Review by Sheri Bicheno for MPM
Sheri here for Metal Planet Music and I am grateful to be back in one of the homes of metal for another year. Joined by my comrades Pete and Paul, we’re set for celebration!
This year Bloodstock Festival celebrates being a QUARTER OF A CENTURY old!
25 years of bringing some of the best metal bands to the UK whilst being a huge platform for supporting new and upcoming bands and those that are still well on their journey.
To commemorate, Bloodstock open up the Ronnie James Dio stage from Thursday with an abundance of festival goers dressed as Dinosaurs for main stage openers Heavysaurus, immersive crowd pleasers Evil Scarecrow and British Heavy Metal veterans Saxon to headline. Fitting as the legends in metal were at the very first Bloodstock!
Friday returns Metal giants Lamb of God, where Saturday welcomes Slaughter To Prevail for the first time ever at Bloodstock and is rounded off on Sunday by defining metal legends Judas Priest.
After collecting my wristband, setting up and seeing some familiar faces, Thursday was very much a day where people were settling in, drinks were flowing and friends across the country were united.
Walking across the site, there’s a few things new this year.
There’s more space for seating, the Sophie Lancaster Stage is bigger, wider and opens up for more space and sound.
The EMP Stage is located towards the back of the arena which makes the space where it used to be less likely for sound clashes, more space for viewing and the traders arent blocked from viewing the Ronnie James Dio stage as much.
There just seems to be much more accessible areas and we also spot Raven Records and Nox of York again!
So to kick things off, I head to the main stage to go and catch the UK’s beloved Evil Scarecrow.
Weather you’ve seen the Nottingham tongue in cheek and bonkers band in a few well known intimate music venues or grace some killer line ups on festivals, they always deliver a consistently killer set and fundamentally have their audience included in their performance, laughing with them and injecting some good natured humour and silliness in their very seriously awesome musicianship.
Coming out beaming on the Dio stage, Dr Hell addresses the crowd…
“How many Robots are with us out there!?”
Met with an almighty roar, he commands to see some dancing Robots… and the crowd do not disappoint.
Robototron has the crowd doing a synchronised robot dance whilst the tech meets groove riffs collide with chugging drum beats during maniacal chattering vocals through raspy black laced style ranges.
The tempos are pure evil with winding solos and skippy riffs and gives out epic soundscapes – a commanding presence across the stage and into the crowd.
Frenzied riffs and mechanised bass notes fury together for Shred The Evidence and out comes a costumed Donald Trump throwing dollar bills around and putting pages of a parodied Epstein Files through a shredder.
Dr Hell commands a split down the middle of the crowd and has the crowd repeat back to him on both sides to chant Cos Mos Goth Moth!
And on que, a giant lit moon appears in the lane of the crowd and everyone does their best moth impressions whilst the symphonics of guitars and intricate groove drums come together in a speed metal frenzy for Cosmos Goth Moth Gong.
Here’s some really technical elements in Evil Scarecrow that are akin to moments of Behemoth in places. Huge sounds, blackened edges with metallic inputs and skippy speed metal riffs.
Release the Krakhen injects a hilarious command where the whole Arena synchronises chicken boks and a giant chicken with tentacles makes its way on stage.
A tale of a chicken that defied all logic and thinks it has been possessed by an ancient sea creature, thus somehow addressing the very serious problem of drug induced paranoia.
You can’t argue the songwriting is genius.
Whilst crowd surfing galore takes place, Dr Hell talks about how you can find a good spot at a show but not want to move though needing to wee.
So he invites the crowd to go for a pee whilst they churn out “an old song, difficult to play”
No one moves. The giant spider is on it’s way for March of the Spider God – a good 7 minutes of speedy riffs and beautiful melodics that entwine with huge chords and epic soundscapes of blackened edges.
With more interludes of crowd interaction, bin men cleaning up with aforementioned Trump’s mess for marching anthem Green Bin Day, giant beach balls skipping across the crowd and the chugging signature riffs for Crabulon, we’re left with a sight of the crowd spinning around clockwise with their pincer claws to chugging CRABULON CRABULON CRABULON chanting.
Evil Scarecrow still show why they are ever growing in popularity with hilarity and awareness. A killer set.
Staying at Main Stage, i have been excited to see Saxon again for some time.
The air was filled with that nostalgia feeling yet with excitement for a viewing of one hell of a back catalogue that Saxon hail.
Starting with Hell, Fire and Damnation, we kick off with some recent works that launch the huge crowd into a headbanging frenzy and already there’s a pit kicking up dust.
Biff Byford’s voice is still completely on point after all these years. His stage charisma as front man still oozes old school energy with the rest of the band and the stage is lit up in spectacular lighting.
Brian Tatler and Doug Scarratt craft the strings in dynamic unison and with striking skills that have been long part of British Metal history.
Launching into some old school, Power and the Glory was anthemic full of upbeat drums, speedy guitar riffs and chugging basslines.
The reverbing strings launching into a metallic solo halfway through the cut of the epic soundscapes brought back the 80’s feel before Dogs of War marched upon us.
With a trip between the two decades of Saxon’s sound, we can see here the differences between the old school vibes of Power and the polished, monstrous riffs and melodies that brought some doominess amongst Dogs of War.
Madame Guillotine is full of skippy riffs that blend into Doug Scarratt’s stunning solo that takes us back to the same feel of The Denim and Leather era. The same epicness and raw guitars but with a newer groove edge.
“Look at all you beautiful people!” Biff addresses the roaring crowd.
Through the set, Saxon commemorated their own legacy while simultaneously honoring Bloodstock’s. Their enduring connection to BOA, dating back to its inception, made their appearance on the main stage during the 25th anniversary edition’s opening Thursday so very apt.
With smoke machine galore alongside some of the heaviest guitars and intricate drums for Sacrifice and as a biker favourite band, several nods to celebrating the biker community with old school Motorcycle Man, witnessing these guys absolutely slaying their set was immense.
I don’t think I can even put into words how utterly moving and spell binding The Eagle Has Landed is in its live setting.
With beautiful guitar tones that range from winding sections full of memory and seeping deep into your soul to chugging sections entwining with Nigel Glocker’s pace setting beats.
The soundscapes of this one was probably one of my favourites ever of my history of attending Bloodstock.
With eyes closed for a while and just feeling on the spot the range of musicianship and how heart filling those strings and vocals are, the melodics filling your vessels like some sort of new type of oxygen.
With a backdrop lit up in shapes of a giant pair of wings, what an elated feeling!
With Dallas 1 PM and Heavy Metal Thunder, the 80’s tracks were back and creating an insight for headbanging and air guitaring fans old and new to the rawness of early Saxon.
Fan (and one of my) favourite Wheels of Steel churned into thunderous riffs and drums filled with classic metal edges and nostalgic airs. This one is a fist pumping the air, beers flying everywhere vibe and the crowd do not disappoint.
After bringing Bloodstock founder Paul Gregory out on stage briefly, Saxon end their stunning set with old school flavours Crusader, 747 (Strangers in the Night), Princess of the Night.
Witnessing as many Saxon tracks throughout their catalogue set the bar on the weekend for me. They are a band i was brought up on, my parents having impeccable music taste, and seeing them several times through my life I felt that glow i always get when seeing them.
Bring on the tour!
Stepping into another realm at the Sophie Lancaster Stage, Canadian death metallers Cryptopsy hung the suspense with Metallica’s For Whom The Bell Tolls before crashing face first into Slit Your Guts.
A masterclass in tech infused death metal, the drums were insanely intricate and the guitars sounded like something you’d expect out of an Autopsy horror film. Absolutely sickening in the best way possible.
These guys are also celebrating the 30 year anniversary of None So Vile but also showcase the rest of their legacy through a mixture of the set list tonight.
Serial Messiah incites unsettling dynamics of tech infused gore-ish drums and intricate guitar work whilst vocalist Matt McGachy delivers face melting gutturals to feed the blood of the track into the brutal pit below.
What a Thursday night!
Photography by Pete Key for MPM
