Bloodstock has continued to build and build in recent years and has truly become one of the monsters of the UK festival circuit. Famed especially for its incredible atmosphere, 2015 is all set to be another phenomenal event for Heavy Music. See below for our picks from this year’s line up, who knows you may discover something new - that is some of the beauty of these festivals. Room Thirteen’s very own Gareth Allen will be in attendance this year, don’t forget to buy him a beer!
Trivium
Trivium’s career in heavy music has actually only spanned just over ten years. That seems crazy right? The amount of highs and lows this band have gone through in ten years has made it all feel like much longer. After the band exploded in 2004/2005, from the off people had them down for future festival headliners. Whilst they haven’t achieved that just yet at the really big guns, the announcement that they were headlining Bloodstock in 2015 felt like a culmination of all the hard work this band have put in for so long. With a new album imminent, the buzz around this set will be big.
Top Tracks: Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr, In Waves, Throes Of Perdition
Rob Zombie
To many, Rob Zombie’s addition as headliner to the Bloodstock line up came as a bit of surprise. Not because he doesn’t deserve such a slot, but more because you won’t regularly see the man himself hit the UK for big shows. The one off dates in recent years all rightly received widespread critical acclaim so when the eccentric Zombie hits the Main Stage come Sunday night at Bloodstock expect something very special indeed as he'll cascade through new and old material.
Top Tracks: Dragula, Superbeast, Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Super Town
Within Temptation
Another new headliner for this year’s event, Within Temptation’s stock in the heavy scene in recent years has absolutely exploded. Now at a point where they are selling out arenas with ease across Europe, Bloodstock have booked themselves a really big name. Interestingly as well for all three headliners at Bloodstock this year, they all bring something slightly different as Within Temptation will bring a dose of the Symphonic to proceedings. With six studio albums to choose from, expect a big set list with all the crowd favourites.
Top Tracks: Stand My Ground, Dangerous, Angels
Opeth
There are few bands in heavy music who divide opinion quite like Opeth do at the moment. The band’s talents and skills have led them to writing a series of albums of such varied style, drawing together different influences, it has kind of got to a point where some fans don’t know really what to think. One thing that has remained a consistent feature in this band’s career though is their stunning delivery at live shows. With the fact that across their back catalogue it has proven to be so varied, there is always this heightened sense of intrigue as to what exactly to expect with each show. Whatever they decide on the day, prepare to go in with the possibility of having your mind blown.
Top Tracks: Ghost Of Perdition, The Devil’s Orchard, Soldier Of Fortune
Orange Goblin
If you’re going to rely on one band to fly the flag for Metal music, you can absolutely trust in Orange Goblin. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary (yes 20 years!!), one of Bloodstock’s favourite sons return to the Main Stage to no doubt deliver a set stacked full of crowd favourites. We caught them at Desertfest back in April and they were on absolutely blinding form so you’d be a fool to miss this.
Top Tracks: Red Tide Rising, Rage Of Angels, Acid Trial
Conan
Favourites of ours here at Room Thirteen, Conan are all set to hit the Sophie Lancaster Stage on Friday early evening so if you’re looking for a dose of some seriously heavy Doom riffs you know where you should be. The band have been busy working away on new material so expect them to unveil those along some of the more standard set additions. It will be early in the evening on Friday and already this band will cause some serious Bloodstock head trauma. Heavy and unforgiving.
Top Tracks: Foehammer, Gravity Chasm, Hawk As Weapon
Cannibal Corpse
If Glastonbury had Lionel Richie for their Sunday afternoon ‘Legends Slot’ then Bloodstock have Cannibal Corpse. Pretty easy to say that the vast majority of this year’s line up will have had Cannibal Corpse as one of their influences along the way. Still very much a driving force in Death Metal, the band will no doubt play a mix of some of the older classics and newer material and much like Lionel at Glasto, will likely attract one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. A true Bloodstock neck trauma band.
Top Tracks: Hammer Smashed Face, Meat Hook Sodomy, Demented Aggression
Godflesh
After the legendary Industrial Metal outfit Godflesh resurfaced after a couple of years away in 2010 they’ve been leading an absolute onslaught. Version 2.0 of Godflesh have been pulling even less punches than they had been previously. In what started out as the odd show here and there has culminated in new music and them closing out the Sophie Lancaster Stage on the Sunday night. Last year’s A World Lit Only By Fire was truly superb and it is probably fair to expect a large chunk of the set list will feature tracks from it. But with a back catalogue going all the way back to 1989 there is no shortage of material to choose from. You can absolutely trust them to bring a thunderous close to the stage on Sunday night.
Top Tracks: Streetcleaner, New Dark Ages, Mothra
Trepalium
Another favourite of ours here at Room Thirteen, this French Jazz Metal band deliver a phenomenally unique sound which in the live environment gets crowds brilliantly riled. There will be people in the crowd having a boogie alongside those having a mosh. Their career has taken a real upward turn in the last year or so and this is all set to be another big step.
Top Tracks: Sick Boogie Murder, Moonshine Limbo, Insane Architect
Alunah
Alunah are garnishing a great live reputation, together with universal critical acclaim for their last album, the stunning Awakening The Forest. Their combination of doom, blues and psychedelic influences is completely original, and in Sophie Day the band has one of the most original voices in metal. Room Thirteen witnessed them give a killer performance earlier in the year in Glasgow, and would recommend you catch them on the Sunday.
Top Tracks: Bricket Wood Coven, Heavy Bough and Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
Best Of The Rest!
With a line up as stacked as Bloodstock is this year, we could go on for days writing about each band individually. Alongside the phenomenal nine bands above don’t forget to check out the likes of Black Label Society where Zakk Wylde will no doubt, once again, deliver a guitar masterclass, the Brazilian nut cases Sepultura who have been Bloodstock favourites in recent years and the legendary Sabaton. That’s even before we delve in to some of the other stages featuring the likes of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hang The Bastard, Oaf and Godsized. BIG line up which you should not be missing out on.
Bloodstock Open Air 2015 takes place at Catton Park in Derbyshire on 6th-9th August. Ticket packages still available to GO BUY NOW!