BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2010

DATE:

VENUE:

Friday 13th August - Sunday 15th August 2010

Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

CHILDREN OF BODOM; FEAR FACTORY; DEVIN TOWNSEND; AMORPHIS; OBITUARY; EDGUY; ONSLAUGHT; LEAVES' EYES; ANDROMEDA

OPETH; MESHUGGAH; POWERWOLF; SONATA ARCTICA; GORGOROTH; CATHEDRAL; ENSIFERUM; RAGE; ROSS THE BOSS; BLACK SPIDERS

Reviews by Elena Francis & Mark Holmes; Photography by Mark Holmes

SUNDAY

TWISTED SISTER; CANNIBAL CORPSE; BLOODBATH; GWAR; KORPIKLAANI; DORO; HOLY MOSES; SUFFOCATION; BONDED BY BLOOD

Reviews by Elena Francis & Mark Holmes; Photography by Mark Holmes

BLACK SPIDERS

Arriving on site at 11am for Bloodstock Open Air 2010's first day I unfortunately miss opening band Snakebite's entire set so Brit rockers Black Spiders kick off the festival action for me. And, on an overcast day that has threatened rain since dawn, Friday's first downpour begins to soak the largish audience present in front of the main stage as band members wander out after a short intro piece to huge cheers. Making the most of their half hour set, they commence with 'Si, El Diablo'. Stoner riffage with retro rock infusions fill the air as Black Spiders stride and stomp their way around the stage in a display of raw rock 'n' roll energy that defies their early timeslot, and undoubtedly serves as a wakeup call for the late risers who are slowly appearing in the main arena. Frontman Pete 'Spider' Spiby delivers a strong and authoritative vocal performance while bassist Adam 'The Fox' Irwin also impresses with an array of wild moves (clichéd as some of them are, although perhaps apposite for the band's compositionally retro approach). The amusingly named 'Kiss Tried To Kill Me (It Was Gene Not Paul)' is preceded with a brief 'explanation' as to the ambiguity inherent in the track's title while closer 'Blood of the Kings' brings matters to a conclusion as Black Spiders exit the stage to even louder audience noise to which they appeared half an hour previously. And half an hour feels like about the right length for such music on the festival stage - a short burst of energetic, retro fun to alleviate the increasingly damp feeling as showers continue to soak all present at Catton Hall. (MH)

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FRIDAY 13th AUGUST - PART 1

ROSS THE BOSS

From memory, Ross the Boss were the first band to be announced for Bloodstock's tenth anniversary lineup, and it was an announcement that excited some seeing as Manowar have been incessantly requested to be booked for the festival during the past few years and their personnel includes ex-Manowar/ex-The Dictators axeman Ross Friedman. Introduced onstage as a "true metal legend" (for Ross the Boss is also Friedman's moniker as well as a band name, thus the laudatory announcement evidently refers just to him, not his band), the day hits noon as the "legend" Friedman and his fellow musicians appear onstage. His comrades in this current venture are onetime German Manowar cover band Men of War and one could argue they remain as such today with four Manowar tracks in their forty minute set and a guest appearance midway through proceedings from Scott Columbus on a second drum kit. However, they balance out the likes of 'Hail To England' and 'Kill With Power' with a scattering of their own, original material as well as a tribute to Ronnie James Dio in the form of penultimate number 'Catch The Rainbow'. As much of a stage presence as the 'band' have, and as good a job they do of working the crowd into their first real movement of the day, their performance is significantly flawed by a discernibly bass heavy mix through the PA and frontman Patrick Fuchs' substandard performance as he warbles his way through each song, largely in tune but sporadically missing certain notes. For someone who has never really 'got' Manowar and their fantasy pseudo-macho aesthetic, I guess today's 'tribute' is largely lost on me, although judging by audience reactions, many present seem satisfied by what they witness, despite the bass-heavy sound and Fuchs' tuning issues. (MH)

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RAGE

Although traditional metal fans have criticized this year’s Bloodstock line-up as being too growl-fixated, Rage are generally unconsidered in terms of power metal popularity (particularly compared to the other genre stalwarts on this line-up Sonata Arctica and Edguy), despite an expansive 26 year long history. Opening with ‘The Edge of Darkness’ from their new album ‘Strings to a Web’, the German trio perform to an underwhelmingly proportioned audience. Nonetheless, those witnessing Rage are not shy to vocalise their appreciation as the band plunder through a set of muscle-bound power metal, substituting power metal’s clichés for the raw energy harvested in heavy metal and the multi-faceted nature of prog metal. Focusing exclusively on the latter part of their career, Rage continue promoting their latest full-length with ‘Hunter and Prey’ and ‘Empty Hollow’ scattered among favourites such as ‘Soundchaser’, ‘Drop Dead!’ and ‘Higher than the Sky’. Frontman Peavy Wagner is magnificent with his roughened vocal delivery while handling bass duty and Victor Smolski’s guitar efforts are mind-numbingly fantastic and completely grasp the audience’s attention in a vice-like hold. Closing with ‘Down’ from the ‘Unity’ release, Rage appear validly appreciative of the howling ovation the crowd adorn them with and it can be said with certainty that these German power metallers are better known on these shores after this appearance. (EF)

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ENSIFERUM

Conversely, Ensiferum are one of the most highly anticipated bands of the day and the multitude is thick with folk metal fans expecting to indulge in a drunken jig or two. Looking the part, topless in kilts, with a smatter of war paint, the Finnish Viking metal sensation commences battle with the title track from their latest album ‘From Afar’. Most noticeably, the band is plagued with sound issues with the keyboard and drums drowning out the guitars and considering the redundancy of Ensiferum’s keyboards, this cannot be interpreted in anyway as beneficial to the quintet. Unfortunately, the band fail to make up for this setback by refusing to adopt a stage presence, particularly the stereotypically Viking-esque frontman Peter Lindroos. Fundamental Ensiferum hymns ‘Into Battle’, ‘Token of Time’ and ‘One More Magic Potion’ lend the fans something to sweat over but the sing along and much loved ‘Lai Lai Hei’ does not make the cut, to much disapproval. The music of Ensiferum contains no real captivating elements, working with basic metal elements bolstered up by dull growls, presumably to sound ferocious, and keyboards to create a vaguely historical soundscape setting in which the band can take up their instruments in a vain attempt to do battle. Closing with ‘Iron’ satiates the audience enough but again Ensiferum walk away from a sub-par performance. (EF)

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CATHEDRAL

Just four days prior, it was announced that Behemoth had been forced to cancel their planned appearance at Bloodstock due to frontman Nergal falling sick with an undisclosed illness. However, undeterred by the loss of a key band on Friday's bill, the festival organisers admirably managed to secure, at incredibly short notice, a replacement that indubitably put a wide grin on the face of many a stoner/doom fan - Cathedral. It's just under five years since I last caught them live (as support for Cradle of Filth), and was slightly concerned how their down-tempo groove would fare on the big festival stage at what is, today, their Bloodstock debut. I needn't have worried. With dark, heavy clouds still pervasive in the sky above Catton Hall and rain beginning to fall once more, it somehow feels like a befitting atmosphere as the scene is aptly set for the British doomsters and they walk onto the stage to begin with 'Vampire Sun'. Blessed with an amazingly hard-hitting, resonant sound through the PA, Cathedral sound immense this afternoon and I can't recall the last time stoner/doom made me feel as happy as this - some sort of ambivalent paradox I'm sure, but after Ensiferum's flat set it feels like the first day of Bloodstock is firmly back on track. Frontman Lee Dorrian, well known for his unique style of 'dancing', doesn't disappoint today, either vocally or with his incomparable way of moving around the stage, and informs the crowd - "It's an honour to be here at the last minute", words you believe he sincerely means as he proceeds to dedicate a track, 'Utopian Blaster', to Ronnie James Dio. Over the course of forty five minutes, they also air 'Funeral of Dreams', 'Cosmic Funeral', 'Corpse Cycle', 'Ride' and set closer, perhaps predictably, 'Hopkins (Witchfinder General)'. Amazing stuff. (MH)

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