Bloodstock : 30 Bands Not To Miss - Tortured Demon

Bloodstock 2023 is almost within touching distance. We can almost hear the sound of illegal bins being crashed together. We can almost taste the ridiculously expensive burgers. We can almost feel that tingly feeling in the air. It's Christmas for metalheads and it's almost here. But first, we have the annual excitement of deciding who we should invest our time going to see. Well, we at ROCKFLESH are here to help. It's time for our annual countdown of 30 bands you must see.

30. Tortured Demon – Sophie Lancaster Stage – Saturday around lunchtime.

The rise of these Mancunian teenagers has been nothing short of mesmerising. Two years ago they were on the titchy tiny Jägermeister platform and managed to pull a crowd that not only encircled the stage but stretched out well beyond its usual confines.

I know it feels trite and rather formulaic to say there is something special here, but there is something really special here. What we saw in 2021 was a kinetic ball of potential. What we have now in 2023 is bonafide rock gods in the making. When you are their age, 2 years is an awful long time and Tortured Demon have developed, matured and evolved far beyond anyone's expectations.

Now a four piece, they have honed their modern day take on thrash into a precision engineered slice of driving modern metal. Their debut record “In Desperation's Grip” was exciting because they were producing such quality at such an early age. Their sophomore effort “Rise Of The Lifeless” astounds not because of their relative youthfulness but because simply it is an extraordinary record. They are taking thrash and seeing how far they can run with it.

I said this when I reviewed them in 2021, but I will say it again. This will be one of those “I was there!” moments. When your kids and/or grandkids, besuited in their Asda bought Tortured Demon T-shirts, tootle off to a soulless arena to watch the band play umpteenth nights, you will be able to say I saw them at the beginning, I saw them at Bloodstock and I knew I had seen the future.