FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2019


Now in its nineteenth year, the annual metal pilgrimage to Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Hall in Derbyshire was joined this year by a very special, but highly unstable, guest.

The weather.

Yes, I know it’s England in August, and we should be more than accustomed to inconsistent weather conditions, but this really was something else. Tents too hot to be inside one moment were waterlogged the next. People soaked to the skin by sudden, torrential downpours were suffering sunburn minutes later. Grass turned to mud, mud became rivers, and the unprecedented winds would go on to cause problems all of their own.Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2019


The time is nigh! Bloodstock 2019, the best major independent music festival in the world is here! Ghost Cult’s crack team will be on-site as we have been every year in our existence, bringing you this vital heavy music event and experience! Featuring Sabaton, Parkway Drive and Scorpions, along with Anthrax, Batushka, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Cancer Bats, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Krysthla, Rotting Christ, Aborted, Skeletal Remains, All Hail The Yeti, Incite, Hypocrisy, Taake, The Lazys, Xentrix, and many more on the Catton Park stages this August. More bands are still being announced, but see the line-up so far here. Check out our day by day list must-see list below and everything else you need to know! Continue reading


Bloodstock Open Air is in 8 Weeks, Adds More Jager Stage Bands


Bloodstock Open Air, the best independent Metalfest in the world has added two more bands to its 2019 bill. Skypilot, Graves, Beggar, Black Shuck, Foul Body Autopsy, Jailbirds and Womanowar have all been added. More Jager stage bands will be announced next month. BOA also announces more Metal 2 the Masses winners: Grand Elder, Blind Divide, Scars of Remembrance, Elyrean, Fear Bound, Lost in Lavendar Town have all joined the fest. Bloodstock boasts headline bands Sabaton, Parkway Drive and Scorpions, along with Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Cancer Bats, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Krysthla, Rotting Christ, Aborted, Skeletal Remains, All Hail The Yeti, Incite, Hypocrisy, Taake, The Lazys, Xentrix, and many more on the Catton Park stages this August. More bands are still being announced, but see the line-up so far here.Continue reading


Bloodstock Announces First Metal 2 The Masses Winners, Day Tickets on Sale This Week


Gojira, photo credit Bloodstock Open Air on Facebook

Blood Stock Open Air will release their day tickets this week. A limited amount of day tickets for 2019’s event go on sale at 9.00am this Thursday 30th May, priced at £65 (+ fees) for adults and £20 (+ fees) for children aged 4-11. Children under 4 go free! Head here to snap them up! You can still also pick up 4-day ‘weekend tickets with camping’, priced £145 (+ fees) and children’s weekend tickets at just £35 (+ fees). VIP tickets are expected to sell out shortly, including limited Podpads, Bellepads and Octopads, plus limited remaining VIP upgrades (for those who’ve already purchased a standard ticket). Camper van plots & Luxpads are already sold out. Links below for more details. BOA also announces the first batch of New Blood winners from their ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ finals, who all bag a slot to perform on the Hobgoblin New Blood stage! The finals are still taking place around the country. Saturday’s New Blood stage bill welcomes Coventry winners Djinova, Glasgow victors Inferiem, and Deformation Of Man, who took top prize in the Sheffield heat. They’ll be joined by Belfast top dogs, Lock Horns. Black Country band Masters Call also win a New Blood slot after impressing the booking team via their CD submission. Sunday brings Dublin champions Aesect, Norwich leaders Bastard, and Take Refuge, having clinched first place in the Milton Keynes final. You’ll also get to see 28 Double, who took Leicester’s gold medal! Continue reading


Bloodstock Open Air Announces the “Raise Your Horns Contest”


Bloodstock Open Air has announced a fan contest, the Raise Your Horns Contest (#BLOODSTOCKRAISEYOURHORNS)! To enter send you best scream in a 10-15 second (max) video to the team at Bloodstock. Prizes include VIP tickets to Bloodstock 2019, a back stage tour and more! Watch the video below to get the deets and enter! Continue reading


Krysthla, All Hail The Yeti, Barbarian Hermit, and More Join Bloodstock 2019


Bloodstock 2019 has added a bunch of new bands including Bloodstock adds Krysthla, All Hail The Yeti, Barbarian Hermit, Blind River, Ten Ton Slug, Footprints In The Custard, Countless Skies, and Bongcauldron. They join the ranks of BOA 2019 headliners Sabaton, Parkway Drive and Scorpions, as well as Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Rotting Christ, Incite and Hypocrisy on the Catton Park stages this August.

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The Lazys – The Standstills Live At the Star and Garter, Manchester UK


A clash with both a European football match and Metal goddess Doro were ill omens for the potential attendance of my next gig in Australian up and comers The Lazys, with Canadian two-piece The Standstills in support. I head on over to Manchester to catch the two acts, with The Standstills on their first playing visit to British soil, to see what the bands can serve up for us.Continue reading


Aborted, Skeletal Remains, The Lazys, 3 Headed Snake, Boss Keloid and More Booked For Bloodstock 2019


Bloodstock Open Air has added seven more bands to the bill for 2019, including Aborted, Skeletal Remains, The Lazys, 3 Headed Snake, Boss Keloid, Dust Bolt, and Red Method. The fest has also added seven more coach pick-ups for the fest, which you can see below. Eighty more bands still to be named for BOA 2019, with headliners Sabaton, Parkway Drive and Scorpions, join Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Rotting Christ, Incite and Hypocrisy on the Catton Park stages this August. Continue reading