FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Festival 2019 – Saturday

With out massive Thursday and Friday reviews out the way, it’s time to look back at that truly epic Saturday at Bloodstock Festival 2019. We were really very busy, so we won’t waste any more time introducing things.

KRYSTHLA – Ronnie James Dio Stage

It’s a tall order trying to get hungover metalheads down early, add some drizzle and that order gets even taller. But if you’re the finest band in the UK metal scene right now it’s no problem, enter KRYSTHLA. Vocalist Adi Mayes stands over the crowd and screams “lose you’re fucking minds”, and he’s not asking, he’s ordering as a raging tech thrash hybrid beast charges out the speaker and blasts the crowd right in the gullet. The crowd instantly wakes and begins starts bouncing to the nu metal bounce of the rhythm section. Tracks off the new album Worldwide Negative shine through with the clean vocals offering a nice palate cleanser and change of pace, the chorus of single Zero Sum Game absolutely booms around the field. It wasn’t the easiest spot on the bill but the ever determined KRYSTHLA turned it around and gave one of the best performances this year and there are few bands more deserving to be on that stage. As they take a photo with the crowd it feels like a victory for British metal.

Rating: 8/10

LOTUS EATER – Sophie Lancaster Stage

Gloom may be LOTUS EATER’s self-proclaimed home, but the Glaswegians are completely at ease owning the Sophie Lancaster Stage. “We’re going to fuck this fucking tent up!” vocalist Jamie McLees declares – and by god he’s not joking around either. Their nightmarish cacophony of harrowing grooves and maniacal screams over electronic squalls and bludgeoning riffs are the perfect early afternoon accompaniment – as well as the antidote to any lingering Friday night bangovers. Swathed in eerie green lights, the five-piece rage relentlessly through a set more akin to an unhinged live catharsis. The juxtaposition of flying beach balls alongside pumping fists during a chaotic Yuck verges on comical; the sheer battery of songs like the debut EP’s feral title track and Mother’s frenzied rhythms incite a plethora of pits making the collective’s visceral arsenal impossible to resist. Today they’re a revelation and must surely be main stage candidates next time out.

Rating: 8/10

CANCER BATS – Ronnie James Dio Stage

CANCER BATS are one of the few hardcore punk bands that are just as comfortable a top a metal festival as they are in the dingiest basement shows. The Canadian group come out swinging with Gatekeeper, and the moment the bass line hits for Sabotage the pit erupts into absolute bedlam. CANCER BATS own the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock, and do it with massive grins across their faces the entire time as well. When it comes for them to round off their set with a huge rendition of War Pigs it brings in one of the most wholesome singalongs the weekend will ever see, and also offers the same triumphant feel as when POWER TRIP played the same slot last year. If there was any wonder if CANCER BATS belonged at Bloodstock, then this should have well and truly put that fear to rest.

Rating: 8/10 

GUARDIANS OF TIME – Sophie Lancaster Stage

The longship has docked and the time to arise is now – for Norwegian power metal brethren GUARDIANS OF TIME have arrived to blow the Bloodstock faithful away. Atmospheric passages sit alongside relentless blastbeats and memorable hooks giving this enthusiastic crowd ample opportunities to join in during many sing-along choruses. Material from 2015’s Rage and Fire sounds particularly potent in a live setting. Empire’s soaring anthemia highlights the melodic vibrancy of Bernt Fjellestad’s vocal range while the plentiful guitar solos are often reminiscent of traditional heavy metal soundscapes. Accessible but never generic in sound, it’s the kind of propulsive performance that might just see them stride across the hallowed turf beside genre stalwarts ICED EARTH and HELLOWEEN in the future.

Rating: 7/10

RED METHOD – Sophie Lancaster Stage

First impressions are very important, and as RED METHOD greet you with a mammoth sized nu metal riff and the whole band simultaneously losing their minds they leave a very powerful first impression. It’s a very nu metal sight to behold in fact, matching jumpsuits, keyboardist reeking havoc, even an intimidating fella in a mask. It’s all very 00s but done in an endearing way. Every song hits you with a big dirty riff to bounce to. Vocalist Jeremy Gomez unleashes furious high screams as Alex Avdis launches his keyboard into the air to reach Olympic level heights (if keyboard throwing was a sport, he’d be a world champion).  Some black swan-esque dancers come out to add some atmosphere and story to the tracks. Some sound problems arrive but are ironed out before long and the band never let it deter them, they just keep tapping into their seemingly limitless supply of energy. They may not be the most ‘brootal’ band on the Bloodstock lineup, but RED METHOD are certainly one of the most chaotic.

Rating: 8/10

VOIDLURKER – Hobgoblin New Blood Stage

Just last month, Birmingham’s VOIDLURKER tore the Hammer & The Anvil apart to take the Metal 2 The Masses Final crown and now the quartet are bringing a clenched fistful of doom to the Hobgoblin New Blood Stage. Mixing fuzz-laden vibes with stoner sludge and a hefty injection of distorted riffage, the trio take musical cues from ELECTRIC WIZARD and WEEDEATER. Dark and atmospheric, there’s times during the set where you’re almost driven into a trance-like state as a result of the monolithic riffcraft; songs like Industrial Nightmare and Rotten Seed seethe with aggression and have the propensity to melt faces as well as win over a brand-new legion of fans

Rating: 7/10

GRIEF RITUAL – Hobgoblin New Blood Stage 

Comfortably sitting at the more extreme end of the musical spectrum for this year’s Hobgoblin New Blood Stage lineup, GRIEF RITUAL are the closest thing you’ll get to the grinding and abusive anger of genres like powerviolence, and the Cheltenham boys wield the power well. Their stage presence is undeniable, and their musical assault is difficult to ignore. Bouncing from break neck blast beats to jagged, thunderous breakdowns, GRIEF RITUAL drag those present through the mud for 30 minutes of intense blackened hardcore noise that is as varied and interesting as it is raptuous. Given the Saturday lineup, GRIEF RITUAL are the perfect secret for any savvy fan who know what’s what, or just the lucky few who stumbled across them. Given how young the band are, being this confident with both their music and stage show gives insight into a band who are probably going to end up on the main stage at some point in the future.

Rating: 9/10 

EVIL SCARECROW – Ronnie James Dio Stage

Ever stood in a field with thousands of metalheads, shuffled urgently from left to right whilst holding both hands aloft making pincer-like motions as you located your inner crab? Such glorious absurdity has become part and parcel of the EVIL SCARECROW live experience and today is no exception with Catton scuttling en masse as a triumphant rendition of Crabulon erupts. The ensuing prop menagerie provokes head-scratching from the uninitiated and collective giggling elsewhere; there’s foil UFO’s dangling from the heavens as well as two ghosts twirling across the Ronnie James Dio Stage. The hurricane force winds force the pyro to be ditched but our cockles (and hearts) are duly warmed as the SCARECROW bring on 12-year old Alfie Wood for fan favourite Robototron – and suffice to say the little dude can shred as well as rocking the corpse-painted aesthetic. Gimmicky? Yes. Ridiculously captivating scenes in every sense of the word? Absolutely.

Rating: 8/10

THY ART IS MURDER – Ronnie James Dio Stage

You’ve likely seen the videos by now, but if not, then THY ART IS MURDER absolutely decimated the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock, and did so whilst looking fabulous as well. CJ McMahon waltzes on stage in a leopard print shirt before leading the group through an opening Death Squad Anthem. The crowd is keen and immediately opens the mosh pit to accommodate the sheer volume of bodies cascading towards the centre of the crowd. The Purest Strain of Hate means the pit gets very violent for five minutes, and a Micheal Jackson moment of screaming into the wind during Slaves Beyond Death gives THY ART IS MURDER a genuinely good claim for moment of the whole festival, but what cannot be denied it how effortless, brilliant, heavy, and utterly flooring this whole performance was. A joke about them headlining the festival may have been just that, but with a crowd reaction like this, is it really that far fetched?

Rating: 9/10 

THE WILDHEARTS – Ronnie James Dio Stage

You have to feel a little bit bad for THE WILDHEARTS for having to follow that. Given the fact that THE WILDHEARTS are replacing CODE ORANGE, the punk rock legends do seem to be genuinely pleased to be here. But even with how happy they are, and the ego kick that Ginger gets from having his first time attend Bloodstock be when he plays, the set feels like nothing more than an afternoon filler. The set never goes anywhere, and whilst the songs have the power to get the crowd moving along, there is really nothing standout here. The fact that Ginger openly admits he can’t remember what albums any of the songs they’re playing are from just kind of tells you, this isn’t a set you should be paying attention to, just one to pass the time.

Rating: 5/10 

DIVINE CHAOS – Sophie Lancaster Stage

Due to “unforeseen circumstances” DIVINE CHAOS have been drafted in to replace Generation Kill over on the Sophie Stage. Unfortunately, the continuing weather issues and earlier main stage closure have resulted in their rescheduled set clashing with thrash titans ANTHRAX. Nevertheless, the tent is packed out and the five-piece proceed to unleash a symphony of destruction. The sonic thunder of Path To War rapidly opens up one of the set’s countless circle pits and there’s bodies flying into each other as far as the eye can see during a rabid Decivilise. Singalongs and Ric Flair-esque chants are never far away but it’s the London bruisers’ ability to balance that old-school thrash darkness a la DEATH with modern tech-death precision that impresses.

Rating: 8/10

ANTHRAX – Ronnie James Dio Stage

The weather continued to make its present felt by eating about 30 minutes of ANTHRAX original set time before the confirmation that the band will go on at 8:00. The crowd reaction is palpable, as for many, this is a bit of a headline slot for the Saturday. When they finally step on stage, the reaction is, frankly, ridiculous. The pit swells immediately as the band kick into Caught In A Mosh and then just simply refuse to take their foot off the accelerator. Madhouse keeps the pit spinning whilst the crowd sings along with every word, and the always iconic Indians closes the set in such immense fashion that a lot of punters are left in awe at what they just saw when all is said and done. This is a set made up exclusively of the very best cuts from the legendary back catalogue, and the resulting energy truly is stratospheric for the entire performance. Even if Scott Ian restarting the mosh pit for a second war dance was certainly very gimmicky, that is neither here nor there. What really matters is that even when Mother Nature tries to put a dampner on Bloodstock, thrash metal will always be there to save us

Rating: 9/10 

MASTER’S CALL – Hobgoblin New Blood Stage

If you like seething blackened death metal with a melodic twinge and a flare for the theatrics then MASTER’S CALL are your new favourite band. As furious melodeath riffs was over the new blood stage a hulking figure looms over the crowd spreading incense, through his mask you can only see a pair of the most intense eyes that will put the fear on Satan in you. He lets out bellowing growls whilst the rhythm section goes into overtime. It’s a hell of an intimidating sight and the music is an awesome blend of brutality and catchiness. As the onslaught of bleak and howling guitar continues the mysterious singer wretches “in the name of the father, in the name of the bastard son” the crowd are pulled into it all and begin to lose their minds. It feels very BEHEMOTH but more visceral and less gimmicky. The masked beast leaps into crowd for their last moments and reveals his face with paint, it’s somehow more intimidating. In a short amount of time they stun the new blood stage, of all the hopeful bands playing on there this weekend you can place a hefty bet that MASTER’S CALL will be the one to explode.

Rating: 9/10

PARKWAY DRIVE – Ronnie James Dio Stage

The time has come. After months of social media speculation, PARKWAY DRIVE are moments away from making their debut UK festival headliner appearance. It’s perhaps Bloodstock’s most controversial booking to date – provoking the usual online trolling and doubts as to whether an arena-selling metalcore band could (or should) be here tonight. The earlier closure of the main stage has delayed the Byron Bay natives’ set by thirty minutes so suffice to say that anticipation is reaching fever pitch as a flurry of activity is suddenly clocked by those gathered down the front. Flanked by cloaked figures holding burning torches, rising shouts of “PARKWAY DRIVE!” begin to reverberate as the band finally reach the stage. It only takes one spotlight to illuminate talisman Winston McCall and the collective shit of this crowd is promptly lost as an absolutely crushing Wishing Wells kicks off 90-plus minutes of hair-raising, face-melting and jaw-dropping modern metal brilliance. Both Prey and Vice Grip are delivered with caustic verve; allowing onlookers the opportunity to bellow along whilst blinding pyro explosions kick off and plumes of fire soar. Circle pits open at McCall’s behest during the utterly monstrous Karma with bodies constantly flying towards the barrier as a nuclear-strength Absolute Power quite literally drops like a bomb. As with the arena shows earlier this year, there’s a string quartet in attendance and whilst the heavier cuts appear to fuel the audience majority, there’s no disputing the atmospheric majesty of Writings on the Wall and Shadow Boxing. Take a bow PARKWAY DRIVE – here’s to a new era of festival headliners.

Rating: 9/10     

TAAKE – Sophie Lancaster Stage

Bloodstock has an excellent reputation for ensuring that at least one of their headline offerings is of the more outlandish and extreme. This year it is TAAKE who are the torch bearers for the most extreme of black metal, and their performance is a statement of intent. The strobe lighting and harsh blue spot lights that fill most of the Sophie Lancaster Stage immediately create a cold and harsh atmosphere simply highlighted by the sheer, tooth grinding intensity of the black metal being performed. There is relent, and there is no mercy to be found here, as TAAKE pace and dominate the stage, spewing untold amounts of bile and anger into the captivated crowd. Coming off the back of PARKWAY DRIVE, this is an entirely different universe, and one that doesn’t care much for stage show. This is musical and theatrical intensity unlike anything you’ll experience at any other stage of the weekend, and indeed at any other point of the summer.

Rating: 8/10

Words: Eddie Sims, Sophie Maughan & Jack King

And that rounds off our coverage of the Saturday of this year’s Bloodstock Festival! Keep posted to Distorted Sound as we bring you our coverage of the final day of this year’s festival very soon!