FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Bloodstock Festival 2021

After a barren year that saw a festival-less summer thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, flash-forward to the here and now and it feels like we’re in somewhat of a much better situation than we were 12 months. Whilst the pandemic is far from over, the success of the vaccination programme (at least here in the UK) means that life is far closer to normal than it was in 2020. With the last of the lockdown restrictions ending in July and the green light for mass gatherings lit, festivals are back. And by God, it feels great to utter those words. For heavy music fans, the Download Pilot test event gave a glimpse into a pre-COVID world, but now, the big one is here. Bloodstock Festival kicks off this week and it intends to be a heavy metal party like no other. This is Distorted Sound‘s festival preview for Bloodstock Festival 2021!

Wednesday August 11th

This year, the party kicks off a day early. Largely to celebrate the festival’s major 20th anniversary, but to a wider extent to celebrate the the return of Bloodstock post-COVID, the first day of the festival sees a number of bands kick off the party from The Sophie Lancaster Stage. British trash veterans ONSLAUGHT headline the stage with what will be surely a triumphant end to the day following sets from BEHOLDER (who perform their farewell show, a fitting end to a band that has a long history with the festival), comedic metallers RAISED BY OWLS, shock rock unit WARD XVI and prog-meets-death merchants ANAKIM.

Thursday August 12th

Day two of Bloodstock and the action gets even better. With performances coming purely from The Sophie Lancaster Stage, the Hobgoblin New Blood Stage and Jagermeister Stage, the focus is purely on some of the finest British bands in the underground. Sophie Lancaster Stage headliners LAWNMOWER DETH are the perfect band to keep the party raging long into the night whilst earlier performances from the likes of URNE, who released arguably one of the finest metal albums of the year in Serpent & Spirit, Scottish tech-death metallers GODEATER, BOODSHOT DAWN‘s Josh McMorran‘s solo project FORLORN WORLD, LUNA’S CALL or the densely heavy KURKUMA are just some of the outrageous talent on offer on the festival’s second day. Throw in the likes of RIPTIDE, CASKET FEEDER, THE CRAWLING, KING WITCH, ASHJEN CROWN and PEMPHIGOID and the day gets even better.

Friday August 13th

By the time Friday rolls around, we’d forgive you for needing a breather after two stupidly good first days of Bloodstock but with the Ronnie James Dio Stage open for business, we encourage you to batten down the hatches and dive back into the pit once more. The Friday of this year’s Bloodstock is peppered with some superb talent, all who will surely ensure that heads bang from dusk ’til dawn. Headliner DEVIN TOWNSEND, who entered the UK weeks prior to the festival to undergo quarantine, will be an utter treat after performances from wild animals SKINDRED (the perfect band to experience post-COVID), and UK breakout metal stars LOATHE, SVALBARD and VENOM PRISON.

Dig a little deeper into Friday’s billing and it just gets better and better. To shake off the hangover from the night before, Manchester’s FOETAL JUICE are the perfect band to get the adrenaline surging once more, whilst the likes of grindcore veterans NAPALM DEATH, battle doom monsters CONAN and British trashers EVILE are the heavy hitters on The Sophie Lancaster Stage. If emerging talent is your bag, then Friday’s billing has a number of treats for you to feast upon. From epic doom-meets-post-metallers GARGANJUA, rising metal outfit INSURGENT, UK sludge merchants SAIL or the youthful BEYOND EXTINCTION, you’re next favourite band could be discovered on Bloodstock Festival‘s Friday.

Saturday August 14th

Intending to keep the party going, Saturday’s billing is as equally stacked as the previous day with a host of quality bands scattered across the festival’s four stages. German thrash veterans KREATOR land the coveted Ronnie James Dio Stage headliner slot whilst Ukrainian progressive metallers JINJER reclaim their slot earlier in the day thanks to the lifting of quarantine for European arrivals into the UK. Akin to the previous day, the earlier portion of the main stage billing features some of the finest bands produced on home soil through CONJURER, MALEVOLENCE and SYLOSIS whilst WHILE SHE SLEEPS‘ Bloodstock debut will surely be a historic moment and the double-whammy of PARADISE LOST and sub-headliners CRADLE OF FILTH will showcase that the established British bands can go toe-to-toe with their younger compatriots.

Look further down the billing of Bloodstock Festival‘s Saturday and the quality keeps presenting itself. PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS close The Sophie Lancaster Stage with what will surely be a rocking good time whilst death metal mainstays MEMORIAM, black metal stalwarts WINTERFYLLETH, breakout metallers VIDEO NASTIES, slammers PARTY CANNON and metallic bruisers VISCERA will keep the tent packed to the rafters. Throw in the likes of progressive instrumental darlings MOUNTAIN CALLER, hardcore hitters BAILER or blackened deathcore band BLOOD CHURCH and there is a whole host of wicked bands to check out on Bloodstock Festival‘s Saturday.

Sunday August 15th

The last day of a festival is always a bittersweet affair. It’s the last day of action before returning to normal day to day life and after the impact of the pandemic, we anticipate that the last day of Bloodstock Festival will hit all the more harder. Fortunate then, that the festival’s final day is blessed with just as much quality as the days previously. Heavy metal heroes JUDAS PRIEST will close the action on the Ronnie James Dio Stage to celebrate their incredible milestone of a 50 year anniversary whilst essentially the Bloodstock Festival house band EVIL SCARECROW will end the night with a big bang.

Earlier in the day though, there’s a wealth of talent to experience. BLOODSHOT DAWN can credit a lot of their most successful moments to Bloodstock and their early slot on the main stage will be something of a homecoming whilst sets from the likes of SAXON, BLEED FROM WITHIN, GLORYHAMMER and ORANGE GOBLIN will further add fuel to the fire that British metal is alive and thriving. Dig deeper into the billing on the last day of Bloodstock Festival and this becomes more apparent. From breakout stars VEXED, who hit the festival on the back of the vicious Culling Culture, to Hull’s downtempo heavy hitters BLACK TONGUE, Bury-based riff connoisseurs PIST or the magnificent GREEN LUNG, there is so much quality homegrown talent to enjoy on the last day of Bloodstock Festival.

Five days. Hundreds of bands. This year’s Bloodstock Festival will be a monumental and emphatic occasion of heavy music. Ensure you undergo the COVID-19 safety measures to ensure you are COVID-negative to protect those around you. We’ll see you down the front!

For more information on Bloodstock Festival like their official page on Facebook.