."


What hobbies does the band have outside of music?

      "Practising on our instruments if I was to pick between Dan and I. I know that's not outside of music but that is what we do. Tom's hobbies are probably to do with watching films and having an interest in history."


What plans do you have for the rest of the year?

      "To finally release our debut e.p and get back to playing shows. We endured a personal setback this year but are intending to come back with full force."


https://www.facebook.com/killforcompanymetal

On Thursday 8th 2013, GMA managed to get a few words with London thrashers Kremated, well we say a few, probably more than that but enough to get the answers we wanted LOL. This was done prior to their set on Sunday 11th August on the New Blood Stage and so let's hear what the lads have to say about Bloodstock and their plans.

Listen to the audio version for the in between bits, banter and more as well as some questions we left out of the text form. We have chosen 5 of the questions for text form, the rest are on audio.

Duration: 30 minutes

Rhys Stevenson here for Global Metal Apocalypse and I'm with... KREMATED
Pete: YES!

So guys introduce yourselves, what do you play and who are your main influences?

Phil: Right Ok, I'm Phil I'm the lead guitarist of the band and basically influences are bands like Kreator, Slayer, Lamb Of God, loads of other stuff, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, right across the board.

Marcus: I'm Marcus, I play bass and my main influence comes from Black Metal basically bands like Aura Noir, bit of Immortal.

Pete: I'm Pete, I sing and play guitar and my influences are from everything, it's mostly Crust, Punk, Punky stuff, Old School Thrash and I suppose if you want bands Sodom, Varukers, Discharge and Terror; it's a new band, ish, (laughs) it's probably the only modern influence I have got I think.


Because you are from London and you play Thrash Metal, what is the Thrash Metal scene like in London?

Phil: It's ok, it's just quite laid back, it's a bit touch and go, isn't it (looks at Marcus)
Marcus: It's a bit clicky (Phil agrees)
Pete: Yeah, it's a really good scene but if your not part of that I suppose if your not part of a little sub-scene people tend to enter into divisions like genre's, yeah I suppose so and it's like the Death, Black and Thrash scene is huge in London especially around North London, but yeah I mean everything is accepted but yeah I suppose pure Thrash, not so hot, there are bigger markets elsewhere in the UK and Europe.


I take it that this is your first major appearance at a metal festival, are you nervous, are you stoked or are you waiting to get absolutely pissed?

Pete: Oooh, I was nervous till a couple of days ago and then I just had a think about it and thought well it's at the end of the day no offense it's just another gig and we are going to go on stage and do the best we can, it doesn't matter if we're playing in front of 20 people or 20,000 we're the same people doing the same job and we can't see past the first five rows anyway, so yeah just treat it as another gig and do the best we can.

Marcus: Yeah I'm really looking forward to it, I was really shocked when I first got the news from Pete and now it's getting crazier by the time I just cannot wait, really excited.

Phil: Over-excited, just seen the size of the New Blood stage for Bloodstock it's an absolutely enormous tent and looking forward to smashing the living hell out of Bloodstock for Sunday.
(Pete remarks "It's grown", all three members chuckle, Pete continues "Ten years of Bloodstock has made it fat")


Of course it's your first appearance at Bloodstock, do you feel that Bloodstock gives more attention to British bands than other metal festivals in the UK?

Phil: Oh most definitely, I mean you got these big festivals like Sonisphere, you got Download and everything else, but this one is sort of catering for the middle of the range kind of people and I mean like I just been out of a tent (Sophie Lancaster Stage) to see a band we've actually played with Bull-Riff Stampede, absolutely amazing set tonight, I'm absolutely... it was absolutely gob-smacking and so it makes me feel proud to be a part of that and to be part of this festival is definitely a part from a childhood dream. It's just absolutely smashed it for me, I mean I'm like a little kid playing with big toys tonight and so I'm speechless, I can't say anything better than that, you know it's a dream come true.

Marcus: Yeah I mean absolutely, I think that the atmosphere of this festival is just unparalleled compared to any other festivals in the UK, I mean it's just a really nice community like tight-knit and what that do for unsigned bands is just incredible, I mean there is no other festival sort of doing anything like this, it's just so good to see that a major festival really likes pushing unsigned metal.

Pete: I think what Bloodstock scores over all the other festivals is that because it's a bit smaller it's a bit more based on being inclusive rather than being exclusive, everyone gets a chance, it's the only festival that's got a decent stage for up and coming bands, unsigned bands, I can't think of any other festivals in the UK that does this sort of thing, whether it's attached to something like Metal To The Masses or not, and Bloodstock is doing more for up and coming metal than anyone else. It must be supported because if we haven't got that then there's going to be no more metal bands in 5 to 10 years time, we're just going to be watching Megadeth coming out on Zimmer Frames (laughs occur), that's going, that's going to be no fun is it? You know? I mean bands like Gama Bomb, Evile you know 5, 6, 10 whatever few years back they were just playing little pubs and trying to get a following, but look at them now and people supported them and pushed them forward and we've got you know a new breed of major interest Thrash coming out of the UK and it proved positive that this works so people must support this because it's the only way we are going to keep the scene from dying on it's arse!


So you're playing at Bloodstock, what plans have you got for the rest of the year?

Pete: We've got Beermageddon in two weeks after that, the biggest most drunken metal barbeque in world history, i don't know unless 2014 gets any bigger, we got some shows, erm what have we got?... carried on by Phil talking about another festival

Phil: Playing with lots of goth bands, different alternative bands, I mean it's being sponsored by so many different (interjected by a punter asking about the Slayer signing sessions, which didn't happen for a few days...), ANYWAY where was I? Pete takes control.

Pete: Alt fest they've announced all the goth and industrial bands, but haven't started building the metal menu yet, but I am assured it's going to be incredible, what else we got? Oh, OH Full Thrash Assault next year, that's going to be insane! Phil takes control... again

Phil: It's not been announced properly yet because they're still going through it, erm Rad fest, there's also, what else is there? Pete interjects

Pete: We got a big charity thing in November for a friend of ours, Colin Tyler. Who had to have his arm amputated when he was a kid and this is the 30th anniversary of him losing his arm, so he's putting on a great big metal festival and donating proceeds to the charities so we're doing that one, erm whose on that... NeonHalo, Wretched Soul, Inner Fire, Unforeseen Prophecy, that's going to be good, erm... i don't know, anyone got any offers? (Laughs ensue) " facebook.com/Kremated ", put the songs somewhere, please we'd like to play outside London more, we have fans in the Midlands, we have fans all over the Midlands who are dying to see us which is going to make Beermageddon interesting, but we are looking for shows so hit us up on Facebook and get in touch, we'd love to come up and play, see what happens. You know we just enjoy doing this and that's it if we get an opportunity to do it then brilliant, you know we're not after world domination, you know we don't want to be doing that all jumbo jet s**t of course it would be nice but that's not the point of us, we play Thrash Metal because we love playing Thrash Metal, if we don't love doing that we wouldn't be going out and lose money on gigs, you know what's the point we love doing this and that's why we do it, you know if we break even then great but you know we love Thrash Metal, this is why we do it. Might even get a second album out if we're lucky! We've half written it, "I ask them: so is that going to be different from the first album?", response? Yeah it's going to have a different title and a different cover.


Are there any hello's, thank you's, greetings you wish to issue to friends, family, fans, bands playing today, bands you know, etc?

Phil: Yeah I want to say thank you to my daughter for being so supportive, she's only 12 years old and she's let me go off on tour, it's been difficult for her but I love her lots. Friends wise I'd like to say thank you to The Pandemonium club, all the Kent scene, the Kremated army, I'd like to say thank you to Simon Hall and Adam Fillary (who is on Darkstore during the festival) for actually giving us that chance and also so much support from the whole team. It's been appreciated, but also thank you to the bands that have actually welcomed us into the scene and had us play with them, no it's been absolutely amazing so far and we're looking forward to many more seasons of this.

Marcus: Yeah I'd just like to thank my friends and family for all the continued support they offer me, yeah all the people at Bloodstock that have made this happen every year, Phil comments 'I think the DJ's as well, multitude of DJ's, including Mr. Alan Hicks, he's the man!', Jim Beerman, there's so many.

Pete: John 'Beastie' Beeson our partner in crime, we done Adam Fillary, Jim Beerman, err COLIN TYLER, Stubb brothers... both of them. Ash Nash, Ben Richardson, the Original Kremated army, Annika Burgess with incredible feats of determined hard work, Andrew O'Neill comedian and guitarist of The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing great guy, good friend of mine, he's helped us out a lot, he booked us for probably one of the best shows we probably have done, we supported the men at Kings Cross which was a full house and we went on stage to a full house of Steampunks thinking this is either going to be brilliant or this is going to be excruciating and we won them over and the place went mad, I cant thank him enough for that. Anybody that has taken the time to come to talk to us, you know bought CD's, merchandise, thank you and booked us for gigs, anything. Anybody who has done something with us or for us, everybody, too many to mention.

Phil: I mean yeah that's also promoters, there's magazines, everything else there's MetalMouth, Metalnet, there's so many out there, er TotalRock Radio, there's just so many people out there erm we cannot thank enough for actually putting the name out so, we couldn't do it without you so you've been amazing. Yeah a very big thank you... Pete yells out "and you!" All of them together "Rhys Stevenson!", Pete says 'oh I forgot your sitting right in front of me', yeah sterling work!

Cheers guys!

Pete: Thank you!

You can listen to the other questions through the audio player at the very top of the page, some questions are already in text so you can read along to it as well. N.b. make a note of where you pause because 30 minutes is sometime.

https://www.facebook.com/Kremated

_ Global Metal Apocalypse proudly presents a showcase of some of the bands scheduled to play at this year’s Bloodstock Festival 2012. This year the festival is again welcoming bands from all over the globe as well as home-grown bands such as Anvil, Furyon and Huron. Global bands include India's premier metal band Demonic Resurrection, Taiwan's long-standing Chthonic and the emerging force of Costa Rica's majestic Sight of Emptiness. Let alone there being Brazilian legends Sepultura and a number of American major acts such as Hatebreed and Alice Cooper and of course a host of Metal bands from all over Europe including bands from France, Croatia, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Slovenia and Norway, plus more being added all the, so check out BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR FESTIVAL for the fresh news.

But that’s not all, because Bloodstock has its own competition running alongside it, Metal 2 The Masses is taking a fair piece of the Bloodstock cake (delicious it is). This band competition is by far the most prolific of its kind, time to check the low-down of this godly adventure:

Bands from all kinds of Metal sub-genres take to the stage to battle it out to win their regional heats, this year has seen Global Metal Apocalypse being active with the Band Quest side of Metal 2 The Masses, this is judging bands at various rounds held at Southend Chinnery's and Colchester Judge & Jury.

The band who ultimately wins Metal 2 The Masses will be gifted with the most heavenly of packages:

• A Performance slot at Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2012
• A Performance slot at Wacken Open Air Festival 2013
• A Performance slot at Metal Camp 2013
• The possibility of winning mountains of backline
• A recorded material distribution deal
  

The other prize as it were is that bands who reached their area finals are given "the opportunity to air their recorded material on all download formats, courtesy of emu bands". Plus the fact being media, record companies, agents, management and many more personnel involved in the music industry will take note of bands in it; so for each band participating, 100% is needed, no room for error.

This year Global Metal Apocalypse has seen a number of talented Essex bands take to the challenge and explode amps in a variety of ways, from thrashers Merciless Fail (who have just been reviewed in Power Play magazine) to Thames Burial (who were originally known as Echoes Fall and have played Bloodstock before) amongst other stellar bands.

But further afield bands have been taking down notes, blasting out riffs at a rate of knots and generally fighting for the ultimate prize. From all over the UK (from East Anglia to the Midlands, from the south coast to the west country and from capitals to Glasgow, South Wales and beyond) as well as Croatia, Cyprus, Norway and Romania. Scouting and getting bands into each heat was not easy at all, not for anyone.

So now we come to the point of showcasing those how have already been announced. Those winners of each regional heat aforementioned and bands announced as they are will come right at the bottom so keep an eye out for new additions!

To View more up-to date posts to do with the Bloodstock Open Air Festival click here

Global Metal Apocalypse caught up with the Metal 2 The Masses man that is Simon Hall for a quick word to catch on with what he had to say regarding Bloodstock.

1. What is your opinion of bloodstock and metal to the masses?

It is good and i like it

2. When seeing the line-up, do you feel Bloodstock is increasing its international presence every year?

Yep

3. In two or more sentences, sum up Bloodstock Open Air

Stressful, knackering, drunk, loud, embracing, mental and yet utterly rewarding!

REGION: GLOUCESTERSHIRE
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: THRASH METAL
LABEL: UNSIGNED
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

"Bloodstock Festival to us (Reign of Fury) means a lot, it is the lifeblood of a true UK metal festival and means ROF gets the chance to tread the boards with respected metal acts from all around the world. The festival is going from strength to strength each year and is fast becoming an equal to Wacken / Full Force Festival and the other great european metalfests. It's great to have a dedicated UK fest for all us metalheads here, LONG LIVE BLOODSTOCK !! \m/" 

How long has the band being going and who came up with the band name?

This band has been going for a couple of years now. Ed and I (Magic Dave) had another band in 2006 called Reign of Fury that didn't get off the ground. So when we got this band on the go we thought Reign of Fury was the perfect name. I (Heavy Matt Earl) joined when Ed & Magic Dave restarted the whole idea of getting Reign Of Fury as a real band and not a side project, They came up with the name.

Is this the band's first time at Bloodstock and what emotions does the band have relating to it?

Yep first time and totally stoked that our hardwork is starting to pay off, it's a great to play alongside bands that i have been a fan of for a long time. We are over the moon about being given the opportunity to play. Playing alongside our influences is a massive deal to us.

Do you feel Bloodstock acts as a platform for the lesser known bands to gain considerable exposure?

Dunno we will let you know after hahahaha ;) Definitley! (Matt). Any festival is good exposure but Bloodstock is an awesome Metal fest. The big bonus is the New Blood stage. It give people the chance to see new bands and check out the future of the metal scene. We can't wait (Dave).

When you got confirmed to play for Bloodstock, what was your initial response?

(Matt at this point used his pocket 'swearictionary'): F**k me i forgot i send that off!! Dave said: Wicked! Can't believe it! We're playing along side Testament, Nile and Deicide! That was my initial response.

What aspect apart from the bands are you most looking forward to about the festival?

The Camraderie of our band is great, so many good times with metal mates and bands blasting it doesn't get better than that \m/. It's all about the metal! But camping with that many metal heads in one place will also be the biggest party in the world! Bloodstock campsite is where it's at!

What bands are you looking forward to see play?

COC, Testament, Nile, Iced Earth, Alice Cooper, Hatebreed, Anvil, and Sepultura but wont be there friday :( - (Reign Of Fury all met for the first time at a Testament gig theres a little ROF fact nugget for ya!)

Sum up Bloodstock in one sentence and why should people go to it?

Bloodstock is a prominent breeding ground of the highly infectious virus called "Metal", infecting us since 2005, if you go there's no coming back YOU WILL BECOME METAL!! A metal party for metal people. If you miss it, you ain't metal! (2 sentences I know but f**k the rules!)

_REGION: SUFFOLK
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: BLACK / DEATH METAL
LABEL: CANDLELIGHT RECORDS
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: FRIDAY 10TH

__"Bloodstock has a great atmosphere and is the only true (open-air) metal festival in the UK!"

How long has Eastern Front been going and what inspired the band to play Black Metal?

I (Holocaust) formed Eastern Front at the end of 2006 with Krieg so we have been going for just over 5 years now. However, it wasn't until 2011 that we felt we finally had a full dedicated line-up due to many line-up changes in the band over the years that caused us a number of delays. We are both huge fans of Black Metal and have been for many years so wanted to create a band that encompassed all of our interests, this is why we also take influence from Doom, Death and Classical music and why our lyrics are about WWII.

Is this your first time at Bloodstock? If no, what other times have you played? If yes, are you excited?

This will be our first time playing at Bloodstock.  We are very excited and proud to be asked to play at the UK's best open-air festival!

Coming from Ipswich, it must be a surreal experience to be one of the few Black metal bands in the region, what would you say to that?

The fact that we are one of the very few Black Metal bands in this region doesn't really concern us.
Personally, I just jump on a train to London to go to shows that I want to see / support and we treat London more as our hometown when it comes to doing shows. Ipswich is plagued with Metalcore / Emo crap (like most towns) that we have no interest in. The Metal scene here used to be a lot better before side-partings and tight jeans were deemed "cool" by so called "Metalheads" but luckily that trend seems to be dying out and there are a lot more Extreme Metal bands playing around here again. Being from Ipswich meant it was difficult finding like-minded musicians to join us at first so our members were spread out over a number of towns but all members now live in Ipswich and things are certainly running more smoothly than they have done in the past.

What are you mostly looking forward to apart from the bands?

Drinking and socialising with the bands / fans. Some of us may even up on the dodgems, again...

What would you say to people who haven't decided whether to go or not?

Sort your life out and book a bloody ticket! ;).

_REGION: BERKSHIRE
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: EXTREME SYMPHONIC METAL
LABEL: UNSIGNED
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: THURSDAY 9TH

"Bloodstock is the festival that comes from a country so rich in metal pedigree and history, that it can't fail - British was and always is the best!"

How does it feel playing Bloodstock this year?
 
Playing Bloodstock is without a doubt a very special experience for us. Apart from the obvious points, playing a major festival alongside the best acts in the business, partying hard for 4 days and having a fantastic time. Bloodstock is very close to Saturnian and what we are all about. This is actually our third year in a row playing the festival and its been a big part of our progression as a band. We played in 2010 as "Traces", before disbanding and starting Saturnian. Then we won the 2011 Bloodstock Metal to the Masses, which is the reason why we are opening the festival this year. Simon and all at Bloodstock have been hugely supportive of our music and have believed in us from the start and in return we believe in them, how they run a festival and treat musicians, with total respect!

What makes Saturnian stand out from other bands in your area?
 
We're a UK band, we don't come from a particular area or scene. I guess what makes us stand out in the UK, is the ethos behind the music. The UK hasn't been this pompous and bombastic since Cradle, and say what you want, I'm proud of that connection! The music is incredibly vast and in depth, huge symphonic movements, choirs, guitars, a whole range of voices, and a dark yet fulfilling subject matter leaning to astral theory, spiritual projection, the 4th dimension, and more. Basically Saturnian is more than our average band, in sound as well as in vision.

Is this your first major festival, if yes are you nervous? If no where have you played before?
 
Nah, were pretty seasoned musicians, having played major festivals all over the world, Europe, USA etc. Performing comes naturally to us, and its a pleasure to be on stage.

What are you looking forward to most at Bloodstock?
 
Obviously the show, but also the party! I'm being serious, Bloodstock and other great festivals are an incredible place for bands to network and pitch your product to fans, producers, other bands and touring agencies, you name it, its all in one place and you can't beat that chance to expose yourself, literally!

What advice do you have for those camping in the fields, food wise?
 
Food is for the weak, bring lots of vodka!_

"Bloodstock Open air means the world to DR, it's an insane festival, it's 110% metal, great fans, stellar bands and from the videos i've seen it looks like we gonna have a blast! Metal As Fuck! \m/ Can't wait for it!_"

Is this Demonic Resurrection's first time playing in England?

Yes this will be the first time that we play in the UK.

What are your anticipations about the performance?

We're really looking forward to it and it seems we have some really passionate followers of the band there so we're dying to come play for them and hopefully introduce a whole bunch of new folks to our demonic brand of metal.

You'll be performing amongst some of Metal's heavyweights such as Evile & Anaal Nathrakh, are you nervous about it or excited?

Not nervous about playing alongside anyone really, because it's not a contest we're just happy to be on such an impressive bill and more than that I'm looking forward to watching and meeting my idols Nile, Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Testament etc.

What are you most looking forward to besides playing and meeting your idols?

We'll be working on some club dates and we're really looking forward to those additional shows. Not to mention the whole experience of touring in a van, carrying your backline around and all that stuff. In India we're pretty much flown around, got cards and drivers provided by the promoters, along with stay backline etc. So we'll rough it out in the UK that should to be fun.Not to mention I'm going to go crazy with the food find some good meat and wolf it down.

Do you feel that festivals like Bloodstock bring a community together and is there any big festivals in India or Asia alone?

Considering I've never been to Bloodstock I can't say what it does but I'm pretty sure most metal festivals bring people together, it's a whole bunch of metal heads in 1 place. In India we have Independence Rock the longest running festival in Mumbai, 26 years and counting, Great Indian Rock Festival about 17 years running and the more recently NH7 Weekender Festival. So these definitely do bring people together, build a sense of community and I'm sure Bloodstock does the same.

If there is something you wish to take away from playing at Bloodstock, what would it be?

As cheesy as it sounds I'm going to take away hopefully some great memories of playing a kickass show, meeting amazing musicians and watching amazing bands and most importantly getting to meet all the wonderful people in the UK who have been supporting Demonic Resurrection.

_REGION: LONDON
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: GOTHIC / POWER METAL
LABEL: GOLDEN AXE
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: FRIDAY 10TH

"Playing Bloodstock is a true honour for us, as this year's line-up shows more than ever, the festival is all about bringing great music to UK metalheads and we can't wait to get up there and be a part of it."

How long has Pythia been going and what does the band name mean?

Pythia began life in 2007, when our drummer Marc approached Emily with the idea of starting a symphonic metal project, with female vocals. Ross (guitar) had played in a band with Marc previously and Tim (guitar) they both knew from the metal scene in London and so the band just naturally fell into place. The idea seemed great from the start and things just developed and progressed from there. As for the name, it was a figure in ancient Greek literature. The Pythia was the name given to the role of the priestess at the temple to the god Apollo in Delphi. The Pythia was said to have been an oracle, delivering prophecies inspired by Apollo. The name was very appropriate considering the feminine connotation and the idea of channelling something spiritual and inspirational. 

Is this your first time at a major festival? What are you looking forward most to about Bloodstock?

We’ve played a number of festivals both over here and in Europe, but Bloodstock is the biggest we’ve played in the UK. We actually played it back in 2009 so we’re particularly honoured to be called back for a second appearance. The thing we’re looking forward to the most is getting out on stage and kicking the audience’s arse with our live show. The line-up this year is looking as good as it’s ever been, with plenty of bands that we all want to check out and I’m sure the atmosphere there is going to be amazing.

Seeing bands like Sight of Emptiness from Costa Rica and Demonic Resurrection from India, do you feel this is a great way to bring global acts together?

Festivals are by far the best way to get bands from all over the world in front of an audience. If you’re a band from another country, you often don’t have the local contacts and connections to promote yourself, so it can be very difficult to finance a headline or even support slot overseas. With a festival, a lot of the costs of putting on a show are spread out and so it becomes far more viable. Fans are more likely to check out different bands out, as that’s what they’re at the festival to do, so it’s really the best forum for bands from abroad.

For those who still havent decided whether to go to Bloodstock, what would you say to them?

Why not?!? With such a packed line-up, there’s going to be loads for every metal fan, no matter what you’re into. Going is also one of the best ways to show your support for the metal scene in the UK as Bloodstock is very much a metal festival run by metal fans for metal fans. Pushing this festival from strength to strength shows the rest of the world how important metal is to UK metal fans. 

Finally what do you hope to take away from this experience?

Ringing ears, a sore head, no doubt a few bruises, some fond memories and hopefully, a few new fans!

_

_REGION: ONTARIO
COUNTRY: CANADA
GENRE: HEAVY / POWER METAL
LABEL: END RECORDS
STAGE @ BOA: RONNIE JAMES DIO STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

_"Bloodstock is "The" most specialized in Metal Music festivals ever to be put on in the United Kingdom."

How does it feel sharing the stage with legends such as Alice Cooper, Deicide and Dimmu Borgir amongst others?

It feels amazing to be included!! This is all a dream come true for us and we are enjoying it beyond belief!!

During the band's career, how many festivals have you played and which major ones have you played most?

We've played many festivals over the years particularly in Europe. Some of the festivals we've done a few times, like Bang Your Head in Germany or Graspop and Bospop, in Belgium and Holland as well as Wacken twice so far. Other festivals like Soundwave in Australia we hope to play again sometime. This festival travels to multipal cities all around Australia.

For the newer generation of Metal bands, what advice have you got for them?

To set up their lives in such a way that they don't depend on their music to make money. They must create music that no one else in the world could create other than themselves. They must find a way to play live even if it costs money!!

What are you looking forward to most about the festival and why?

I'm looking forward to be seeing the faces of the Bloodstock audience smiling and enjoying those precious moments with me. This is the highest achievement that a musician could attain. Anvil is finally living the dream we've had for over 30 years...it's a true celebration that we are grateful and thankful for.

Finally Anvil is 34 years old this year, over those years, in your opinion how has Metal music changed?

It has changed if that's what you are after but there are many bands that haven't changed. Metal is a timeless form of music. If it was a great song it will always be a great song. Case and point, Black Sabbath...

_REGION: COUNTY DURHAM
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: BLACKENED DEATHRASH
LABEL: UNSIGNED
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: SATURDAY 11TH

__"Bloodstock is a truly awesome...heavy as fuck place!"

How long has the band been going and describe the bands genre?

The band started in early 2010 as a traditional metal band, since then the band has evolved and matured, and we are currently making blackened death metal.

When Reflection In Exile was confirmed to play what was your response and who are you looking forward to seeing and meeting potentially?

Honour more than anything! It is a festival we've all been attending for years! And now to be playing alongside the likes of Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and of course Alice Cooper! To meet such a legend would be amazing!

Has the band played any festivals on this scale before, if so which ones?

Although we've played with our fair share of signed bands in front of large audiences, we have never played a festival of this scale, but we're hoping Bloodstock will lead to bigger things in the future!

For those who havent decided whether to go or are going, what would you say to them?

To us Bloodstock is one of the only organic metal festivals left! They are dedicated to bringing returning meta heads and "festival virgins" exactly what they want! A balls to the wall, heavy as hell metal festival! Which you cannot miss!

_REGION: HAMPSHIRE
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: MELODIC DEATHRASH
LABEL: UNSIGNED
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: THURSDAY 9TH

"Bloodstock is the only UK Open air Metalfest".

Is this your first time playing at Bloodstock, what are your emotions about it?

This will be our second opportunity to grace the Bloodstock stage, we are humbled to be asked back and what's awesome is that we will be playing the bigger Sophie stage and on the Thursday night also which is a dream spot for us! We are gonna show Bloodstock how to start the party!

You've recently released your album via Terrorizer, how did this come about?

Terrorizer offered us the opportunity to release the CD wih the magazine, we opted to release the album only to subscribers and industry in a hope to push our music directly to fans who are more likely to spread the word and to not over expose the album for free. It's been very well received and with this and our self PR campaign we have layed a awesome foundation to build our profile on.

What are you looking forward to most at Bloodstock?

The performance of course! The moment our intro track starts is going to be a incredible feeling! We are hoping to have a big crowd and show the best fans in the UK what we are made of on the biggest platform we have ever been on. Bloodstock is also an amazing place for the UK scene to come together. It's the one open air fest where everytime I walk into the arena I see people I know! An amazing place to see friends from all around the country!

For those going to their first festival, fans and bands alike, what advice do you have?

If you think you have enough beer, double it! In all seriousness you don't need advice, just enjoy the experience! Since I first went to Bloodstock I have made an effort to go every year, so if anything make sure you can afford to return because it's the best weekend in the UK for any true heavy metal fan!

_"Bloodstock is the biggest and coolest metal festival in the UK and Noctiferia is a part of it!"

Is this your first time playing at Bloodstock, if so what are your anticipations?

This is gonna be our first time at Bloodstock and we always liked to play in the UK and on the big stages, so it will be great to return and to play in front of some kick ass crowds.

Coming from Slovenia, is Metal music big in your country?

I could say it's still growing. It's a small country with tons of local metal bands, so the future looks
bright.

Your playing alongside the likes of Evile and Demonic Resurrection from India, do you feel festivals like Bloodstock are great for showcasing global bands?

I think they are the best for showcasing any good live act! It's the best possibility for bands from far away to present themselves. Anyway, you must see the band live to know how good they really are!

What are you looking forward to most about Bloodstock?

First performing and then meeting old and new friends, watching a lot of great and legendary bands on stage and all in all to have a killer time!

When you got confirmed for Bloodstock what was your initial response?

It was: Finaly! We haven't played UK in quite a while now, since 2006 (UK tour with Hypocrisy). So we are realy glad that we are going back on the island to showcase our latest album Death Culture (out on Listenable Records).

Are you playing any other UK gigs after Bloodstock?

Nothing is confirmed yet and we also have to finish our new record that is scheduled for end of the year. Right now we are in the middle of pre-production so we have a lot of work on our hands after the summer festivals.

_Battalion

REGION: ZURICH
COUNTRY: SWITZERLAND
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
LABEL: LISTENABLE
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

___"There's no better place to make out UK debut than Bloodstock!"

Is this the band's first major festival, if so are you nervous or excited?

Of course we are a bit nervous, but defenetly more excited! It's fuckin' Bloodstock, man!!!

What most are you looking forward to about the festival?

We're looking forward to play our gig!!!

If you could give advice to those thinking about going but not sure, what would you say?

Fuck man!!! Don't think twice!!! You've got enough time to sleep when you're dead... No sleep 'til Bloodstock!!!

When you guys got confirmed, what was your response?

Well, we were speechless. We didn't expect that! It's cool that they let us play, even though we are unknown in England.

Finally who are you looking forward to seeing most?

Anvil, Evile and Testament!

DERISION

REGION: GREATER MANCHESTER
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: METAL
LABEL: FUTILE
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: FRIDAY 10TH

_ "The finest metal festival out there!!! Long live Bloodstock!!!"

How long has the band been going and has there been any lineup changes?

We formed in 2009, so just over 2 years now. This is the original line up, so no changes whatsoever, thankfully. We've progressed as people and in our relationships together, knowing what makes each other tick etc so that can only be good.

Is this your first time playing at a major festival, if so are you nervous?

Yea, this is our first major / professional festival and it feels brilliant!! To be an unsigned band and to be personally asked by Vicky Gregory (Bloodstock director) is awesome in the first place, then to be asked to play the Sophie Lancaster stage alongside bands like Evile and Orange Goblin etc, is a massive honour. Normally the unsigned bands get to play the New Blood stage, so were super stoked, not nervous at all........yet  ;).

What would you say to those who are going to Bloodstock?

I would say enjoy it as much as possible!!! Drink, be merry, and be respectful to those around you! I assure you that you will love it!! Its the perfect metal festival in my opinion. Getting bigger by the year, which is great, but i do think the Gregorys will stick to their roots and philosophies rather than "sell out" like some festivals have and payed the price for. Oh and come and watch DERISION play on friday!!

What do you hope to take from Bloodstock?

We hope to take home a cherished memory first and foremost, there's a lot of my close friends coming especially, so that makes it more cool for me personally. Also i hope we as a band do ourselves proud and hopefully make a decent impression on anyone who see us, gain a few more fans and hopefully maybe catch the eye of people who may want to invest in us and help us.

Finally who are you looking forward to seeing the most?

Testament!!!!!!  Sanctuary, Crowbar, Evile, COC.........................................

_REGION: BERKSHIRE
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
LABEL: GREEN CHINA
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: FRIDAY 10TH

"We are thrilled to be back at such a great festival, run by fans for the fans. Bloodstock truly brings together the best of all metal genres and scenes from all corners of the earth, and it is an honour to be part of such a celebration again! 4 days of metal in all its forms from all over the world in a field near Derby."

Is this the first Bloodstock festival your playing at, if so are you nervous?

This our second time, after playing last year on the New Blood stage, we're very honoured to be invited back straight away as Bloodstock rarely do this.

How long has the band been going and how would you describe your music?

The band has been going for 7 or 8 years, although the current line up came together 3 years ago when it became a 5 piece. Our music is hard to pigeonhole, so I would simply describe it has Heavy Metal! We're individually inspired by anything from the classics, NWOBHM, melodic death metal (Evergrey, Bodom, In Flames), AOR, hair metal, power metal, modern metal, thrash metal - and plenty of stuff outside the metal bracket. Our music is a spontaneous mix of that, we don't constrain ourselves to certain styles or sounds, we just write what we feel sounds best!

Who are you going to see at Bloodstock?

Off the top of my head I know Jamie will want to see Dimmu, Chris is a huge Alice Cooper fan as well as the rest of us. I (Srdjan) will be watching Testament, Iced Earth, Freedom Call, Dio Disciples for sure. Too many to list! Bloodstock has invited a couple of bands from ex-Yugoslavian countries, where I'm from, so I'll be checking them out and possibly having a few beers.

Will this be part of a tour or one off show?

This is a one off as far as we know, we might plan some warm up shows closer to the date, or if any bigger bands are doing dates around we might see if we can join the bill.

 

_REGION: DEVON
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: METAL
LABEL: CASKET
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

__"Bloodstock has the best value for money metal festival in the uk!... no make that the world!"

How long has Huron been going and what would you say is your main influence?

Huron have been together since late 2007 and our influences range from all kinds of rock and metal, but Down, Slayer, Arch Enemy, Danzig, Metallica, Overkill are probably at the top of our list and even though we may not sound like these bands in our songs there are little bits here and there which make up our own original sound.

Your playing Bloodstock, is this the first time? Have you played any other major festivals?

Yes its our first time of being asked to play B.O.A. We have played our major festivals Hammerfest and Hard Rock Hell in the past and this year we are playing Download, Bulldog Bash as well as B.O.A.

What would you say to fans who are yet to decide to go to Bloodstock?

Well its pretty easy to be honest! It's the only real open air metal festival in the UK, there's no dance music etc you just get metal, and B.O.A is growing in stature so why not support a fast growing festival and be part of something?

What is it that makes festivals like Bloodstock so special?

Besides the common interest... the music! Its a very social event indeed all festivals are where everybody is there for the same thing and thats to enjoy themselves, make new friends etc.

Finally what's it like to know your playing alongside huge major acts?

Its a bit of a head trip to be honest but the major acts we have met at similar events in the past they are really cool and normal, they are just people afterall.

_REGION: GREATER MANCHESTER
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: GOTHIC / POWER METAL
LABEL: HEADROOM
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: SATURDAY 11TH

_ "It's great to be added to a festival of Bloodstock's prestige. They're a strong supporter of the UK metal scene and we couldn't be happier with being a part of it".

How did you guys form and have there been any line-up changes?

We've been around quite a while in one form or another. Talena and Jonathan are the founding members with Oli and I (Shirezy) joining in 2008. Nathan (keys) unfortunately had to leave his role last year (2011) but Rosie stepped in and has really made her mark!

Your playing Bloodstock, when you got confirmed for it, what was your response?

I've been going to Bloodstock for years, it's a truly brilliant festival to attend from a fan's perspective. Being confirmed for the line up was awesome, Talena sent me a message in work saying we'd been added to the bill so that improved my afternoon greatly!

What advice have you got for your fans and general fans camping out?

Sleeping matt, earplugs, Berocca (the worryingly bright yellow pee is worth it for the quick recovery from a night of metalling) and enough booze to warrant the Berocca! Also, keep an eye out for Deli Kate if you're hungry.

Who are you looking forward to see play?

The line up is really quite decent and I could give a pretty huge list of bands I want to see but that'd just take up precious space! I'd probably say top five, in no particular order, are Alice Cooper, Freedom Call, Iced Earth, Grand Magus and Dio's Disciples... It's so damned hard to pick favourites!

_Doomed

REGION: MARIBOR
COUNTRY: SLOVENIA
GENRE: DEATH METAL
LABEL: UNSIGNED
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: SATURDAY 11TH

_"There will be blood!"

Is this your first time playing in the UK? If so, are you nervous or full of excitement?

Yes, this is our first time playing in the UK. We are not really nervous, but I think that this will come later one when we arrive in the UK, and of course we are already excited as hell!

Playing in the knowledge your in the same area as rock/metal titans as Behemoth and Alice Cooper, is this like a dream come true?

Of course it is! But we look at it more as a great chance and another step on our way to our ultimate dream of becoming a real touring band!

What part of Bloodstock are you looking forward to besides playing with some of the world's major talents?

The people. We want to meet new people, fans and musicians. It would be great to make some lasting friendships with other bands and we could help each other out in the future.

Besides Bloodstock what festivals have you played at before?

So far we have only played MetalCamp 2011 on the 2nd stage. But this year we are having a small festival "tour", we play at the MetalFest Croatia in 2 weeks, then we play at the Grossmann Film & Wine Festival in Ljutomer - Slovenia, after that MetalMania at Komen - also in Slovenia and then of course the main stage of MetalCamp 2012 and after that Bloodstock.

You'll be playing alongside fellow countryment Noctiferia, how does this make you feel?

We are all fans of Noctiferia, but we are also friends with them and they are one of the most successful bands in Slovenia and of course well respected. They earned it with hard work, great music and a great attitude. So we are very happy to play alongside them and will be at their show and support them! We never played live together yet, but at the time of bloodstock it will be our 3th time to play at the same festival (before Bloodstock we will play with them at MetalFest Croatia and MetalCamp).

_Infernal Tenebra

REGION: ISTRA
COUNTRY: CROATIA
GENRE: PROGRESSIVE MELODEATH
LABEL: MASSACRE
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: SATURDAY 11TH

__"Bloodstock is crazy, fun with a long tradition and excellent vibes".

How long has the band been going and what are your main influences?

Infernal Tenebra started back in 1999, constantly evolving and enduring the hard conditions of the Croatian underground metal scene with two monumental albums “Beneath the Twilight” (2001) and “The Essence of Chaos” (2007). Infernal Tenebra recently signed with Massacre Records and is heading to a new chapter of its journey to hell and back with the upcoming album “New Formed Revelations” to be released later this year, produced at Fascination Street Studios by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Amon Amarth).
As the band followed the progression from pure black metal to death metal with melodic, technical and modern elements I guess our main influences would be Death, Hypocrisy, Emperor and recently incresing popular bands like Gojira.

Is this your first time playing Bloodstock and have you played any other festivals before?

Yes, it's our first time playing Bloodstock and first time visiting UK for that matter. We're thrilled with this opportunity. Can't wait to meet people, have a good show and have fun.
 Infernal Tenebra played several festivals throughout its career like Metal Mania and Metalcamp in Slovenia, Metalfest in Croatia.

For those going to see you play, what would you say to them?

If you're a fan of growling vocalists that can actually sing, if you like virtuoso guitar solos, blast beats and groovy rhythms, check us out.

What are you looking forward to most about Bloodstock and who are you looking forward to see?

It is a tremendous opportunity for us to be exposed in such a monumental event like Bloodstock. We are looking forward to meet UK fans, have fun and enjoy great bands. The lineup is phenomenal.
 Also, it's a great way to make connections and it's cool to get to know our cultures better. Several UK bands are playing this year's Croatian Metalfest Open Air and I met many UK fans at Metalcamp in Slovenia last year.

What advice would you give to those fans going regarding food, etcc (should they take their own or purchase food on site? (fun question)

I guess I'm not the right man to give advice about food, is there a problem with food on site or something? Should we bring some delicious nutrients Croatia is famous for? (laughing).
 

__"Bloodstock as a festival is devoted to the celebration of metal on all levels, from the headliners to the underground acts. The team and organisers are dedicated to what they do and the result is the most ravenous event of it's kind in the UK. It is for these reasons that we feel honoured to be a part of this years Bloodstock festival. With a line up featuring the likes of Mayhem, Watain, Behemoth and more we feel that this is a great opportunity to spread the insidious gospel of Infernal Creation to the loyal and rabid Bloodstock masses".

How long has the band been going and why Black Metal?

Infernal Creation have existed for a number of years but have suffered a few spells of dormancy for varying reasons. In 2009 Infernal Creation, with a new and complete line up, started again in earnest and have not stopped since. The members of Infernal Creation are all from a similar background, we have known each other for a number of years and have grown up listening to artists such as Mayhem, Dissection, Venom etc so it was only natural that these elements were taken on board when creating our path. It has never been a conscious decision or effort to create black metal, in channelling our creative energies we simply allow our subconscious to guide and aide our sound.

Is this your first time at Bloodstock and what (if any) festivals have you played at?

This will most certainly be our first time performing at Bloodstock, however, we are no strangers to the festival grounds. We have also appeared at Metieval Festival, ValkFest and The Sermon amongst others. We are currently in talks to perform at a certain winter festival, details on this performance will be released in the coming months.

For those who are going to Bloodstock, what would you say to them?

To simply enjoy a weekend of ravenous hell raising and, on a more selfish note, check the running order for the New Blood Stage and come witness our performance.

What would you say are essentials for going to any festival and camping?

To do whatever you feel necessary at the time, to completely live in each moment, that is the key to a great festival experience in my opinion.

What are you looking forward to at Bloodstock and who are you looking forward to seeing?

At Bloodstock 2012 we look forward to the opportunity of spreading the insidious gospel of Infernal Creation to the loyal and rabid Bloodstock masses. As for artists we are looking forward to seeing, for me it has to be Mayhem, Watain, Behemoth, Eastern Front, Alcest, Anaal Nathrakh and Winterfylleth to name but a few.

_"The Premier UK Metal Festival for established and breakthrough bands."

How did you guys form and are you looking forward to play at Bloodstock?

Fallen Fate formed in 2005 and took a few years to find a solid touring and writing line up. We are very excited to be added to the already excellent line up of this years Bloodstock Festival.

What are you most looking forward to about the festival?

Playing along side Bands that we look up to and have taken influence from in our own music, such as Testament and Hatebreed, is an honour. We are also really looking forward to performing in front of the Bloodstock Crowd as they are die hard supporters of the UK Metal Scene, as are we.

Is this the first time your playing a major festival, if so what is your expectations?

We have performed at the Download Festival for the last 2 years and it has been a great experience. Expectations of Bloodstock is that it is going to be very brutal and we are going to involve the insane crowd as much as possible. 

If you could choose which band to meet on the day from the entire event, who would it be and why?

Everyone would love to meet Alice Cooper, but for us it would have to be Testament as they have had a great influence on our music. They are one of the only original thrash bands that were a little different and used a lot of twin harmonised guitar work.  

What would you say to those looking to go to Bloodstock but not made their decision yet?

There is no excuse, buy a ticket now! The line up is exceptional, the price is very good and you have a wide range of established and breakthrough bands to check out. Support the UK Metal scene and have a good time! 6. Finally, sum up Bloodstock in one sentence.

_Crimes Of Passion

REGION: SOUTH YORKSHIRE
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: HARD ROCK / HEAVY METAL
LABEL: VIGILANTE
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

_"Bloodstock is THE ultimate British Heavy metal festival - Its an honour to be playing the Sophie stage!!"

Is this your first time playing at a major festival, if yes are you nervous?

No, we have played festivals before, the 2 standout ones being Hammerfest in the UK and Norway metal festivals with Opeth, Kamelot and Twisted Sister. We also played some of the Metalfest Open Air festivals when we were on tour with Saxon last year.

When you got the confirmation of your slot, what was your reaction?

We were over the moon as we have been trying to play it for the last 3 years!!!! We are playing Wacken this year. That started a small festival and has grown to selling out every year at 85,000. Bloodstock is growing each year and is the true heavy metal festival in the UK and we cant wait to be a part of it!!

What would you suggest to fans attending regarding food, etc?
 
All the festivals are great for catering nowadays. You can get everything from a burger to good curry. Its not the cheapest but you expect that at festivals.

For those undecided on whether to go, what would you say to them?

It's an awesome festival with some really cool bands but it is not the size of Download etc so everyone will be able to get a good view!!!! The line-up is also pretty diverse from Alice Cooper to extreme Death Metal!!!

Who are you looking forward to see?

We toured with Anvil on the Saxon European tour last winter so it will be good to see those guys again. Also we have toured with Ripper Owens so it will be great to see Dio's Disciples. Ive never seen Alice Cooper live so as he is on our day that is a must. Also Crowbar - awesome!!!!! Also our buddies from Furyon are on the bill so that will be cool!!

_"It's just an absolute honour to have been given the opportunity to play BOA, especially since we've been attending as audience since one of the first times the festival was held outside! We love Bloodstock and we've watched it become bigger and bigger every year, finally gaining the recognition it deserves, so to finally be called up to play as an artist still feels a bit unreal"

How long have you guys been going and how would you sum your style of music up?

The band has been going for several years before I (Alexander) joined, the rest of the guys met either through school or the local metal hangouts. I joined in January 2010 just before the final touches to the song writing for "Souldesign" (our debut cd) was recorded. We have been described as several different vibes of metal music, but i would consider us as melodic metal.

Your playing Bloodstock, how is this for you?

Having the opportunity to play Bloodstock is an absolute honour! When you go to Bloodstock the vibe is so much more exciting than other festivals. Even though it gets bigger each year it feels like a large family, and that includes everyone from the fans and the bands to merchandise promoters and the staff. However the most important thing about Bloodstock is that they always do everything for the fans, and that is what keeps them so loyal and devoted. Its this kind of attitude that the world of music needs, especially with the rapid shifts that are happening with scenes, gigs, merchandise and fan clubs fading away due to the digital age take over!

Who are you looking forward to playing with and seeing play?

[Matt] The line up has got some real treats this year! Lots of bands who dont get to tour as often as I'd like so I'll definitely be checking out Dio Disciples, Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem and Iced Earth. I also can't wait to see Alice Cooper. Last time i saw him I was in Finland and the hurricane that hit Sonisphere had just happened, the festival had become pretty chaotic and we were all drenched and windswept but Alice came out and put on an amazing show with the limited equipment that had survived the storm and picked everyones spirits up and soon the festival was back in full swing!

[Alexander] For myself, it definitely has to be Dimmu Borgir that I'm most excited about playing with and seeing play, I've seen them before and each time I've been thrown back by their performance and musical ingeniousness, sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe we're playing the same festival.  
 
How many other festivals have you played / going to play?

[Matt] This is our first major outdoor festival appearance in the UK so we are very excited and we can't think of anywhere better to break us in!  

Do you think Bloodstock, like many festivals bring a whole community together?

[Alexander[ The difference between Bloodstock Open Air and other metal festivals is exactly what you say, it brings this devout following of free thinking, liberated and enlightened metal lovers who are truly there to listen to the music and appreciate the bands, not because it's a scene, not because it's a party (Thought there definitely will be some partying going on!) but because of the incredible calibre of bands that play such individual music that they have a hard time getting on at other UK Festivals.

[Matt] Absolutely, its a great way to make friends with people from all over the world and it unites people that might not usually get a chance to interact with each other. Plus it gives fans a chance to wear their musical hearts on their sleeve and stand proud for what they enjoy! 

Finally what do you want to say to those thinking of going but not sure?

[Matt] We understand that with the economic climate like it is, it is getting harder and harder to go out and have fun, so why not get your arse to Bloodstock and get with the bands and fans who understand each other and lets all have fun together and enjoy some well deserved freedom and heavy music!....plus Dreamcatcher will be there haha! :-p 

[Alexander] What he said! haha! In an age, when the powers that be are definitely trying to keep us contained in houses rather than venturing out into the world and living, the best way to give the middle finger and live is to get outside, skip the subscriptions and spend the money on going to concerts and festivals and be in the moment, and why not do it at BOA, where like I've said, it's about the bands, the music, and the coming together of this amazing community.

Furyon

REGION: EAST SUSSEX
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: ROCK / METAL
LABEL: FRONTIER RECORDS
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: SATURDAY 11TH

__"Bloodstock is a place for Metal Music! There ain't nothing pussy about it. Except for the ladies of course ;) Very very cool festival".

What does the band name mean and how long have you guys been going?

Furyon came from the Warrior name. Inspired from Chronicles of Riddick initially. We wanted something that represented strength of charactor. The band formed in 2006.

What are you looking forward to Bloodstock the most?

Well, getting up on The Sophie Lancaster stage and giving it hell! Bloodstock is an awesome festival. We headined the New Blood stage a couple of years back and are proud to be back!

Your also playing Download, will this be the biggest year for the band?

So far so good, that's what I say. Getting onto Download has made Furyon a very happy band I must say as it's a great festival. Also, the line up is killer!! Wonderful to be apart of that.

Do you feel festivals like Bloodstock and their Metal To The Masses programme enable new bands to garner greater exposure?

Absolutely yes. I think they do an awesome job at it in fact. Especially Bloodstock. We gained a good bunch of fans from the New Blood stage last time.

Re-armed

REGION: _UUSIMAA
COUNTRY: FINLAND
GENRE: DEATH / THRASH METAL
LABEL: MASSACRE RECORDS
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

"Bloodstock has metal music with a booze marinated audience and they all are screaming for some more! Heheheh. See ya soon Bloodstock!"

_How long has the band been going and what inspired you to become a musician?

The band started in the autumn of 2001. In the beginning we sounded more like melodic metal band with screaming vocals. It’s been a long journey already. When I was kid I already dreamed about being drummer in the band, but I never got any drums. My first instrument was a guitar, I think it’s pretty an obvious instrument for the kid who lives in an apartment building, heh. Anyway, now I'm screaming / growling in the band that I started with our guitar player Tommi Helkalahti and we have done shows pretty much and in many countries and there is many great moments for this band. The future seems to be very clear for us and we will fight for the better one, ha-ha.

Your playing Bloodstock, is this the bands first time and what other (if any) festivals have you played?

This is first time for us in Bloodstock, and I gotta say that we are stoked about it! We have played some festivals here in Finland and also in Germany.

Who are you looking forward to seeing mainly?

If you mean what are bands that I want to see at B.O.A. 2012. It’s definitely The Black Dahlia Murder and Nile. Also Alice Cooper would be nice to see once in a life time. Otherwise we are looking forward to see a crazy British audience!

What do you hope to take from Bloodstock as in experience wise?

Hmmm, I'm always excited to travel to new countries and see local metalheads and talk with them about music, life, and everything else and of course drink some beer. Never been before to the UK, so this is more than a better way to see your country! Of course it’s an honour for us to play at B.O.A 2012, so I'm pretty sure this will be one of our career highlights also!

_Watain

REGION: UPPSALA COUNTY
COUNTRY: SWEDEN
GENRE: BLACK METAL
LABEL: SEASON OF MIST
STAGE @ BOA: RONNIE JAMES DIO STAGE
DAY: FRIDAY 10TH

_Winterfylleth

REGION: GREATER MANCHESTER
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: BLACK METAL
LABEL: CANDLELIGHT
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

_"Bloodstock is a festival that is put together by people who clearly care about metal music, and ones who are willing to put their money where their mouths are; booking bands that other festivals may not. It is also a place where metal fans from all over the world can come into contact with new, up and coming bands they may never have heard of, in the same forum as their favourite bands. It is a must attend for true fans of the genre and a solid weekend of great acts".

Winterfylleth was born in 2007 from the brains of Mancunian musicians intrigued and protective of English heritage, folklore and past-gone timeless tales, producing Black/Folk Metal. Using the term
English Heritage Black Metal (EHBM), Winterfylleth (Winter Full Moon in Olde English) represents the first full moon in October as well as the Anglo-Saxon festival of the arrival of winter. 

Winterfylleth are currently working on their 3rd album, for a 2012 release on Candlelight Records and will be following this up with appearances at Bloodstock, Wacken & Hellfest festivals in 2012 as well as a short UK jaunt with Primordial..

How long has Winterfylleth been going and what does the band name mean?

Winterfylleth has been going since 2007, around the time Simon and I (Chris) were slowing down the activity of our previous band, Atavist. The band name means Winter Full Moon in Old English and represents the first full moon of winter and the transition between the seasons.

Describe the band's genre without using cliches or genre-tagging?

We call what we do; 'English Heritage Black Metal' because the musical content is related to black metal, but also incorporates elements of folk music, Gregorian-esque chanted vocals and lyrical themes that are about moments of our nation's history which we think are forgotten about or have a relevance in the modern world.

How does it feel to play Bloodstock and is this your first time?

It's excellent to be invited to play Bloodstock again in 2012. We played in 2010 and have seen the band jump up a level in the aftermath of the event. Bloodstock is an event where a lot of proper metal fans get to see bands who care just as much about music as they do, and it is also a place where up and coming bands can get an outlet for their music. I believe it has benefited us greatly and is an event we actively support.

For those going what would you say to them? The same for those who havent decided to go?

I would say to those going, to bring their lively spirit, their voices and their support to see us play on the Sunday. To those who aren't going, well... why aren't you?

What are you looking forward most to and do you feel Bloodstock is a great platform to bring a whole nationwide / global community together?

I am looking forward most to walking on stage and striking our first chord, but i am also looking forward to seeing Grand Magus, Alcest, Orange Goblin and Anaal Nathrakh. I think just attending the event would prove answer enough to the second part of your question. There are fans who have travelled from all over the world at that festival who believe in the sorts of bands who play at Bloodstock, so as far as it goes i think there is a very definite community that comes together at this festival.

Marionette

REGION: VÄSTRA GÖTALAND COUNTY
COUNTRY: SWEDEN
GENRE: MELODIC DEATH METAL
LABEL: UNSIGNED / INDEPENDENT
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: THURSDAY 9TH

__"Bloodstock is a festival in the UK where metal will be played, beer will be drunk and shit will go down."

Is this Marionette's first time playing at a major British festival?

Yes.

You've played in the UK many times, are you accustomed to the British scene?

I'm not sure exactly what the British scene even is but let me tell you this; everything about the UK sucks, except the people. The showers are always cold, the food is always shitty and even your electricity fucks with us by frying our sound cards, but goddamnit do you know how to mosh out and party after the shows! Unlike those French who have great food and warm showers but think they're too cool for school (it's still the french you hate, right? Or is it just muslims and poor people these days?).

Who are you looking forward to seeing play mostly and who would you love to meet?

Interesting people are never far away at festivals, especially if you get to go back stage. So no one in particularly really... but if I have to choose I guess I wouldn't mind smoking a fatty with Alice Cooper.

What will you aim to take away from Bloodstock?

STDs.

For those going to Bloodstock, what would you say to them?

We'll be hanging around for the whole festival. If you see us, give us alcohol, weed or sex and in return we'll give you that special kind of love we only give in the darkest swedish woods during blizzards...

Sight of Emptiness

REGION: SAN JOSÉ
COUNTRY:COSTA RICA
GENRE: MELODIC DEATH METAL
LABEL: UNSIGNED / INDEPENDENT
STAGE @ BOA: SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
DAY: FRIDAY 10TH

_"Bloodstock is the most brutal and friendly independent metal festival known to mankind!"

How does it feel representing Costa Rica at Bloodstock this year?

Costa Rica is a wonderful country and it feels great to be seen as music ambassadors, it is no doubt a great honor and we could not be happier, but we hope that people start realizing that there is a great music scene in our home country and we are not the only band playing in big events abroad.

How long has the band been going and describe your music genre without genre-tagging?

The band came to life around 6 years ago. I will describe our music by stating that our current goal is to compose and arrange metal music with the biggest amount of personality, melody and musicianship as possible. On our 3rd record that will be finished soon we have legendary Swedish producer Thomas "Plec" Johanson at the helm helping us with our heaviest collection of songs yet, but we also have a lot of diversity, dynamics, and guest musicians this time around. Glen Drover (KING DIAMOND, MEGADETH), Christian Älvestam (SCAR SYMMETRY, MISERATION, SOLUTION .45), Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE, ANOTHER ANIMAL), Ralph Santolla (DEICIDE, ICED EARTH, OBITUARY), Ole Halvard Sveen (EXTOL, MANTRIC, LENGSEL).

Have you played major festivals like Bloodstock before? if so, when?

We had the chance to play Bloodstock 2007 as the overall winners of the unsigned band contest. Aside from that we have played big shows and festivals ranging from 3,000 to 15,000 people in attendance but only in Costa Rica & Honduras for now.

Your embarking on a Portugal/Spain tour around the same time as BOA, will this be a first for you?

Yes, this will be our first contact with the metal scene in those countries and hopefully we can confirm more dates soon in other European countries as well. We want to tour more than ever, specially when the new album comes out.

What are you most looking forward to about Bloodstock?

Playing a great set is on the top of the list no doubt and we are preparing really hard to deliver but also want to have a great time on stage, make new friends and of course check as many bands as possible on this year's amazing line up.

_Exile The Traitor

REGION: GLASGOW
COUNTRY: SCOTLAND
GENRE: MELODIC DEATH METAL
LABEL: UNSIGNED / INDEPENDENT
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: FRIDAY 10TH

_REGION: CHESHIRE
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: DEATH / THRASH METAL
LABEL: UNSIGNED / INDEPENDENT
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: SATURDAY 11TH

__"Bloodstock is going to be heavier than a 10 ton period! People should go to it because Apollyon are playing!"

How long has the band being going and who came up with the band name?

Apollyon have been going strong since 2007, I think Gareth came up with the name, he was snuggled up in bed one cold night in his batman pajamas whilst reading a well kept copy of the Bible with his cat Scraggy. He sent me a text asking if I approved of the name Apollyon, I asked a few questions about it and Gareth got quite mad about me questioning the Bible and his faith in religion so I just went with the flow. It did grow on me in the end and we all grew to love it…

Describe what the Metal To The Masses is and what it means/does for bands like yours?

Metal To The Masses is something extremely unique, it’s a chance for all us ‘small time’ bands to prove how good we really are. It gives bands a chance to show and perform at the highest level; it’s great that there are competitions around that enable bands like us the opportunity to compete with local bands at a top level.

Is this the band's first time at Bloodstock and what emotions does the band have relating to it?

This competition has been heartache for ourselves for the last two years, reaching the final twice on consecutive years and going home heartbroken in defeat, but at the same time, the competition has made us strive, improve and do better. It’s shown us that dedication and hard work can be rewarded as third time lucky we successfully made it to Bloodstock. It’s an honor to play Bloodstock and something we are all extremely proud of.

Do you feel Bloodstock acts as a platform for the lesser known bands to gain considerable exposure?

Of course, it’s not every day you get to play a festival as big as this, playing with bands that you have grew up listening to. It’s definitely a platform for us to build on, I’m sure after we have a taste of something as great as this we will be wanting more, having Bloodstock on our C.V is something that will grab some attention, people seem to take you a lot more serious when you’re confirmed for big events like these.

When you got confirmed to play for Bloodstock, what was your initial response?

What do you think? We were ecstatic!! To say we blew our beans in our scruds would be an understatement!

What aspect apart from the bands are you most looking forward to about the festival?

Probably the camping, watching Gareth trying have his way with young girls, getting pissed, throwing up and doing everything you would expect to do at a festival and more…

What bands are you looking forward to see play?

I think we are all looking forward to seeing different bands but Machine head, Hatebreed, Testament and Crowbar are bands that we all listen to a hell of a lot.

What Does Bloodstock mean to you as a band?

We have spent 3 years trying to play at this festival, no more losing out in finals and going home with miserable faces, our hard work and dedication has finally paid off. To be announced for Bloodstock is something we are ecstatic about! New tunes, new gear from our good pals at Laney and Gaz might even buy himself a new pair of leather kecks for the occasion. We just can’t wait to get stuck into our set and use it as a platform to build on and get our handsome mugs to more festivals like this one.

_REGION: MERSEYSIDE
COUNTRY: ENGLAND
GENRE: GROOVE METAL
LABEL: AKU MEDIA / ROP RECORDS
STAGE @ BOA: NEW BLOOD STAGE
DAY: SUNDAY 12TH

__"The reason why people should go to Bloodstock is because the UK is leading the way in metal right now and a lot of it is undiscovered, its up to you to find it, love it and live it, oh and there's beer!!!"

How long has the band being going and who came up with the band name?

The band has been together since 2009, although back then it was more of studio project with myself (Simo) and vocalist Jim Arnold. As time progressed we felt we wanted to push things a little further and recruited a few friends to carry out some of the elements we couldn't do and about a year and half later we were able to call ourselves a band.
The name was a little late coming, at the time we were a little obsessed with Asian horror and its thanks to the original Japanese version of the ring we actually decided on a name. Sa-da-ko is the name of Sadako Yamaura who was the creepy girl who climbed out the TV but we really liked the idea of something that was small and childlike being coherently dark and powerful. its just kinda stuck really.

Is this the band's first time at Bloodstock and what emotions does the band have relating to it?

Yes this is the first time weve been able to play a festival like this, we did have the pleasure of being asked to play Hammerfest 3 last year and we felt at the time this was the closest we would ever get to playing a larger festival environment from the all-day events held in pubs / clubs. 
I have to be honest to make it through the metal 2 the masses competition has been an emotional journey for us, we have competed for the last 2 years and to have actually won our our regional competition is a total honour, the only downside is that your working against some of the friends you've made playing the local circuit especially when every one is so supportive of each other.

Do you feel Bloodstock acts as a platform for the lesser known bands to gain considerable exposure?

Definitely, the amount of media exposure you get from the competitions itself is pretty hefty but this gives us an opportunity to show what we have to offer to a much larger audience. 
For a band just on the cusp of releasing their 2nd album, this couldn't be better chance to make a crater on the Newblood stage just make sure your there -  12:45pm on Sunday 12th August.

When you got confirmed to play for Bloodstock, what was your initial response?

We felt an enormousness scene of achievement and pride to be honest, as I mentioned earlier this has been a goal of Sa-da-kO for the last 3 years and its a nice feeling to work your ass off and get something you set out to do in spite of negative influences. 
What aspect apart from the bands are you most looking forward to about the festival?

I think to for us it will be a good chance to catch up with old friends, sink some beers and make new friends. We've managed to meet a lot of cool people from touring that you don't see all the time and an event like this gives everyone a chance to get together.
I personally have never been to bloodstock due to cash flow and my constant addiction to buying music gear so for me itll be a good chance to see what I've heard so much about

What bands are you looking forward to see play?

Personally I'm really looking forward to seeing a lot of the bands on the newblood stage, there's a few bands from the North West I know that are playing I would like to support but I also like seeing bands I've not heard of before its one of my fave things about touring , its like mining for a hidden a gem. 

I caught up with Sahil Makhija, vocalist and guitarist of renowned Indian Metal band Demonic Resurrection about their scheduled performance at Bloodstock Open Air 2012 this year, this is what was said.

1. Is this Demonic Resurrection's first time playing in England?

Yes this will be the first time that we play in the UK.

2. What are your anticipations about this performance, do you feel it will open the global metal scene up further?

We're really looking forward to it and it seems we have some really passionate followers of the band there so we're dying to come play for them and hopefully introduce a whole bunch of new folks to our demonic brand of metal. I'm not really sure how and if it does anything for the global metal scene but sure hope it does at least get us some more offers to come back

3. You'll be performing amongst some of Metal's heavyweights such as Evile and Anaal Nathrakh, are you nervous about it or excited or both?

Not nervous about playing alongside anyone really, because it's not a contest we're just happy to be on such an impressive bill and more than that I'm looking forward to watching and meeting my idols Nile, Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Testament etc.

4. What are you most looking forward to besides playing and meeting your idols?

We'll be working on some club dates and we're really looking forward to those additional shows. Not to mention the whole experience of touring in a van, carrying your backline around and all that stuff. In India we're pretty much flown around, got cards and drivers provided by the promoters, along with stay backline etc. So we'll rough it out in the UK that should to be fun.Not to mention I'm going to go crazy with the food find some good meat and wolf it down.

5. How would you sum up Bloodstock Open Air in general?

Metal As Fuck! \m/ Can't wait for it!

6. Do you feel that festivals like Bloodstock bring a community together and is there any big festivals in India or Asia alone?

Considering I've never been to Bloodstock I can't say what it does but I'm pretty sure most metal festivals bring people together, it's a whole bunch of metal heads in 1 place. In India we have Independence Rock the longest running festival in Mumbai, 26 years and counting, Great Indian Rock Festival about 17 years running and the more recently NH7 Weekender Festival. So these definitely do bring people together, build a sense of community and I'm sure Bloodstock does the same.

7. If there is something you wish to take away from playing at Bloodstock, what would it be?

As cheesy as it sounds I'm going to take away hopefully some great memories of playing a kickass show, meeting amazing musicians and watching amazing bands and most importantly getting to meet all the wonderful people in the UK who have been supporting Demonic Resurrection.

Interviewed conducted by RHYS STEVENSON