Bloodstock Open Air 2023 – Friday
Bloodstock Open Air 2023 – Friday
Catton Hall Park
11/08/23
Live Review by Oli Gonzalez
Arriving at the (un)holy grounds of Catton Hall Park felt warm, nostalgic, like I was home once again. I met my friend in the car park as pre-arranged, having only arrived a minute or two apart despite coming from opposite ends of the country. We made the short 900 metre pilgrimage to the pearly gates / entrance. This day for me was going to be special, with many bands on my bucket list to tick off. Not necessarily a day for discovering new bands, as festivals often are, but one for me to take a journey down memory lane and relive some experiences from my teenage years, when I discovered most of the bands I was about to see on this day.
Wytch Hazel
We arrived in time to catch the Lancastrian based heavy metal act. Sporting all white attire, it was a pleasant way to start the day for me (though Wytch Hazel were second on the main stage). Bloodstock is about celebrating all aspects of metal. For me, Wytch Hazel were a delightful throwback to the classic heavy metal days, back to where it all started really.
In a set filled with infectious hook after infectious hook, there was subtle yet enjoyable melodic quality to their songs. Though the quartet seemed nervous on perhaps the biggest show of their lives, they certainly sounded the part. Or maybe they can just sit back, relax, and let their music do the talking, rather than needless showboating. It’s a testament to Bloodstock to providing an opportunity for bands like Wytch Hazel, a band I would never have heard of if it wasn’t for the festival, despite being in the same region of the country.
https://www.facebook.com/wytchhazel
Hate
The Polish blackened-death metal act were a thoroughly pleasant surprise when I was introduced to them back in February of this year, when supporting the mighty Batuskha in Manchester. I was excited to see them again and one of the main reasons I got a ticket for this day. The fact I managed to get myself to the barrier made it even sweeter! I asked my friend if he thought we’d see any crowd surfers this early on in the day. A few minutes into their set, and we saw our first crowd surfers of the day. The crowd was fully awake at this point, and the carnage had begun.
With fan favourites such as Wolf Queen, and Erebos, this was simply a solid set. There’s something about Hate that gives them a raw, no-nonsense approach to their craft. No fancy rigs or stage set, just good old fashioned valve amps and brutal riffs played with blinding speed and intensity. With that being said, I do wonder if this is something that is holding the band back from climbing higher up the card on festivals like this. Something they are more than capable of achieving!
https://www.facebook.com/HATEOFFICIAL/
Gatecreeper
“Hang on, this isn’t Sacred Reich”, I thought as I saw Gatecreeper’s banner slowly being raised. Turns out the two bands had swapped stage times very late on. I wasn’t deterred. Still at the barrier, I had prime viewing for the carnage that was about to unfold. I observed the band’s guitarist filming with his smart phone. I naturally roared like a constipated lion to get his attention, to which I was acknowledged and am now probably living digitally somewhere on an obscure MP4 file within said phone. I noticed one member sported an Obituary t-shirt. Fitting really considering the two band’s similar styles, and what I consider to be a good comparison for their sound. Rather than blinding blast beats, or scorching tremolo picked riffs, Gatecreeper will bludgeon you with the slowest most agonising of death metal attacks, crushing riff after sludgy crushing riff. Every single note is chosen carefully for maximal impact. This wasn’t designed to be pretty. More human sacrifices threw themselves out of the crowd and into the ‘other side’. These were the only band for the day which I had never known prior to watching them. I think it’ll definitely be worth checking out more of their back catalogue after today’s display!
https://www.facebook.com/gatecreeper
Devil’s Henchmen
Time for a meander over to the New Blood Stage for a band that I’ve got a lot of good history with from both my promoting and musician days. Simply, this was the best they’ve ever looked and sounded! The premium backline and lighting rig on offer provides a phenomenal opportunity to bands like this year’s winners of the Merseyside Metal To The Masses winners. Devil’s Henchmen took full advantage of this and laid absolutely everything on that stage. It’s hard to believe that despite being so young, the band have been a permanent fixture in the North West underground scene for several years now. They played with a confidence and maturity well beyond their years, I’d love to see the band capitalise on this momentum and return to festivals like this.
A brave decision to play so many songs from their upcoming album, some not released to the public. The old school thrash stylings were very well received by the crowd though, and we saw circle pits and a wall of death right in the heart of that tent. Excellent work!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063618938017
Square Wild
“They’re not really metal though, are they?”. I’ve heard comments like this with regards to this year’s Metal To The Masses winners from Manchester. To be honest I find them absolutely ridiculous! Any band that has gone through 4 rounds of competition in arguably the toughest region of the whole initiative thoroughly deserves their place on that New Blood Stage!
Whilst Square Wild will never be the kind of band to assault your eardrums with breakdowns, down tuned riffs, and guttural vocals, they’re the kind of band who you can just sit back and admire. That’s because the level of musicianship from all four members is phenomenal. Whether it’s the hypnotic groovy bass lines, experimental song structures, or psychedelic guitar passages, they will certainly keep you guessing and entertained. The band describe themselves as genre-fluid, and I couldn’t think of a better term.
Front woman Lucy was the icing on the cake though. Her stage presence was on point and her powerful soaring vocals filled that New Blood tent. The crowd lapped it up and we could see a conga line of maybe a hundred people in, such was their level of engagement. Pretty excellent result for a band that ‘aren’t really metal’, ey?
https://www.facebook.com/squarewild
Heaven Shall Burn
Time to head back to the main stage for another bucket list band of mine. I was first introduced to the German act back when I was 16, just when I was leaving high school. This made it pretty special to finally see them perform. “Woah, they’re not messing around”. Rather than a silent thought, this was something I blurted out loud as I heard the introduction to Endzeit, arguably their strongest song. This was a statement. They brought their A game on this day. They also brought grade A production, with the elaborate lighting rig and pyro in unholy harmony with the music. The crowd caused absolute carnage with circle pits galore, bodies flying over the barrier, and a glorious wall of death. A rather warm welcome I’d say for this, their maiden UK festival appearance. Remarkable considering how long the band have been around for. Maybe one day, we’ll see them climb even higher up the Bloodstock card, or at least at more UK festivals! After all, there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t. Given off that performance!
https://www.facebook.com/officialheavenshallburn
In Flames
A special one for me, considering In Flames were a crucial band for me in my teenage years. Listening to hits such as Cloud Connected, Leeches, and Only For The Weak always fills me with a warm sense of nostalgia, and takes me back to 15 year old Oli. Back when I first discovered the Swedish metal act’s music. You can imagine my delight knowing that all 3 made an appearance in their set!
I last saw them in Manchester circa March 2019 (also the first time I had seen them), making the rookie error of not listening to their last albums prior to the show. I did not make this mistake this time round and binged their latest album in the weeks leading up to this. This review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning ‘Trumpet Man’. Yes, a man dressed in mediaeval robes periodically cutting across the noise of the crowd with the brass instrument.
It’s not uncommon for In Flames to invite fans from the crowd on stage. This day was no exception as this lucky guy probably had the most exciting moments of his life. It’s this crowd engagement that makes In Flames so special to many of us. Their energy was infectious, and there was absolute chaos in the crowd! All of this makes me think they’ll be back, going one step further and headlining. In Flames, We Trust.
https://www.facebook.com/inflames
It was pre-announced that after In Flames’ set, some bands for next year’s lineup would be announced. As per tradition. It was delightful to see the boss himself Simon Hall standing on the main stage to announce the announcements, especially after his recent health problems. Let’s just say next year’s lineup will mean I’m going for the weekend next year, not just one day!
Killswitch Engage
“I’m going to wait here for an hour, so I can get right to the front” was my logic, as I had an hour gap to occupy before Killswitch Engage’s headline set. Seems like hundreds of others had the exact same idea (it wasn’t really that novel of me now, was it). This just speaks to the immense popularity of the New England natives, often referred to as the fathers of metalcore. If you don’t believe me, just ask anybody how many Killswitch Engage t-shirts you could see in the crowd that day!
The sun began to set, the arena became darker, and the crowd slowly began to fill up. This was before the stage lights came on, and we heard the iconic introduction to My Curse. I thought the roar of the crowd was loud. That was nothing compared to the roar of when Adam D made his way to the stage. I quickly said to my friend “when we get separated, I’ll meet you at the dodgems after this set”. ‘When’ being the key word. Approximately 6.23 seconds later, Jesse unleashed one of his iconic screams, the song was truly in flow now, and I suddenly found myself in a circle pit with probably 100 others! This was pretty much going to be the theme for the next few songs. Absolute carnage in the pits (yes, pits being plural). More bodies were flying over the barriers, and across the sacred Catton Hall Park’s ground.
I realised how terrible my cardio was, so I needed to catch my breath. Luckily, they began to play ‘Arms Of Sorrow’, a relatively slower and more melodic number. “Deeper I’m falling, into the arms of sorrow”. I’m sure the crowd singing in unison was louder than the band at one point! I grasped the opportunity to marvel at the elaborate stage set up. Everything was just… perfect. Really. It was fully nighttime now, allowing us to fully appreciate the light show. This was truly carved to perfection for this, the band’s very first UK headline festival appearance. The level of detail is absolutely sublime.
“Corn beef balls! Corn beef box! Corn beef balls! Corn beef box!”. Midway through the set, Adam D unleashed some of his iconic banter by trolling the crowd for a prediction of how each and everyone’s hygiene was going to deteriorate over the next few days. Alarmingly, the crowd saw this as a badge of honour and joined in with this chant! Talk about having the crowd in the palm of your hand!
After some friendly insults from Adam, the band continued the set, churning out classic hit after classic hit. Some from their most recent albums, some from the groundbreaking Alive Or Just Breathing. I remember discovering this album as a 10 year old primary school kid. Still wet behind the ears, beginning to learn the facts of life, and dancing around the living room to the video for ‘My Last Serenade’ on Kerrang TV. Then there’s me, 31 year old Oli in the crowd, nearly in tears listening to this very same song. Live. This is what life is all about. Moments like this. I felt like we were witnessing something truly remarkable. I didn’t want this to end. But sadly, the set had to end. Being on the Ronnie James Dio stage, there could not be a more fitting tribute to the late great himself than the iconic Holy Diver. A magical end to an unforgettable set.
https://www.facebook.com/killswitchengage
I met my friend at the rendezvous spot. We took some time to process what had just happened. I was still running on adrenaline, endorphins swimming through my veins. We could hear Candlemass performing to an understandably packed out Sophie Stage. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to the 2 hour drive back to Liverpool, though I knew I could do in the knowledge that I had created some core memories, some I’ll most likely relay to my future grandchildren. I’ll be back next year. For the full weekend this time.
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