Monthly Archives: August 2011

Bloodstock, Day 3

Words: Gary Lukes

Photos: Antony Roberts

WE SLEPT TOO LONG! Having made the most of the magnificent metal disco and spending the night cajoled by the deviant influence of two certain band members, we found ourselves waking, literally, to the sounds of Hell rumbling in the distance.

Although we had unfortunately missed Andy Sneap and the second-coming of the NWOBHM Hell-horde, we arrive in the main arena, bleary eyed and furry of tongue, shortly before 1349 were due to start their set. We consoled ourselves with the fact that there’s surely no more effective a wake-up call than Norway‘s pestilent sons. Unless, of course, they play a set consisting completely of the ambient tracks on “Demonoir“. As it turned out, ambient filler material was the least of our worries as the Norwegian’s

Bloodstock, Day 2.

Words: Gary Lukes

Photos: Antony Roberts

And so Saturday came, and what better way to herald the arrival of the weekend than Ohio’s very own wretched spawn, Skeletonwitch. The band bolted onstage at eleven o‘clock, despite apparently having only arrived ten minutes earlier. Not that they’ll let that deter them; as they point out “it‘s never too early to drink some fucking beer and have a good time“. And who am I to argue, as the band erupted straight into “Upon the Wings of Black”. The Crowd responded in turn, proving that it’s also never too early for a circle pit.

Skeletonwitch’s set of black-splattered thrash metal was a great way to shake off those morning cobwebs, cramming plenty of compositions into their runtime and even finding t

Bloodstock Open Air 2011. Day One.

Words: Gary Lukes
Photos: Antony Roberts

In these fractious times, amongst scenes of urban turbulence, Metalgigs made our pilgrimage from the south coast to a field in Walton-Upon-Trent; looking for an escape from all the chaos of the preceding week and eager for our first taste of the Utopian Bloodstock Open Air.

For the uninitiated, Bloodstock began indoors in 2001, before moving outdoors to the relatively spacious surrounds of Catton Hall in 2005 and taking up an annual residency there ever since. The line-ups seem to fluctuate mainly between the pomp and pageantry of power and folk metal to the furious flame, fire and smoke of thrash, death and black metal. Past headliners range from Europe, Lacuna Coil, Nightwish and Stratovarius to Carcass, Cradle of Filth, In Flames and Opeth.

Far more modestly sized than UK rivals such as Download and Sonisphere, it is this very intimacy, coupled with a friendly atmosphere that makes this festival so inviting and appealing. And that’s before we even get to the stellar line-up. As Kreator would later put it, “this is a metal festival by metal heads, for metal heads”. I’m not one that usually likes to give away endings, but let’s put it this way; we wind up liking this festival. A lot.

Oh, and Bruce Willis is a ghost.