SATURDAY
With the weather nothing like the crispy oven-cooked hellfire of last year’s Summerpocalypse, Bloodstock is a much happier place this year, and not even the first downpour of the weekend can dampen the spirits. Especially as today is Corpse-paint Day where everyone is invited to daub themselves in black and white make-up and become angry badgers for the next few hours.
The Mega Monsters Tour with co-headliners of Gojira and Mastodon with Lorna Shore in support, arrived in Syracuse at the Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial Syracuse. Say that five times fast. Starting back in April and going strong since then, the US portion is coming to an end, but a whole European tour remains. The Mega Monsters Tour is a massive undertaking and won’t come to an end until the beginning of December in Germany. Continue reading
Two years ago, Lorna Shore unleashed their groundbreaking …And I Return to Nothingness EP – which features the smash-hit “To The Hellfire” (currently at 17M+ views on YouTube, 38M+ streams on Spotify). To celebrate this anniversary, the band has dropped a new video for EP-track “Of The Abyss” (produced by Loki Films) – seen here:
This experimental Chicago band has been toying with the dark sonic corners for over twenty years. It’s been eleven of those years since we have had a new album from Yakuza, and it is good to dive back into their land of twisted shadows. The focus has shifted to a more deliberate brand of heavy, that places them not far from the sonic zip code of older Mastodon. The differences are fewer guitar pyrotechnics and a much darker trajectory than the Atlanta progsters. Bruce Lamont’s baritone moan carries a hint of anger as the opening track is framed with dissonance.
Lorna Shore burst onto the stage with just the right vibe to start this show out. Thundering unrelenting drums colored with technical guitar riffs and solos filled the theater and spawned energetic mosh pits, while the intense vocals topped it all off. In between songs, the singer Will Ramos, threw out positive uplifting comments and platitudes that reminded me why metalheads; despite their rough exterior, are the nicest people you can meet.
GMP’s Nik and Keefy start a new series on Baroness! We discuss the formation of the band and all the way through the release of “Red Album” with an in-depth review.
At this point some thirty years into their illustrious career, Enslaved have truly transcended into their own musical entity. Creating a genre in their own image with a highly unique sound that still stays true to their extreme metal roots, but also blends the darkness with the light of progressive rock, and providing two distinct and opposing vocal styles in a way that no other band does.
Gojira and Mastodon are joining forces for an epic co-headline tour in 2023. “The Mega-Monsters Tour” finds these metal bands hitting arenas and amphitheaters throughout the Spring and Summer, alternating closing sets each night. Special guest Lorna Shore serves as direct support on all dates. The tour kicks off at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR on April 18th and includes stops at legendary venues such as the Forum in Los Angeles, CA on April 21st. The first leg concludes at Santander Arena in Reading, PA on May 11th and resumes with a second leg that runs August 9th through September 2nd. Special guest Lorna Shore serves as direct support on all dates. Fan pre-sales for tickets begin January 18th at 10:00am local time and include both Mastodon and Gojira artist pre-sales, alongside Blabbermouth, Spotify and local promoter / venue / radio pre-sales. General on-sale will launch January 20th at 10:00am local time with VIP ticket packages available at links below.
In a new feature here, we recap the biggest stories of the week that was here at Ghost Cult! We went over ten, but we are rebels at heart! This week you seemed to realy enjoy our Devin Townsend content, a new version of a GNR classic, a live review about the upstart band Soap Girls, Metallica stuff, Slipknot’s future plans, the return of The Black Dahlia Murder, our interviews with In Flames – author Andrew Thorp King – and the co-founder of Damnation Festival, Lamb of God saying take a good hard look at the m@!%!% boat, our coverage of Riot Fest, sending love and support to Lingua Ignota, and more!Continue reading
Lamb Of God and Sixthman, creators of unforgettable festivals on sand and at sea for more than two decades, have announced the first-ever Headbangers Boat, sailing October 31 – November 4, 2023, from Miami, FL to Nassau, Bahamas aboard the Norwegian Pearl. Join the pre-sale for Lamb Of God’s Headbangers Boat by November 3 to purchase your cabin before they’re made available to the public on Friday, November 11 at 2p EST. In addition two multiple sets from each band with LoG playing all of Ashes of the Wake in its entirety, Mastodon, Hatebreed, Gwar, Shadows Fall, God Forbid, Fit For An Autopsy, and Lamb Of God’s Mark Morton (Solo Band), and more will perfrom. With special guest hosts Jose Mangin and Riki Rachtman.