Swedish progressive legends, OPETH will headline Friday’s Ronnie James Dio main stage for a very special fan-chosen set. What’s more, the performance will be their only UK show in 2024. Frontman Mikael Akerfeldt informs us: “So…back to BLOODSTOCK 2024 for us, it appears! I don’t remember how many times we’ve played the festival, but we do have fond memories from there. ”Filling in” for Heaven and Hell when RJD had passed is one. Fuck! Can’t remember a more emotional event on stage for us, to be honest. Anyhoooo, we’ll be there ‘rocking’ and ‘rolling’ in our own way, playing songs that you’ve chosen (apparently). Please be gentle. Right now I feel pretty far from being a ROCKER, as I’m writing this sat in my (favourite) greasy sweatpants, and my hair is greasier than ever. I’m working, you see... But I promise I’ll have a look in the mirror before we hit the stage. The band will be tight (that’s also a promise). I’ll sing OK (semi-promise). You’ll recognise the songs (I really have no idea, but you picked them!) and, we’ll be IN. THE. ZONE! All in all, providing the weather’s nice and the beer is cold, the possibilities for a magical night are rather decent. Wouldn’t you say? Hope to see (and hear) you there.” You’d not want to disappoint the man now, would you? Remind yourself of their brilliance via some classic footage of ‘Blackwater Park’ shot at their sold out 2010 Royal Albert Hall show.
The mighty HATEBREED are bringing their 30th Anniversary set to Friday’s main stage bill. Having been forced to cancel their whole UK/European run in 2022, BLOODSTOCK is thrilled to have them return to Catton Park with a stacked set of pit-churning classics. Will they take the title for most number of crowd-surfers during their BLOODSTOCK set from current record holders Cannibal Corpse?! Killswitch Engage came close in 2023, but were about 40 short… Watch them light up Wacken back in 2018 in this footage for ‘Destroy Everything.’
Avant garde prog extremists ENSLAVED play the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Sunday. Formed back in 1991, these long-time masters of their craft have a veritable horde of tracks across 16 albums to narrow down a set list from. Certain to be a welcome return, ENSLAVED were last seen at BLOODSTOCK in 2015. Check out the epic song ‘Congelia’, taken from current album ‘Heimdal’, out now via Nuclear Blast.
Brazilian thrash outfit NERVOSA landing themselves a main stage slot on Friday. The band have recently rejigged their line up, with founding guitarist Prika Amaral also stepping up to now also front the band. Witness their ferocity on recent single ‘Endless Ambition’, taken from their imminent ‘Jailbreak’ album, arriving 29th September.
There’s even more LatAm talent with Brazilian death squad CRYPTA bringing their brutal noise to the main stage on Saturday. Bassist Fernanda Lira and drummer Luana Dametto formed the band after departing NERVOSA back in 2019. Watch them shred their way through ‘Trial Of Traitors,’ taken from their brand new album, ‘Shades Of Sorrow,’ which landed last month via Napalm Records.
Calling all power metal fans! BLOODSTOCK is pleased to share that Finnish PM gang, BEAST IN BLACK will be strutting their stuff on the main stage on Sunday. Currently on the road across North America, you can keep up with their tour antics on their official TikTok! Have you checked out their widely-praised third album ‘Dark Connection’ yet? Watch the video for the most recent single, ‘To The Last Drop Of Blood.’
Bay Area thrash veterans, FORBIDDEN grab a slot on Saturday’s main stage. Having recently re-booted with a brand new frontman (Norman Skinner) and drummer (Chris Kontos), the band wasted no time laying waste to Belgium’s Alcatraz festival this year. Check out ‘Twisted Into Form’ from that incendiary set, and warm up your necks in anticipation for BLOODSTOCK 2024!
In related news, BLOODSTOCK’s founder Paul Gregory has had both his career and life story told in a new documentary, ‘Heavy Metal Painter’. The movie, put together by Toronto-based film-making collective, The Art of Heavy Metal, is set to premiere on the BLOODSTOCK YouTube channel on 10th October. In the meantime, check out the trailer to whet your appetite and get some popcorn ordered in!
There are less than 10% remaining of the standard Early Bird weekend tickets, priced at £165 (+ bkg fee). Once the discounted Early Bird allocation has gone, standard weekend tickets will increase in price to £185 (+ bkg fee), so grab yours and save yourself £20. Head over to the 2024 ticket store now!
BLOODSTOCK’s other 2023 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are AMON AMARTH and ARCHITECTS. Across the weekend you can also expect to see CLUTCH, MALEVOLENCE, ROTTING CHRIST, KORPIKLAANI, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, FLOGGING MOLLY, SEPTIC FLESH, IGORRR, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, HELLRIPPER, GREEN LUNG and INFECTED RAIN, with many more yet to be announced.
Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.
BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2024.
