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 excitement 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.
Read MoreThis year's Bloodstock Festival is serving up a wide variety of death metal. By wandering around the plane of Catton Hall you will be able to see it in its many different guises. There is melodic, technical, core and symphonic a plenty. However, if all these bells and whistles iterations are a little too much for you and you hanker after some communal garden old school death metal then Frozen Soul is the one for you.
Read MoreAre you bored with modern metal? Does everything sound to you the same? Do you hunger after something with more complexity and emotional depth? Well my friend the answer is simple, the answer is Bossk. This is prog metal for a dystopian world. It takes what is usually euphoric and optimistic artform and dials up the fear, loathing and pessimism. But don't be expecting dark, dank introspection. This is widescreen Odyssey of biblical proportions. An immersive journey into the dark confines of the soul.
Read MoreIt’s the final morning of the festival but we’re still ready for even more tech-metal. We’ve plenty of press logistics to work through this morning, but we make sure we don’t miss one of the bands we’ve been most eagerly awaiting, Karmanjakah. Having chatted and watched this young Swedish band at Sweden Rock (here) earlier this year, we knew what a special and perfect-for-Tech-Fest set they would produce.
Read MoreDespite everyone going hard on the Friday, there’s no lack of appetite for more tech-metal…and more drinking. We make our way to two interviews with Vexed (Here) and Harbinger (Here), before making our way to the stages to be met by the energetic Monasteries. They continue to offer us their unique take on experimental deathcore, which is deliciously vicious and ferocious.
Read MoreWe wake up early, roll out of the tents and make our way to the press area to grab a coffee and prepare for a full day of live bands and interviews. We start the day with Cavekiller, complete with Hawaiian shirts, and Glower offering us some hardcore tinged metal.
Read MoreWe’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - UK Tech-Fest is more than a festival, it’s a family and a community. That feel of returning to a place you know and people you care for when you pass through the entrance and pop your wristband on. It’s always been welcoming, inclusive, passionate and dedicated to its punters. Those who hold it dear often say the festival community has changed their lives, and it’s no understatement for many. It’s a celebratory yet sad edition this year though. Whilst we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the festival, it’s also been announced as the last UK Tech-Fest in this iteration.
Read MoreSOS Festival 2023 (30th June to 2nd July 2023 at Whittles@Tokyo, Oldham) – Is it a local event for local people?
Well no, not really. In these days of austerity and the cost of living crisis it’s always handy to have a reasonably-priced festival with a good selection of bands available pretty much on your doorstep.
But what is SOS? Where did it come from? What does it offer? Pull up a chair and get comfortable, and I’ll tell you all about it.
Read MoreSaturday starts for me with Scarsun, a fairly generic alt metal female fronted band. They are doomy and gothy and it turns out this is only their second gig with this singer. She's actually really rather good and it's not bad at all in a gloomy melancholic sort of way.
Read MoreSOS Festival has moved since last time I was able to attend it, and now takes place at Whittles in Oldham. This gives them better staging, but overall slightly less space, and I’m still undecided on if this is a good thing or not. On the plus side,: there is a cheap bar, a food van, plenty of merch space and even room for a couple of traders. The minus is that o
Read MoreAll things must end and we reach the fourth and final day. Whilst it is still hot enough to boil a monkey’s bum, there are thunderstorm warnings a plenty with not one but four potential typhons heading towards Castle Donington. With all the shenanigans with sackings and members not travelling, there is a real question mark about how many members Slipknot will have when they grace us with their presence at the culmination of the festivities. But we have a whole heap of bands to sample before we get there.
Read MoreWhen they say “Sold Out” they really do mean “Sold Out”. This is the busiest we’ve ever ever seen Download and all four stages start crowded and just accelerate from there. Our journey today begins with a four-band salvo on the second stage. Static Dress are quite simply a different band to the one that opened the third day of Download pilot two years ago. At the time they brimmed with potential but came across as incoherent and rather scattergun. Twenty-four months of tireless touring has resulted in an immaculately focused and really rather slick post-hardcore outfit.
Read MoreMatt Fraser and Johann Wierzbicki of ROCKFLESH report on the 30 years anniversary of the Sweden Rock Festival in Southern Sweden which happens every June. The 4 days festival was a true gem to experience. We tried balancing work and pleasure and although a sound problem with a GoPro means we lost a lot of footage, we hope you will find something of value in this motion picture. Until the next festival, rock on!
Read MoreWe start the final day early on with an incredible interview with Sammy Urwin from Employed to Serve. A truly great guy from an awesome band. There’s also a chance for us to do some uploading and admin before the bands start playing, and it’s worth noting that both 5G and 4G networks perform admirably throughout the festival, not just for the press but for all punters, ensuring seamless connectivity. Too often you go to a festival in the UK and can’t stay in touch with friends and family to meet them.
Read MoreThe third day arrives with a sigh of relief as a breeze graces us with its presence. It's a welcome breeze, although it does play havoc with the sound at times. Nonetheless, to be fair, it’s been noticeable that all the stages boast excellent sound. We snag an interview with the incredible hardcore legends Raised Fist before making our way past H.E.A.T. to catch Vended on the Blåkläder Stage. Griffin Taylor’s vocals undeniably bear a striking resemblance to his old man's, not just in style but also in phrasing and vocal melodies. Still, he and the band are carving out their own path and making a name for themselves, not just riding on the coattails of their family ties.
Read MoreThe journey is a long one with the early start (3am from the house), but we finally make it from the North West of England to just outside Sölvesborg in the southern region of Blekinge, Sweden. To be fair our trip is fairly painless, with a decent flight to Copenhagen, train to Sölvesborg, and the festival shuttlebus to the site. Once we get there everyone is mega friendly and helpful, and it’s no ordeal or fuss sorting our press accreditation and campsite access. There are a few campsites dotted around nearby the festival site (but none included in the festival ticket), but we plumb for the nearest and craziest in Camp’n’Rock.
Read MoreSweden Rock Festival is an annual rock/metal extravaganza that takes place just outside the town of Sölvesborg in the southern region of Blekinge, Sweden. The festival delivers the perfect mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal and other related genres. Moreover, the festival organisers pay particular attention to creating an exceptional overall festival experience, and every year they aim to improve the level of comfort for all the punters, not just those in VIP. As the organisers themselves say; “Joy and community lay the foundation for ‘the spirit of Sweden Rock…simply that people get on well together here, help each other out and socialize with both known and unknown people…enjoy the music, indulge the atmosphere and hang out with the brothers and sisters that we simply call the best audience in the world.”
Read MoreUnderstandably we are all a bit confused. Friday feels like Saturday, Saturday like Sunday and Sunday like an excursion to the surface of the sun. It’s also hot, dusty and really busy. Any inclination that the Bring Me The Horizon day would see a lull in attendance is soon knocked on the head. The place is jumping and jiving from the get-go and the sold-out signs on all the BMTH merch makes it clear that they are not making up numbers as we wait for Metallica Part 2.
Read MoreSunday is another bright and sunny morning, but as I already have a nose that’s bright red enough to see from space, the first thing I do today is make sure I’m wearing A Hat. And sunscreen. That was a crap song but a great message! Anyhow, over in the arena……..
The day starts with LaVire who are good, loud and powerful thrashy rock with a female vocalist. I find them quite similar to Ukrainian outfit Jinjer so if that's your thing check them out, I think you'll be impressed.
Read MoreRefreshed by a good night’s sleep and bacon, I return to the fray of the arena wondering what surprises today may have in store for me. The sun is shining and so is my nose (dear reader, wear sunscreen!) so armed with factor 50 and a hat I sally forth into battle.
The day starts with Shadow Smile who are a good wake up band there's nothing like a bit of metalcore in the morning to blow away the cobwebs! They are competent and fast, and although the music is slightly out of my comfort zone it's ok.
Read More
