Bloodstock 2023 Band Feature: Embodiment

Bloodstock 2023 takes place from August 10th to August 13th. Across 4 stages, the festival boasts an incredible line-up that includes headliners Killswitch Engage, Meshuggah, and Megadeth. As always, we will be featuring some of the bands that will be playing this year’s festival. Giving you a rundown of who they are, what they’ve released, and what you can expect come August.

Pick up your Bloodstock 2023 tickets here!

If you want to look at the success of Bloodstock’s Metal 2 the Masses program, just look at a band like Embodiment. A band that first played Bloodstock in 2017 after making their way through Metal 2 the Masses and winning. That was six years ago, we saw them bloody play that year, and they’re back but this time on the Sophie Lancaster stage and quite high up in the running order.

That is a success story itself, but it’s just one part of the success story that is technical and melodic death metal band that is Embodiment.

Forming in 2013 (it’s their ten-year anniversary this year), the South West, UK, aggression-merchants hit the ground running with a demo that same year, before putting a ton of work in to release their debut self-titled full-length. Over the next couple of years, they built their stellar live reputation, hitting up festivals all over the UK and touring with some of the biggest names in extreme metal.

Of course, like everyone, COVID stopped all of that for a while, but that didn’t stop Embodiment releasing their second album, Palingenesis. Showcasing an even more refined, but somehow more intense sound. The years of growth had paid off, this album was everything fans of technical extreme metal needed.

Be there. Be at the Sophie Lancaster stage on the Sunday of the festival and help celebrate a Bloodstock success story. Just be prepared to take a kicking from the speakers, Embodiment do not mess around in the slightest and this show is going to be insane. Don’t take our word for it though, we spoke to them about what it means to play the festival, what Bloodstock means to them, and what attendees can expect from their show. They had this to say:

On a personal level we all have special memories of Bloodstock, and we’ve attended several times. It’s THE metal festival in the UK, and always a blast. After winning the Bristol M2TM in 2017 and performing on the New Blood Stage, one of our big goals has been to come back to the festival on the Sophie Stage – And now it’s happening! We’re honoured to be offered such an amazing opportunity and join the already awesome line-up.

Bloodstock is essential to the live music eco system. Lots of tours are centred around them, it’s where several legendary acts have cemented their place with standout performances and I know for a lot of people it’s their highlight of the year – often attending instead of going on holiday or something. They’re also great showcases for smaller bands, I’ve stumbled on a few just by walking into a tent to check out something that sounded good on the way past, or just to have a sit down in the shade. Then there’s the laps round the stalls to check out the merch and try to spot out a rare find, it’s like the ultimate experience for music fanatics!

We’re already planning a special set for this one. We’ve going to celebrate celebrate both albums for this one, with a healthy dose of the newer songs from Palingenesis and some older cuts from the self titled, a couple of which we haven’t played for a very long time now!

We really hope to have some fun with it. Our MO has always been that the music is heavy as hell, but do it with a smile! Keep the atmosphere light, and ensure everyone is having a good time down in the audience. Whether you’re in the pit going crazy, standing to the side and nodding your head to the groove or right up the front banging your head and fists in the air – we want you to walk away with a massive grin on your face.