Bloodstock Festival Countdown : 24 Bands Not To Miss
And we are back, back again with another of our technicolour recommendations for you to catch at this year’s Bloodstock. This time around we are talking about an act that has shown real resilience as well as harking back to the metallic flavours that birthed this very festival. Yes, we give you:
12. Imperial Age – Ronnie James Dio Stage – Saturday around quarter to twelve.
As those damn keyboard warriors wont let us forget, Bloodstock started life as a power and symphonic metal festival. Nightwish played their inaugural UK show in 2003 at Derby assembly hall and the first outdoor incarnation was headlined by power metal royalty Edguy and Stratovarius. It makes sense then, as we celebrate Bloodstock’s 25th birthday, that there is symphonic metal lauding it on the main stage.
Imperial Age have earned this berth more than most acts. They were born from Moscow’s vibrant but distinctly underground metal scene in 2012 by core members Alexander Osipov and Jane Odintsova, and they managed to build an impressive following. However when Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, they decided as a unit they couldn’t be quiet and issued an anti-war statement. Fearing for their safety and their ability to continue to practice their art, they immediately decamped to Turkey and subsequently successfully applied for UK residency. Since April 2023 they have operated from the much closer quarters of Northamptonshire and have become a slimmed-down unit with just two interchangeable vocalists and a backing line of highly competent UK musicians.
What they haven’t dialled down though is the opulence and theatrical flourishes. This is widescreen IMAX symphonic metal. Big, lavish and dripping with both pomp and ceremony. This is metal as escapism and it feels even more important coming from a band that has experienced more than their fair share of real-world problems. So be prepared to be swept up in the grandiose, sumptuous nature of the whole thing. This is metal at its most extravagant and abundant. Enjoy!!!