Bloodstock Main Stage Bands Preview

With a grand total of 55 bands, this year sees the most diverse Bloodstock line up to date. From classic rock to death metal, progressive power metal to bay area thrash, there is sure to be something to suit every metal head in attendance.

THURSDAY

Chris Slade (AC/DC, Damage Control) gets things off to a start on the main stage with a drum solo and following that will be an opening set from one of the lucky winners of the Bloodstock competition. The organisers of Bloodstock have been giving unsigned bands the opportunity to upload their videos onto the official website, where head-banging members of the public are able to vote for their favourite video. The competition is divided into three genre categories, with the overall winner being the band that gets to play the main stage. The competition closes on July 29th so get voting while you can and be sure to get down to BOA early to watch the band you voted for open up in front of a crowd of metal-hungry festival goers.

Bloodstock festival is renowned for bringing bands over to the UK who don’t often play here, and Finland’s Kiuas are one example here as they tread British soil for the first time. After forming in 2000, a number of self-financed EP’s and a brief stint with Rage of Achilles records secured Kiuas an underground following and later landed a record deal with Spinefarm Records, who released their debut album “The Spirit of Ukko” in 2005. Their Finnish pagan themed lyrics and epic metal sound appeared to be a success and in 2006 came the follow up album, “Reformation”, which saw the band take a more technical direction with their music.

Following Kiuas are the UK’s own wrestling obsessed metallers Head On. This Berkshire quartet managed to attract the attention of Grind That Axe Records during their 2005 tour with Fozzy, Stock Mojo and Skid Row. In 2006 they unleashed their debut album “XXL” which featured Rich Ward (Stuck Mojo/Fozzy) on guest vocals. The band recently performed two songs appearing in the movie “Color me Kubrick” which stars John Malkovich and Richard E. Grant. With riffs as muscular as their arms, plenty of Southern groove swagger and meaty vocals Head On are one home grown act not to be missed!

As the evening progresses, Greece’s finest export, Firewind return with their stunning blend of progressive power metal. It seems that Gus G and co. can’t get enough of our isle. In March 2006, Firewind opened the inaugural Prog-Power UK Festival, and since then have returned to support Dragonforce on their successful tour, returning yet again in April 2007 to play three headlining shows. After developing a strong following in the metal underground with “Between Heaven and Hell” and “Burning Earth”, Firewind attracted the attention of Century Media who released “Forged By Fire” in 2005. In 2006 the band returned with “Allegiance” which was their best and most successful effort to date. Evident that the band had matured greatly in terms of song writing, this album saw Firewind attempt more of a traditional heavy metal sound, aided by the additional creative input of new vocalist Apollo Papathanasio (formerly of Majestic and Time Requiem) and drummer Mark Cross (ex. Helloween and Metalium). Allegiance spent 6 weeks in the Greek album charts, reaching its highest position at #10.

FRIDAY

Opening the mainstage Friday are Exploder. The band names Anaal Nathrakh and Mistress are more or less synonymous with the extreme metal genres so it may come as a shock to some that, featuring members of both aforementioned bands, Exploder play a hard rockin’ metal formula described by Kerrang! as “a fantastic collection of impossibly catchy hard rock, fist-pumping riffs and choruses the size of China”. This Midlands band was formed by Dirty Von Donovan and Mick Kenney. Growing tired of playing non-stop extreme stuff, they decided the time had come to find a more cheerful outlet to fulfil their hidden cravings for the less foreboding forms of metal. The self-titled debut album from Exploder is available now through Feto Records.

Second on the bill the Friday night are Swedish progressive death metallers Scar Symmetry. In 2005, this fast rising act released their debut album Symmetric in Design and no less than eight months later, they returned to the studio to record their sophomore album Pitch Black Progress, after securing a record deal with Nuclear Blast Records. Having toured with label mates Communic, disappointment struck their British fans when the band were forced to pull out of the Prog Power UK festival in March 2007 due to other tour commitments. Now Scar Symmetry will make their deferred UK debut at the Bloodstock Open Air festival before they head over to the US with Katatonia, Swallow the Sun and Insomnium.

If all of this modern stuff isn’t quite making your old, worn out engine tick and you’d rather remember the days of yore then Wolf are the nostalgia trip you have been waiting for! Keeping the spirit of the 80’s alive in the 21st century, Wolf play traditional, old school heavy metal which throws elements of thrash and power metal into the mix. Since forming in 1995, the Wolf has unleashed four full length albums as well as a handful of 7” vinyl and singles ignoring all trends along the way. Their latest album “The Black Flame”, which was produced by Fredrik Nordstrom, has acquired some fantastic reviews and earlier this year they embarked on a successful European tour with The Haunted and Municipal Waste. Put on your bullet belt and tattered leather jacket and bang your head like it’s 1985!

From 80’s nostalgia we move on to something a bit more innovative. Hailing from Kristinehamn in Sweden, Memfis have pretty much exploded across the underground metal scene with their outstanding debut album “The Wind Up”. As well as receiving tremendous praise from the press, they were nominated alongside In Flames and Wolverine for the hard rock/punk category at the Swedish Independent Music Awards. Having toured with such metal giants as Satyricon, The Haunted and Entombed, Memfis will now make their UK debut at BOA festival where their unique progressive technical metal should to go down a treat with any fan of bands such as Opeth and The Dillenger Escape Plan.

Grab yourself a pint from the bar and get ready for Korpiklaani. These forest dwelling, beer swigging Finns make a welcome return to British shores as they bring the spirit of the forest to BOA. After ten years under the moniker of Shaman and releasing albums sung in the traditional Sami language, the band changed their name to Korpiklaani in 2003 when they begun singing in a mixture of English and Finnish in order to appeal to a wider audience. Formed by Jonne Jarvela (vocalist, guitarist), Korpiklaani (which translates in Finnish to Woodland Clan) draw much of their inspiration from their surroundings, and have also become known for their addictive drinking songs. With their energetic combination of metal and folk infused with accordions, violins and flutes, there’s gonna be one hell of a party at Bloodstock (and one hell of a hangover in the morning!)

And now for the band that everyone has been talking about; Damage Control are here to cause some damage to your hearing! You may not yet have heard of this band, but I can guarantee that you will be familiar with some of the musicians that make up this supergroup. Damage Control features the vocal talents of Spike who you may recognise from the Quireboys, Robin George on guitar, known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Robert Plant, legendary UFO bassist Pete Way and Chris Slade the man behind the stool of AC/DC. Each member of the band brings something unique to the table, and what you get is some good old fashioned rock and roll encompassing elements of each of their respective bands. Their self-titled debut album was released earlier this year through Cargo Records and made it to number 22 in the Burrn! album chart. Their BOA appearance will be their exclusive UK debut before they set off on a tour of the US and Japan.

Naming themselves’ after a Kamelot album, Epica emerged in 2003 with their astounding debut “The Phantom Agony”. The band was founded by former After Forever guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen who wanted to create music that was inspired by his passion for film score composers such as Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone. Mixing in orchestral arrangements and with the contrast of Jansen’s death grunts and the mezzo soprano voice of Simone Simons, the band returned in 2005 with their second album “Consign to Oblivion”. Following its release, Epica were invited to tour North America with Kamelot, where Simone Simons also contributed guest vocals on one of the headliners’ songs. Later that year, Epica also recorded an instrumental film score for a Dutch adventure movie called The Joyride. Their third studio album “The Divine Conspiracy” is due for release in September so expect to hear some exclusive new material at BOA!

Emerging from the US city of Seattle, Nevermore proved to be a metal remedy to the apathy drenched grunge cesspool which surrounded them. Since the release of their self titled debut back in 1995, Nevermore have released a total of eight albums, constantly progressing with their stunningly technical and highly unique brand of metal which slowly but surely gained them a solid fan base. With their fourth opus “Dreaming Neon Black” their sound evolved even further as they blended thrash with complexity and incorporated many more mellow moments. As Nevermore experimented with their sound, there was some worry as to how the metal world would react although as their sound developed so did their following. Once the band had recruited guitarist Steve Smyth (ex. Testament, Dragonlord), in 2005 they entered the studio with Andy Sneap to record their highly acclaimed eighth opus “This Godless Endeavor”. With its thought provoking lyrics and combination of progressive melodies and death metal brutality, this is regarded by many as a flawless album. The sheer intensity of their live show makes Nevermore one of the must see bands of the weekend.

Ask any self-respecting metal fan about the Gothenberg sound and you can guarantee that Dark Tranquillity will be one of the band names to be thrown back at you. Initially forming as a thrash metal band under the name Sceptic Broiler, it was in 1991 that they changed their identity. Utilising duel guitar harmonies and complex song structures which combined thrash, heavy metal and melodic death, they defined a whole new style of metal which became known as melodeath. Albums such as 1995’s “The Gallery” and its’ successor “The Mind’s I” received rapturous response, making a firm impact on the underground metal circuit. On their 1999 opus “Projector” the band began to incorporate some electronic elements into their sound, much to the disgruntlement of their die hard followers, although in losing a few fans they managed to gain many more. After a quick shuffle around of band members, they returned in 2000 with “Haven” which saw the band drift further from their melodeath roots as they aimed in a more heavy metal direction. With more complex arrangements, their 2002 record “Damage Done” saw a slight return to their original sound and their 2005 follow up “Character” was devoured by old and new fans alike. Dark Tranquillity have just released their eighth album “Fiction” which is arguably the strongest album of their 15 year career. Dark Tranquillity last toured the UK in 2005 on the “A Show of Character” tour along with Chimaira and Hatesphere.

SATURDAY

Opening up the Saturday are York rockers’ Beyond All Reason. Their energetic live performance that they have become known for is guaranteed to get the crowd warmed up and ready for the days proceedings. Their four track demo earned the Yorkshire lads a couple of fans in Radio 1 DJ’s Zane Lowe and May Ann Hobbs, who both aired their music regularly on their respective radio shows. Their accessible sound has been likened to Lost Prophets and Funeral for a Friend and the release of their debut album “Words of Betrayal” in 2005 gained some fantastic reviews. A passionate live band, 2007 has seen them take their brand of hard rock to Download Festival and on tour in Belgium, Germany and even as far as Los Angeles. Beyond All Reason are one band to look out for in the future!

Rise to Addiction is a name that has steadily been getting around over the past couple of years. After forming in 2004 by ex-Blaze guitarists Steve Wray and John Slater, the band entered the studio with famed producer Andy Sneap to record a three track demo. Impressed by their modern sound which combined melody with heavy riffing, UK record label Madman Records offered to distribute the demo via Plastichead Distribution. Following the success of their demo, they appeared at the Rock and Blues fest and Bloodstock Open Air where they went down a storm! Now in 2007, Rise to Addiction have inked a deal with Mausoleum Records who put out their debut album “A New Shade of Black for the Soul”. This also took them out on a European jaunt supporting doom legends Trouble. Rise to Addiction are looking forward to their return to BOA.

Freedom Call came together in 1998, when after ten years of jamming together in various cover bands, Chris Bay and Dan Zimmerman decided to form something a little more serious. At the time, Zimmerman’s main band Gamma Ray were on a hiatus, leaving him with plenty of time to devote to the new project and in 1999 they put out their first record “Stairway to Fairyland”. Following the release of their debut, they went out on tour with NWOBHM legends Saxon and in 2001 the band toured with Hammerfall and Virgin Steele on their Renegade World Crusade Tour. Almost a decade since their inception, Freedom Call have released their fifth studio album “Dimensions” on SPV records. This will be Freedom Call’s second visit to Bloodstock after their appearance back in 2002.

Benediction have been around since the early beginnings of death metal. Forming in 1989, the Birmingham quartet soon signed to a relatively young Nuclear Blast after releasing their first demo “The Dreams You Dread”. The band was originally fronted by Mark “Barney” Greenway, who went on to front British grindcore legends Napalm Death shortly after the release of their debut album “Subconscious Terror”. With the burgeoning death metal scene now gaining notoriety, their second release “The Grand Leveller” was well received and following its’ release they set off on tour with Dismember and Bolt Thrower. The word quickly spread about their impressive live shows and soon the band found themselves’ playing to sold out audiences. After a six year break from the studio, the death metal veterans are set to release their new album “Killing Music” in September 2007.

If you bought your ticket mainly to watch Testament and Sabbat then one band you need to check out at BOA are Netherlands quartet Legion of the Damned. LOTD emerged in early 2006 with their crushing debut album “Malevolent Rapture” and following its’ release the band prepared for a fairly heavy touring schedule as they supported gore mongers Cannibal Corpse and thrash legends Destruction and Sodom, as well as performing at a number of festivals including Summerbreeze and No Mercy Fest. Their second album “Sons of the Jackal” was released in January 2007 and saw them push their death infused thrash metal sound to the next level in terms of production, musicianship and aggression. Legion of the Damned return to the UK for a one off appearance so if you missed them supporting Kreator and Celtic Frost earlier in the year then make sure you watch them at Bloodstock!

Finntroll are back following a hugely successful UK jaunt earlier in 2007, when they played to sold out crowds together with Viking metallists Amon Amarth. Finntroll released their debut album “Midnattens Windunder” in 1999 after their demo worked its’ way into the hands of Spinefarm Records. Two years later the band released their second album “Jakten’s Tid” which landed at number 20 in the Finnish album charts. Problems began to surface when vocalist Katla discovered that he had damaged his vocal chords, and after a farewell appearance on the acoustic album “Visor Om Slutet”, a replacement was found in Wilska. The untimely demise of guitarist Somnium dampened spirits in the Finntroll camp, although following a short break he was replaced by Routa. The band toured with Katatonia and subsequently began work on their third studio album “Nattfodd”. With a punkier vibe than on previous works, this album was their biggest success although seemed to alienate some of their core fan base with the more upbeat approach. After a four year hiatus, the ‘trolls have returned with a new album, a new singer and a harsher sound.

Named after the renowned Dio song, Dream Evil are a fine modern example of what heavy metal should be. Founded by producer extraordinaire Fredrik Nordstrom and guitar whiz Gus G, Dream Evil first came to the public attention in 2002 when they released their debut album Dragon Slayer, and despite a hurried writing and recording process their sophomore album Evilized was equally well received well by fans and press alike. With a growing fan base and two albums now to their name, they embarked on a European tour with Hammerfall. In 2004 the band released “The Book of Heavy Metal”, which has become something of an essential metal album, and was this biggest seller for Dream Evil. Following a European tour with Saxon in 2004, Gus G left to focus on his other band Firewind, although they would continue with Mark Black as his replacement to record their fourth album “United”.

Unhappy with the state of the British metal scene, Sabbat formed in 1985 in Nottingham, UK. They combined the velocity of bay area thrash with a certain amount of influence from Venom and Mercyful Fate, creating a style of metal that couldn’t be pigeonholed. Their first demo “Fragments of the faith” was released in May 1986 and after touring the UK extensively, they caught the attention of Noise International. Sabbat released two full length albums “History of a time to come” in 1988 and “Dreamweaver” which was a lyrical interpretation of the Brian Bates novel “The Way of the Wyrd” and gained the band a reputation for being an intelligent metal band. Sadly that seemed to mark the end of the line for Sabbat as Martin Walkier left to form Skyclad in 1990, while Andy Sneap chose to focus his energies on production. Sixteen years on, Sabbat was resurrected from the dead when they supported Cradle of Filth late 2006. Sabbat will play their exclusive UK festival appearance at BOA before heading over to the continent.

Luci Herbert

MTUK Metal 'Zine
www.metalteamuk.net