Praise the metal gods, Bloodstock 2024 is upon us! As a celebration of beer, battle jackets and bin jousting, the annual metal weekender at Catton Hall is already unmatched. And of course there are a shedload of big bands. We’ve been begging for years that Opeth growl again, and the Swedish giants’ fan-picked Friday headline set should be a throat-ripping warm-up for massively anticipated fourteenth album The Last Will And Testament. Brighton boys Architects will step up for a landmark performance on Saturday, cementing themselves as one of the heaviest hitters in British metalcore. Then festival favourites Amon Amarth will get the row-pit rocking on Sunday. And that’s not even mentioning the headbanging likes of Clutch, Carcass and Hatebreed.
More and more, however, BOA is a proving ground for some of the most exciting young and underground acts in all of alternative. There was a time when the thumping doom trap beats of Mimi Barks or the French experimentalism of Igorrr would’ve felt out of place amongst the traditionalist denim and leather, but now they’re welcomed with raised horns and open arms, adding fresh colour and texture to a jam-packed four days. So here are our picks for 10 of the hottest sets to look out for in between getting literally and figuratively smashed. We’ll see you down the front...