THURSDAY
It”s August and raining, but nobody cares because we’re home again. Yes, for the next few days (and for some early birds, the previous 24hrs), Catton Hall in Derbyshire has become the focal point of the true metal community as fans converge on Bloodstock Open Air for their annual dose of hard drinking and unholy hangovers.
With many having arrived the previous day, some areas are already overflowing, so a few unlucky latecomers are asked to move their tents due to safety regulations. Sniffer dogs patrol the entrance and although that certain herbal aroma is still evident across the different campsites, it doesn’t seem so prevalent this year.
After the frustrated shouts of “fuck this tent” fade into the distance, it”s time to head down to the Sophie Lancaster Stage to catch the first bands of the weekend. Well, actually that time was about forty minutes ago so I arrive just in time for second act, Tailgunner. Fighting hard against a drum and bass heavy mix, the UK five-piece doesn’t let it concern them as they power their way through forty minutes of crowd-pleasing traditional metal ending with a rousing cover of Judas Priest classic “Painkiller.”
Bournemouth goth rockers South of Salem benefit from a much better sound, tracks like “Vultures” and “Cold Day in Hell” going down well with the increasingly large crowd. A crowd which Scottish special guests Hellripper seem intent on killing as quickly as possible. Total speed metal mayhem from the very start, the band whip the audience into a circle pit frenzy with song titles like “Nekroslut” and “Goat Vomit Nightmare” before watching their victims crawl their way back to the bar, barely able to move.
Swedish prog power act Evergrey first played Bloodstock back in 2004 and since then have become undisputed masters of their trade. Owning their headline slot with songs like “Distance,” “Eternal Nocturnal” and “Midwinter Calls,” the band concentrates on more recent material like “Falling From the Sun” and “Misfortune,” the lone oldie being “A Touch of Blessing” from all the way back in the dim and distant past of 2004. God, I feel old.
FRIDAY
After being awoken by a woman walking around the camp chanting “bring out your dead!,” a dawn chorus of farts, and a startled cry of “there’s so much cum!” coming from somewhere a little too close for comfort, it’s time to head back into the fray. Haxan are the first band to grab the attention. A Welsh trio with a fine line in seventies-sounding occult rock, the all-female act is a great way to shake off the cobwebs.
Desert Storm open the main (Ronnie James Dio) Stage, the four-piece killing it with doomy stoner riffs, drawing a very respectable crowd for first thing in the morning. Nervosa follow with some high-octane thrashing, the second all-girl band of the day not taking any prisoners with cuts like “Seed of Death,” “Jailbreak” and closer “Endless Ambition.”
Back to the Sophie Stage now for Brummie/Irish act DeathCollector. Introduced as “the best thing to come out of Lockdown”, it’s hard to dispute this as the old-school death metallers destroy the tent in a whirlwind of dust and flailing limbs. The final show for former Bolt Thrower drummer Andy Whale, a conversation with him and frontman Kieran Scott later that afternoon reveals this is a very definite retirement from behind the drumkit and not a Rolling Stones type of retirement. That’s not to say Whale’s out of the game completely, however, as his Crossed Paths ambient side project with Jason Walton of Agalloch looks set for a return. As for DeathCollector, the future looks extremely promising, Scott beaming with joy at the momentum being built and the possibilities that lie ahead. And having witnessed the carnage in the Sophie tent firsthand, he has every right to be excited.
Londoners Green Lung is rising fast and does not disappoint. Including six tracks from the new album This Heathen Land, the only “oldies” to feature are “Old Gods” and “Let the Devil In”. “The Forest Church”, “Mountain Throne”, “One For Sorrow” and “Maxine” sound incredible but the show is stolen by singer Tom Templar demanding the slowest circle pit in Bloodstock history. “What are you doing? That’s walking pace! Slower!”
Grand Magus and Rotting Christ both serve up entertaining sets, the latter going down slightly better as the former only really hit their stride halfway through. Elsewhere, Newcastle Metal 2 The Masses winners Kraken Waker bring the house down with mighty riffs and even mightier beards. The almost equally hairy Enslaved follow, hitting the main stage for six with “Kingdom,” “Homebound,’” “Congelia;” “Forest Dweller,” “The Dead Stare” and thunderous closer, “Havenless”. A stunning set from the pioneering Norwegians.
A surprisingly hirsute Jamey Jasta leads Hatebreed into a succession of hardcore juggernauts including “This Is Now,” “As Diehard as They Come,” “I Will Be Heard,” the aptly titled “Destroy Everything” and of course “Live For This.” We even get a blinding cover of “Ghosts of War” by Slayer. Love them or hate them, Hatebreed never gives less than 100%, and when you add a giant “Ball of Death” into the equation, you have yet another dominant performance from a band simply incapable of putting on a bad show.
After guitarist Phil Campbell and the Bloodstock Powers That Be unveil a bust of legendary Motörhead frontman Lemmy containing some of the man’s ashes, it’s time for stoner rockers Clutch to bring some weaponized funk to the main stage. Frontman Neil Fallon is full of energy while guitarist Tim Sult looks like your friend”s dad who nonchalantly grabs a guitar at a family get-together before proceeding to tear shit up big time. Rocking the living daylights out of literally everyone within earshot whether they like it or not, cuts like “X-Ray Visions,” “Nosferatu,” “Sucker for the Witch,” and “Binge and Purge” leave the Bloodstock faithful even more drained than before.
After announcing a whopping nineteen bands for 2025, it’s time for the first headliner of the weekend. Allowing fans to vote for their current setlist, Opeth win the day once again. Opening with “The Grand Conjuration,” “Demon of the Fall” is followed by “The Drapery Falls,” an emotional “In My Time of Need,” “Heir Apparent,” “Ghost of Perdition,” “Sorceress” and ultimately “Deliverance.” A minimalist stage set ensures you watch the band rather than video imagery and frontman Mikael Akerfeldt remains as dry and self-deprecating as ever, claiming that the set list confirms everything they”ve done for the last fifteen years has been shit while also giving you a potted history of Lynyrd Skynyrd and their drummer Artimus Pyle. Never change, Mikael. Never change.
French act Igorrr close out the night on the Sophie stage but as usual, the one side of the tent is so overcrowded that entry remains virtually impossible unless you’re seven feet tall and built like a steamroller. Still, they sound great as I stop and listen, much like Lethal Evil, Haliphron, and Lost Brethren who I only had time to pass by earlier but still hear enough to be impressed. That’s the problem with Bloodstock. So many bands, not enough time. Or legs.
Part 2 coming soon!
Tickets to BOA 2025 can be found here:
https://www.bloodstock.uk.com/
WORDS BY GARY ALCOCK
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PHOTOS BY WILLIAM MAWDSLEY
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