BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2012

DATE:

VENUE:

Friday 10th August - Sunday 12th August 2012

Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK

Mayhem at Bloodstock Open Air, 11th August 2012

Photograph copyright © 2012 Graham Hilling - www.metal-discovery.com

Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes & Graham Hilling

(Freedom Call; The Commander-In-Chief; Grand Magus)

(Moonsorrow; Andraste; Sepultura; Dio Disciples)

(Watain; Alcest; Behemoth)

(Splintered Soul; I Am I; Dripback; Chthonic; Crowbar)

(Rising Dream; Mayhem; Bull-Riff Stampede; Winterfylleth)

(Tempus Fusion; Witchsorrow; Sight of Emptiness; Testament; Machine Head)

(Kobra and the Lotus; Corrosion of Conformity; Flayed Disciple)

(Nile; The Black Dahlia Murder; Anvil; Shattered Skies)

(Paradise Lost; Dimmu Borgir; Alice Cooper)

RISING DREAM

This afternoon marks Rising Dream's first live appearance in the UK and judging by the large-ish crowd by the Sophie stage, either festival goers had done their homework prior to today and liked the sound of these Croatians or many were checking them out as an opportunist discovery. I'm guessing the majority fit into the latter category as the audience seem to warm to Rising Dream more and more as their set progresses with an increasingly animated reception throughout. And the band deserve it as they work hard on stage with an energetic performance but, more important than that, their music is an incredibly infectious and exhilarating blend of power metal and melo-death with some progressive infusions and more modern twists. Slick, tight and professional, they garner a dynamic response from the crowd as the majority present clap along, pump their fists in the air and mosh to their engaging metal dynamic. Frontwoman Ines Tanceva delivers an amazing performance as she switches with ease between a growled and clean delivery, excelling at both vocal styles and with a seamless transition between each. Alissa White-Gluz is perhaps the closest comparison, albeit Rising Dream's music, while technically proficient in its own right is not as progressively complex as that of The Agonist. An unfortunate problem rears its head during the band's second track as they cease playing, possibly an issue with the bass drum kick pedal, but this is rectified within a couple of minutes and Tanceva informs the audience they'll start again..."not the set, just the song!" Amazing stuff, and those who bothered to skip Crowbar on the main stage in favour of checking out these Croatians will be more than glad they did. (MH)

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SATURDAY 11th AUGUST - PART 2

MAYHEM

Fresh (or maybe not so 'fresh') from a fracas with Watain in the early hours of this morning in their hotel (and, if the stories I heard are to be believed, then Mayhem were the "good guys" in the situation as it's Watain who were ejected from their temporary abode), these legends and pioneers of Norwegian black metal take to the stage at 3:20pm. Not averse to the sun like Watain the day before, Mayhem seem happy and unpretentious enough to perform in daylight. Apart from stalwarts Necrobutcher and Hellhammer, the band are significantly balder then when I saw them last in 2004, and their lineup now includes a freshly shaved Charles Hedger on guitar (ex-Cradle of Filth axeman and Imperial Vengeance frontman). Not with the greatest sound through the PA, the band's blast-beat led impetus falls a little flat. I unfortunately only catch the first 15 minutes of their 45 minute set as the New Blood stage beckons for the much touted Bull-Riff Stampede, so maybe matters improve sound-wise. From the quarter of an hour I witneess, though, Mayhem are far from impressive this afternoon. (MH)

WINTERFYLLETH

Making a welcome return to the Sophie stage after playing Bloodstock in 2010, and playing to an absolutely rammed tent are Mancunian ‘English Heritage Black Metallers’ (self-coined by the band), Winterfylleth. A refreshingly rare breed of black metal for this weekend, without dodgy corpse paint or dressed like your average metal band and without the over-the-top stage theatrics employed by most of said bands, Winterfylleth effortlessly gain full respect of all in attendance with their atmospheric, folk-tinged songs inspired by traditional English heritage and culture. Whereas other British bands of the genre seem to regularly stall in their efforts to grow and develop as a band, Winterfylleth, over the years, have been favoured with rave press reviews, a bigger and better record deal with Candlelight, and travels across the waters to play the European metal fests, and with their third full length album, ‘The Threnody of Triumph’ shortly to be released through said record label, from which they play ‘Void of Light’ in today’s set. Despite my brief absence to watch a little of a band on the New Blood Stage before returning to see the rest of their set, Winterfylleth play a slick and enjoyable set, and one that leaves me intrigued to see them again. Impressive stuff. (HS)

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Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes & Graham Hilling

(Freedom Call; The Commander-In-Chief; Grand Magus)

(Moonsorrow; Andraste; Sepultura; Dio Disciples)

(Watain; Alcest; Behemoth)

(Splintered Soul; I Am I; Dripback; Chthonic; Crowbar)

(Rising Dream; Mayhem; Bull-Riff Stampede; Winterfylleth)

(Tempus Fusion; Witchsorrow; Sight of Emptiness; Testament; Machine Head)

(Kobra and the Lotus; Corrosion of Conformity; Flayed Disciple)

(Nile; The Black Dahlia Murder; Anvil; Shattered Skies)

(Paradise Lost; Dimmu Borgir; Alice Cooper)

BULL-RIFF STAMPEDE

As Mayhem battle away with a shoddy sound in the hot sun over on the Ronnie James Dio stage, newcomers Bull-Riff Stampede appear at 3:45pm in the darkened, sweaty confines of a surprisingly packed New Blood tent. Formed by guitarists Jay Walsh and Dave Garnett (the latter also the band's vocalist) and joined by drummer James Perry and the very recent addition of bassist Rod Boston, the band unleashed their debut album 'Scatter the Ground' earlier this year. Judging by the large crowd gathered to witness them in action, word has obviously spread about these promising new thrashers and from the moment they let rip from the opening bar of music, and over the course of half an hour, their namesake becomes evident and justified. Never has a band name been more apt as their thrash/death approach, topped off by the scathingly growled vocals of Garnett, transmutes their moniker to sonic form. And their thirty minutes of riff-heavy stampede is the perfect injection of vivacity a fatigued festival crowd needs in the middle of the afternoon on this second day of Bloodstock. The crowd love 'em and, looking at band members' reactions, they love the rapturous response they receive. An amazingly enjoyable set from a no-nonsense metal band. Make sure you catch this stampede when it tears through your town. (MH)

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