Some winners are chosen from online submissions, whereas others battle it out among their peers at local events across the country.
This year, 29 different regions have stepped up and we also welcome initiatives from Croatia and Poland to the family.
The finals kick off this Saturday 29th April at Leicester’s O2 Academy and roll through to Saturday 8th July at Oxford’s Jericho Tavern. Full dates are detailed below, so be sure to get out and support both bands and venues near you.
Meanwhile, grabbing New Blood slots via the online submission process are these lucky acts.
Joining Friday’s New Blood stage are London’s LOKUST. Their ferocious, instrumental demo single, ‘Guiltless’ (featuring Krimh – Septicflesh/ex-Decapitated) only hints at what’s to come when they release their debut album this year.
Also appearing Friday will be Stoke On Trent’s self-described “heavy as fuck” trio, HEADPRESS.
Get a taster of their brutal triple attack via the video for ‘Outlines’. And joining Friday’s fray are Yorkshire UKHC squad, STREET SOLDIER. Check out the crunchy uncompromising title track from their debut ‘One Man Gang’ EP.
For Saturday’s New Blood stage, we welcome South Wales black metal collective OFNUS. Watch out for the band’s debut full length coming this Summer and meanwhile get a taster of their bleak, brutal sound.
Also featured on Saturday will be riff-laden Manchester metal trio, VICE. Their second album, ‘For The Fallen’ was released last summer – watch their video for ‘Vultures’ here.
Irish doomsters, SOOTHSAYER also land themselves a Saturday slot. Get familiar with their glorious, atmospheric noise via the video for ‘Cities Of Smoke’, taken from their album ‘Echoes Of The Earth’.
Last, but certainly not least, Danish modern death metal squad NAKKEKNAEKKER join Saturday’s line up. For a five piece with the average age of 18, these boys have skills beyond their years.
Over on Sunday’s New Blood stage, you’ll be seeing East Anglian thrashers, ELIMINATION. The band’s 2021 debut, ‘Echoes of the Abyss’ turned many heads and the band are at work on its successor, due out this year. In the interim, watch their video for ‘Icon of Despair’.
Also grabbing a slot are Northern Ireland rock trio, SKYPILOT. The band’s latest album, ‘Simple Beasts’, laden with fat riffs, landed last Summer, featuring the track, ‘Knifed on the Beach’.
And Nottingham extreme noise terrorists OUTERGODS grab a Sunday spot. Featuring members of Evil Scarecrow and Raised By Owls, the band are working on a new album that’ll land this Summer. In the meantime investigate their ungodly ‘Catacombs of Madness’.
Never been to BLOODSTOCK before and just want to come for a day to check things out? A limited number of day tickets are on sale now in the ticket store. Adult day tickets are £75 and if you’d like to make it a family day out, child day tickets are £25 (mini moshers under 4 can come for free), plus booking fees. Ready for the full weekend experience with your metal brethern?
VIP and campervan tickets are already sold out, but you can still get standard weekend tickets in the ticket store!
Planning your travel yet to BLOODSTOCK? Big Green Coach will drop you & your gear right inside the festival gates for minimal walking, from all around the UK. Get more info at BIG GREEN COACH. For more travel info, look under the info section on BLOODSTOCK’s official website here.
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, STRIKER, ZETRA and more. Stay tuned for more announcements to come!
Get full festival information at bloodstock.uk.com.
BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 10th-13th August 2023.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2023
