With festival season swiftly kicking into gear Bloodstock Open Air have announced the first 9 winners of their M2TM initiative who will be joining the killer New Blood Stage lineup.
On the Friday you will have some techy-deathcore courtesy of Leicester winners VOIDWALKER as well as URIDIUM for East-Anglia providing some of that lovely old school metal vibe. Manchester’s own SQUARE WILD will be bringing their special brand of genre defying prog rock to the party (check out our review of that particular grand final here) these will be playing alongside already confirmed acts with some more extreme helpings from HEADPRESS and LOKUST and you’ll be able to get your groove on ‘Murda Style’ with STREET SOLDIER.
On Saturday, joining the lineup of South Wales’ Black Metal outfit OFNUS and the doomy atmospherics of Ireland’s SOOTHSAYER you have M2TM Sheffield winners DEAD BLONDE STARS who will be treating us to a dose of gritty rock and roll. For the extreme metal fans Scotland’s EXTORT may be one to check out and from Milton Keynes the very intriguing industrial sounding DROWND. Manchester’s thrash 3 piece VICE round out the current Saturday lineup along with some Danish Death Metal in the form of NAKKEKNAEKKER.
Sunday will see self described ‘War-Jazz Power-Trio’ ACID AGE, winners of M2TM Northern Ireland bringing a unique blend of thrash and jazz fusion to proceedings along with some blackened groovy death from Leeds winners GODETH and bridging the hardcore and metals camps will be M2TM Ireland winners LAVEIN. These will be joining the already confirmed fuzz rockers SKYPILOT, thrash unit ELIMINATION and extreme metal powerhouse OVERGODS.
The New Blood Stage is always a highlight of the festival each year and we can’t wait to see who will be joining this fantastic lineup in the future.
Since writing, a few more finals have wrapped. Including M2TM Newcastle who will have SWARMS bringing some lovely chuggy riffs and breakdowns, as well as Melo-death outfit SANGUINEM for MT2M London.
Check out the list below of dates for upcoming finals in other regions
June 10 – Chorzów, Poland – Leśniczówka Rock & Roll Cafe
June 16 – Colchester – Coda
June 17 – Gravesend – Leo’s, Red Lion
June 23 – Birmingham – Devils Dog
June 24 – Hitchin – Club 85
June 24 – Wrexham, North Wales – XS @ The Penny Black
June 24 – Bristol – The Exchange
June 30 – Bournemouth – Bear Cave
July 1 – Burnley – Sanctuary
July 1 – Stoke – The Underground
July 1 – Northampton – The Black Prince
July 1 – Liverpool – Zanzibar
July 1 – Cardiff, South Wales – Fuel
July 8 – Nottingham – The Old Cold Store
July 8 – Saltash – Livewire
July 8 – Oxford – Jericho Tavern