As Bloodstock’s regional finals for their grass-roots-artist-ing Metal 2 the Masses scheme thunder through local venues around the country this month, the festival is very excited to announce the first winners who won themselves a slot on 2018’s New Blood stage this August.
ing the bill on Friday are hard-rocking trio, Pelugion, victors of the Coventry heat, who blend classic metal styles reminiscent of Diamond Head and Black Label Society, as well as Glasgow’s winners, A Ritual Spirit, Edinburgh-based heavy rockers whose debut album, Carnival Carnivorous is available now.
Landing a Saturday spot are Sheffield’s winners and symphonic metal 7-piece, Aonia. The band feature two ‘soprano with balls’ vocalists and have been compared to Therion, Avantasia, and Nightwish. If your tastes are more on the brutal side, check out the champions of the Reading heat, crust/grind/powerviolence trio, Negative Thought Process. Also gaining a Saturday New Blood slot are Belfast’s groove metal victors, Oracle, whose debut EP, Tales of Pythia is out now.
Rolling in on Sunday are Dublin top dogs, This Place is Hell. The five piece’s ferocious metal show is renowned at home in Ireland and has been described as ‘organised chaos’! Also appearing Sunday are irreverent powermetal bards, Sellsword who grabbed their slot via CD application. Their debut album, …And Now We Ride is available now. The CD applications were so good, Bloodstock’s also added Obzidian, purveyors of classic thrash from the home of metal in the Midlands.
Alongside the first phase of M2TM winners come some of the Jagermeister Stage bands. Expect to see The Heretic Order on Friday. The band recently signed with Massacre Records and release their second album, Evil Rising on 22nd June. Saturday brings you a set from Belfast’s Sinocence, who’ve just completed work on the third of their trilogy of EPs under the No Gods, No Masters banner – expect Vol.3 to land this summer. Also booked for Saturday’s Jagermeister Stage are West Midlands hard rockers, Voodoo Sioux. Sunday, we welcome one for the classic metal fans, Aussie rockers True Believer, who describe themselves as a blend of Dio, Mastodon, Ghost, Foreigner, Alice In Chains and Deep Purple! Also appearing are black metal experimentalists, Abduction (www.facebook.com/abduction616) who bring their extreme sonics to the bill and Gemma Fox, frontwoman for prog metal outfit Collibus, in her solo guise.
June’s Bloodstock club nights are locked down and rack up as follows. Get along to your local club for the chance to win weekend tickets and associated prizes and hear tunes from Bloodstock bands, old and new.
- Fri 1st June – Nottingham Student Union (Tactical Assault)
- Sat 2nd June – Brighton Envy (Apocalypse)
- Sat 2nd June – Stoke Sugarmill (Devil’s Night)
- Sat 9th June – Southampton Engine Rooms
- Fri 22nd June – Camberley Agincourt
- Fri 29th June – Leicester Firebug
- Fri 29th June – Exeter Cavern Club
- Sat 30th June – Birmingham Eddie’s Rock Club
- Sat 30th June – Sheffield Corporation
Thinking about your route to Bloodstock yet? Official travel partner Big Green Coach are more than happy to transport you, your mates and all your camping essentials from 21 pick-up points all over the country to right inside the Bloodstock gates. For more details, watch this video. Alternatively, if you’re driving to the festival and have a space in your car, or are seeking a ride from your area, post your trip on GoCarShare’s website to match up with a friendly metaller and help each other ride to Bloodstock! You’ll even be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to next year’s festival just by using the GoCarShare scheme! Full details over at their website.
With Friday night headliners Judas Priest, Saturday headliners Gojira and Sunday’s bill toppers Nightwish announced, as well as Emperor, At The Gates, Devildriver, Watain, Suicidal Tendencies, Wednesday 13, Jasta & Friends, Fozzy, Combichrist, Bloodbath, Venom Inc., Mr Big, Orphaned Land, Kamelot, Doro, Orden Ogdan, Septicflesh, Exhorder, Pallbearer, Memoriam and many more, we’re more excited than ever for Bloodstock 2018!
