BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2012

DATE:

VENUE:

Friday 10th August - Sunday 12th August 2012

Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK

Kobra and the Lotus at Bloodstock Open Air, 12th August 2012

Photograph copyright © 2012 Graham Hilling - www.metal-discovery.com

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)

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS

Opening the Ronnie James Dio stage on Bloodstock's final day at 11am are Canada's Kobra and the Lotus. Catching their set at Hard Rock Hell back in 2010, where I recall being rather impressed with their onstage energy and arsenal of infectiously melodic tunes, these trad-metallers have a largely new lineup with only frontwoman Brittany Paige and sticksman Griffin Kissack remaining. However, the band's recently recruited two new guitarists and bassist already look and sound like long established members in a band that come across as more 'together' than they were a couple of years ago. Brittany (or Kobra Paige as her preferred moniker) struts around the festival's large stage with complete confidence as she fills Catton Hall with the sound of her powerful vocals, ever so slighly dissonant and full of warble in their delivery (à la trad metal stylings of Bruce Dickinson et al) and, gradually, a larger crowd amasses as their set progresses. A strong start to the day and Kobra and the Lotus prove themselves worthy of the interest they engendered from none other than Gene Simmons last year (which proved pivotal to their signing with Universal/Spinefarm and the man's very own Simmons Records). I'm sure we'll see them back on Bloodstock's main stage in the future with a higher billing. (MH)

SUNDAY 12th AUGUST - PART 1

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY

My god, C.O.C, there’s a blast from the past! My only memorable knowledge of them prior to this is 1994’s 'Albatross' with its wicked stoner-groove riffs that got a lot of TV and radio coverage back then. Drawing a fair-sized crowd for this early on the main stage, they exude immense energy and with a distinct punky edge I never realised they had (I just assumed they were pretty much a stoner/sludge band), it's a bit of a much needed brain-clearer for a sleepy Sunday. The stoner/sludge element is still there for sure, but that added edge just makes it a bit more different from the norm. From the half-set that I see, it's impressive stuff, but for a band that have been in existence since the early '80s, with most of the original line-up, I wouldn’t have expected any less really. Massively enjoyable, despite not knowing a single track! (HS)

FLAYED DISCIPLE

"We are Flayed Disciple"...so growls frontman Tim 'Death Chuggin' Whyte of these thrash-edged deathsters a short way into their set before completing his sentence... "from Somerset"... in a soft-spoken voice and his native West Country dialect. Exchanging smiles with his band mates, it's a jovial sentiment although there's nothing jovial about Flayed Disciple's heavy-as-fuck sonic discharge as they assault the ears of a large-ish crowd gathered in the Sophie tent with half an hour of tight, competently performed, "this will wake you up", thrash/death. This is no-nonsense, straightforward, up-tempo heaviness; their tracks, mainly from the recently released 'Death Hammer' album, are thoroughly clichéd albeit delivered with such a relentlessly pounding intensity and a strong dose of groove and grind that their lack of innovation seems to matter little. As such, Flayed Disciple are what they are and should be digested and enjoyed for their own merits. The sizeable crowd gathered to watch 'em most certainly do just that. (MH)

Click on thumbnails for larger images:

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)