Borknagar! Plus Avantasia and Lacuna Coil. This is shaping up to be yet another great Wacken lineup.

houston4044 wrote:Avoid- Unleash the Archers

Leave the hall, false one!

Must see:
Unleash The Archers, Judas Priest, Gloryhammer

Good:
Saxon, Dark Tranquillity, Devin Townsend, Diamondhead

Meh:
Orange Goblin, Butcher Babies, Night Flight Orchestra, Sacred Reich, Conjurer

Avoid:
The rest

Gandalf the Red wrote:Wow! That is terrible even by Download's low standards.

Pretty much. Only three bands across the weekend for me, with perhaps another three that I'd watch if I was there. Very weak.

Do you mean that it saves Maiden money to take out a rubbish band like The Raven Age? If so, that's probably true. No, although it probably does. I was more thinking that taking out Killswitch Engage or Funeral For A Friend makes the tour more likely to be given a positive build up by the likes of ...

Just announced for Sabaton Open Air 2020, the same weekend as Bloodstock Well that's unfortunate. In previous years, it's been the weekend after Bloodstock. I was thinking of going again next year. I guess I won't be now. As for Van Canto, I'd say no. Their studio output is fine, but you can't do a...

Not directed at me I know, but I think these could work better: Maiden- Mastodon- Epica Maiden- Opeth- Delain Maiden- Clutch- Vintage Caravan Seriously? I just can't see it. What makes a good support band? For me, it someone that will appeal to a significant subset of the headliner's fanbase. And w...

Tet wrote:This is an unmissable show for me. Great bands.

Or it would have been, until Sabaton announced their Wembley show on the same day. I'd still have preferred to go to see Rage, but the wife says we'll be going to Sabaton...

The bands we have competing (along with how they describe what they do) are as follows Blimey. That actually looks quite reasonable. The London ones have been almost exclusively filled with aggressive shouty nonsense for years. I've tried giving some of them a chance, but have largely been unimpres...

metalicbear wrote:Black Sabbath and Motorhead are more important.

You could make a strong argument for Sabbath. I happen to disagree, but I can see why that claim would be made. I just don't see it for Motörhead.

SlaytanicBacon wrote:This confuses me as didn't Behemoth previously headline bloodstock in 2012?

Yes, they did. I was underwhelmed. From my review: "It feels as though they want to be Dimmu Borgir, but they lack both the songs and the stage presence to do so."

florencethemachine wrote:arguably one of if not THE most important band in the whole genre.

I very much agree with this. Yes, two years is a short gap. But at the same time, it's their 50th year, and they are in my mind the single most important band in the history of heavy metal.

Now at the Boston Music Room.