Day two at Bloodstock and we’re up early, either avoiding a hangover by magic, or still quite drunk. Unfortunately this means we have the displeasure of catching Uncle Rotter’s set. Frankly an embaressment to metal. Featuring song titles designed to shock, but only resulting in disappointed facepalms from the early risers – Uncle Rotter’s ‘*ugh* ‘Disco Metal’ brings the first wave of sickness in the morning.
Thank the gods of metal for Wolf. Bringing the highly polished steel of 80’s heavy metal to the stage they blow away the stagnant openers away with a harmonised twin guitar attack and vocals straight from the Judas Priest big book of screaming properly. Getting a morning crowd to yell something as ridiculous as ‘All Hail Caesar’ at the top of their lungs is a feat worth celebrating. All hail Wolf!
Although only catching a little bit of The Haunted’s set – I can extrapolate. Pure cut down clever-thrash intensity. Dolving stalking the stage like Rollins remade in Sweden. And razor sharp riffs cutting through the air like giant ninja stars. Oh, and a pit that leaves a few black and blue. Awesome.
LG Petrov of Entombed gets the party started in rock and roll style. Running around the stage and headbanging in his own awkward drunk-uncle-at-a-party way, while being backed by what looks like the most stylish band in death metal, they bring the big fist banging songs needed on a hot day. An excellent and fun set – but no ‘Say it in Slugs’ or ‘Stranger Aeons.’ Boo to that. Yay to everything else.
Kreator! Wow. While Slayer get old, fat and sloppy, their German counterparts get fucking crazy. Songs are tight, vicious things mostly culled from their newer (and strangely for a thrash band) better albums, but when things get old school – Mille Petrozza gets very old school too. Flag Of Hate gets probably the most impassioned, insane go-out-and-kill-everyone-who-is-not-true-thrash introduction seen outside of the 80’s! It’s over the top, it’s stupid, it’s the most metal thing I’ve ever seen. Luckily they have the songs to back up the words – Kreator go down a storm!
And that’s when booze destroyed memories. Go elsewhere for Cradle of Filth and Blind Guardian reviews – Because I can’t remember them!
