Bloodstock 2019 – Band Feature/Interview: Blind Divide

Bloodstock Open Air 2019 is nearly upon us and to say we’re excited is an understatement. We adore the festival and this year’s line-up is simply phenomenal. From the Ronnie James Dio Main Stage to the Sophie Lancaster Stage to the New Blood and Jägermeister Stages, there is something for everyone! Not got your tickets yet!? What are you waiting for!? Head over to the Bloodstock Festival website here and join thousands of like-minded head-bangers for a weekend of quality rock and metal.

Blind divide are a metal band from Cardiff formed in 2010 with elements of death, groove and thrash and have been likened in sound to Gojira and Lamb of God. Cataclysmically heavy with emphasis on groove driven riffs, expect an oppressive audial savaging at the mercy of some of south Wales’ most seasoned purveyors of brutality.

They released their self titled debut EP in early 2017 and earned their place on at Bloodstock 2019 by winning the South Wales leg of the Metal 2 the Masses competition.

They will be playing the New Blood Stage on Friday the 9th August 2019.

Interview

1. Congratulations on winning the Cardiff leg of the M2TM and earning your slot on the Bloodstock New Blood Stage. What made you decide to take part?

M2TM gigs are usually a highlight in the calendar of the local scene. Fuel is more often than not a packed house for these gigs from the first heats all the way to the final, so if for nothing else, it’s a chance to play in front of a big enthusiastic crowd!

2. What were some of the highlights of your competition run?

Seeing the calibre of bands we play alongside get better and better makes us want to up our game. Seeing some newcomers to M2TM like King Kraken, In Which It Burns, among others, as well as bands we’ve played with previously going from strength to strength gives us real optimism for the future of the local scene going forward.

3. Describe the feeling if you can upon hearing your name read out as the winners?

Honestly, nothing short of pure cathartic elation. This was our third M2TM final. We lost out to Chaos Trigger in 2015 and Democratus in 2018 (both awesome bands by the way) in years past, so to say we enjoyed hearing Rob calling out our name at the end of it all is the mother of understatements!

4. How big of an opportunity is playing the New Blood Stage for Blind Divide? We’ve seen some bands really grow from it over the years!

We’re all incredibly excited to get the opportunity to play at BOA! We’re well aware that winning M2TM South Wales this year shouldn’t be seen as the end, but hopefully the beginning of something. We’ve also seen bands go from strength to strength after playing New Blood and we’re excited to get the chance to follow in their footsteps.

5. What can Bloodstockers expect from you come festival time? Why should they come see you?

We’re loud, angry, and relentless once we’re in full flow. We’ve been likened in the past to bands such as Lamb of God, Gojira & Killswitch Engage. Lots of groove. Lots of Thrash. Lots of chances to whip up a good pit!

6. Are you regular attendees to the festival or will this be your first time?

A couple of us have been before, and it’ll be the first BOA for others among us. The Bloodstock virgins among us have been told nothing but good things about the vibe of the festival and we’re all hyped to be attending as fans, not just as performers.

7. Are you hanging about all weekend? If so who are you most looking forward to seeing?

We’ll all be there from Thursday onwards. We’ll be playing on the Friday which we see as a good thing since, in a way, the pressure will be off after that and we can all enjoy the rest of the festival! I, personally (Anthony, drummer) am looking forward to Parkway Drive the most. I saw them on their tour at the start of the year and they’re live show is phenomenal! BOA isn’t gonna know what’s hit it! A few of the other lads I know are big fans of Cancer Bats.

8. What does the rest of 2019 look like for Blind Divide? Shows? Releases?

We recently played a mini tour/weekender where we played Cardiff, Swansea & Bristol on consecutive nights. We’ve never played shows so frequently before and it’s an experience we all loved and are excited to try again, possibly a bit further afield. We’re working on getting a couple of singles out (Betrayer, and Nimis) in time for our New Blood show. Post Bloodstock, we’ll be looking to get a first full LP done.

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