NEWS: Aborted head up seven new announcements for Bloodstock 2019

LIKE clockwork Bloodstock every couple of weeks announce another slew of acts for this year's metal extravaganza, topped by Aborted.

Full details below, as well as the full list of Big Green coach pick-ups. (We know many from Norn Iron will just be using the Birkenhead one, with the assemblage at the Brass Buckle on the return)

Here, is the official Bloodstock press release...

Lucky for some, BLOODSTOCK springs into March with news of seven more bands joining this summer’s best metal weekender and a massive thirteen more coach pick-up locations, making it easier than ever to get you, your mates, and all your camping gear to BLOODSTOCK for a very fine metallic time this August.

Belgian death metal kings ABORTED stride onto the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Sunday.  The band tell us, “BLOODSTOCK!  It’s been a while!  We couldn’t be more thrilled to lay waste to thee in the most offensive of manners this coming summer. Prepare my friends, the blastbeat is coming!”  Their current album ‘TerrorVision’ is blazing holes in our speakers over at BOA HQ.  See what we mean via the video for ‘Deep Red’, a track taken from that record here - https://youtu.be/ak4oeZwBfJs.

Cali death metallers, SKELETAL REMAINS join Saturday’s fray on the Sophie Lancaster stage. The band released their third album ‘Devouring Mortality’ last April via Dark Descent/Century Media, and returned to the road for extensive touring, which now includes a run of US dates with Hatebreed and Mexican headline shows this spring. Watch the video for that album’s earthquake-inspired first single ‘Seismic Abyss’, at https://youtu.be/jss2oSGJ604.

Aussie rockers THE LAZYS crash into a Sunday spot on the Sophie stage.  If you love a bit of AC/DC-style classic rock n’ roll, these boys are definitely worth a watch and are sure to bring the party!  The band’s current album, ‘Tropical Hazards’ came out last year, so crack a cold one and check out the video for their infectious tune ‘Nothing But Trouble’ - https://youtu.be/K7ngGOlna0A. 

3 HEADED SNAKE join the Sophie stage bill on Saturday.  The LA-based classic metal band was put together by current Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin and features the soaring vocals of Johnny Ray.  See their video for ‘Wisdom Screams’ at https://youtu.be/VsHERp-0LTg and if you like what you hear, go pick up the five piece’s eponymous 3-track debut EP from iTunes or Bandcamp.

BOSS KELOID land a Sunday slot on the Sophie stage.  With current album, ‘Melted On The Inch’ being released last year on Holy Roar Records to vast critical acclaim (Prog Magazine called it “an extraordinary piece of work”), we’re excited to welcome the prog metallers back to Catton Park.  Witness their musical mastery via the video for ‘Chronosiam’ here; https://youtu.be/PbajHpfW3cs.

German crossover thrash squad DUST BOLT snag themselves a Saturday slot on the Sophie stage. Their brand new album, ‘Trapped In Chaos’ was released last month via Napalm Records.  Check out the video for album opener, ‘The Fourth Strike’ - https://youtu.be/aKryFh-upx8 and warm up those necks for their thrashtastic set in August!

RED METHOD romp into a Saturday slot on the Sophie stage.  The band, comprising former members of Meta-Stasis and The Defiled, are set to release their debut album, ‘For The Sick’ sometime this year.  Investigate their sound by watching the video for ‘Split’ over on their YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/kb_hacCAId0.

Making your travel plans yet and usually come by coach?  We asked you to let the good folks at Big Green Coach know if you wanted a new pick-up point in your town and if there was enough interest, they'd look into it.  They had such great response, they've added an extra 13 pick-up points for their BOA coaches!  Travel direct from your town and get dropped off inside the BLOODSTOCK gates, bringing your camping gear and supplies with you!  Say hello to a total of 34 locations, with prices for a return ticket starting at just £32.  The full list now runs as follows; ABERDEEN, BIRKENHEAD, BIRMINGHAM, BRADFORD, BOURNEMOUTH, BRISTOL, CAMBRIDGE, CARDIFF, CARLISLE, CHESTER, DUNDEE, EDINBURGH, EXETER, GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER, LANCASTER, LEEDS, LIVERPOOL, LONDON (Victoria Coach Station), MANCHESTER, MIDDLESBROUGH, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, NEWPORT, NORWICH, OXFORD, PERTH, PLYMOUTH, PRESTON, SHEFFIELD, SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDERLAND, SWANSEA, TAUNTON and WORCESTER.   Head over to www.biggreencoach.co.uk/events/bloodstock-festival-tickets-coach-travel to book your seat or your coach + ticket bundle!   Big Green Coach's services were hugely popular last year and many routes sold out in advance of the event, so please book early to guarantee your spot!  If you're coming by train instead and need a shuttle ride from Lichfield City rail station to the festival site, Big Green Coach do those too, so click to their site to secure your place for just £10 (it's more expensive on the day) and get ahead of the rush!

The final allocation of VIP tickets, plus Podpads, Luxpads, Bellepads and Octopads are now on sale, plus a limited number of VIP upgrades (for those who’ve already purchased a standard ticket).  For full details click to http://www.bloodstock.uk.com/pages/vip-camping. Standard weekend tickets are also in the ticket store, priced £145 (+ fees), snap yours up at http://bloodstock.seetickets.com.

Friday night’s headliner SABATON, Saturday’s top dogs PARKWAY DRIVE and Sunday’s bill toppers SCORPIONS, join ANTHRAX, DIMMU BORGIR, CHILDREN OF BODOM, CODE ORANGE, POWERWOLF, SOILWORK, CRADLE OF FILTH, THY ART IS MURDER, TESSERACT, METAL CHURCH, SOULFLY, DEATH ANGEL, DEE SNIDER, QUEENSRYCHE, ELUVEITIE, SWALLOW THE SUN, EVIL SCARECROW, ROSS THE BOSS, GRAND MAGUS, ROTTING CHRIST, INCITE and HYPOCRISY on the Catton Park stages this August.  With more than 80 bands to go, stay tuned for even more artists to be announced soon!

Subscribe to the BLOODSTOCK e-mailout to get band and news announcements as they happen!  Click through to http://eepurl.com/dKZrG-/ to sign up.

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2019.  Get additional information over at www.bloodstock.uk.com.

LIVE REVIEW: Vicar Street treated to four-band mayhem with Kreator earning adoration and plaudits

A CRUSHING combination of metal styles came knocking the door of Dublin's Vicar Street on the first day of March, 2017 in a procession of precision and glorious petulance towards the ingrates who never appreciate the sheer visceral vivaciousness and vitality metal can provide.

Kreator were the band most were there to offer their sweat-drenched, beer-fuelled adoration towards, but this handsomely filled tour package offered diverse styles and an unrelenting assault upon the unwary.

For example, openers Aborted, are do not deal in subtlety. Their slot was packed tight with their gore-death metal intensity. From Sven's vocal gymnastics through to the full-on Mendel and Ian guitar lines many unfamiliar with the band could have missed the melody flying in occasionally as the attack levelled on Vicar Street never let up.

It can be difficult to pick an Aborted song as a favourite on a particular night but on their return to Dublin in just over a year and a couple of days it was 'Termination Redux' and 'Cadaverous Banquet' that sounded fresh and feral.

Sticking Soilwork on this bill could have been as awkward as having the gore of Aborted on a line-up with Journey, as the Swedes have a definite propensity towards the melodic side of metal. But that misses the point. They are a 'metal' act, and that's all that needs to be said.

True, Speed is the only original member since the band first emerged from Helsingbord in the 1990s, but they are still a formidable tight unit as apart from Marcus and Bastian (a mere pup in the band with a year in SW under his touring belt) the rest have been recording and touring with the band for years, and keyboardist Sven being ever-present for the past 16 years.

"What!" you may exclain, "keyboards!" - yes keyboards. For the uninitiated keyboards do exist in metal, and do work when Soilwork execute some thrilling moments of molten song craft.

'Rise Above The Sentiment', 'Bastard Chain' were both well delivered and well received, but 'Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter' was the clear favourite on this Dublin evening.

Kicking off with two tracks from a release barely six weeks old was a bold move for Sepultura (two more were aired from 'Machine Messiah on the night) but 'I Am The Enemy' and 'Phantom Self' sounded bombastic live and the devotion to the world/groove metal outfit was rapturous - a Brazilian flag held aloft just yards away from the swirling mosh pit.

Paulo and Andreas anchor everything in this set - working the rhythm tightly with Eloy on drums and Andreas taking the time to weave intricate lead work.

Derrick is his usual commanding self as a stage presence. At times some of the vocals were a little strained, but that is but a minor quibble given the rigours of this tour. Compared to some of the reent times we have seen the Seps this appeared a more confident performance - perhaps 'Machine Messiah' has given them the impetus to be their very best again.

Certainly 'Resistant Parasites' was one of the best tracks on the night. However, the crowd wanted and got 'Inner Self', 'Refuse/Resist' and 'Roots' with the attendant singalongs, pits and crowd surfing.

For a wet Wednesday the 'Gods of Violence' that are Kreator were in remarkable good humour and good form. Let's make no mistake about it - they were about to mount a challenge to any pre-conception that metal is formulaic in its higher echelons.

And, while the music had more muscle than Arnie in his heyday, it was a visually lush lighting and stage set: six screens with projected - almost cinematic - imagery at appropriate times, strobes, sweeps smoke plumes, Mille's own smoke gun and ticker tape thrown high towards the audience.

But all the visual effects in the world count to naught if there is any paucity in the music, and by the good Lord Beelzebub Kreator are a wrecking ball of thrash excellence. Tighter than a constipated shark in hot water, smoother than an M1A1 US tank rolling over a Mini, and heavier than anti-matter in a Black Hole.

Mille and Sami played with fluidity, whilst Christian and Jurgen nailed every beat. 'Gods of Violence' title track and songs from that release ('Satan Is Real' and a jaw-dropping 'Fallen Brother') felt as if they had been forever in the Kreator live oeuvre.

'Fallen Brother' was a passionate tribute to the pantheon of Gods who have slipped away from our sight and reside in memories and as inspirations. Many noticed that Dublin's rock son, Phil Lynott was among those projected onto the screens with Lemmy, Bowie, Leonard Cohen et al.

The stagecraft of the band was a lesson many could take on board and whilst some the in-between chat was well rehearsed the tribute to Irish audiences seemed genuine.

For Kreator, with tracks like 'People Of The Lie', 'Total Death' and 'Enemy of God' it could be that they could rack up, play and everyone would be satisfied. No. They are an outfit that does not accept the average, rejects any thoughts of phoning it in, and instead lay on a Teutonic musical terror attack that is an entirely tactile - as tactile as the massive pit Mille instigated.

Sated and exhausted the crowd slipped into the night. While all the bands thanked 'Dublin' the cars, mini-buses, coaches were taking fans back to Belfast, Dundalk, Sligo, Donegal and many other towns, cities and villages, because Kreator can draw a crowd from all parts of the island.

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Photographs by Darren McVeigh