Written by:	omne metallum
Published:	August 21, 2024
Event:	Bloodstock Open Air 2024 (Website)
Location:	Catton Park, Derbyshire, United Kingdom

Every year I lie to myself and say my years of forgoing a proper bed and toilet for a weekend are behind me, yet I always find myself drawn back to festival campsites; perhaps the allure of dodgy burgers, excessive alcohol and live music are too much for me, regardless of comfort. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it can only mean that Bloodstock has come around once again, the premier UK based metal festival that regularly sees thousands descend upon the grounds of Catton Hall for three and a half days of metal music.

This year marked my tenth time going to the festival, having been a staple of my calendar for a decade now. While there have been fallow years and an urge to go abroad and sample something different, both circumstance and the Bloodstock experience draw me back in again and again. While the festival's focus has shifted slowly since I began attending, it has long managed to keep my attention which, alongside strong organisation and layout, has made me a regular customer.

With a line-up like this year's, it was once again something to look forward to and eagerly await as summer rolled around once more. European festivals are suffering from a range of issues in recent years, and Bloodstock is not immune from these either, best surmised by the headliners on offer this year. While not the most exciting grouping on offer, luckily for me the rest of the line-up was stacked full of bands that I couldn't wait to catch again, or see for the first time.





Table Of Contents

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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In April, Bloodstock announced that they would be opening up the campsites a day early for those who bought a limited number of early entry tickets. While an outdoor cinema was the only entertainment on offer, I was drawn to the idea as I had enjoyed the prior time Bloodstock had done this way back in 2021, and it meant I had an extra evening and day to catch up with friends before any music started. Unfortunately, Bloodstock announced this several months after I had already booked off my holiday from work, so I had to travel up after work Wednesday evening.

After spending a day at work staring at the clock and counting down the hours, the moment finally came for the fun and festivities to begin. The added bonus to this was that it turned out to be the quickest and easiest entry into a festival I've had, with no queues at the gate and being able to pull up into the car park with minimal traffic clogging up the roads surrounding the festival site.

With the movies on offer being Wayne's World and Tenacious D's The Pick Of Destiny, I opted instead to party and make up for lost time, catching up with several cans.



The traditional party day, Thursday was once again a half day in that there were five bands on offer on the Sophie Lancaster stage (for future reference, the Sophie stage) in the evening. This meant that those who were already there, including yours truly, had a good long time to get over their hangovers from the night before, prior to hitting the drinks once more as there was nothing else to do until 17:00. This resulted in me missing Acid Age, as I had completely forgotten about them amongst the drinking and revelry.

It was at this time, entering the arena for the first time, that I saw Motörhead's Bomber hanging above the arena entrance, part of a series of tributes that took place across the weekend to Lemmy. It did look impressive with the lights up and shining from it, but much like the rest of the tributes (more on those later) it did seem forced and oddly out of place.




Tailgunner 18:35-19:15, Sophie Lancaster Stage

Having remembered that there was music on offer at this music festival (plot twist), I made my way to the Sophie stage to see a band who was nominated for Metal Storm's best traditional metal album of 2023, Tailgunner.

Starting off brightly and hitting the stage with the kind of energy that would get you drug tested at the Olympics, "Guns For Hire" marked the start of a weekend of music for myself. It was a shame, then, that the sound for the band was woeful, sounding disjointed and with a mix that had more holes than a sieve; it was hard to get into the band's performance beyond the evident energy they were putting into their stage show.

Luckily for myself, I will be able to give them a second chance later this year, but here, they were so handicapped by a poor sound that it was hard to enjoy what I was listening to.

South Of Salem 19:40-20:25, Sophie Lancaster Stage

After a bar break (and what I assume was a kick up the arse of the sound engineer), it was time for Bournemouth's South Of Salem to try and make their mark on what was fast becoming an alcohol-induced blur of an evening. With the sound issues continuing unabated, South Of Salem fared slightly better than Tailgunner, if only because they compensated with more crowd interaction rather than letting the (hard-to-hear) music do the talking. Still, it was fast becoming an evening to forget, between the sound issues and day of drinking.

Hellripper 21:00-22:00, Sophie Lancaster Stage




With the tent quickly filling to capacity, Hellripper were clearly a popular choice for many. While the sound issues had gotten slightly better, it still wasn't ideal, and meant some of the band's power was lost in translation. Still, Hellripper had barely kicked into "All Hail The Goat" when a mosh pit opened up, and as the crowd became a sea of flailing limbs and hair, Hellripper lent into the dissonance and added to the already chaotic scenes unfolding. Easily the act of the day, and one that deserves to make it the main stage sooner rather than later.

While I had planned on seeing Evergrey, I decided to skip them, as I thought the poor sound would ruin their performance the most. So with that, I returned to continue the party.



After a second night of partying, it was hard to get my head around the fact it was only Friday and the music was only just beginning (for real, this time). Fridays always seem to be my busiest day at a festival, with this year being no exception either. With the sun beginning to make its impact felt, today was a marathon in terms of pacing myself to ensure I could try and see as much of my schedule as possible.

Häxan 10:30-11:00, Sophie Lancaster Stage

Kicking things off on the Sophie stage was Welsh female power trio Häxan, a band I've long wanted to see after hearing "Killing Time" several years ago. Playing said track early in the set, it gave the band a bright start that they unfortunately could not sustain, and they slowly began to fizzle out as the set went on. While Häxan are a solid unit, they need a few more tracks to really build a strong performance on. I left early to source out some food, but I'm glad I got to hear "Killing Time" live finally.

Desert Storm 10:45-11:25, Ronnie James Dio Stage

You know it's a festival when a doner kebab can be considered breakfast. Having found a seat to eat, I watched the sludge stylings of Desert Storm, who proved to be far more than just someone to watch while I ate.

With a healthy sized crowd, the band's heavy but slow sound was just what was needed to ease into a day that seemed built for fans of stoner rock. I found myself engrossed in their set, with a mix of dissonant notes, hard-hitting riffs and gut-churning vocals. It all seemed to end too soon, as it finished when it just as the band were on a roll. One to keep an eye on for the future, and a good way to make up for the false start that was yesterday.

Nervosa 11:45-12:25, Ronnie James Dio Stage




I had seen Nervosa many moons (and members) ago, and had enjoyed what I had heard, but now with more material under their belts, I was eager to see them once more. With Crypta (featuring two former Nervosa members) on tomorrow, it was interesting to see what kind of gauntlet would be laid down from Nervosa to claim the title of best Brazilian band of the weekend.

Even with the early billing, the crowd was eager to mosh and crow surf with abundance, the adrenaline surge kicking in as the band tore through a tight set of tracks new and old. With cuts like "Kill The Silence" and "Guided By Evil", Nervosa upped the energy levels despite it barely being midday, as they made the most of things and packed the set with as many quality tracks as they could. A solid performance, and so far so good overall.

Green Lung 12:45-13:25, Ronnie James Dio Stage




Up next were one of my favourite discoveries in recent years, the fast-rising Pagan rockers Green Lung. While I wasn't completely sold on last year's This Heathen Land, I was excited to catch the band for their debut main stage slot, and for a chance to see if the material from last year's album fared better live.

Kicking off with an odd pick in "The Forest Church", the band kicked things up a gear with the air guitar anthem that is "Old Gods". This odd pacing was the theme of the band's set, as they would switch between fast and slow songs, to the point that the set felt disjointed and ran as smoothly as Usain Bolt in molasses. While the band performed to a high standard, with a powerful and chilling rendition of "Song Of The Stones", the set never went to the next level thanks to the aforementioned disjointed flow.

Nevertheless, Friday was going strong, and with what was to come, only looked to be getting even better.

Grand Magus 13:45-14:30, Ronnie James Dio Stage




Some bands you just never tire of seeing, and Grand Magus are one act who could play every year and I wouldn't complain. Walking on to a powerful reception, it was an inauspicious start from the group, who took a few tracks to find their groove, with Christoffersson seemingly disinterested in being there at first. Once "Iron Will" rolled around, everything seemed to click, and both band and audience were enjoying themselves greatly.

New cut "Skybound" does have a good Iron Maiden vibe to it, but I'm not fully sold on it yet, although it does have me excited for their new album later in the year. Speaking of Christoffersson, I think I know why it took him a while to get into things; with his new look being ever so similar to Jamie Hyneman of MythBusters fame, how could we be sure we had the right front man? Well, we found out soon enough, as Christoffersson dedicated a shout-out to someone's birthday before proceeding to forget physics such as wind resistance are a thing, attempting to throw a vest patch into the audience that did not even come close to making it off of the stage. Moving quickly on to "Like The Oar Strikes The Water" to hide his blushes, it made for an early festival highlight for sure.

With "Hammer Of The North" fading out, I made my way back to the campsite for a break and a chance to get out of what turned out to be high levels of UV.

Wolf 15:40-16:20, Sophie Lancaster Stage

After the short break to get out of the sun and catch up with some much-needed cider, it was back to the Sophie stage to throw the horns. Unfortunately, the yearly recurring issue with the Sophie stage had not been resolved, and would prove to be decisive here. With the tent only being open on the one side (and positioned in a way that the nearby fairground rides block most, if any, breeze coming from that end) and only small gaps being open on the other, it quickly becomes a humid sweatbox. I was unable to enjoy the strong showing Wolf was putting on, and I left early after "Shark Attack" as it was quickly becoming unbearable.

Hatebreed 17:15-18:15, Ronnie James Dio Stage




After another trip to the campsite, I was suitably fuelled for the evening ahead of me, which kicked off with Hatebreed. The last time the band were slated to appear in 2022, they were due to headline the Sophie stage and quite frankly, it was lucky that the band pulled out; judging by the size of the crowd here, there was no way they could have safely played in the tent.

After a short video reel of stars from the world of music, sport and television singing the band's praises, Hatebreed walked out to a hero's welcome before immediately laying waste to all before them. Labelled a 30th anniversary set, it meant the band just stuck to the greatest hits, and that was just what the crowd wanted. An explosive early airing of "Destroy Everything" was one of the songs of the weekend as it burst out of the speakers, and the band subsequently ripped through a set that was just highlight after highlight. After a shout out to Sick Of It All's Lou Keller (who is undergoing cancer treatment), the band brought out the 'ball of death', a large inflatable beach ball that the audience absolutely failed to control (nearly bouncing over the fence and out of bounds several times), to everyone else's laughter. "In Ashes They Shall Reap" and "Proven" were other highlights from an otherwise constant barrage of some of the best metallic hardcore going.

With the band cramming in as many hits as they could, it made for one of the best shows of the weekend, and the best show I've seen the band put on to date.

Lemmy Forever

Quickly following Hatebreed's exit from the stage was the centerpiece of this year's tributes to Lemmy: the unveiling of a specially commissioned bust, and the interment of some of his ashes into it. When it was originally announced earlier in the year, it seemed a stretch to say that the festival had close ties to the man, given that Motörhead had only ever played here once, and had not previously had any touted ties to Lemmy beyond naming a bar after him.

Still, if there was anyone worthy of paying homage to, then Lemmy was certainly that person. However, what followed was perhaps the most embarrassing memorial I've seen, with one of the promoters coming on stage, stating that they'd earned the right to do this (OK?), and that the close relationship between festival and band would be explained momentarily by a clearly disinterested Phil Campbell. He was then brought on stage to say a few words, none of which were about Bloodstock beyond acknowledging (in between several um's and ah's) that they had indeed played here once.

Still, pour one out for one of the greats; the metal world misses you Lemmy.

Eternal Champion 18:25-19:10, Sophie Lancaster Stage

In need of a palette cleanser after the self-aggrandizement that had just taken place, a thankfully cooler Sophie stage was well packed for a hotly anticipated Eternal Champion. A clear sound meant tracks like "Skullseeker" shone through brilliantly and highlighted the band's quality, while a thundering "The Last King Of Pictdom" underlined what was a strong performance, which has certainly piqued my interest in seeking out seeing the band again should they make the trip across the Atlantic once more.

Clutch 18:55-20:10, Ronnie James Dio Stage

One of the most anticipated acts of the festival judging by the rapturous reception they received when they were announced last year, Clutch were certainly someone I myself was looking forward to. As the seconds ticked down, "We Need Some Money" blared over the speakers before the band strolled on stage, plugged in and got down to business like a group of dads turning up to jam. This was the case for Fallon, who must be metal’s cool uncle as he strolled around the stage with a swagger and ease that was the life of the party.

With Fallon bringing the personality, the rest of the band kept their heads down and played a tight but loose style that was like watching a group of professionals jam out for an hour. While I was disappointed not to hear "Electric Worry" or anything off of Earth Rocker, the setlist was solid, if a little too heavy on Psychic Warfare, which did lead to some slight lulls. Still, Clutch in the sun with a beer in hand? Of course it was a good time.


2025 Band Announcement

As has been tradition at the festival for years now, after the Friday subheadliner, several acts are announced for the following year's festival. With other continental festivals like Wacken and Rockstadt having revealed some names already, it feels like a lottery as to who will popping across the channel to play Bloodstock. It's early days, but for me I'm not too excited yet; a lot of the bands I like I’ve already seen multiple times, and only 3 Inches Of Blood and Static-X excite me out of the ones I haven't. Still, it seems to have gone down very well in general (early bird tickets ended up selling out within days of being announced, whereas they never had before).

Opeth 21:10-22:40, Ronnie James Dio Stage




Closing out the day was one of the greatest exports from Sweden since Surströmming; Opeth took to the stage to perform a special fan-picked set that had the potential to be a hit fest. I must admit I was slightly apprehensive when Opeth were initially announced as headliners; as good as they are, prog metal outdoors after a long day of upbeat music and sun meant there was every chance I'd be too tired to appreciate the band's musicial offerings.

Still, walking onstage, the band shut down any potential worries I may have had as they effortlessly unleashed some of the best, most intricate and heavy prog metal going. Kicking off with a track from Ghost Reveries was a sure-fire way to grab my attention in "The Grand Conjuration", before rolling through an eight-song set that took in all the hits (and only one post-Watershed track, to boot). With the band on top form, the sound was clear and well mixed to allow the disparate elements to breath and combine in ways that ensured the likes of "Heir Apparant" hit the nail on the head.

Anyone who’s seen Opeth before knows that half of the charm is just listening to Mikael Åkerfeldt in between songs. Responding to a shout to play "Free Bird", he proceeded to spend a few minutes naming Lynyrd Skynyrd songs and yet making it entertaining. Any worries were for nought, as Opeth put on a great show and ended my day with a bang.

After a mixed start to Bloodstock, Friday picked up the slack and raised the bar considerably with a run of strong performances in the sun. 2024 was up and running, and looked to only get better.



With Friday out of the way, my schedule lightened, as there were less acts I was interested in seeing (or, as luck would have it, clashing), giving way to more time to drink and see the non-musicial offerings Bloodstock had to offer. While the morning would be overcast, come the early afternoon the sun broke through the cloud barriers and hit temperatures that aided in sapping away what energy could be mustered between cans of cider.

Catching the traditional ‘battle of the nations’ entertainment once again, I must commend the dedication of those involved with wearing full suits of armour and chain mail in the blazing sun. There's something entertaining in seeing someone smack a person over the head with the flat of a sword as you ate your lunch. I don't quite think the knights of medieval times were used to having spectators yelling them on with chants of "g'wan ma son!" and "smash his head in!", though.

Crypta 12:45-13:25, Ronnie James Dio Stage




Kicking off my day was Brazilian death thrash squad Crypta, the Megadeth to Nervosa's Metallica. With the band intent on taking no prisoners, they launched into their set and didn't look back. Determined to produce a performance rather than merely a set, they had their moves synchronised, with Lira pulling all sorts of faces and gurning to try and look menacing; unfortunately, this missed the mark widely, instead adding comic relief to their set. While "Poisonous Apathy" and "Dark Clouds" were solid highlights played perfectly, the band lack enough consistent quality songs to help take them to the next level. A good start to the day, and a good foundation for Crypta to build on.

Forbidden 13:45-14:30, Ronnie James Dio Stage

Bloodstock 2024 was thin on must-see bands for me this year; sure, there are plenty of bands I was keen to enjoy, but few offered the kind of pull factor that makes you reach for the credit card when tickets go on sale. Forbidden was one of the select few acts to make me actively need to attend this year, and one of the few thrash acts on offer to boot.

A slightly late start was worth the wait, as the band launched into a set culled exclusively from their first two albums, with the likes of "Infinite Evil" and "Marching Into Fire" sounding so much more powerful in a live setting. While the crowd may not have been rammed, those in attendance made up for it with an intensity and participation that was insane given the sharp sun that began to beat down. With Chris Kontos on drums and Norman Skinner on vocals, the new members complemented Forbidden's overall sound and then some.

As the group were teasing a special treat for the audience, it was then that the late start came back to bite everyone on the ass, as the sound was cut and the band ushered off the stage. Coupled with the Kreator incident a few weeks ago, I'm beginning to think the second a thrash band teases something special, I am doomed not to see it.

RAM Gallery

As a gap appeared in my schedule, I decided to drop into the RAM gallery (a tented art gallery that hosts artworks of those involved or linked to the festival), to see the Lemmy exhibition. The merits of streaming have been debated endlessly, but it was only when walking around the RAM gallery did I appreciate how much the artwork can add to the whole package; large framed prints of albums like Testament's Dark Roots Of Earth and Opeth's Heritage took on a whole other quality.




The Lemmy exhibit was a nice touch, if a bit overhyped by the organisers as having an accurate recreation of Lemmy's dressing rooms. I pressed X and doubted Lemmy would insist on having posters of previous tours hung up, or having drumsticks laying about; as a collection of memorabilia it was nice, but as a recreation? No, one claim too far for me.

The highlight, however, was the bust of Lemmy; having the chance to pay homage to a musician that had such an influence on yours truly and music at large was worth it.




Red Rum 15:40-16:20, Sophie Lancaster Stage

Deciding a quick detour to see some pirate metal was in order before being blown away by blasphemies, I stuck my head into the Sophie tent to see Red Rum. The band were on good form, and managed to get the large crowd who had gathered moving their arms and jigging along. It was a shame I couldn't stick around for longer, but Satan waits for no one.

Deicide 16:05-16:50, Ronnie James Dio Stage




Non-American readers won't appreciate the gamble that booking Deicide is; the band are infamous for cancelling shows regularly (I had, up to this point, seen the band once in three attempts for this reason). So imagine my horror when what can best be described as Jack Nicholson had he stayed at the Overlook Hotel for a few decades walked on stage. Wait, no, that's Glenn Benton, he actually turned up.

With no grand entrance, Deicide just launched into proceedings, with the sound the best I heard it all weekend; Benton's bass was high up in the mix and with a tight powerful rumble to it that just made everything hit so much harder. Playing a set compiled solely of some of the best death metal tracks ever put to tape, the band tore through the likes of "Once Upon The Cross", "Satan Spawn, The Caco-Daemon" and "Dead By Dawn" with precision and power. There was no need for any stage show beyond the menacing presence of Benton, as the band put on one of the sets of the weekend; hopefully they become more consistent visitors upon these shores.

Malevolence 18:55-20:10, Ronnie James Dio Stage




Next to Sleep Token, no British band has had the near vertical upward trajectory since the pandemic that Malevolence have. When they were announced as subheadliners back during 2023's festival, it seemed that Bloodstock had jumped the gun; however, off the back of a hugely successful UK tour, it was time for the newest hottest band to solidify themselves as a lasting concern.

Having flown in from America for this show, the band clearly were taking this opportunity with both hands. Walking on stage to one of the biggest crowds of the weekend, Malevolence hit the ground running and didn't look back. With hits old and new receiving rapturous receptions ("Higher Place" was more of a roar-along than sing-along) and mosh pits aplenty, it seemed this was the hero’s welcome that festival and band hoped for.

It was unfortunate, then, that the set ran into some controversy; a result of a clash of cultures, rather than a meeting of the minds. With Bloodstock long having had a family friendly vibe and plenty of persons willing to sit further back in chairs out of the way, Malevolence roared in with the hardcore scene that demands audience participation. Urging the already large circle pit to envelop the sound tower, Taylor inadvertently set the moshers on a direct collision course with both aforementioned groups. Having caused a minor stir on social media as to who was in the wrong, Taylor's advanced warning went unheeded, and after a timely gap to create a path went unused, said moshers created their own, to the consternation and unfortunate injury of some. While, thankfully, it didn't turn into anything more than a minor issue, it did blight an otherwise stellar showing.

Sylosis 20:10-21:10, Sophie Lancaster Stage




After the statement of intent that Malevolence stamped upon the main stage, it was off to a packed Sophie stage with what felt like everyone else moving from the main stage. Sylosis had the enviable job of trying to keep the hype and excitement going from what was likely to be the set of the weekend for many, but placing your money on Sylosis is a safe bet.

...or so you would think. Starting off on a strong foot, Middleton and co ploughed through a strong "Poison For The Lost" and were about to keep things going when Middleton reported that his guitar was having issues. Cue fifteen minutes of Middleton running back and forth between microphone and backstage as the rest of the band stood around or made a ten-second attempt at crowd interaction to break the growing discontent. Making a (belated) decision to carry on sans guitar, Bloodstock was treated to a unique set, as Middleton reverted to solely being vocalist.

As quirky as this was, it sounded like listening to backing track versions of the likes of "I Sever", making you realise just how much Middleton's guitar adds to proceedings. After a few more songs, the guitar was brought back to life, and the band ended the set at full strength. Couple these issues with leaning too heavily on their new material, and it was a set to remember for the wrong reasons.

Architects 21:10-22:40, Ronnie James Dio Stage




For a festival that has had the likes of Faust, Phil Anselmo and Mayhem walk the boards, it says something that the most controversial booking in the festival's history is seemingly Architects. With the band dividing opinion like Moses parting the sea, it seemed to epitomise the tipping point between Bloodstock evolving away from the roots it had long cultivated for itself, and towards a new audience.

Although I had found their more recent stuff bland, I am more familiar with, and appreciative of, their older material, so I went in with an open mind and hopeful of a balanced setlist. As Sam Carter and co strode onstage, it became evident we were getting an arena performance, rather than a show; the set was sterile and polished to the point of losing any sense of spirit or danger, over rehearsed and lacking spontaneity. Still, I seemed to be in a minority, as the band pulled out the confetti cannons and pyro, with the audience in good voice.

My hope of a set featuring more older material did not come to fruition, with the majority of the tracks derived from their post-pandemic material, save for a few moments when they dug out "Gravedigger" and "These Colours Don't Run" (and if I had hung around for longer, "Nihilist"). I was clearly in the minority, as Carter proudly proclaimed that this was only the third time that a day at Bloodstock had sold out (the other two times being the days when Judas Priest headlined).

As mentioned prior, I tapped out early as I found myself increasingly bored and the early optimism had long faded. The transition to arena act has really blunted the edge the band used to possess; while they certainly play well, it just wasn't for me.

Korpiklaani 22:40-23:55, Sophie Lancaster Stage

Not my usual fare admittedly, but I was in the mood for more music having sacked off Architects early, and Korpiklaani was the only other choice, so off I went to hope they stuck to their upbeat party tracks. Fun fact, the last (and until now, only) time I had seen the band was at Bloodstock many moons ago, when I managed to fall asleep while watching them, so staying awake would be an improvement this time around.

Thankfully, the band largely stuck to their uptempo material and kept the energy levels up enough to keep me conscious this time. With the packed tent drinking and dancing, it was an entertaining show, and one that I'm glad I watched on the spur of the moment, even as it highlighted how my knowledge of the band seemingly ended a decade ago (they do a cover of Boney M now?). Ending with the tandem of "Beer Beer" and "Vodka", Korpiklaani ensured my evening ended on a high note at least.

With the night giving way to the last real nocturnal party of the weekend, Saturday was a day to remember thanks to some of the best sets of the weekend, and spur-of-the-moment decisions to watch bands I would otherwise steer clear of.



With Saturday night's late-night party not stopping with Korpiklaani, it would be fair to say I entered the final day worse for wear and reliant on energy drinks to give me the boost to get up and go. With Sunday yet again living up to its name, it was by far the hottest day yet, making for an uncomfortable experience at times, one that challenged my hope to pack in as much live music as I could before the festival finished.

Cultura Tres 11:45-12:25, Ronnie James Dio Stage

Being introduced to the band when they were announced for Bloodstock, Cultura Tres were someone I'd not long been acquainted with, but had enjoyed what I had heard from them on record. With David Ellefson on bass duties, the band were on fine form, and put on a performance that belied their billing and crowd size; "The World And Its Lies" is the best Max Cavalera song he never wrote, kicking off an early morning surge of much-needed adrenaline. Playing a set largely taken from last year's Camino De Brujos, Cultura Tres managed to combine groove and Latin flair in equal measure. Worth catching should you get the opportunity to.

Soen 12:45-13:25, Ronnie James Dio Stage

Catching my breath and recharging my batteries, Soen's prog offerings were ideal to recuperate to. A powerful and haunting (despite the blazing sunshine) set with solid renditions of "Unbreakable" and "Lotus", Soen made the most of the opportunity afforded to them and put on a memorable performance that showcased their strengths and overcame any flagging energy levels I had. While not as esoteric as his stint in Opeth, Martin Lopez has managed to catch lightning in a bottle a second time; Soen are consistently able to walk that fine line between prog and accessibility, which was helpful given the crowd was a mixture of those wanting to get their prog on and other more casual listeners.

Beast In Black 13:45-14:30, Ronnie James Dio Stage

After the refined and mature taste of prog that Soen offered, it was now time to get my fill of a hefty and heaping dose of the cheesiest cheese around. Another band I was introduced to as a result of playing the festival, Beast In Black were a perfect mix of cheese and party music that was ideal to see the final day out.

With the rest of the crowd similarly up to party, Beast In Black ran on stage to rapturous applause as they wasted no time getting stuck into "Blade Runner", which was well received by the large crowd who were eager to party along to cheesy anthems like "Hardcore". The highlight of the set was "Sweet True Lies", with the audience at full volume singing along to what I believe to be the best song not entered into Eurovision. It was a shame their set was over far too soon and lacked another band to immediately follow them in a similar party minded vein.

Grove Street 14:20-15:00, Sophie Lancaster Stage

One of my most anticipated sets of the day, given all the hype I've heard surrounding the band in small venues, I went in hoping to carry over the energy I had from the party that was Beast In Black and catch Grove Street already in full swing for some quality hardcore. However, the issues that befell Wolf on Friday reoccurred here, with the tent being uncomfortably humid such that it made enjoying the music near impossible. I tapped out early and unfortunately only got to hear a few songs by the band.

The Night Flight Orchestra 16:05-16:50, Ronnie James Dio Stage




After their excellent ‘set of the weekend’ contender of a showing two years ago that closed out the festival on the Sophie stage, one of my most anticipated acts of the weekend was The Night Flight Orchestra for good reason: a band born to soundtrack parties and good times. Curious to see if they could carry over the atmosphere to midday on a larger stage, a large crowd gathered at the main stage and were eager to let the good times roll. TNFO hit the ground running and got the party going immediately, with everyone forgetting that it was the final day and that they were out in the blazing hot sun; instead, everyone was just losing themselves to the music. Dad dancing was highly encouraged, as the band played a set packed with classics, with personal highlights once again being excellent renditions of "Burn For Me" and "Satellite".

Inviting several members of the audience onstage before the band went into their final song "West Ruth Ave", it was time to get the conga lines going, ones so large that they enveloped practically the whole audience (even creating what may be the world's first conga mosh pit) in a confusing mess of lines snaking their way across the arena. It was the cherry atop an already great show, managing to mix performance and crowd engagement perfectly.

Hands down the band of the weekend.

Sadus 17:00-17:40, Sophie Lancaster Stage




Whatever followed up The Night Flight Orchestra was always going to be a come down; it was just a matter of how far, and how hard the landing. Thankfully, Sadus ensured the drop was a soft one, with their old school thrash making them another eagerly awaited band of the weekend for myself. While the sound wasn't perfect, it was good enough to get across the ferocity of tracks like "Certain Death". Leaning too much on their latest album did hinder the set, especially the mid-paced "Scorched And Burnt", which drained what momentum the band had going at that point. Picking momentum back up as they played a medley of material, Sadus were in fine form; it was just a shame about the setlist selection.

Xentrix 18:25-19:10, Sophie Lancaster Stage

Despite having seen the band play Shattered Existence once this year already, I was eager to make the most of the limited thrash pickings on offer this year. On fine form once again, Xentrix kicked into "No Compromise" and didn't look back, with the few sound issues largely clearing up by "Crimes". The crowd made the most of the dropping temperatures and found their mosh pit energy, as the Sophie stage turned into a sea of limbs and flailing hair. It was a shame I couldn't stick around for longer than I did, but clashes will be clashes.

Carcass 18:55-20:10, Ronnie James Dio Stage




Tearing myself away from Xentrix was a tough choice, but if there was one band worth doing it for, it was Carcass. With a large crowd already gathered in anticipation for the band starting, things looked good for Liverpool's best musicial contribution to the world of music (unless Paul McCartney decides to release a grindcore album anyway).

Starting off with their strongest foot first, "Buried Dreams" instantly got heads banging and horns thrown, introducing a set that balanced all eras of the band and highlighted the diversity of their releases to date. The only downside was that "Heartwork" and "Keep On Rotting In The Free World" were abbreviated to combine into medleys rather than full airings (boo). The cuts from Torn Arteries slipped in perfectly alongside long established classics, "Under The Scapel Blade" making for an early highlight. A tight rendition of "Exhume To Consume" followed by "Corporal Jigsore Quandary" was the one-two grind punch that hit the spot perfectly. Thankfully the sound was spot on, giving the band's earlier material its dissonant chaotic edge, while the melodeath period was tighter, presenting these tracks the best way they could.

Biting his tongue somewhat to avoid the band being blacklisted for another decade, Walker was somewhat quiet by his standards, though he was on fine form when it came to bass and vocal duties. With a backdrop playing loops of various... interesting images, I do wonder if food sales drop after a Carcass show.

Amon Amarth 21:10-22:40, Ronnie James Dio Stage




That feeling of relief, disbelief and depression hit as the stage was prepared for the arrival of Amon Amarth; not that I don't like the band, but it signalled that the final headliner of the weekend was about to take to the stage, and I was not ready to return to the real world. Closing out the main stage this year was everyone's favourite Viking horde, Amon Amarth. While Architects may have had the largest crowd, Amon Amarth easily had the most dedicated, with the front section looking like a scene out of Anglo Saxon England.

While I have only really listened to them occasionally in recent years, the band managed to put on a great show that overcame any middling interest I may have in their records nowadays. Despite being on solid form, with Hogg his usual mix of cheerful giant and Viking warrior incarnate, this was probably the weakest show I've seen by the band to date. While the performance (having the best staging of all three headliners) was flawless, a series of weaker releases has meant ever larger portions of the setlist are given over to material that is far from their best, although surprisingly only "Heidrun" was included from The Great Heathen Army, which they are ostensibly touring (no complaints there though). Still, when the band did play "Deceiver Of The Gods", "Twilight Of The Thunder God" and a crushing "War Of The Gods", they showed why they have ascended to the level of headliners, as when the band are at their best, few can withstand the Viking attack.

Satyricon 22:40-23:55, Sophie Lancaster Stage

The responsibility of closing out Bloodstock 2024 was left to Norway's black metal legends Satyricon, who played to a packed-out tent filled with a sea of attendees who looked worse for wear prior to the house lights going down. Rewarding those who had decided to stick it out to the end with a solid performance of material spanning their career, Satyricon capped off what had been a solid weekend of music. The crammed Sophie stage crowd expended what little collective energy it had left as Satyr and co tore through classic cuts with professional precision. I was flagging hard by this point, so my recollections are minimal beyond enjoying the likes of "Fuelled For Hatred" and "Mother North", but I easily remember the strong end to the weekend that signed off the festival in style.

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The post-festival blues hit hard again as I began the journey home from Bloodstock; the weekend of music, partying and socialising had come and gone too quick despite having an extra day added to the usual offerings. With the quality of performances largely being enjoyable, the few negatives of the weekend largely fell at the feet of the organisation, with the heat/humidity in the Sophie tent being the area that needs the most improvement in future.

With Bloodstock 2024 under my belt, it marked my tenth year of going and has made me realise the amount of change that has been occurring year after year; some good, some bad. After visiting Germany for Kreator a few weeks ago, it has made me strongly consider venturing further afield for my festival fix and trying something different after notching up double digits. Time will tell if I do end up back at the fields of Catton Hall next year, but one thing is for certain, my love for festivals is just as strong as it was when I first starting going to them all those years ago.