FESTIVAL OVERVIEW
Mid-August 2012, once again, marked the occasion of another metal-packed edition of the UK's Bloodstock Open Air festival. Now in its twelfth year, it's an event still increasing in popularity as this one had a record attendance of over 11,000 music fans hungry for their annual fix of sonic heaviness in the Midlands. Heading up a diverse bill of bands each day on the Ronnie James Dio stage were Behemoth, Machine Head and Alice Cooper with a larger number of acts than ever before appearing on the Sophie Lancaster stage and a healthy dose of unsigned talent performing in the New Blood tent. Refreshingly, the festival's continued to grow in capacity, reputation and scope but has still managed to maintain its intimate feeling where a multitude of acts could be digested and enjoyed in the most friendly and amiable of atmospheres. Matters even fared well in terms of the weather this year with only fleeting showers on the final day - otherwise, it was blazingly hot sunshine all the way through, albeit a little too hot for some judging by sporadic sightings of umbrellas utilised as sun shields and a large number of punters slumped in shaded areas between bands (the latter, no doubt, also involving a contingent over-zealous in their beer consumption). So then, what of the bands? Follow the links at the top or bottom of this page for reviews/photos and be sure to check out interviews from the fest elsewhere on this site with Testament; Sepultura; The Commander-In-Chief and Sight of Emptiness. (MH)
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2012
FESTIVAL OVERVIEW BELOW
DATE:
VENUE:
Friday 10th August - Sunday 12th August 2012
Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK
Sophie stage action at Bloodstock Open Air, 10th August 2012
Photograph copyright © 2012 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes & Graham Hilling
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Adam Sagir at The Noise Cartel for arranging and granting accreditation for Metal Discovery.
(Freedom Call; The Commander-In-Chief; Grand Magus)
(Moonsorrow; Andraste; Sepultura; Dio Disciples)
(Watain; Alcest; Behemoth)
(Splintered Soul; I Am I; Dripback; Chthonic; Crowbar)
(Rising Dream; Mayhem; Bull-Riff Stampede; Winterfylleth)
(Tempus Fusion; Witchsorrow; Sight of Emptiness; Testament; Machine Head)
(Kobra and the Lotus; Corrosion of Conformity; Flayed Disciple)
(Nile; The Black Dahlia Murder; Anvil; Shattered Skies)
(Paradise Lost; Dimmu Borgir; Alice Cooper)
FESTIVAL OVERVIEW ABOVE
Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes & Graham Hilling
(Freedom Call; The Commander-In-Chief; Grand Magus)
(Moonsorrow; Andraste; Sepultura; Dio Disciples)
(Watain; Alcest; Behemoth)
(Splintered Soul; I Am I; Dripback; Chthonic; Crowbar)
(Rising Dream; Mayhem; Bull-Riff Stampede; Winterfylleth)
(Tempus Fusion; Witchsorrow; Sight of Emptiness; Testament; Machine Head)
(Kobra and the Lotus; Corrosion of Conformity; Flayed Disciple)
(Nile; The Black Dahlia Murder; Anvil; Shattered Skies)
(Paradise Lost; Dimmu Borgir; Alice Cooper)