Mad About Rock

  Monday 3 November 2025: Download Festival, the greatest rock and metal festival of all time, returns for its molten hot 23rd edition, reborn and recharged in 2026 as DLXXIII. Announced today are three monumental headliners, with their only UK shows in 2026 - Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park – with over 90 more colossal names spanning the full spectrum of rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, alternative and classic rock. This year’s festival will take place on 10-14 June 2026 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets onsale now at www.downloadfestival.co.uk . In 2026, Download XXIII will host a trio of legendary headliners: nu-metal icons Limp Bizkit – headlining Download for the very first time - on Friday, hard rock royalty Guns N’ Roses on Saturday and the mighty Linkin Park performing at Download for the first time since the band reformed in 2024 with lead singer Emily Armstrong. With this holy trinity of headliners and a mammoth undercar...

  UK’s heaviest metal festival, Bloodstock, returned to Catton Park during a heatwave, but that didn’t stop thousands of metal heads clad in primarily black clothing. The festival keeps getting bigger and better, initially starting as an indoor event, and now it’s an open-air event with a capacity of 20,000. 2022 was hot as hell, both in terms of the impressive line-up of big well-known acts to upcoming rising stars of metal and, of course, the scorching temperatures. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the opening day of the festival on Thursday 11th, which saw Swedish melodic death metallers Dark Tranquility headline the Sophie Lancaster stage. Friday 12th August I Fight Bears - Photo Credit: Leigh van der Byl The first band of the day for me was the Welsh modern metalcore act I Fight Bears on the New Blood Stage, who won the South Wales Grand Final of the Metal 2 The Masses competition, earning the prestigious slot. Anticipation for this rising act was high as they had an exce...

  BLOODSTOCK is gearing up for their best ever festival and the countdown is ON! There’s just over a week to go, ‘til the marauding metal hordes thunder through the gates of Catton Park and return to their spiritual ‘home’ at BLOODSTOCK. Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances, SOEN have had to cancel, but the heavy noise of STRIGOI will slide into a Sunday slot on the Sophie Lancaster Stage. But there’s plenty to keep you entertained across the weekend, not least that very special ‘surprise’ set on Friday afternoon over on the Sophie Stage! Who could it be?!! Set times will be released soon on the BLOODSTOCK app, so download yours to your phone from the appropriate app store to stay up to date on all band time slots. Hot on the heels of the recent massive food & traders update , BLOODSTOCK is particularly excited to confirm that everyone’s essential sunny weather accessory will be available in the main arena all weekend - BLOODSTOCK’s BLACK ICE CREAM. Is there anything...

  With a month to go, BLOODSTOCK’s taking a breather from bands this week to showcase the diverse range of traders, food stalls, drinks, on-site entertainment and other facilities at next month’s heavy metal weekender, plus a handy reminder to get your questions ready for the one and only Nergal, frontman and creative visionary of Friday’s headliner BEHEMOTH for this coming Friday’s Facebook Live chat! First up, BLOODSTOCK is very aware of the cost of living squeeze we’re all going through right now, so is extra pleased to announce that food prices at 2022’s event are frozen at 2021 prices. Not only that, BLOODSTOCK can confirm you’ll be able to buy a pint of beer at the bars on site for £5, paying by cash or card. Speaking of beer… BLOODSTOCK is excited to announce their first year teaming up with MOTÖRHEAD BEER to bring both their cask and keg Road Crew - a session 4.5% easy-drinking, refreshing beer - to #BOA22 pouring across all bars (including Lemmy’s Bar, of course)! Gra...

  BLOODSTOCK can finally declare that 2022’s biggest metal weekender is next month! So to whet your appetite further, here’s thirteen more bands (lucky for some) you’ll be able to catch at the festival, plus details of exactly when you can put your own questions to some of this year’s stellar line-up, via a new Facebook Live series with BLOODSTOCK management in the coming weeks. Regretfully, BLACK TONGUE have had to pull out of their Sophie Lancaster stage slot, but BLOODSTOCK is pleased to welcome death metal heavyweights INGESTED in their wake on Saturday. These self-proclaimed ‘Kings of Slam’ are sure to impress; if you’re not familiar with them yet, take a look at the official video for ‘ Ashes Lie Still ’. If you dig it, there’s some extra behind-the-scenes content on their Facebook page too. With still a few more Metal 2 The Masses finals to go, BLOODSTOCK is enthused to reveal more of the winning bands and some very popular runners up, who’ll be appearing on the New Blood...

  BLACK RIVER – Feat. BEHEMOTH Bassist ORION And DIMMU BORGIR Drummer DARAY - Unleash New Album “Generation aXe”! Polish rock/metal/punk combo BLACK RIVER – feat. BEHEMOTH bass player ORION and DIMMU BORGIR drummer DARAY - have unleashed June 24th, their highly acclaimed new album “Generation aXe” via Crusader Records/Golden Robot Records, on CD and digital. Vinyl release will follow in early 2023. “Generation aXe focuses on the band’s anger at what they see happening in the world. They decided to express it in their music and “vomit all this venom”. The result is a collection of songs written without calculation but in full anger - closing out with a furious version of The Doors’ classic, 'Break on Through'.” Buy “Generation aXe” at https://bfan.link/generation-axe “Generation aXe” tracklisting: Oxygen Joker Whiplash Under My Flag Generation aXe Crossover Love Civil Army Burn It Motherless Inner Hell Break on Through (bonus track) Check out the singles from the album: 'Civ...