FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air Part 2 – Live at Catton Hall


 

SATURDAY:

After I visit the bust of Lemmy in the RAM Gallery, Brazilian death metallers Crypta are in full flow on the main stage, tearing through the likes of Lift the Blindfold” and “From the Ashes”, casually stripping away any vestiges of third-day fatigue. And if that wasn’t the perfect wake-up call, then there”s always Bay Area thrashers Forbidden who blast through the likes of “Forbidden Evil,” “Twisted Into Form,” and “Step By Step” aided by summer recruit Dan “Chewy” Mongrain of Voivod. A great show, although a time overrun means we are deprived of the classic “Chalice of Blood.”Continue reading


Amon Amarth, Architects, Opeth, Cradle of Filth, Clutch, Hatebreed, Mayhem, Exodus, and More Booked for Alcatraz Festival 2024


UPDATED: Dio Disciples featuring Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna has been added to the festival replacing Dokken.

Alcatraz Festival promises to be one of the best European metal fests in recent memory with a banger line-up! The festival has already booked Architects, Opeth, Cradle of Filth, Clutch, Hatebreed, Mayhem, Exodus, Satyricon, Paradise Lost, Watain, Dark Tranquillity, Spiritbox, Korpiklaani, Jinjer, Life of Agony, Left to Die, and many more! Passes are on sale now and the full schedule and running order will be released soon. Alcatraz Festival takes place on August 9th, 10, and 11th in Belgium!Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Nestor – Teenage Rebel


Do you yearn for the eighties? Do you wish the world and its music had never changed since the decade of miners’ strikes, shoulder pads, and synths? Well, the Nestor are the band for you, and they have just released their second album Teenage Rebel on Napalm Records. Formed in 1989 but going on hiatus and not releasing their debut Kids in a Ghost Town until 2021, Teenage Rebel mashes together Glam Metal, AOR, and everything eighties Rock had to offer into one cheesy-as-hell time capsule. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Defect Designer – Chitin


If the striking artwork courtesy of Ian Miller of Ulthar was not a giveaway, Chitin (Transcending Obscurity Records) is far from a conventional affair. As previous output from Defect Designer proved, this Russian (by way of Norway) vehicle is one totally unafraid of formulas and usual genre structures even amongst a seemingly increasing amount of more esoteric death metal acts. Even previous experience however will not fully prepare listeners for proceedings here however with some equal parts innovation and outright absurdity- for better or worse.Continue reading


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2022 Part 2


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


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2022 Part 1


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 Burzums 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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FESTIVAL PREVIEW: BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2022


Bloodstock Open Air (BOA) 2022 is almost upon us. Kicking off on Thursday the 11th of August, this most metal of all festivals runs until Sunday the 14th, damaging necks, air guitar strings, and bank accounts along the way. After Covid put paid to the 2020 festival, an admirably safety-conscious BOA returned with a five day bang last year! (read our review of BOA 2021 review here), selling out weekend passes well in advance and things  promise to be just as busy this time.

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Bloodstock Reveals Bands, Club Nights, and Plans With Sophie Lancaster Foundation and Derbyshire LGBT+


Bloodstock Open Air 2022 has shared a big update. including their plans for their Club Nights, and Plans with Sophie Lancaster Foundation and Derbyshire LGBT+, as well as added  2 more bands to the lineup. Static-X and Tallah have dropped out, replaced by Dark Tranquility and Defects respectively. The comeback of the fest in 2021 was great and you can read our review here. Headliners for BOA 2022 are Lamb Of God,  Mercyful Fate and Behemoth. Bloodstock will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 11th-14th August 2022.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Yelawolf and Shooter Jennings – Sometimes Y


The worlds of Country and Hip Hop don’t often meet, but Country Rocker and producer Shooter Jennings and acclaimed rapper Yelawolf have teamed up to create their eponymous debut as a duo Sometimes Y (Slumerican). As you would expect from such divergent backgrounds, Sometimes Y  is an eclectic record that is largely rock but takes many a wide and varied detour. 

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The Night Flight Orchestra Books “The Aeromantic Experience” Tour Dates 


Pop Metal Supergroup The Night Flight Orchestra have booked an extensive tour of Europe for 2022. The band is comprised of members of some of the foremost artists in rock and metal (Soilwork, Arch Enemy, Mean Streak) and for over a decade have made their name making toe-tapping covers, fun albums, and energetic live performances. 

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