Bloodstock Festival 2024 – Saturday. Thirteen years since their last appearance at Bloodstock, the US thrashers Forbidden were intent on making sure it was a show to remember.
Bloodstock Festival 2024
Catton Park, Derbyshire – Saturday 10 August 2024
Forbidden
A later start due to some technical difficulties sadly cut the set short by a song, so we no doubt missed out on Chalice Of Blood. Otherwise, what we saw in a short seven song set was a band who are renewing their energy banks and proving that there is still plenty of gas in the tank.
For many this was the first time to witness the Thrash Metal icons, for their visits since their inception in 1985 have been sparse. Prior to the show, the band had been mixing freely in VIP and across the site, meeting fans and generally having a good time.
That would continue for the remainder of the festival.
Seven songs then, and after that faltering start, this was something special. Filling Russ Anderson’s vocal boots is no small challenge, but good things had been read about Norman Skinner’s performances and holy hell did he nail it.
Taking the setlist from the two legendary albums, it’s Infinite from Twisted Into Form that starts the pits swirling, the dust clouds spiralling across the front of the stage as the hardcore get stuck into their work.
There are big smiles on stage, with VoiVod’s Chewy (Daniel Mongrain) stepping in for the recently departed Steve Smyth beaming alongside Skinner, guitarist Craig Locicero and bassist Matt Camacho, the latter two the old school members in the band.
Anchoring the kit, the powerhouse that is Chris Kontos, introduced to the crowd as former member of Machine Head but with a much longer CV. 
The set pleases thousands in the crowd, with Forbidden Evil and a razor-sharp March Into Fire particularly energetic and powerful. There may be smiles on stage, but inside, there are smiles within the crowd, for this is something to savour.
A fluid and blistering Twisted Into Form is followed by the anthemic Step By Step before Through Eyes Of Glass leads to a slightly unsatisfactory ending as the band must leave stage due to running over.
Overall, this was a triumphant, if slightly curtailed, show. But having ticked Vio-Lence off the list in 2023, another iconic Bay Area band is now also off the list.
Bloodstock 2024 will be held over the long weekend of 8-11 August 2024. MetalTalk’s Paul Hutchings, Adrian Stonley, Paul Monkhouse and Keith Conlin will be reporting from Catton Park.
Take Part: Are you at Bloodstock this year? Who are you looking forward to seeing? Want to get in touch and tell us how it’s going? Email MetalTalk Editor Steve Ritchie to tell us how it’s going for you. Bloodstock@MetalTalk.net
#boa24. For more information, visit bloodstock.uk.com. You can view a map of Bloodstock at bloodstock.uk.com/bloodstock_map.jpg
MetalTalk Bloodstock 2024 coverage is at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/bloodstock-2024.
You can read all the MetalTalk Bloodstock 2023 coverage at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/bloodstock-2023.
You can read all the MetalTalk Bloodstock 2022 coverage at metaltalk.net/tag/bloodstock-2022.
Weekend early bird tickets (Thu-Sun) for Bloodstock 2025 are available to purchase at the box office on-site for £175. Child weekend early bird’s are £45 (ages 4 -11). Mini moshers under age four can come for free.
Wednesday early access is also available for those who want to max out their Bloodstock experience – an early bird adult Wed-Sun ticket costs £200. There is no additional cost for children under 4, or aged 4-11, to arrive with a parent on Wednesday.
Bloodstock 2025 tickets can be purchased online from the official Bloodstock website.
