Bloodstock 2024: Ten Bands We’re Excited to Check Out – Ronnie James Dio Stage
Bloodstock Open Air 2024 is right around the corner. Taking place August 8th to August 11th, the UK’s premier metal festival has, once again, delivered a stellar line-up. Featuring four stages of music and a litany of bands from within the rock and metal world, alongside numerous other forms of entertainment (such as official bin jousting)! You don’t want to miss out, so get off that fence, and pick up your tickets now!
Buy Bloodstock Open Air 2024 tickets here.
The Ronnie James Dio stage is looking like one hell of a lively stage this year and as far as variety goes, few can complain about what’s on show. From living legends to main stage first-timers, a lot of fun can be guaranteed at this stage over the weekend. We expect to spend a sizable amount of time here, so we’ve got ten bands from the RJD stage that we’re pretty excited to see. You know how this goes, five chosen by Brendan, and five chosen by Carl.
Brendan – Deicide
Weirdly, for all the years I have been a fan of Deicide (since around the Once upon a Cross era), unless I just don’t remember coming across them at a festival, I don’t think I have ever seen Deicide live. Now I did flit in and out of following them, but I must say that for my taste, modern era Deicide are the strongest they have ever been with their recent release, Banished by Sin being a really top album. So, if I am right and I haven’t seen them before, this can be a bucket list band struck off the list. Either way, I expect a pretty brutal death metal set full of bangers from their 35 ish year existence.
Carl – Nervosa
The last time I saw Nervosa play live, it was in The Underworld in Camden, London, and they slayed. The RJD stage is a different beast all together, and I’m really stoked to see how they handle it. I think they will deliver a riotous set that will have some hefty circle pits going and I expect to be head banging through most of it.
Brendan – Raised by Owls
Having literally just seen these guys play a week or two ago, and having seen them plenty of times overall, they are still one of the bands I am most looking forward to checking out. I know they will make me smile, bring a little silliness and entertain but they have some top metal tracks as well. The show is great, the music is better. Topped off by my daughter loving them and this being her first Bloodstock, her excitement is contagious as well. They are a hard-working band, and I am really pleased to see them get to that main stage and I look forward to seeing them pull one of the biggest crowds of the festival when they shale us all awake on Sunday morning.
Carl – Green Lung
The hype around Green Lung has put some serious pressure on them, but to date, they’ve managed to not let it overwhelm them. All their hard work, and quality releases, has seen the hard rock and proto metal band rise to high prominence and I suspect this will be quite a special show from them.
Brendan – Rotting Christ
I am a huge Rotting Christ fan so these guys are a band that can’t be missed. Their blackened groove sound really clicks with me, and I have been lucky enough to see them a lot over recent years. In all those times, the one thing that is always true is that they never sound anything other than perfect. They have a huge catalogue of tracks, with differing styles to call upon and with a new album already out this year, Pro Xristou, I am hoping to get a few tracks from that as well. Whatever they play though, I expect it to be loud, heavy and sound amazing.
Carl – Clutch
Come on… what do I have to say here? You know this is going to be special. You know this is going to be fun. It’s Clutch, long-requested for the festival, and a band famous for their electrifying live shows. I know, I’ve seen them live a lot, but it’s been a few years so I’m nice and reenergised for a bout of grooving and moving. Chances are that Clutch are going to be so good that they leave everyone wondering why they weren’t headlining.
Brendan – Crypta
I have been a fan of Crpyta for most of their short existence, when I got hold of their 2021 debut album Echoes of the Soul. The follow up, Shades of Sorrow is even better, and I particularly obsess over the song Lord of Ruins so I am genuinely delighted they are on the bill and can’t wait to see their powerful and aggressive death metal set. They will fit in very nicely here and while they have a lot of songs I love, expect me to lose my sh!t when/if I hear the opening melodies to Lord of Ruins.
Carl – Septicflesh
The Sunday of Bloodstock isn’t the strongest main stage day for me personally, but one band further up the bill that stands out for all the right reasons is Septicflesh. It’s really simple, I’ve never seen a bad Speticflesh show, and I expect more quality death metal from the legends here. Chances are that I’ll be feeling a bit tired at this stage so they should provide me with a nice pick me up through the sheer volume of their music.
Brendan – Amon Amarth
Okay a very obvious one here and I thought about whether to put them on this list a lot. I have seen Amon Amarth a lot and considered whether I was that excited for them really, but the truth is, no matter how much I might wonder if I will get bored watching them, I won’t. I know as soon as I am there I will be entertained thoroughly. Banging my head to their groove/power/folk/Viking sounds and also really enjoying the stage show and effort they put in. The crowd participation is always fun and to top it off, it is another band my daughter is seeing for the first time so even she doesn’t realise it yet, but I know she is going to be blown away and that makes me really excited to see them playing here.
Carl – Malevolence
At their current trajectory, I do believe Malevolence are future headliners of this festival and many others. For now though, they, and us, will have to make do with their special guest spot below Architects and I fully expect Malevolence to blow them off the stage. I’m not much of a pitter these days, but if there’s a band this weekend that I can see encouraging me to do my thing, it’s Malevolence.
