RPM Fest… three days in the woods at Millers Falls Rod and Gun Club in Montague, Massachusetts of Western MA with all of the homies, great food, great drinks, yard games, drag bingo, metal yoga, karaoke, and more metal, punk, and ska music than you can shake a battle vest at. It’s been two years since RPM Fest happened due to the ongoing pandemic. But this year it was able to make its mighty return as the official end-of-summer send-off party that it is known to be, this past Labor Day Weekend.
Catton Park, United kingdom, 14 Aug 2022, Lamb of God performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine
SATURDAY
Considering most people are already feeling like overcooked baked potatoes wrapped in tin foil, the fact that today is meant to be the hottest day of the festival really isn’t the best news. Still, that certainly doesn’t deter a healthy crowd from shaking off the hangovers and getting on with the business at hand, Baest and Lost Society both grabbing the main stage by the scruff of the neck while Sister Shotgun and Mastiff do the same on the Sophie stage.Continue reading
Catton Park, United kingdom, 12 Aug 2022, Behemoth performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine
Main Stage and Sophie Lancaster Stage
THURSDAY
If there are two things we love doing in the UK, it’s complaining about the weather and queuing for things. Well, this year at Bloodstock Open Air, both are freely available and at no extra charge. Not a moment goes by without a comment on the sweltering heat or about having to wait to cross the road to the festival ground. Yes, not content with spending two hours in the main queue, campers have now invented a brand new line to join before even getting that far. For the first time ever, a line has formed for people pulling trolleys and sack carts. Almost a quarter of a mile of people waiting in a surprisingly orderly queue before joining an even bigger queue. England, never change.
With the heat already playing its part, I finally arrive at the Sophie Lancaster Stage in time to catch Italian nutters Nanowar of Steel who send the audience into hysterics with daft costumes and a “Wall of Love” (a traditional wall of death that climaxes with people hugging each other to George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’). Preceding the infuriatingly catchy ‘Norwegian Reggaeton’ with Burzum‘s outdoor recipe for roasted salmon (“you place the freshly caught salmon on a rock and burn down the church next to it”) the band then take the opportunity to use the mighty ‘Valhalleluja’ to build an Ikea coffee table, holding it aloft for the elated crowd. Accompanied by an actual goblin for the duration of their set, US act Nekrogoblikon certainly put on an enjoyable show but find it tough following such a display of irreverent insanity.
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Decibel Magazine, America’s finest metal magazine has announced its first annual Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Denver event! It will take place December 2nd-3rd, 2022, at The Summit, and will feature Cannibal Corpse, Pig Destroyer, Dark Funeral among many other international and local bands! The even has beer in its name so it will also have some of the best (and Most Metal Breweries in the scene. The full lineup can be seen below and tickets go on sale Friday July, 22nd at 10 AM!
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Rocklahoma will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year and has put together a great lineup for the party! This year, Rocklahoma will make its Labor Day Weekend Party America’s biggest as the three-day camping festival features some of today’s top rock artists, including Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, Evanescence, Megadeth, Seether, Three Days Grace, Cypress Hill, Jelly Roll, and more! Rocklahoma takes place on Friday, September 2, Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4 at Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma, just outside of Tulsa. Produced by AEG Presents and original Rocklahoma founders Pryor Creek Music Festivals, Rocklahoma showcases the best new rock acts and classic artists performing on three stages. With onsite camping amenities and unparalleled VIP packages, Rocklahoma lives up to its motto of “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Rock.”
After a two year postponement, Oblivion Access Festival finally happened! Although I couldn’t attend all four days of festivities, I drove up to Austin, TX on Saturday to catch the legendary hardcore Youth of Today! It only took over three decades to finally see them lol. The festival was quite an undertaking, involving a lot of local Austin venues on 5th, 6th, and 7th Street. After 3 /12 hours of driving I was ready to stretch my legs, get some blood moving and stay cool in the humid Texas heat. Picking up my passes was a breeze as there were signs posted at Native Hostel directing you to the kind staff who greeted people with friendly smiles and words of encouragement to enjoy themselves.
Welcome To Rockville – America’s Largest Rock Festival–will kick off the Danny Wimmer Presents festival season in Daytona Beach, Florida Today! The top-notch talent includes headliners KISS, KORN, Guns N’ Roses, and Nine Inch Nails, plus appearances by 80+ additional bands including Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, The Smashing Pumpkins, Breaking Benjamin, Megadeth, Porno For Pyros (in place of Jane’s Addiction,) Papa Roach, Rise Against, Halestorm, In This Moment, Seether, Bush, and many more.