Mad About Rock

  How about a whole host of excellent BLOODSTOCK news that doesn’t announce a single band? BLOODSTOCKers, we know you’ve been asking, and HQ wants you to have pleeeenty of time to plan the most splendid FANCY DRESS outfits, so without further delay, here are the themes for 2026! On Thursday, we know it’s been done before, but with HEAVYSAURUS on the bill and it being SO MUCH FUN, it has to be DINOSAURS again. That costume you bought a couple years back is now excellent value for money, huh? On Friday, we embrace the dark, the macabre, and the creative… we want to see how you interpret TWISTED FAIRYTALES as a theme! Black widow bitten Miss Muffet? Malice in Wonderland? Goth fairies welcome! Saturday rolls back the clock to the 1980’s! Bring out your best ‘80’s fashion (mullets encouraged, neon leg warmers optional), or be a character from your fave ‘80s movie, TV show, or band! There is no such thing as too much leopard print. On Sunday, there’s a special treat in the RAM Gallery, a...

  Shortly after completing their 'Sleepless Empire UK/EU' tour, Italian metal icons LACUNA COIL continue their live momentum with the announcement of their 'Sleepless Empire US' tour, which is set to start in March 2026. With this run of dates, the band brings their signature dark atmosphere and the emotional intensity of new album Sleepless Empire to stages across North America. LACUNA COIL return to the US with special guests Escape The Fate, as well as VOWWS (24/3 - 13/4) and AXTY (15/4 - 29/4). The tour is set to start in New York on 24th March and concludes in Albany on 1st May. Tickets go on general sale Friday 19th December at 10am local time. See the full list of upcoming tour dates here . The announcement comes with a corresponding new official video for ‘Hosting the Shadow’, that shows LACUNA COIL in full force during their set at Aftershock festival in October 2025. Joining them on stage is Lamb Of God-frontman Randy Blythe, who is featured on the album trac...

  It’s happening. After years of fans requesting it, BODY COUNT are finally set to tear up BLOODSTOCK in August 2026. The Grammy-winning crew led by Ice-T will make their long-overdue debut as special guests on the Ronnie James Dio main stage on the festival’s final day, Sunday 9th August, playing directly before headliner JUDAS PRIEST. No strangers to controversy or crushing riffs, BODY COUNT have been a rallying cry for raw, unapologetic heavy music since the early ‘90s. Born from Ice-T and guitarist Ernie C’s vision to fuse street grit with blistering metal, the band has built a reputation for leveling every stage they set foot on. With a Grammy win for Best Metal Performance (for ‘Bum-Rush’ off their Carnivore album) under their belt, they’re louder, harder, and more relevant than ever. Festival director Vicky Hungerford comments, “After 10 years of trying we FINALLY get Body Count to Bloodstock!!! This is going to be one of the most memorable shows the festival has ever seen...

  As plans for BLOODSTOCK’s 25th anniversary get underway, the festival has unveiled another 27 bands for 2026’s monumental event. With heavyweights, cult favourites, and rising stars joining the awesome bands already announced, this year’s line-up is shaping up to be one for the ages. And there are still plenty more names yet to come, with approximately 125 bands in total set to appear. Did you know? BLOODSTOCK is going to open the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Thursday now as well! Early bird, campervan, and VIP tickets are already sold out and weekend tickets are over 90% gone, so act quickly to get tickets if you don’t want to miss out! And so to the bands… THURSDAY – RONNIE JAMES DIO STAGE Headlining the opening night on the Ronnie James Dio main stage are none other than British heavy metal legends SAXON . With over four decades of anthems and an iron-clad reputation for blistering live shows, SAXON’s triumphant return to BLOODSTOCK will kick off the weekend in classic style...

  BLOODSTOCK is delighted to return to Catton Park in August 2026 to celebrate its 25th anniversary - will you be there to celebrate this momentous occasion with everyone? With 2025’s event fully underway with headliners TRIVIUM, MACHINE HEAD, and GOJIRA melting faces this weekend (alongside 120+ more bands), BLOODSTOCK cordially invites you to get excited for 2026 too, by revealing the first 25 bands set to make 2026 the festival’s best year yet. You can snap up tickets immediately at the on site box office at an early bird price, saving yourself the booking fee. More info on all ticket types and on sale dates is further below. BLOODSTOCK is overjoyed to welcome back titans of groove metal, the unmistakable LAMB OF GOD as Friday’s headliner on the Ronnie James Dio stage. Frontman D. Randall Blythe states, "We are thrilled to return to headline Bloodstock in 2026! The UK is one of our favourite countries in the world to play and Bloodstock is one of our favourite festivals. And...

  Mark Morton, guitarist and lyricist of Lamb of God and acclaimed solo artist, has released his powerful cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic track, ‘The Needle and the Spoon’ today, listen HERE . This rendition showcases Morton’s deep reverence for southern rock legends while infusing the track with his signature heavy sound featuring vocals from Neil Fallon of Clutch. Fans can watch a special visualizer for the song, HERE .   As a native of small-town Virginia, Morton grew up on the sounds of southern rock, with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd shaping his musical foundation. For Morton, covering ‘The Needle and the Spoon’ is not just a tribute to a classic; it’s a personal reflection of his own musical roots and the lasting impact of Skynyrd’s bluesy, swaggering rock. “As a small kid in the ‘70s and ‘80s, southern rock bands were the soundtrack of my youth. None of them resonated any deeper with me than Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their signature guitar driven blues-rock has had a profound inf...

  Mastodon photo by Clay Patrick McBride Mastodon and Lamb of God have just shared their new collaborative single “Floods of Triton,” a high energy rager that effortlessly evokes the spirit of the bands’ respective early works while also harnessing the stylistic expansiveness that has forged them into icons of heavy music. The new song is aptly timed on the heels of the groups’ co-headline arena tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their classic albums Leviathan and Ashes of the Wake, synthesizing the indelible influence of those respective classics while underscoring their enduring relevancy as pivotal figures in the heavy music world. The song was recorded at Mastodon’s own West End Sound in Atlanta and was produced by Mastodon and Tyler Bates, highly regarded in his own right for his scores for Guardians of The Galaxy, John Wick, MaXXXine, and more. This momentous collaboration also serves as a bookend for the bands’ highly successful summer tour, a celebration of two landma...

  Italian goth metal legends LACUNA COIL are proud to unleash a new single 'Hosting The Shadow' on the world. After their successful collaboration with Ash Costello of New Years Day on their latest single ' In The Mean Time ', the new track 'Hosting The Shadow' comes with none other than Randy Blythe from the mighty American band, Lamb of God. Stream 'Hosting the Shadow' here . On the new single collaboration, LACUNA COIL shares: "'Hosting The Shadow’ is a trip through light and dark, where silence reveals its hidden secrets. Obscure moments can become occasions to evolve, to learn to master one’s own shadow – which is crucial in order to prevail. Randy Blythe did an incredible job on this track, we absolutely adore his voice and his evil laugh! Our admiration for him is infinite and to have him as a guest on this song is a dream come true. Partnering with a friend you respect immensely, that also kicks ass on stages around the world: it doesn’t...