FESTIVAL OVERVIEW
Mid-August this year will see thousands of metal fans descend upon the pastoral grounds of Catton Hall for the annual Bloodstock Open Air festival. With the indefinite suspension of its indoor counterpart and predecessor (regularly held in the Derby Assembly Rooms from 2001 to 2006), the dedicated team of organisers have been able to concentrate their efforts solely on improving and expanding the Open Air extravaganza while pertaining to their ethos of "by fans for the fans". Their aim of establishing a European style metal fest in the UK with a diverse lineup of international bands from metal's many disparate subgenres came to fruition last year when the likes of Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Nightwish, Helloween, Iced Earth, At The Gates, Napalm Death, Moonsorrow and Soulfly entertained around 8,500 fans over 3 spectacular days of music, fun, and general metal mayhem. This is an admirable achievement from a small team of loyal, hardworking individuals who constantly strive to perpetuate Bloodstock's essence of integrity and individuality rather than succumb to the greed-driven corporate monolithism of bigger UK festivals such as Download and the inaugural Sonisphere.
With 2009's lineup nearly complete, there is much to look forward to for every discerning metal fan, both young and old. Apart from the big name co-headliners on the first two days - Carcass/Arch Enemy and Cradle of Filth/Blind Guardian - Swedish rock-metal heavyweights Europe have been booked to close the festival. Perhaps a controversial choice among metal purists, Bloodstock has always been about diversity, and Europe's presence will further diversify the event, and undoubtedly attract a significant number of newcomers to the festival. The Bloodstock team have also secured appearances from veteran rock-metal acts Saxon and Girlschool; epic Viking metal giants Amon Amarth; progressive post-metal Swedes Katatonia; Teutonic thrash stalwarts Kreator; American nutters Gwar; German blackened folksters Equilibrium; doom legends Candlemass; Finnish cellists Apocalyptica; folk metal nutters Turisas; Portuguese dark metal veterans Moonspell; blackened prog-metal Norwegians Enslaved; melo-death thrashers The Haunted; and many, many more.
Once again, the emphasis is firmly on diversity which will no doubt strengthen Bloodstock's fast growing reputation as the UK's number one metal fest in terms of providing fans with quality, variety, and value for money. There will, of course, also be the unsigned stage showcasing a plethora of up and coming talent; and a third stage which, this year, has been poignantly renamed 'The Sophie Lancaster Stage' as a tribute to the young girl who was senselessly murdered in 2007 for dressing in alternative attire. Also promised is the usual signing tent; an extensive metal market; a large campsite; a wide choice of food outlets; bars; the ever popular, and now infamous, metal karaoke which usually continues into the early hours after the bands finish playing on each day; and...duelling Vikings, apparently! Bloodstock 2009 promises to be the biggest and best event in the festival's 9 year history. Be sure to check out the official Bloodstock website, which includes a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the festival; travel info; extensive details of all bands playing; a very active forum; all the latest festival news, and a whole lot more. Click on the banner below for a direct link:
With 2009's lineup nearly complete, there is much to look forward to for every discerning metal fan, both young and old. Apart from the big name co-headliners on the first two days - Carcass/Arch Enemy and Cradle of Filth/Blind Guardian - Swedish rock-metal heavyweights Europe have been booked to close the festival. Perhaps a controversial choice among metal purists, Bloodstock has always been about diversity, and Europe's presence will further diversify the event, and undoubtedly attract a significant number of newcomers to the festival. The Bloodstock team have also secured appearances from veteran rock-metal acts Saxon and Girlschool; epic Viking metal giants Amon Amarth; progressive post-metal Swedes Katatonia; Teutonic thrash stalwarts Kreator; American nutters Gwar; German blackened folksters Equilibrium; doom legends Candlemass; Finnish cellists Apocalyptica; folk metal nutters Turisas; Portuguese dark metal veterans Moonspell; blackened prog-metal Norwegians Enslaved; melo-death thrashers The Haunted; and many, many more.
Once again, the emphasis is firmly on diversity which will no doubt strengthen Bloodstock's fast growing reputation as the UK's number one metal fest in terms of providing fans with quality, variety, and value for money. There will, of course, also be the unsigned stage showcasing a plethora of up and coming talent; and a third stage which, this year, has been poignantly renamed 'The Sophie Lancaster Stage' as a tribute to the young girl who was senselessly murdered in 2007 for dressing in alternative attire. Also promised is the usual signing tent; an extensive metal market; a large campsite; a wide choice of food outlets; bars; the ever popular, and now infamous, metal karaoke which usually continues into the early hours after the bands finish playing on each day; and...duelling Vikings, apparently! Bloodstock 2009 promises to be the biggest and best event in the festival's 9 year history. Be sure to check out the official Bloodstock website, which includes a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the festival; travel info; extensive details of all bands playing; a very active forum; all the latest festival news, and a whole lot more. Click on the banner below for a direct link:
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2009 - FESTIVAL PREVIEW
Preview & Photography by Mark Holmes
DATE:
VENUE:
Friday 14th August - Sunday 16th August 2009
Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
CRADLE OF FILTH; BLIND GUARDIAN; CANDLEMASS; ENSLAVED; KREATOR; APOCALYPTICA; THE HAUNTED; GIRLSCHOOL + MORE TBA
SUNDAY
EUROPE; AMON AMARTH; MOONSPELL; GWAR; SATYRICON; TURISAS; EQUILIBRIUM + MORE TBA
CARCASS; ARCH ENEMY; SAXON; KATATONIA; MUNICIPAL WASTE; BATTLELORE; DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER; SABATON; MILLION DOLLAR RELOAD + MORE TBA
Dimmu Borgir performing at last year's Bloodstock Open Air, 16th August 2008
Photograph copyright © 2008 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
Photographs copyright © 2007 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
Photographs copyright © 2008 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
SELECT BAND PREVIEWS
ARCH ENEMY & CARCASS
After a devastatingly awesome pre-headline set at Bloodstock 2007, Arch Enemy are set to make a triumphant return to the festival with their brand of hard-hitting melodic death metal. In what is a UK 2009 festival exclusive appearance, the Swedes (+ 1 German!) will undoubtedly be an eagerly anticipated highlight of the first day's proceedings. And that is not all, for they'll be sharing the co-headlining slot with resurrected death-grind masters Carcass, a test of stamina for sure as guitarist Michael Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson will be performing with both bands. Since Carcass confirmed the rumours surrounding their reunion late 2007, they've only played one UK show - their headline set at 2008's Damnation festival. Be sure to catch them at this year's Bloodstock for what will be a rare chance to catch the Liverpudlian/Swedish titans live on these shores.
APOCALYPTICA
Offering something a little different (to both the metal scene and this year's festival) are talented Finnish cellists Apocalyptica who are set to perform their unique take on famous metal tunes (and original material) at Bloodstock's second day. Anyone who caught them live in December last year on their lengthy UK tour will know what to expect in terms of the sheer energy and entertainment conveyed through their live show, whereas those who've yet to witness the Finns in action are in for a major surprise. Four cellos and one drummer sounds rather underwhelming in the context of a metal festival but their performance and aurally unique output has to be seen first hand to be believed. And this is your only chance to see them live in the UK this year.
Photographs copyright © 2006 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
CRADLE OF FILTH
Closing a second day of fine metal acts at Bloodstock 2009 will be British legends Cradle of Filth, who will be making their debut appearance at the festival. Progressing beyond the ephemera of their black metal roots into a more finely honed dichotomy of sonic accessibility and darkened extremity, Dani Filth and co are unarguably one of the most successful metal bands to emerge from England in the last fifteen years. With a current live lineup that is unarguably their best for years (and stable since 2006), Cradle have a vast back catalogue of epically orchestrated blackened metal from which to draw a set that will no doubt silence their critics and delight fans in equal measure to climax Bloodstock's second day.
Photographs copyright © 2007 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
AMON AMARTH
Epic Swedish Viking melodic death metal will be the order of the day when Amon Amarth occupy Bloodstock's main stage on the final day. 2009 will mark their second appearance at the festival (their first being at the indoor event in 2005), and will most certainly be a major attraction at this year's Bloodstock as the Swedes profile in this country is at an all-time high following the release of last year's critically acclaimed album 'Twilight of the Thunder God'; a support slot on Slayer's prestigious Unholy Alliance tour in 2008; and their biggest ever headline show at London's Forum venue earlier this year. Expect drinking horns aplenty as the bearded Swedish Vikings conquer all with their crushing riffs and epic death metal discharge.
Photographs copyright © 2007 & 2008 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
TURISAS
Also making their return to the Bloodstock stage are Finnish metal warriors Turisas, last seen at the 2006 Open Air edition of the festival. Famed for their lively and iconoclastic live shows (including violinist Olli Vänskä's famous "fuck the guitar solo routine), it seems Turisas are perpetually on tour which perhaps accounts for only releasing two albums to date in their 12 year history. For those disappointed by the absence of a UK date on their 2009 tour with Cradle of Filth and Moonspell, Bloodstock Open Air is the perfect opportunity to catch the batty Finns in what has been billed as their sole 2009 live show in this country.