BLOODSTOCK: FIRST WINNERS FOR NEW BLOOD STAGE & JAGERMEISTER STAGE ADDITIONS

As BLOODSTOCK’s regional finals for their grass-roots-artist-supporting METAL 2 THE MASSES scheme thunder through local venues around the country this month, the festival has just announced the first bands to have won themselves a slot on 2018’s New Blood stage this August.

Joining the bill on Friday are hard-rocking trio, PELUGION (www.facebook.com/pelugion), victors of the Coventry heat, who blend classic metal styles reminiscent of Diamond Head & Black Label Society, as well as Glasgow’s winners, A RITUAL SPIRIT (www.facebook.com/aritualspirit), Edinburgh-based heavy rockers whose debut album, ‘Carnival Carnivorous’ is available now.

Landing a Saturday spot are Sheffield’s winners and symphonic metal 7-piece, AONIA (www.facebook.com/aoniauk).  The band feature two ‘soprano with balls’ vocalists and have been compared to Therion, Avantasia, and Nightwish.  If your tastes are more on the brutal side, check out the champions of the Reading heat, crust/grind/powerviolence trio, NEGATIVE THOUGHT PROCESS (www.facebook.com/negativethoughtprocess).  Also gaining a Saturday New Blood slot are Belfast’s groove metal victors, ORACLE (www.facebook.com/oraclebandni/), whose debut EP, ‘Tales of Pythia’ is out now.

Rolling in on Sunday are Dublin top dogs, THIS PLACE HELL (www.facebook.com/ThisPlaceHell).  The five piece’s ferocious metal show is renowned at home in Ireland and has been described as ‘organised chaos’!  Also appearing Sunday are irreverent powermetal bards, SELLSWORD (www.facebook.com/mercenarymetal) who grabbed their slot via CD application.  Their debut album, ‘…And Now We Ride’ is available now.  The CD applications were so good, BLOODSTOCK’s also added OBZIDIAN (www.facebook.com/ObzidianBand), purveyors of classic thrash from the home of metal in the Midlands.

Alongside the first phase of M2TM winners come some of the Jagermeister Stage bands.  Expect to see THE HERETIC ORDER (www.facebook.com/thehereticorder) on Friday.  The band recently signed with Massacre Records and release their second album, ‘Evil Rising’ on 22nd June.  Saturday brings you a set from Belfast’s SINOSENCE (www.facebook.com/sinocence), who’ve just completed work on the third of their trilogy of EPs under the ‘No Gods, No Masters’ banner – expect Vol.3 to land this summer.  Also booked for Saturday’s Jagermeister Stage are West Midlands hard rockers, VOODOO SIOUX (www.facebook.com/Voodoo-Sioux-234030206630714).  Sunday, we welcome one for the classic metal fans, Aussie rockers TRUE BELIEVER (www.facebook.com/truebelieverofficial), who describe themselves as a blend of Dio, Mastodon, Ghost, Foreigner, Alice In Chains and Deep Purple!  Also appearing are black metal experimentalists, ABDUCTION (www.facebook.com/abduction616) who bring their extreme sonics to the bill and GEMMA FOX (www.facebook.com/gemmafoxmusic), frontwoman for prog metal outfit Collibus, in her solo guise.

June’s BLOODSTOCK club nights are locked down and rack up as follows.  Get along to your local club for the chance to win weekend tickets and associated prizes and hear tunes from BLOODSTOCK bands, old and new.

Fri 1st June – Nottingham Student Union (Tactical Assault)

Sat 2nd June – Brighton Envy (Apocalypse)

Sat 2nd June – Stoke Sugarmill (Devil’s Night)

Sat 9th June – Southampton Engine Rooms

Fri 22nd June – Camberley Agincourt

Fri 29th June – Leicester Firebug

Fri 29th June – Exeter Cavern Club

Sat 30th June – Birmingham Eddie’s Rock Club

Sat 30th June – Sheffield Corporation

Standard festival weekend tickets are on sale now, priced at £145 for four days of metal fun.  Grab yours at https://bloodstock.seetickets.com.  If you already know you can only attend for one day, sign up for an email reminder so you don’t miss out when a limited number of single day tickets go on sale at the end of June.  Register your interest here – https://www.seetickets.com/register/bloodstock.

With Friday night headliners JUDAS PRIEST, Saturday headliners GOJIRA and Sunday’s bill toppers NIGHTWISH announced, as well as EMPEROR, AT THE GATES, DEVILDRIVER, WATAIN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, WEDNESDAY 13, JASTA & FRIENDS, FOZZY, COMBICHRIST, BLOODBATH, VENOM INC., MR BIG, ORPHANED LAND, KAMELOT, POWER TRIP, CONJURER, DORO, ORDEN OGAN, SEPTICFLESH, EXHORDER, PALLBEARER, MEMORIAM and many more, we’re more excited than ever for BLOODSTOCK 2018!

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 9th-12th August 2018.  Get additional information at www.bloodstock.uk.com.