Written by:	D.T. Metal, CROMCarl
Published:	April 10, 2018
Event:	70000 Tons Of Metal 2018 (Website)
Location:	Independence Of The Seas, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Organizer:	Ultimate Music Cruises
Galleries:	70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2018 - Day Three & Four by D.T. Metal (98) 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2018 - Day Four by CROMCarl (190) 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2018 - Day Three by CROMCarl (98) 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2018 - Day One & Two by D.T. Metal (34) 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2018 - Day Two by CROMCarl (272) 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2018 - Day One by CROMCarl (141)

Before you read what all happened on the last day, you might also be interested in checking out Day One, Day Two and Day Three coverage of 70000 Tons Of Metal 2018.

---

The last day was upon us and I did it my way; I took it easy and instead of trying to watch bands I had missed thus far, I instead opted to be a 'social butterfly' and catch up with friends.

The first band on the Pool Deck Stage was Exciter. Vocalist and drummer Dan Beehler sounded great and all members had fun on stage. "Let's play an old song" - "Dan, they are ALL old songs" was just one of the stage antics that morning. Fan favorites such as 1985's "Long Live The Loud" and the staple "Heavy Metal Maniac" (off their 1983 debut album) went down like butter. Let me tell you, the 'old-timers' still got it and if you get a chance to see the Canucks live - do it.

On my way down to Studio B for Belgium's Diablo Blvd I got sidetracked, never made it there but to conclude the series of featured venues, here is the last installment:

Studio B: also known as the Ice Rink is the second largest indoor venue on the ship. Set up like, well an Ice Rink, with a huge open space in front of the stage and sloped tier seating for those who want to take a breather and enjoy a band while sitting. I found a rather sweet spot while watching shows at Studio B and always sat in the front, stage left; watching the bands from the side rather than head on.

---

(Notes from Carl:
Having the opportunity to see Exciter again after the first brilliant performance at the ice rink was one thing, but watching it together with friend and [url= http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=16]Rhapsody[/url] drummer Alex Holzwarth is another. Conversations I have had over the years with Alex about classic metal albums are the stuff of legend - with both him and me in perfect sync when it comes to 80's metal. With Beehler on the pool deck in the glaring Caribbean sun and "Pounding Metal" reverberating from the stage, both Alex and I were transported back to our youth. If you closed your eyes you could hardly tell the difference - a testament to the band's longevity.)

---

I was back up on the pool deck in time for Destruction's second set. A bitter sweet event for me, since this would be the last time I would have the pleasure watching Vaaver beat the drum skins behind the band. After 8 glorious years he was stepping down (no drama involved!) and he surely will be missed.

Originally positioned right up front by the barrier I had to move back due to the mosh-pit starting as soon as Schmier struck the first note and also because the on-stage fog machine was going rampart. Hello - 11:30 in the morning; do we really need stage fog? And speaking of morning - Schmier thanked the audience for being there and also stated that this was the EARLIEST gig in the band's entire career EVER.

Destruction played a great set which included songs such as "Curse The Gods", "Life Without Sense", "Mad Butcher", "Antichrist" and "Release From Agony". Calls for a circle pit in the hot-tub were eagerly granted; the band was on fire that morning and everyone had a great time. Before "Nailed To The Cross" Schmier noted that Jesus was in the mosh-pit and dedicated the song to him. Cool beans, since it was long-time cruiser "Thrash metal Jesus" Jason.



At one point during the show Schmier was tossing a beer into the crowd, motioning for someone to catch it. After a dude actually did catch the beer, Schmier laughingly said "nice, probably a German". Seriously, the amount of German speaking folk seemed much more this year, or maybe I was hanging out more in the "German corner" of the boat. I remember Blind Guardian's Hansi telling me a couple years back that when he gets into a full elevator on the ship, instead of saying "Good Morning" he says "Guten Morgen", because out of 10 people in there, at least 8 are Germans.

On every stage is a large digital clock which tells the bands how much longer they can play so they don't go over their allotted time. Over the years we of course had bands go over their limit, some by a little, some by a lot (in 2014 Satyricon was actually shut off during a song since they went way over). Anyhoo, Destruction was out of time, but Schmier told the crowd that there can't be a Destruction gig without playing "Bestial Invasion". The stage manager had a small hissy-fit but the band pushed through and played a shorter version of this staple song. I guess it made up for their 'shorter' set on the first night due to issues with the sound and venue in general.

The Belly Flop Contest was starting at the other side of the Pool Deck Stage and while a lot of people enjoy watching this, it's just not my thing.

After watching Seven Kingdoms's second set in the Theater, back to the Pool Deck I went to watch a bit of Leaves' Eyes, especially since this would be my first time seeing them with new vocalist Elina Siirala. To be brutally honest, I didn't like her performance on the band's 2018 release Sign Of The Dragonhead but thought I would give her the benefit of a doubt during a live show. Let's face it, while Liv Kristine wasn't the greatest front woman of all times, her vocals were stellar.

Well, after watching Leaves' Eyes on the Pool Deck Stage I might have been too harsh on judging Elina. They started their set with "Sign Of The Dragonhead" followed by "Across The Sea", both from their recent album. She sounded great while singing the new tunes as well as old favorites such as "Hell To The Heavens". During "Blazing Waters" harsh vocalist Alexander Krull donned the same outfit as can be seen on the album cover for King Of Kings; sword and all. I have to admit I enjoyed watching their set more than any other time I have seen them.

---

(Notes from Carl:
Genuinely happy and proud that my friends in Seven Kingdoms were able to attend and play on their first 70000 Tons Of Metal, I had to make sure I saw the band's Alhambra Theater performance. Sabrina donned the hamburger slippers she has become famous for, accidentally kicking off one and nearly hitting bassist Aaron Sluss (or maybe she did hit him ). Her and her esteemed husband/guitarist Camden Cruz make a formidable team as they power-metalized the asses of fans in attendance with the unique blend of Euro metal, brash American bravado and the graceful punch of Sabrina's voice.

I ran back up to the pool deck to check out Leaves' Eyes second set. With Sirenia on board - the duo made a dynamic showing for symphonic metal on the cruise. Also, being such a huge fan of Alex Krull and Thorsten Bauer (especially with Atrocity), I never miss the opportunity to see them live and those opportunities have been plentiful given the huge success of Leaves' Eyes. Essentially, the band kept the set list similar to the Alhambra performance of Day 1, but swapped in "Farewell Proud Men" for "Sacred Vow" and "Fires In The North" for "Haraldskvæði". The band keeps getting stronger every time I see them.)

---

Day Four of 70000 Tons Of Metal is not just jam-packed with live performances. Other events that day include the aforementioned Belly Flop Contest, several artist clinics throughout the day, the NFL Super-Bowl watching extravaganza at the On-Air-Club in front of Studio B and the All-Star-Jam, put together and hosted by Annihilator's Jeff Waters.

It is also the day where a lot of cruisers wear some kind of costume, but it felt like there wasn't that many people dressed up. Or maybe I was always at the right time at the wrong (right?) place. Personally I don't care about the costumes and would be fine if there were none.

I didn't make it to the Jam this year, but in prior years the Theater was so packed that it was hard find a space to stand. If you are interested watching your favorite artists perform some classic metal anthems, check out ZarTh Vader's YouTube channel since he recorded the whole event once again.





Kataklysm must have pulled the short straw since they performed on the Pool Deck Stage while the All-Star-Jam was going on. But I have to say that quite an impressive number of people lingered outdoors to watch the Canadians.

---

(Notes from Carl:
I'll admit, I haven't attended the All Star Jam in recent years since it switched to a pre-announced more elaborate affair from the more spontaneous way it was done on the Majesty Of The Seas. However, some combinations I wanted to check out were right at the beginning, so I took up residence in the balcony center for a perfect viewpoint for watching and some long range photography.

The first and most interesting combination was the union of Freedom Call vocalist Chris Bay with Gyze guitarist Ryoji, Destruction bassist Schmier, Battle Beast guitarist Joona Björkroth and In Extremo drummer Specki T.D. performing Quiet Riot's "Mental Health". The group pulled it off to the delight of the crowd, with Ryoji stealing the show with a Malmsteen-esque performance.

To me, the second combination could actually be a kick ass band if by some miracle it could ever come together. Two of metal's most brilliant guitarists - Tommy Johansson (Sabaton) and Alexander Beyrodt (Primal Fear) - were paired with Masterplan bassist Jari Kainulainen, In Extremo drummer Specki T.D. and Seven Spires vocalist Adrienne Cowan for the Scorpions classic "Rock You Like A Hurricane". All I have to say is that I'll never hear this song quite the same way ever again after hearing Cowan sing "the bitch is hungry, she needs to tell?so give her inches, and feed her well?"

Click for more →

The third and another highly interesting union featured Metal Church's Mike Howe on vocals, Sepultura's Andreas Kisser on guitar, Voivod's Daniel Mongrain on guitar, October Tide's Johan Jönsegård on bass and Primal Fear's Francesco Jovino on drums performing Judas Priest's "Killing Machine". Howe is just so good and his take on Halford was pretty special.

As I left the theater, I heard the beginning of the next group - which featured Amberian Dawn's Capri absolutely massacring Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast". That was enough, since I had to make sure I saw Kataklysm at least once on the boat!

Without a doubt, one of the best live bands you will ever see in terms of sheer ferocity is Kataklysm. Every opportunity I can get to see these guys is automatic (though conflicted out of their first set, I was). The open air pool deck was the perfect place to effectuate the roar of Maurizio directly into the ocean like a torpedo reaching every ship in the vicinity, for sure. This show had me eagerly awaiting the new album Meditations coming in June.

Metsatöll

Back at Studio B and I know the Estonian greats in Metsatöll are no strangers to the U.S. - having toured in 2014, but this would be my first time seeing them. Every year on 70000 Tons Of Metal there is at least one band that steals the show outside of the usual better known acts. Last year I was literally dazzled with Dalriada and the twirling Laura Binder. This year Metsatöll blew me away, if only for the multi-talented Lauri Õunapuu (a/k/a Varulven) - who played bagpipes, Jew's harp, flute, fife, zither and any other wood instrument one could throw at him. The studio material for Metsatöll may be more apt to lull one into relaxation mode, but live this was a spectacle that left me far from sleepy.

Threshold is a must see every time, so I ran over to the Alhambra to catch the second set. Glynn Morgan's vox in the first set were spot on, though I was missing the crazy antics of Damian Wilson. At the Alhambra, the band expended on the Legends Of The Shires, playing album favorite "The Man Who Saw Through Time" and "Lost In Translation", as well as harkening back to Morgan's first run with the band with "Innocent" (from 1994's Psychedelicatessen). With more stage room, guitarist Karl Groom was able to ramp up his entertaining interactions with his band mates. These guys never fail to impress.)

---

Day Four is also the day we have a press briefing with the organizer and the Captain of the ship. Andy Pillar told the group about the upcoming 2019 cruise and also opened up the floor for some Q&A's. Nothing earth shattering came out of the meeting, but here are some highlights:

the dates for 2019's cruise will be 31 Jan - 4 Feb and the destination will be once again Labadee; a port on the northern coast of Haiti.

2019 will be our last year sailing on the Independence Of The Seas. No explanation why and any further info will be coming - soon.

the booking system needs to be revamped and the current gold and silver status doesn't work anymore. The cruise had become an almost inclusive event and it's getting harder and harder for new people to be able to book a cabin. "We need fresh blood" I believe was the general consensus; and I wholeheartedly agree.

I asked him if plans on having a cruise in Europe are still in play and he replied that they are not just still in play, but moving along rather nicely. But he also made clear that any UMC chartered cruise in Europe would NOT be under the 70000 Tons Of Metal moniker since this brand is exclusive to North America.

I hope it will be a worthy competitor to the Full Metal Cruise which is popular because it's all-inclusive (alcohol and all) but the caliber of bands is not near as great as on a 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. Let's wait and see I guess.

I also found out that I am not the only member of the press who thinks that the decibel level at some venues is beyond loud. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind loud, but I do mind if the melody suffers because of it.

Septicflesh

Like I mentioned earlier, Day Four was my 'socializing' day and while I did watch some of Enslaved's set on the Pool Deck Stage I really wasn't. Carl had the following thoughts on their performance:

---

(Notes from Carl:
Enslaved was so great in the first set, I had to check out the pool deck set with hopes of getting a bit more light (for photos) than back at the ice rink. Bathed in red and blue, it seems the Norwegian progressive Vikings just enjoy relative darkness to go with the subtle brutality of songs like "Storm Son" and "Ground". The band mixed in a dash of the old with "Vetrarnótt". Mesmerizing and often hypnotizing, Enslaved was brilliant to watch in this setting.

With the sun receding into the back of earth, and shows remaining minimal, the Alhambra was packed for Septicflesh's second set and the band delivered a sonic blast. With "Martyr", "Communion" and "Prometheus" backed by "Anubis" and "Dark Art" the band's unique and fresh symphonic death/black metal laid waste to a crowd more than willing to accept. Unless the backing tracks fail, Septicflesh will always sound stunning and deliciously heavy. Someday, I'd love to see them on board backed by an orchestra.)

---

I stopped to chat with some folks during the NFL Super Bowl Party. Cannibal Corpse's Corpsegrinder was the life of the party per usual and as I walked by I heard him having a deep and heated discussion with someone about his favorite NFL team; the Denver Broncos. As a matter of fact, him and Sepultura's Derrick Green were seen together most of the day just hanging out with either fans or other musicians.

I was walking on the pool deck during Rhapsody's set and I heard Fabio talk about some of his most valued fans. What caught my attention was when he said: "?.and Carl, where is Carl, he must be here somewhere"

---

(Notes from Carl:
Personally, there was no doubt that the entire cruise would reach its apex with the prime time Sunday night pool deck set for Rhapsody. In all the times I've seen Luca - this being my sixth - having this lineup, at this time, in this place all while floating in the ocean between Cuba and Ft. Lauderdale, was almost too much to bear emotionally. With Turilli fighting off the flu, you would hardly have known it since he feeds off the crowd and uses that energy to literally fly around the stage never missing a note. For Fabio, 70000 Tons Of Metal is like being home - since he literally performs on the boat every year. The looks on both Dominique and Patrice's faces as they danced around the pool deck for the first time for the packed event just brought it all home for me personally. Snapping away with my camera from the pit, the gravity of what I was watching - for the second and final time - hit me like a wall. I wanted to live in that pit, and would have, if not for the one and only negative interaction I had with a security team I trust, respect and (some of them) adore - though this was quickly cleared up just after the show.

More Rhapsody →

Half way through the set, I retreated to the upper deck to watch and sing my heart out to a band that I've had a connection with before Fabio even became vocalist. At the behest of myself and a couple of hundred fans who begged every member of Rhapsody they saw (few saw Luca) - the band did re-insert "The Village Of Dwarves" (which Luca feared would not go over well with the "black metal crowd"). It was a glorious set, which the band swapped in "The Village?" for "Riding The Wings Of Eternity" and "Knightrider Of Doom" for "Beyond The Gates Of Infinity". For this set, they also added "Rain Of A Thousand Flames" and Fabio's stunning cover of Andrea Bocelli's "Con Te Partirò".
Just witnessing this performance would have been enough?but then personally getting special mention and dedication for the show closer "Emerald Sword" had me riding a high like no other. I ran back into the pit, with a special custom made flag I had made for the band, and watched the finale from the stage. After four days at sea, I was able to say hello to my friend Luca, when he ran over to give me a hug from the stage. This was a show I'll hardly forget. )

---

Dinner and just in time back at the pool deck for another dose of Metal Church. The band's set-list was the same (I believe) as during their first performance and once again they kicked some major ass. Mike, instead of sporting his red tight pants, switched over to a more classic metal look decked out all in black. The pool deck was pretty packed as well, maybe because other than Samael no one else was playing.

Sabaton

Over at the Theater, Sabaton were getting ready for their second show. Per usual, the Swedes had a huge following; the venue was PACKED! The band played an entirely different set and received just as strong of a response by the fans as during their first set. If I am not mistaken, Sabaton was the only band playing two totally different sets; not even one song repeated. Even though the crowd chanted "Swedish Pagans" more than once, Joakim Brodén said they won't play this since it was already performed during their first set.

He gave the crowd a choice between the Swedish or English version before they played "Gott Mit Uns" off their 2012 album Carolus Rex; an album which they released in both languages; Swedish it was. "En Livstid I Krig" ("A Lifetime Of War") off the same album was also sung in Swedish, but he didn't give the crowd a chance to vote on it. And the band was a lot friskier than on the Pool Deck, tons of energy and fooling around on stage. Sabaton is always fun to watch and Joakim always tries to do something special when on 70000 Tons Of Metal.

Set-list: The Lion From The North, Panzerkampf, Gott Mit Uns (in Swedish), The Final Solution, Winged Hussars, Blood Of Bannockburn, White Death, The Lost Battalion, Resist And Bite, Screaming Eagles, En Livstid I Krig, Night Witches, Shiroyama, To Hell And Back, Outro - In The Navy (by the Village People)

All in attendance had an awesome time and it seemed almost impossible to top this performance. (there should be a meme now where Alestorm's Chris Bowes says: 'hold my beer' )

---

(Notes from Carl:
Just after Metal Church, I decided to finally throw back a beer or four - stripped down my camera gear to just one camera, a 200mm lens and one strap and decided to do situational photography from the photo pit for the last two shows I would see this cruise. I entered the pit and tucked myself behind the monitor right to the side of another friend - Tommy Johansson. I spent all of "The Lion From The North" trying to distract poor Tommy with finger hearts and mouthing "I love you," which got some laughter. Like a camera whore, he tried vehemently to pose for the camera until I just pulled up the lens and told him he needs to go to the other side of the stage, lest I take pics of his nose hair. Sabaton always brings the goods - and though the stage antics are predictable, who cares.)

---

While Sabaton was playing in the Theater, I was told afterwards that Internal Bleeding were crushing it over at Studio B. I had seen them last year on tour with Vader and wasn't planning on watching them on the cruise; big mistake as it turned out. Apparently the stage was filled with fans while some of the band members were on the floor, right by the barrier. Their vocalist didn't mind one bit and rocked out with the fans just as hard.

Metal Church rocking the Pool Deck

The Pool Deck was filling up nicely for Kreator, especially after the Sabaton crowd arrived (their sets overlapped a bit). 'The Kreator has returned' and their performance was awesome. A couple of songs in, Mille told the crowd that they will play some of the 'old shit' and made good on this with playing "Extreme Aggression" off their same titled 1989 album followed by "Awakening Of The Gods".

And then it happened - the galloping guitars gave it away - Ventor made good on his promise to me and played my song request. "Are you ready for a riot?" he screamed into his microphone behind the drums, before he announced that here is the "Riot Of Violence"

Absolutely fucking awesome !!! I have seen Kreator play that song multiple times with Mille singing as well, but the classic, old school version with Ventor is still my all-time favorite version. I really would love for Kreator to incorporate more songs off their 1986 opus Pleasure To Kill - like "Ripping Corpse" or "Under The Guillotine" in future shows, but due to their vast catalog, those chances are probably slim to nothing.

The band played 4 songs off their 2017 album Gods Of Violence; the same as during their prior set, but switched "Totalitarian Terror" for the slower and more melodic "Fallen Brother". Mille dedicated the song to the recently deceased Celtic Frost's bassist Martin Ain as well as ex-Motörhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke.

No "Flag Of Hate" this time around, but instead they opted to play "Total Death" off their 1985 debut album Endless Pain and "Phobia" off 1997's Outcast was played once again. Dear God, I really, really like this song and was fist-pumping, air-drumming and shouting along up on the Pool Deck. I wasn't the only one though. The crowd really got into the song as well; the mosh-pit was going strong and the crowd surfers never ending; shit - they were coming in strong over the barriers almost during Kreator's entire set.

Mastermind Andy Piller came on stage before the band's last two songs to let the cruisers know how many nations were represented this year (75 in all) and to announce the dates and destination for 2019. Shortly thereafter I spotted Andy in the photo-pit and he 'tried' crowd-surfing from the front as well. He made it about 4 rows deep before the crowd handed him back forward to the barrier.

The band ended their set with "Betrayer" followed by "Pleasure To Kill" and Mille's promise that 'The Kreator will return'. What an AWESOME show to end the outdoor portion of this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal. But the cruise wasn't over yet.

Someone asked me the other day how I can remember all of this and write about it - easy; I am old school and take notes either during or after a show.

Set-list: Hordes Of Chaos, Hail To The Hordes, Extreme Aggression, Awakening Of The Gods, Riot Of Violence, Satan Is Real, Total Death, Gods Of Violence, Mars Mantra, Phantom Antichrist, Fallen Brother, Enemy Of God, Phobia, Betrayer, Pleasure To Kill

More Kreator →

Alestorm once again had the distinct pleasure of closing out a 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. Maybe Organizer Andy took note in 2015 when the band closed out the cruise and decided to schedule them that way in 2018. Who knows, the fact remains that there is NO other band better suited to end a floating festival at seas than Alestorm and the Theater was p-a-c-k-e-d.

As Chris Bowes already mentioned during their first set, this one would include some different songs and the crowd went wild and jumping up and down once the first notes of "Mexico" came over the speakers. There were tons of Mexican flags in the audience and someone handed one to Chris which he wore for most of the song. All awhile "Ducky" the huge yellow blow up duck was sitting prominently in the middle of the stage between keyboardist Elliot Vernon and the drummer waiting to be released into the audience. During "Hangover" someone finally threw Ducky into the crowd and he almost made it to the end of the song.

"You Murderers! This is why we can't have nice things!"

Chris cried after the song since Ducky became inflated due to strenuous moshing. What a great show. Before the song, Phil was again introduced and this time instead of chucking a Fosters he double fisted two Coronas which gave him shortness of breath. Should have stayed with the Fosters, eh Phil?

Apparently Alestorm took a page out of Sabaton's playbook and asked the audience in what language they should sing "Drink" - human or dogs. Needless to say the crowd overwhelmingly chose the dog version. Funny as shit and Chris 'sang' the entire song wuff, wuff, wuff; the last chorus he dedicated to the humans and sang the regular words. Search online for videos - you won't regret it.

Again, it was a great choice to have Alestorm end the cruise and I hope they will be invited on future sailings.

Wait what? Wasn't this already the 3rd time the band was on 70000 Tons Of Metal? Yap, and not just them, there are 16 or so other bands which already played 3 times on the boat. And plenty of bands have already played twice as well. But you know what? I don't care. As the organizers of 70000 Tons Of Metal are getting ready for the next round, they asked the cruisers to compile their 'wish lists' for the 2019 edition. Me personally, I wouldn't mind having repeat 'offenders' back on the ship. There is a difference seeing an artist perform at your local venue compared to on a luxury cruise ship. And I will take the ship any day!!

But I also would be very excited if bands such as Accept, Between The Buried And Me, Dark Angel, Dark Moor, Decapitated, Dust Bolt, Mgła, Power Quest, Running Wild, Thy Art Is Murder, Tombs, Toxic Holocaust, or my current favorite, Powerwolf get their chance to play this awesome festival.

Oh, and in case someone was wondering about my choice of the four cruise article headlines; it's a reference to have Fear Factory grace us with their presence again.

- I Planned Each Charted Course
- Each Careful Step Along The Byway
- And More, Much More Than This
- I Did It My Way

I know, my brain works weird, but Burton C. Bell did such a great rendering of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" during karaoke in 2014 that I thought I would run with it.

My Top 3 bands on Day Four: 1. Kreator 2. Metal Church 3. Destruction

Nothing beats the Pool Deck Stage

---

(Notes from Carl:
When it was all over, I managed to see 53 of 61 bands and 67 sets overall.
In the face of a great achievement comes 70,000 Tons Of Photos, 70,000 Tons Of Memories and, of course 70,000 Tons Of Regrets. Sitting in the airport on that sad, lonely fifth day for 12 hours gives one time to reflect on the little not covered - and the regret of missing out on Wolfheart and Aeternam was nearly as strong as the victory of covering 53/61. In the case of Aeternam, it was a solitary act of ignorance, something as a person who prides himself on keeping tabs on the pulse of metal is very disappointing. The Canadian band eluded my cruise preparation and finally hearing them afterward made those tales of the band's 5am Pool Deck set as the sun was rising (described to me by 3-4 friends) bore into my soul like missing a relative's funeral.

On the last day my Top 3 bands were: 1. Rhapsody 2. Metsatöll 3. Septicflesh)

---

Even though the "official" portion of the cruise was over, the party didn't stop there. The ever so entertaining karaoke was going strong up until we arrived back at the port in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Regrets? Nah, not really; I saw most of the bands I planned on watching, with the exception of Gyze, Metsatöll, Naglfar and Columbia's Revenge.

To end this year's coverage here are Carl's and my Top 5 performances of 70000 Tons Of Metal 2018:

CROMCarl's Top 5 Sets of the Entire Cruise: 1. Rhapsody Reunion (Pool Deck) 2. Rhapsody Reunion (Alhambra Theater) 3. In Mourning (Alhambra Theater) 4. Samael (Pool Deck) 5. Witchery (Studio B)

D.T. Metal's Top 5 Sets of the Entire Cruise: 1. Kreator (Pool Deck) 2. Freedom Call (Theater) 3. Metal Church (Pool Deck) 4. Battle Beast (Theater) 5. Dark Tranquillity (Pool Deck)

---

Check the below Official Day Four recap video from 70000tons.tv

---

Save the dates: 31 Jan - 4 Feb 2019 !!! We are already making plans for next year's epic adventure and so should you!

Check the 70000 Tons Of Metal website frequently for upcoming booking information, browse the Official Forum, follow their Twitter feed and "like" the Facebook page to stay up-to-date so you won't miss the boat.

Ahoi - over and out

Written on 10.04.2018 by D.T. Metal Former boss lady. Now just a professional concertgoer... dangerously armed with a camera!

More articles by D.T. Metal ››