The Metal 2 The Masses finals are nearly complete, and another nine bands, the cream of the crop in each region, win a slot on 2023’s New Blood stage.
Grabbing a Friday slot are Essex’s winners ARMS TO OBLIVION. Check out ‘Tequila Blues’ from the Ipswich groove metallers’ latest EP, ‘Defciylion’.
Also appearing Friday are Bristol’s MOON REAPER UK, whose blackened death/doom sound is showcased via ‘Overlord’, which was shot live at their M2TM semi final.
Saturday’s bill will feature County Durham’s SWARMS whose fat riffs and heavy breakdowns won over the Newcastle heat’s masses. Watch for yourself via ‘Copperhead’ shot during their Trillians set.
Also winning a Saturday slot are Kent’s BROKEN CALLING, who blend hardcore, metalcore and nu-metal and have picked up airplay from BBC Radio 1’s Alyx Holcombe. Check out their video for ‘S.I.C.K’, and find out why.
Five bands land themselves slots on Sunday’s New Blood stage.
London’s SANGUINEM will be bringing their melodic death sounds, including ‘Hate Transfusion’, Birmingham’s NAMELESS will be showcasing their mix of nu-metal and hardcore. Watch them play ‘Circus Of Freaks’ live, shot earlier this year.
Deathcore squad DYSTOPIAN SUN grab a slot too, via the North Wales final. Watch an online slaythrough of their track ‘Shadow Of Dread’ from 2021.
Also joining Sunday are Hitchin’s tech metal outfit, SENTIENT. The 4-piece serve up a mix of noodly riffs and beefy breakdowns; heavy spaghetti indeed! Check out ‘Gaslighter’ from their ‘Sentient Is Dead’ EP.
On Sunday, the winners of the Poland heat of M2TM, bHP will bring their nu metal sounds to Catton Park. Watch them unleash the mayhem via their video for ‘Crownless’.
Unfortunately, STRIKER have had to pull out of this year’s event, but Birmingham metal squad, FURY slide into a slot on the Sophie Lancaster stage instead.
BLOODSTOCK is also excited to announce a game-changing addition to this year’s event. In collaboration with event technology provider Preo, BLOODSTOCK is introducing a dedicated one-stop-shop featuring an array of festival essentials.
From those all important cold beers to exclusive merchandise through to camping equipment and much more, festival go-ers can secure all their must-have items in advance from one online shop, eradicating the need for last-minute scrambles, long queues or searching in multiple online stores for different items. For more info and to explore the online shop, please visit the official Bloodstock Festival Preo store.
Each year BLOODSTOCK has various dress themes for those who want to participate. In 2023, we see the return of the very successful ‘Pink For Sylvia’ theme on both Thursday and Friday, in memory of Sophie Lancaster’s mother, the founder of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
Pink was Sylvia’s favourite colour. Corpsepaint Saturday does what it says on the tin! If you don’t want to do your own make up, stop by the Sophie Lancaster charity stall in the main arena and they’ll paint your face for a small donation, with all proceeds going to the Foundation. On Sunday, it’ll be Helloween Pumpkins day, so bust out your best pumpkin-themed attire to welcome the mighty HELLOWEEN!
BLOODSTOCK’s 2023 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, MESHUGGAH, and MEGADETH. Also appearing are HELLOWEEN, IN FLAMES, TRIPTYKON (PERFORMING CELTIC FROST), BIOHAZARD, EMPLOYED TO SERVE, ROYAL REPUBLIC, SACRED REICH, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SEPULTURA, ABBATH, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, CROWBAR, CANDLEMASS, BOSSK, TRIBULATION, SEETHING AKIRA, UGLY KID JOE, DECAPITATED, GATECREEPER, ZEAL & ARDOR, KING 810, URNE, ALL HAIL THE YETI, DEAD LABEL, CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL, BROTHERS OF METAL, GUTALAX, UUHAI, INVISIONS, COBRA THE IMPALER, TROLLFEST, SKYND, WARKINGS, FROZEN SOUL, THE VIOLENT INZIDENT, TRIBE OF GHOSTS, DAKESIS, THE ENIGMA DIVISION, THE GREY, EYES, TUSKAR, STENGAH, OVERTHRONE, TORTURED DEMON, CASKET FEEDER, PEST CONTROL, GAEREA, BLOODYARD, WOLFBASTARD, SKIN FAILURE, WITCHSORROW, WYTCH HAZEL, HATE, BLACK COAST, ZETRA and more. Stay tuned for more announcements to come!
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2023