As always, the train journey from Devon to Derbyshire was not one that I was looking forward to - but the journey itself was very smooth. I did not leave as early as I had done in previous years, as I remember getting into the festival site very quickly in 2019 (following huge queues in 2018) and ended up with nothing to do for quite a while before the arena opened. The queuing was back this time, though, although it thankfully was not as bad as it was in 2018. It probably took me an hour to get into the site from getting off the shuttle bus from Lichfield City station - which was rather tedious, particularly due to how hot it was. The Met Office had declared an amber weather warning due to the foreseen heat for the four days of the festival. The weather will be a recurring theme throughout this piece, but it is fair to say that the Met Office were correct. The weather throughout the weekend was extremely hot until the sun started to set each day, which made enjoying the festival quite hard going at times - and it made standing in the big queue to get in even less fun than usual. In the end, though, I am not sure what the hold up was - especially compared to 2019. No-one looked at my bags at all, meaning that all I had to do was get my ticket scanned and my wristband fastened - which took about a minute. I assume that some bags were being checked thoroughly, which contributed to the delay - but this entry system has often been one of the festival's weak points, and the heat made it more apparent this year as there was no shelter at all to make use of. Thankfully, when I had my wristband, finding somewhere to camp was easy. It is amazing how I have managed to pitch my tent in pretty much the same spot at every Bloodstock (with the exception of 2015). Since 2016 I have camped in Asgard, and I managed to get in my usual spot easily. The heat made putting up the tent and getting sorted take a bit more time than usual, but by the time I was done the main arena was open so I headed in for my first walk around the site. A few new food vendors had turned up this year, including an excellent kebab stall - which I soon bought a lamb doner from. The layout of the site was the same as the previous years, although sadly the large CD/LP vendor that usually turns up was not there this time. That was a shame, as I have often picked up some decent CDs from them, but I probably saved some money as a result - particularly as the food prices have climbed over the years. The festival organisers said that the food prices this year would be locked at last year's prices due to the on-going financial issues that the country is facing, but that did not stop the food still being expensive - and anecdotally that did not seem to actually happen in practice. As always, I tried to gauge what I considered to be the best value for money - and all the food that I ate over the weekend was enjoyable. My favourite paella stall was back, thankfully, and there were a number of other decent options. You never really get your money's worth with festival food - but I was pleased with my choices, with the paella and kebab stalls benefitting from two trips each!
The Thursday nights of Bloodstock are always fairly low-key affairs, with only the Sophie Lancaster Stage (from now on referred to as the Second Stage) operating. There were a handful of bands that I wanted to check out, though, and Thuum were my first of the weekend. There were many sets that I enjoyed more throughout the weekend, but the four-piece sludge/groove metal act certainly got the festival off to a decent start. They only had half an hour to play with, and the length of their songs meant that they only had time to play around four. It is my understanding that the band has essentially re-launched itself this year, with only Ryan Mills (vocals/guitar) remaining from the previous incarnation, but the band's heavy, snaking riffs and Mills' deep harsh vocals made for a powerful combination. Groove metal tends to be a sound that I have to be in the mood for, but I enjoyed Thuum's time on stage. Many of the riffs were memorable, and the excellent lead playing of Max Phillimore (guitar/vocals) gave the band a bit of a melodic edge. The band are certainly one to watch, and once the new line-up has properly bedded in I can see their new material being something worth checking out. There was a couple of hours following Thuum's set before the next band that I wanted to check out, so I had another wonder around the stalls to see if I could find any CDs for sale. There was one stall with quite a selection, but they specialised in extreme metal so there was not much there that really interested me, and there was another one with some second hand CDs but nothing really jumped out sadly. This was a bit of a shame, as I have often found a few obscure gems to pick up at previous festivals, but it killed a bit of time before Nekrogoblikon's set - who were the penultimate act of the day. I knew little about the band, but I had heard one song in advance of the festival and decided that they might be fun. Although I ended up watching the whole set, more for something to do rather than anything else, Nekrogoblikon did little for me. The song that I had heard was not really representative of the band's sound at all, and the strange cinematic pop/power metal that I was expecting was largely replaced with music akin to the particularly egregious end of the late 2000s tech metal scene in the vein of bands like Iwrestledabearonce. There was also someone dressed up as a goblin that was dancing around on stage throughout their set, and overall it all just felt excessively gimmicky. As I have gotten older, I find my tolerance for comedy rock/metal has significantly waned, and despite some decent riffs and the odd strong chorus I cannot say that Nekrogoblikon did anything to change my mindset.
Following a brief rest to allow the night's headline act to set up, the finest band of the day, and genuine metal legends, Dark Tranquillity took to the stage. The Swedish melodic death metal band are an act that, despite knowing quite a lot about, I have never really significantly listened to. I own a couple of their CDs, but I have never made much of an effort to investigate their catalogue. With them headlining the festival's first night, though, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to check them out and give their hour-plus set a proper listen. Unsurprisingly the tent was pretty full when frontman Mikael Stanne and co. took to the stage, and the band impressed those gathered with a good selection of songs from their gloomy catalogue. Dark Tranquillity certainly sit at the gothic end of melodic death metal, and there are hints of death/doom to be found in their sound - as well as the sweeping soundscapes of Martin Brändström (keyboards) to add plenty of depth. As such, the band's songs are generally slower and less anthemic than is typical for melodic death metal, but what the band lack in big hooks they make up for in atmosphere and mood. That being said, though, there was still plenty of melody to be found throughout the set - and that was despite the band being a guitarist down. This left Johan Reinholdz to handle the guitar parts alone, although there was some 'help' going on in the form of backing tracks, which probably restricted what the band could do somewhat - but I still enjoyed my first true exposure to Dark Tranquillity's sound. Stanne sounded strong vocally throughout, and Brändström's keyboards were pretty high in the mix - which could be to compensate for the lack of Christopher Amott and the fact that some of his guitar leads were magically still coming out of the speakers! Needs must sometimes, though, and it did not effect my enjoyment of the show. Quite a few of the songs played seemed to come from the band's most recent album Moment, which I shall need to check out, whilst some of the older songs played sounded a bit rawer and less keyboard-heavy - with Stanne's voice taking on more of a gruffer tone during these cuts. Despite not really knowing any of the songs played I still enjoyed the band's set, and it reinforced the view that Dark Tranquillity are a band that I do really need to investigate further - particularly with my recent doom-related explorations.
Following Dark Tranquillity's set it was time for bed, and thankfully the heat had died down quite considerably by this point and I was able to get a decent night's sleep. I actually slept very well throughout the festival this year, and it was likely due to generally being more tired due to the heat. Asgard, whilst generally fairly chilled, seemed even more laid back than usual this year - which meant that the nights were often almost silent. This was great as it meant that I could sleep easily, and it was needed as the heat throughout the weekend could make enjoying the bands a bit of a slog at times. I had a bit of a lie in on the Friday morning, but got into the arena just as Red Method were opening up the Ronnie James Dio Stage (from now on referred to as the Main Stage) with their brand of industrial/nu metal. My kebab felt like quite a long time ago by this point, so I headed for my favourite paella stand and got some food - and sat down to eat it and watch Red Method. They were probably, though, the band of the weekend which I enjoyed the least. Their dated nu metal trappings and strange appearance felt like something from 20 years ago - and one of the guitarists was even dressed up in a manner similar to someone from Slipknot. The band's music really did nothing for me, and there was one pretty cringeworthy moment where the band took a bit of a mid-set break to allow a pulpit to be set up - from which the singer then preached from for a bit. It all came across as quite pretentious, and I was quite glad when the band's set came to an end. I had planned to watch Heart of a Coward, who were up next, but I was already ready for some shade so sat down by the hedge en route to Asgard to have a bit of break - before heading back to the Main Stage to catch Sorcerer. I knew little about Sorcerer prior to the festival, but one listen to their latest album Lamenting of the Innocent convinced me that I should give them a go. I was hooked from the off once the band hit the stage, and they probably ended up being the discovery of the weekend for me. The Swedish five-piece are described as a doom metal band, and I suppose they are similar in vein to bands like Candlemass, but to me they just sounded like a good, old-fashioned melodic heavy metal band - with more than a few nods to the Tony Martin era of Black Sabbath. The band's set was a good mix of anthemic heaviness and more lumbering progressive numbers - with the duelling guitars Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren forming the basis of their sound. Founding frontman Anders Engberg powered over the band with his rich voice. He generally sung in a lower register, but the occasional high-pitched scream was welcome. This was the band's first ever show in the UK, and they seemed blown away by the reaction that they received. A decent crowd had gathered to watch them, possibly as they were one of the few clean vocal-led acts of the weekend, but the songwriting and the vocal prowess of Engberg certainly held everyone's attention. Despite originally forming in the 1980s and releasing some demos at the time, it is only in recent years that the band has released anything officially following reforming with a new line-up - so it is great that this forgotten band is finally getting some love. I will certainly be picking up the band's other two albums in due course, and I hope that they return to the UK again soon.
It was time for another break following Sorcerer's excellent set, and I think I ended up having something of a nap in the shade for a little while. The heat was certainly making everyone rather sluggish, but breaking little and often for me allowed my stamina levels to remain pretty high - and I rose from my nap in time to attempt to get into the Second Stage's tent for a surprise set. Around a week or so before the festival, it was announced that there would be a secret band during the Friday afternoon - and rumours circulated as to who it would be. The two main candidates were Amon Amarth and Machine Head - and it ended up being the latter. The fact that the band was Machine Head had been all-but confirmed by the time that they hit the stage, but there was no way that I was going to make it into the tent to see them. The whole area around the tent was absolutely heaving, so just getting past that part of the site was tricky. In retrospect, putting Machine Head on the Second Stage was probably not a wise move. Whilst it was likely a memorable experience for some, many of the festival's attendees essentially missed out on the special set - and from what I have heard the tent was unpleasantly full, leading to some needing to make an exit for fear of fainting. The festival really should have moved things around and put Machine Head on the Main Stage. It still could have been a secret, but at least more people would have been able to see them - and it would not have led to a crush around the tent. It would have also meant that Doyle (of Misfits fame) would not have had to play a Main Stage set to one of the smallest crowds of the entire festival - which must have been extremely demoralising for him and his band. I watched a bit of their set, but there was no atmosphere whatsoever and the sound mix was extremely muddy. There was little energy coming from the band, and essentially it just felt a bit like no-one really cared. In truth I cannot blame Doyle for this, as they were definitely a bit stitched up by the festival due to the hype whipped up by Machine Head. I decided to get some dinner instead, and watch GWAR's set that followed. I was obviously familiar with the GWAR legend, but prior to the festival I had never seen them live or even heard a single song by them. I am glad that I have now experienced the band's messy and over-the-top live show, but they are very much a novelty act - albeit one of the original and best ones. Their songs, despite being somewhat catchy, are nothing special - and they seem to put more stock in the show itself and the costumes than the music. That being said, though, the band sounded tight - and watching them play in those ridiculous costumes was a lot of fun. Despite the grotesque nature of the show, too, some of the jokes were actually somewhat caustic, showing a sharper side than I had perhaps expected. I have never really paid the band any attention previously, and I probably will not going forward, but they are something that needs to be experienced at least once - and they livened up the day following the lacklustre set from Doyle.
Up next on the Main Stage was a double dose of Bay Area thrash, with Testament following Exodus in what promised to be a great double-header. Heathen were also playing, but for whatever reason the festival decided to put them on at the same time as Exodus. Clashes are inevitable at festivals, but that was a particularly braindead decision (unless there were practical, travel-related reasons why the bands had to play at the same time) given the links between the two bands and the fact that fans of thrash would have wanted to see both. It is my understanding that Heathen ended up playing to quite a small crowd as a result, but I chose Exodus as I had been wanting to see them again since catching them in Plymouth in 2016. The band had an hour to play with, and they delivered a great 11-song set that included a few choice cuts from last year's Persona Non Grata alongside a number of thrash classics. One of the new songs, the fast-paced and angry The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves), got the set underway - and it was clear from the off that the band were on fire and out and to impress. The sound mix was loud and clear, and the band were tight - with Gary Holt (guitar/vocals) laying down riff after riff whilst frontman Steve 'Zetro' Souza commanded the stage with his Bon Scott-on-speed vocal style. When I saw Exodus previously they were without Holt, due to him playing with Slayer at the time, so it was great to see him back with his main band - but this time they were without fellow guitarist Lee Altus, with The Black Dahlia Murder's Brandon Ellis filling in for him. Classics were mixed in throughout with newer cuts, with Blood In Blood Out getting the crowd going thanks to its big chorus and the punchy Blacklist was another one that kept the energy levels high thanks to its punky attitude and a driving bassline from Jack Gibson (bass guitar/vocals). The set was mostly a high-energy affair, but the band did slow things down somewhat with Prescribing Horror - one of the songs from their latest album. It is a groovier, heavy track that allowed Holt to showcase his chunkier approach to riffing. Souza's screeching vocals really brought the song to life, too, and it was a great way to inject some groove into the set before a closing three-song run of absolute classics. Bonded by Blood, which is one of the cornerstone songs of thrash, was the first of the three - and the energy levels rose. Lots of moshing took place during the anthem, before The Toxic Waltz only upped the energy levels further. It was left to Strike of the Beast to bring a barnstorming hour of thrash to a close, and it was clear to me that is going to hard for any other band to top them that day. It was also great to see drummer Tom Hunting in such fine form following his recent cancer battle. The setlist was:
The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
A Lesson in Violence
Blood In Blood Out
The Years of Death and Dying
Deathamphetamine
Blacklist
Piranha
Prescribing Horror
Bonded by Blood
The Toxic Waltz
Strike of the Beast
Testament followed, who also impressed, but for me they could not quite match the intensity of Exodus. Testament's brand of thrash is much more mid-paced and groove-orientated, which helped to set them apart - but the energy levels were never as consistently high. That being said, though, Testament were still very good and put on a strong set. I had not seem them live before, so they were one of the acts that I was looking forward to seeing the most over the weekend. Like Exodus before them, Testament's set was a good balance of old and new. The first half of the set was generally made up with newer songs; with the closing moments containing a number of classic tracks. Taking the stage to the creepy instrumental Catacombs from their latest album Titans of Creation, the band soon got going and launched into the riff-heavy Rise Up - which perfectly introduced both the riffing style of guitarist Eric Peterson and the larger-than-life vocals of frontman Chuck Billy. The song was a real riff-fest, and many similar songs followed. Testament's more recent work is much more traditional heavy metal-influenced than their classic albums, as songs like the snappy The Pale King and the excellent Children of the Next Level showed. Including so much newer material worked in the band's favour for me, but it was still the classic songs that brought the largest cheers. Practice What You Preach was one that got the crowd going fairly early on, with an excellent solo from Alex Skolnick (guitar/vocals) included within, whilst the fast-paced D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate) from the band's mid-period showcased returning drummer Dave Lombardo. A real highlight for me, though, was a stunning rendition of Night of the Witch - another track from the band's latest album. The song is a great mix of melodic thrash and hints of extreme metal - and Peterson included some great harsh vocals during a black metal-esque section, which also showcased Lombardo's fast footwork. The older classics followed thick and fast after this, though, with the snappy First Strike is Deadly and the band's first single Over the Wall eliciting cheers from the large crowd. The band had perhaps saved the best to last, though, with the anthemic and gang vocal-heavy Into the Pit encouraging plenty of fists to be pumped - before the set came to a close with the melodic Alone in the Dark. Whilst Exodus might have impressed a little more, Testament's groove-laden sound still went down very nicely. It was great to finally see the band live, and the large crowd certainly enjoyed their time with one of the thrash's most important acts. The setlist was:
Catacombs
Rise Up
The New Order
The Pale King
Children of the Next Level
Practice What You Preach
WWIII
D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)
Night of the Witch
The Formation of Damnation
First Strike is Deadly
Over the Wall
Into the Pit
Alone in the Dark
I stuck around following Testament's set, as it had been said in the build-up to the weekend that a handful of bands for next year's festival would be announced. I only go to festivals for the music, so the line-up is the most important thing for me. Sadly, however, it does not look that I will be returning to the festival next year. Surprisingly, two of the headliners were announced: Megadeth and Killswitch Engage; and they were the only two acts announced that I would have any sort of interest in seeing. The rest of the bands announced were generally more of the same generic-sounding metal that Bloodstock seems keen on booking these days in their seeming aim to move as far away from the festival's beginnings as possible and attract a more mainstream and 'hip' metal crowd. It seems as if 2019's Saturday, headlined by Parkway Drive and put together to shift day tickets, was the thin end of the wedge. I hope that this time next year I will be eating my words - but the next few announcements will have to be packed full of melodic metal for me to be doing so. The reactions to a few of the bands were very muted, too, and King810's announcement was met with a mixture of laughter and booing. King810 were famously very divisive in 2017 (I did not go to the festival that year so I cannot comment on their set) and are generally regarded as one of the worst bands to play on the Main Stage in recent history. Why the organisers thought it would be a good idea to bring them back is anyone's guess, especially as the hype that was at least surrounding the band in 2017 has long died. Time will tell whether or not I decide to go to Bloodstock again next year, but at the moment it is looking pretty unlikely, which is a shame. I then headed back to my tent for a bit of rest. I had intended to head back into the arena to watch the day's headline act Behemoth - but I was pretty tired by this point so I decided against it. I am not a massive Behemoth fan, despite quite liking The Satanist, and I did not feel like sitting through a whole set of the band's brand of blackened death metal. I will be seeing then band in October anyway with Arch Enemy, so getting a relatively early night seemed sensible - especially as I had earmarked quite a few bands to watch on Saturday. It had cooled down quite a lot again by this point, so I had another pretty good sleep and woke up feeling pretty fresh on Saturday morning. It is amazing how I find that I sleep pretty well at festivals these days, as that never used to be the case. The heat during the day probably helped to tire me out, but I remember sleeping pretty well at the last couple of Bloodstocks, too. This is very welcome, though, and it helped me to get through what ended up being a pretty mammoth Saturday with plenty of energy.
I wanted to catch the first band of the day, so made sure I was in the arena just in time for Denmark's Baest. As I was walking through the arena I could hear Toto's Child's Anthem being blasted pretty loudly. I assumed that one of the stallholders was playing it as a break from the otherwise endless barrage of metal, but as I got closer to the stage I realised that Baest were using it as their intro tape - which, considering that Baest are very much have an old-school death metal sound, amused me. I am not the biggest fan of death metal, but I thought that I would give Baest a go as a track that I heard online sounded fairly melodic and pretty riff-heavy - and that is essentially how their set turned out to be throughout. I enjoyed what Baest did throughout their 40 or so minutes on stage, from the fierce vocals of frontman Simon Olsen to the excellent riffing of the band's two guitarists. Death metal it is its best when the riffs are at the front and centre of the sound - and the songs are not just endless speed without any melody or groove. Baest had plenty of both, though, and the band certainly sit at the end of death metal which I can appreciate. A decent crowd had turned up for the first band of the day, too, so I was clearly not alone in wanting to check out what Baest were capable of. I imagine that the five-piece made a few new fans with their performance - and I will certainly be checking out their albums at some point. Following them on the Main Stage was the Finnish thrash act Lost Society - who I saw back in 2016 opening for Exodus. I remember somewhat enjoying the band's somewhat chaotic sound, and I somewhat enjoyed them again this time - although they are probably better suited to a small club setting than a large festival stage. Samy Elbanna (vocals/guitar) is a great thrash frontman, though, and he was all over the place during the band's set and never seemed to miss a beat. He handled the majority of the guitar solos, too, although fellow guitarist Arttu Lesonen also had a few chances to show off. Lost Society is very much Elbanna's vehicle, though, and his three bandmates were largely just there to back him up - as he ran around the stage screaming his lungs out and laying down a number of punky riffs. There were certainly better thrash acts that appeared over the weekend, but Lost Society represented that particularly chaotic brand of thrash is influenced as much by punk as it is by metal. With many of the other thrash acts being Bay Area-exports, Lost Society shook up the thrash line-up somewhat - and they seemed to hold the attention of the crowd during their 40 or so minutes on stage.
Following Lost Society's set I headed over to the New Blood Stage for my only visit of the weekend. Bands on the New Blood Stage are generally there as they have won competitions held across the country - and I am also pretty sure that they have to be unsigned to qualify. It is a good way of showcasing new talent, but I rarely make my way to the New Blood Stage as it is often populated with the sort of generic modern metal that does not interest me. Occasionally a band stands out, though, and the progressive metal act Ambrius seemed worth checking out. I saw Ambrius' whole set, but for some reason I suddenly felt really tired - and decided to sit down at the back of the tent to take in half an hour of diverse music. Ambrius' sound is a bit all over the place, but there is certainly a lot of talent there. Their sound was more tech metal than the progressive metal that I tend to gravitate towards, but there were lots of melodies and strong riffs - and I enjoyed my time with the band, even though I was feeling pretty burnt out during their set. I was glad that, following Ambrius' set, there was an hour or so before the next band I wanted to see so I took to opportunity to find some proper shade and have a break. I felt much better following a sit down and plenty of water, and headed back to the Second Stage feeling refreshed to catch a great set from the Swedish melodic metal act Cyhra. I had seen Cyhra twice previously, supporting both Battle Beast and Delain, so I was really looking to see the four-piece again - and they did not disappoint during their 40 minute set. The setlist was pretty similar to the two sets that I had seen before, but it did not matter as they tend to pick their best songs to play live - and it was great to hear something overtly-melodic, as there were so few bands of Cyhra's ilk at Bloodstock this year. They hit the stage running with the anthemic chorus of I Am the One, before the soaring Letter to Myself allowed frontman Jake E to showcase his melodic, yet emotional, vocal delivery. The tent was not as busy as it could have been, but Cyhra still managed to attract a pretty strong crowd - showing that there is still plenty of love at Bloodstock for melodic metal. The cheers were pretty loud, too, and the band seemed to enjoy their time on stage - with the poppy Dreams Gone Wrong and the more expansive Man of Eternal Rain going down nicely. The highlight of the set was perhaps the emotional Battle from Within, though, which is a special number for E to perform. The chorus is one of the most soaring of the band's oeuvre, yet it has a sombre mood due to the song's subject matter. It always hits home live, and it received a strong reaction as was expected. A new number, Ready to Rumble, was then played. E stated that the song would be released in September, and it was another excellent representation of Cyhra's poppy sound - with a chorus hook that stuck in the brain after hearing it once. I assume that the band has been working on their third album, and if Ready to Rumble is representative of their recent work then it will certainly be worth the wait. By this point the band were running out of time, but they had time for their two big singles - with Karma and Out of My Life bringing a powerful and poppy set to a strong end. The setlist was:
I Am the One
Letter to Myself
Dreams Gone Wrong
Man of Eternal Rain
Battle from Within
Ready to Rumble
Karma
Out of My Life
I left the tent during the closing moments of Out of My Life as I wanted to get over to the Main Stage to catch another of my most-anticipated sets of the weekend - the low-key return of Reading's excellent Sylosis. I had seen the band live a few times over the years, but my last Sylosis show was back in 2016 when they came to Plymouth on their co-headline tour with Decapitated. Since then, though, Sylosis had essentially been on hiatus with Josh Middleton (vocals/guitar) joining Architects. They returned in early 2020 though - releasing the excellent Cycle of Suffering album and playing one comeback show in London. I imagine that more was planned, but we all know what happened next! Sylosis seems to be a going concern for Middleton again now, though, with a handful of non-album singles being dropped over the past couple of years - and a sixth album is currently also in the works. It was great to catch the band again after six years, and their 45 minute Bloodstock set reminded me why I like them so much. They hit the stage to a wall of white noise and opened with Worship Decay - one of the aforementioned singles. Given that an album and a handful of singles have been released since I last saw the band, much of the set was made up of songs which I had not seen the band play live before. The first three songs were all newer cuts, with the slower paced Calcified and the title track of Cycle of Suffering getting airings. I had seen a lot of Sylosis shirts throughout the weekend, so I was not surprised to see the band pull a big crowd. In my head the band are still a bit of an underground act, but they have a large fanbase - and it is a shame that they were put on the back burner for so long. That seems to be changing though, and the strength of the newer material showcases that Middleton's heart is still very much in Sylosis' success. Following the three newer songs, the band then took a trip back to their debut album for the thrashy The Blackest Skyline and the techy Teras - both of which have been regularly featured in the band's sets over the years. The former in particular went down well, with the hooky chorus jumping out from the fast-paced riffing. Another live favourite in Empyreal - Part 1 was then played, moved from its usual closing spot, and the track was one that really allowed Middleton to show off his guitar playing skills. The sweep-picked melodies throughout the song are legendary, and the song always hits hard live as a result. There was only time for a couple more by this point, though, but the hooky Heavy Is the Crown really impressed. I had heard the song once previously, but it really worked well on stage. It has probably the catchiest chorus of any Sylosis song yet, and the guitar interplay between Middleton and fellow guitarist Alex Bailey throughout was excellent. It was left to I Sever from the latest album to close out the set, and the song worked well as a closing cut - with its big chorus and groovy riffing perfect for one last big mosh pit to break out. It was a shame that there was not time for more, as was also the case with Cyhra's set, but Sylosis made their time count - and I hope that this is the start of a new era for the band. The setlist was:
Worship Decay
Calcified
Cycle of Suffering
The Blackest Skyline
Teras
Empyreal - Part 1
Heavy Is the Crown
I Sever
It was time for dinner after Sylosis' set so I got some paella and sat down to catch Jinjer on the Main Stage. Jinjer are a band that I have always been meaning to check out, so Bloodstock seemed to best opportunity to do so. I had heard a couple of their songs previously, which had not done a lot for me, but I wanted to give them a proper listen. Sadly, though, their sound just does not gel with me. They have a lot of djent and tech metal in their sound, which has just never really been my thing, and as such it all just washed over me a bit. I did catch their whole set, though, even if I was not always actively watching them. Tatiana Shmailyuk is certainly a force to be reckoned with vocally, but the music is too angular and dry-sounding for me - but they certainly drew a big crowd. They are a popular band these days for a reason, but they are just not for me sadly. I heard their last few songs from the queue at the Signing Tent, as I decided to meet Sylosis and get my copy of Cycle of Suffering signed. I have met a few bands in the Signing Tent at previous festivals, and it was nice to briefly meet Sylosis and get my CD signed. Following meeting Sylosis there was quite a bit of time before the next band that I wanted to see, so I went for another break - and came back to the arena feeling fresher to catch Dimmu Borgir. I had never seen the symphonic black metal act before, so was looking forward to them despite only really being a casual fan. I am not that well-versed in the band's catalogue, but I know enough to get by - especially from their last few albums. Considering the band were the day's special guests, though, I felt that their set was quite flat. They went on quite late (which is apparently not uncommon for the band) and finished early - so only probably played for around 45 minutes of their hour set. The sound mix was great, considering the complexity of the band's music, but there was little energy generated throughout. The band rarely seemed to interact with the audience, and it seemed as if they were going through the motions a bit. The set started off with well the epic Dimmu Borgir and the hooky Gateways, but after that I started to lose interest. People with more knowledge of the band's catalogue may have gotten more out of their set, but for me it was not very engaging. I did stick it out to the end, with Progenies of the Great Apocalypse giving the set a little boost towards the end, but overall Dimmu Borgir's set was one of the disappointments of the weekend - especially considering how high up the bill they were and the overall pedigree that comes with a band of their stature.
Following another short break it was back to the Main Stage to catch Saturday's headliners, and one of my most-anticipated sets of the weekend, Mercyful Fate. Mercyful Fate may be a band that I have only really gotten into properly over the last couple of years, and I am not as versed in their catalogue as I probably should be, but I was really looking forward to seeing the legendary band live - as Mercyful Fate tours do not come around very often. Their Bloodstock appearance was one of the few UK dates that the Danish band have played in their history, and they did not disappoint - with a barnstorming set that, with the exception of one new song, only featured material from their classic 1980s releases. As the curtain dropped the band launched into the epic The Oath, from 1984's Don't Break the Oath, and the winding song really set the tone for what was to come. Mercyful Fate's songs are never predictable, and there is a progressive bent than runs throughout their songwriting. The band were tight and sounded great, but the real star was of course frontman King Diamond who, at 66, still sounds as good now as he did in the 1980s. His unique voice is still very much intact, and his stage presence is second-to-none. I had never seen him live before in any context, and his theatrical performance made Mercyful Fate's set stand out. Diamond's fellow founding member in the band, guitarist Hank Shermann, also impressed. His riff work throughout was great, and his fluid soloing impressed - with Mike Wead (guitar) complimenting his style nicely with a more shred-heavy approach. Songs like A Corpse Without Soul and the anthemic Curse of the Pharaohs impressed early on - and the sole new number The Jackal of Salzburg was also a nice treat. I understand that the band are working on a new album, and based on the strength of the lengthy The Jackal of Salzburg it will certainly be an album worth picking up. Despite the inclusion of a new number, though, the set was very much one that celebrated the band's classics and history. There were moody moments such as the melancholic Melissa and hard-hitting moments such as the weighty Black Funeral - whilst songs like Evil showcased the more anthemic side of the band with Diamond's hooky chorus. The main set came to an end with perhaps the band's signature track Come to the Sabbath, which really got the large crowd going. Given the rarity of a Mercyful Fate set, lots of the festival-goers had gathered to see them. I am sure that they were not the cup of tea of everyone there, but Mercyful Fate's legacy and influence cannot be denied - and I am sure that many were pleased to get the opportunity see them. The band seemed really fired up, too, and Diamond was very talkative throughout the set - and seemed genuinely taken aback by the UK crowd's reception. The encore performance of the 10 minute-plus Satan's Fall was easily the highlight of the set, though, with the progressive track showing off the whole band perfectly. There was lots of soloing from both Shermann and Wead, and the vocal diversity on show from Diamond was staggering. It was a perfect end to an epic set that showcased why the band are as well-respected as they are. They might not have been one of the biggest headliners in the festival's history, but they were certainly one of the most memorable. The setlist was:
The Oath
A Corpse Without Soul
The Jackal of Salzburg
Curse of the Pharaohs
A Dangerous Meeting
Doomed by the Living Dead
Melissa
Black Funeral
Evil
Come to the Sabbath
-
Satan's Fall
To One Far Away
I had decided to watch Malevolence headline the Second Stage, as I have been enjoying their latest album Malicious Intent recently, but after one song I decided that, following Mercyful Fate's excellent set, I was just not in the mood for Malevolence's heaviness. I was pretty tired by this point, so decided to head back to my tent to sleep. I will catch Malevolence with Trivium in January, though, and I am looking forward to checking them out properly then - I just did not feel like another hour-plus of harsh vocals at that time of the night! Again I slept pretty well, and was up and about ready to catch the first band of the day on the Main Stage. Illness within one of the other bands on the bill meant that a few of the Main Stage bands were moved around - with Skarlett Riot being promoted from the Second Stage to kick the day off. This worked in my favour as it meant that I could see the full sets of both Skarlett Riot and Vio-lence, and it was great to start the day off with something lighter in tone. I think it is fair to say that Skarlett Riot were one of the least-heavy bands playing throughout their weekend, but their melodic, modern-sounding hard rock got the day off to a fine start. There was a period a few years ago when I saw Skarlett Riot pretty regularly, as they went through a phase of supporting a lot of power metal bands, but it had been a long time since I had seen them so I had somewhat lost track of their progress. I picked up the band's two latest albums in the run-up to the festival, but was not hugely familiar with them. Despite this, though, I enjoyed Skarlett Riot's set a lot. I have generally gotten over my aversion to lots of UK-based modern hard rock bands having a strong US post-grunge influence, and Skarlett Riot's set was packed full of strong melodies that really stood out. Frontwoman Chloe Drinkwater has a powerful and easy-on-the-ear voice, and owned the stage despite having on-going microphone issues throughout the set. The band's sound is tight and hard rocking, with the occasional more metal moment inclusive of harsh vocals, but generally the vocal hooks are what make the band shine. It was great to catch up with the band after a number of years, and I now think that I am ready to properly dive into their catalogue - which will start with digesting their two recent albums. Sunday did not contain as many bands that interested me as the two previous days, so I got some food following Skarlett Riot's set and went for a break in the shade. The whole weekend was hot, but I think that Sunday was the hottest day of the lot at times. The fact that there were fewer bands that I wanted to check out was actually welcome, then, and there was nothing that I had to 'give up' to get out of the sun for a while. I managed to get through Friday and Saturday surprisingly easy, but by Sunday I was definitely flagging somewhat. The quieter day was welcome, but I still managed to enjoy all of the bands that I was looking forward to - so I do not feel that my weekend was too significantly disrupted by the heat.
A while later I headed back to the Main Stage to catch the first ever UK performance from the Bay Area thrash act Vio-lence - who have recently reformed. With three of the band's classic members and two other well-known names from the metal world making up the current Vio-lence, the set was sure to impress - and I enjoyed my time with Vio-lence despite not being at all familiar with their work. They are a band that are desperately due a reissue campaign, as their albums are extremely hard to find, but live thrash is usually good so it did not really matter that I did not know their material. The guitar tag-team of founding member Phil Demmel and former Overkill guitarist Bobby Gustafson churned out riffs and solos aplenty during the band's 40 or so minutes on stage, whilst frontman Sean Killian shouted his way through the set. Killian is one of those thrash vocalists that has something of a marmite voice, but his barks worked for me in the context of the band's music - and Vio-lence certainly put on a high-energy set that was likely a real treat for the die-hard thrashers in the crowd, as it is quite likely that they were many in attendance who had not seen them live before. I stuck around following Vio-lence's set to watch Venom Inc., who I had enjoyed previously when they played the festival in 2018. They were a late addition to the bill, replacing The Black Dahlia Murder who had had to cancel following the death of Trevor Strnad. Due to the circumstances, the band decided to do something special - and played the whole of 1982's seminal Black Metal from start to finish to celebrate the album's 40th anniversary. I have seen both Venom and Venom Inc. over the years, and for me Venom Inc. are the better band. Founding guitarist Jeffrey 'Mantas' Dunn (guitar/vocals) led the three-piece through their paces throughout their 45 or so minutes on stage, whilst Tony 'Demolition Man' Dolan (vocals/bass guitar) perfectly delivered the material with his rasping, evil-sounding voice - despite not being the vocalist on the original album. He is a great frontman, too, and prowled all around the stage during the set - despite seeming to be in quite a bad mood at times due to some technical issues with both his microphone and its stand. The legendary extreme metal drummer Nicholas Barker was sitting in with the band for a handful of their festival appearances, too, and the three-piece powered through the legendary album - with Black Metal and To Hell and Back impressing early on. The blue Teacher's Pet certainly brought smiles to the faces of the crowd, but perhaps the best songs were saved to last with the doomy Countess Bathory and the snarling, faster-paced Don't Burn the Witch bringing a raw and energetic set to an end - although, as per the original album, a shortened version of At War with Satan actually rounded out the set proper. I think the band put on a stronger set in 2018, but it was great to hear Black Metal in full - and the band certainly gave it their all to bring the album to life. The setlist was (N.B. all of the songs below are Venom songs):
Black Metal
To Hell and Back
Buried Alive
Raise the Dead
Teacher's Pet
Leave Me in Hell
Sacrifice
Heaven's on Fire
Countess Bathory
Don't Burn the Witch
At War with Satan (Introduction)
It was time for another break following Venom Inc.'s set, as it was 45 minutes or so until the next band that I wanted to catch. By this point there was only a handful of bands left that I wanted to see, so I was very much on the home stretch - and I managed to conjure up a late burst of energy that got me through the last few hours of the weekend. I then headed to the Second Stage to catch Orbit Culture, who I knew little about but thought that they sounded interesting. For whatever reason, though, the band's first song did little for me so I decided not to stick around. I had assumed that the band would be more progressive and/or melodic than their first song suggested, especially as they playing at next year's ProgPower USA, but I personally found the band's sound to be pretty generic - so I decided to save my energy for what was to come. Instead I opted for some fish and chips, which was my last meal of the weekend, and headed back to the tent to tidy up and pack up what I could to make Monday morning's decamp much easier. Once that was done, I headed back to the Second Stage to catch the first UK appearance, and one of only a handful of live appearances from the band so far, of Strigoi - the latest project of Paradise Lost guitarist Greg Mackintosh, who acts as Strigoi's frontman. The band somewhat seems to be a successor to Vallenfyre, whom Mackintosh fronted between 2010 and 2018, but Strigoi are much doomier and heavier - playing a brand of death metal which is extremely raw and uncompromising. Strigoi are certainly not the sort of thing that I would usually listen to, and I almost certainly would not have watched them if Mackintosh was not involved, but festivals are often a way to expand horizons - and I am always looking to explore heavier music in a more meaningful way. Sadly the band did not exactly pull a huge crowd, but that did not seem to bother them. Mackintosh's famously dry humour was on display throughout the band's set, and there was certainly a hardcore down the front who were very much into Strigoi's crusty brand of death metal. Much of the set was very slow-paced, although there were occasional explosive moments of more traditional death metal which added to the overall energy of the show. Acknowledging the ponderous nature of their music, though, during one song Mackintosh tasked the crowd with creating the slowest most pit of all time - which the hardcore dutifully obliged in doing. It was certainly an entertaining addition to the set, and I largely enjoyed my time watching Strigoi despite them not really being my thing.
There was time for one final break following Strigoi's set, which helped me get ready for the final two bands of the weekend - who also happened to be two of my most anticipated sets. The first of the two was the closing act of the weekend on the Main Stage: Lamb of God. Lamb of God is one of those bands whom I have become a huge fan of over the years, but it had been quite a while since I last seen them live - which was back in 2015 when I saw them with Megadeth in London. The band's set was very much one I was looking forward to, then, and they did not disappoint - delivering a 16-song set to a large crowd with the ease of a band that has been in the game for a number of years. The London show from 2015 probably featured a better performance, but their Bloodstock set was packed with power - with frontman Randy Blythe in form vocally. With guitarist Willie Adler left at home, due to his (alleged) refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Phil Demmel, who has been on tour with the band throughout their European run, was playing his second Main Stage set of the day. He held down Adler's parts with ease, and the band ran through a great career representative that included two numbers from their upcoming album Omens. Much of the set was made up of the band's classic songs, though, with Memento Mori from their 2020 self-titled release kicking things off with its moody vibes - before the pace was upped for the punky Ruin and the epic Walk With Me in Hell. The latter always goes down particularly well live, with Mark Morton's (guitar) melodic opening lead melodies and the fist-in-the-air chorus that Blythe delivered with real venom. Some previous Lamb of God shows that I had seen had been plagued with muddy sound, but they generally sounded pretty clear at Bloodstock. Drummer Art Cruz's playing really punched through the mix, and the vocals were audible at all times. The new single Nevermore came across well as a result, but the crowd soon really went wild for Now You've Got Something to Die For - one of the band's signature pieces which is packed with plenty of massive grooving riffs. There were moments in the set where the band seemed to take ages to start the next song, though, which were a bit strange. There were a couple of times where the people around me thought that the show had come to a premature end, only for the lights to come back on and the next song to start. That did kill the momentum a bit at times, but that was the only real criticism of the set that I can name. The song choices could be seen as a bit pedestrian too, but it was what I expected in a festival setting - which is going to prioritise crowd favourites. Omerta is one such track, and the spoken intro certainly got everyone riled up, but the highlight of the final third or so of the set for me was Omens. The new song is very hooky, and the chorus means that it is likely to be a song that sticks in the set for quite some time. Hourglass was another big favourite for me; but time was running out by this point and the main set came to a close with the southern-sounding Ghost Walking. A three song encore of the more expansive Vigil, the groove-based Laid to Rest, and the hooky Redneck brough the Main Stage to a close for another weekend - and the circle pit that erupted during Redneck was likely one of the weekend's largest - as Lamb of God bowed out in style. The setlist was:
Memento Mori
Ruin
Walk With Me in Hell
Resurrection Man
Nevermore
Now You've Got Something to Die For
Contractor
Omerta
11th Hour
Omens
Hourglass
512
Ghost Walking
-
Vigil
Laid to Rest
Redneck
I wanted to catch the whole of the set of the Second Stage's headline act, too, so when Lamb of God started playing Redneck I started making my way across to the tent. I still took in the whole of Redneck, but I managed to make it to the tent as the intro tape for its headline act was playing - and the next hour or so was filled with the excellent melodic rock/AOR sounds of The Night Flight Orchestra. As I have mentioned during this piece, there were few genuine 'lighter' bands booked this year, which meant that The Night Flight Orchestra stood out. Quite a few were clearly interested in checking them out, though, as the tent was pretty busy throughout their set - although it was not as packed as it had been for Malevolence the night before. The Night Flight Orchestra, led by the enigmatic Björn 'Speed' Strid (vocals) who I saw at the festival in 2019 with Soilwork, acted as the perfect pallet cleanser after a weekend of metal, though, as their feel-good melodic rock sound had everyone in the tent singing along. They kicked off with mid-paced and laid back How Long, from last year's Aeromantic II, and its big chorus really set the tone for the night. With Rasmus Ehrnborn (guitar) and Pontus Egberg (bass guitar) filling in for David Andersson and Sharlee D'Angelo respectively, the band's line-up was somewhat make-shift - but this did not show or make any difference to how fun the set was. The band recreated the big sounds from the album's perfectly, even if John Lönnmyr's keyboards could have been a little higher in the mix at times, but the star of the show was Strid. He has always been a great frontman when I have seen him with Soilwork, but with The Night Flight Orchestra he seemed more flamboyant and 1970s-inspired - and he was bedecked in a white suit and golden cape, which certainly helped him to stand out from the crowd. Following How Long, the faster-paced Sometimes the World Ain't Enough impressed - but it was the synth-heavy Divinyls that was the true early highlight. The song is pure pop, with a bit of a Toto vibe, and the band brought it to life perfectly. The pomp of the Survivor-esque If Tonight Is Our Only Chance followed, and it was another highlight. It is the sort of song that reminds me why I like melodic rock as much as I like metal, and it was clear that there were quite a few in attendance who agreed. The band went down a storm, and the atmosphere in the tent throughout their set was electric. Bloodstock has been moving away from more melodic sounds in recent years, but the reaction that The Night Flight Orchestra received showed that there is still an appetite for it. With tracks like Gemini and Satellite on show, though, it is not hard to see why - and the band showed that they have the ability to constantly come up with excellent new songs by closing with their latest single Black Stars and Diamonds. There was time for a couple more, though, and the band were dragged back out on stage by the cheers to run through the frenetic and hooky White Jeans, which everyone around me was singing along to, before the final song of the weekend for me, West Ruth Ave, brought the band's set to a triumphant close. A huge conga line took place during this song, and it was a perfect way to close out a weekend of excellent music - and The Night Flight Orchestra likely ended up being the band of the weekend for me, just for how joyous their set was. The setlist was:
How Long
Sometimes the World Ain't Enough
Divinyls
If Tonight Is Our Only Chance
Burn for Me
This Boy's Last Summer
Gemini
Satellite
Black Stars and Diamonds
-
White Jeans
West Ruth Ave
Thanks to excellent sets from both Lamb of God and The Night Flight Orchestra, Bloodstock Open Air 2022 ended on a real high. I was very tired by the time it had all finished though, so I slept very well before getting up early to be ready to catch the 07:30am bus back to Lichfield City railway station to start my journey home. Having written this review over a few days, I have had a lot of time to reflect on the festival as a whole. I saw a huge amount of bands this year, perhaps the most that I have watched at any of the five Bloodstocks that I have now been to. Whilst the line-up was not exactly tailored to my tastes, I feel like there was still plenty for me to enjoy - even if most of it was at the heavier end of my general spectrum. It was great to finally tick off seeing bands like Testament, Mercyful Fate, and The Night Flight Orchestra; and it was great catching up with Exodus, Sylosis, and Lamb of God after so long. A few discoveries were made too, such as Sorcerer and Vio-lence, so overall the festival was very much worth attending - despite the heat and the overall lack of melodic metal booked this year. As it stands currently, I will likely not be returning to the festival next year. As mentioned earlier the bands that have so far been announced for next year are generally not to my taste at all, so unless there is a real glut of melodic metal acts announced soon then I will likely look elsewhere next year and perhaps try out a different festival. It would be a shame not to return to Bloodstock, as I do enjoy the festival, but I feel like I am really now at the cusp of the demographic that they are trying to attract - and I am actually surprised how many bands I watched this year as on paper the line-up was not a massively strong one for me outside of a handful of core names. That being said, though, it is always good to be pleasantly surprised, and Bloodstock Open Air 2022 was certainly another festival to remember - with many bands living up to or surpassing my expectations.
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