Ten Bands You Must Check Out at Bloodstock 2023 – New Blood / Jägermeister Stages

It’s that time of year again! Bloodstock 2023 is right around the corner and attendees are spoilt for choice when it comes to bands. Across all four stages, there are an immense array of bands from a wide number of genres within the rock and metal sphere. Deciding who to see is not going to be an easy choice.

Especially when you look at the New Blood and Jägermeister stages. Stages made up of (mostly) unsigned bands from around the country. Many of who earned their spot by winning one of the Metal 2 the Masses competitions that took place all over the UK earlier this year.

So, we’ve decided to help you out here. By offering up ten bands, in no particular order, that we think you should check out. Ten from Carl and ten from Brendan. Focusing only on the New Blood and Jägermeister stage bands. We have another article that focuses only on the Ronnie James Dio stage and Sophie Lancaster stages and you can read that here.

Brendan – Arms to Oblivion (New Blood Stage – Friday)

Essex Metal to the Masses winners, Arms to Oblivion, are a really exciting up and coming band. Their big groove based, heavy sound is easy to get hooked on and is sure to get pits raging and heads banging. Essex regularly churns out smashing bands and Arms to Oblivion are another. I’m really looking forward to seeing these guys do their stuff on that legendary stage.

Carl – This Summit Fever (Jägermeister Stage – Friday)

Hitting the Jägermeister stage on the Friday of the festival, This Summit Fever are high-octane and dripping in heavy fuzz rock sounds. While ‘heavy fuzz rock’ might be the simplest way to describe the sound of This Summit Fever, it’s not quite fair to limit them to one specific genre or another. The Jägermeister stage is going to be buzzing when they play and I can’t wait.

Brendan – Square Wild (New Blood Stage – Friday)

I don’t know a lot about Square Wild, other than checking some tracks out after seeing them announced as on the bill. That and some of the comments/write ups on them have me very intrigued. More often seen as a rock band but with influences from folk to metal, blues to reggae, I reckon these guys might be just the palette cleanser, and that little bit of something different and exciting we all need in our lives.

Carl – Street Soldier (New Blood Stage – Friday)

F**king hardcore noise. Chances are, Street Soldier aren’t just going to be one of the most intense bands you see on the New Blood over the weekend. Chances are, they are going to be one of the most intense bands of the entire festival. Expect broken bones, smashed faces, and leaking bodily fluids after this show. I’ll be watching, but from a safe distance.

Carl – Lokust (New Blood Stage – Friday)

A revelation in thundering, groovy, violent, and manic metal. Lokust are one of the ‘sure things’ of the entire weekend. A band with an extremely bright future and will eat this opportunity up, ready for much bigger things in the future. It’s going to be a blistering and brutish display.

Brendan – The Dead XIII (New Blood Stage – Saturday)

Manchester’s The Dead XIII look the part and should be a really fun and exciting addition to the festival. High energy, punk infused metal from a band whose live shows have already garnered them huge respect and adulation in the UK scene. This is a first opportunity for me to see what the fuss is about and I have a good feeling they are going to impress.

Carl – Waterlines (Jägermeister Stage – Saturday)

Born out of the ashes of Sertraline, a band I really liked, Waterlines have grown into their own distinct metalcore beast. Them playing the Jägermeister stage is extremely exciting as they’re so energetic, it’s going to be quite an experience. I’m excited to see what they bring to the festival.

Brendan – Bloodmores (New Blood Stage – Saturday)

Bloodmores play a mix of thrash, melodeath and metalcore combining into a fast and energetic sound full of big beats, chunky riffs, fiery solos and aggressive vocals. They are sure to put a good showing on and are a band I do like a lot, specifically having spent many hours listening to their 2021 release, Too Close to the Sun with the title track of that album being a firm favourite that has stuck with me years later. They should kill it on this bigger stage.

Carl – Drownd (New Blood Stage – Saturday)

I love heavy, I love fast, I love weird. Drownd have exactly what I need. I’m fascinated to see how their industrial music translates to the live stage.

Carl – Ofnus (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

Let me drink from the misery that Ofnus bring. The blackened melancholic monstrosity has been one of my favourite discoveries this year and they’re one of my most anticipated bands of the entire weekend. I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people who check them out on a curious whim.

Brendan – Ofnus (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

Another new band to me, checking out some of their stuff once I saw them announced and I am really excited to see these guys. Atmospheric black metal is a rare addition to Bloodstock these days so I am always going to jump at the chance to hear some and with two singles released so far in Fading Dreams and Grains of Sand that are both getting played daily due to how good they are, I am really excited to see them do their stuff.

Brendan – Skies Turn Black (Jägermeister Stage – Sunday)

Combining classic British Heavy Metal with a sprinkling of Power Metal, Skies Turn Black, are another band from an under represented genre at Bloodstock these days. I love me some traditional metal and power metal so these guys are a must see for me. I’m expecting energy and fun to be had by all as the 5 piece attempt to squeeze onto this small but famous stage.

Carl – Skies Turn Black (Jägermeister Stage – Sunday)

The dark horse of the festival weekend. It’s going to be a tight squeeze on the Jägermeister stage with the five-piece Manchester based heavy/power metal group, and they’re going to attract a massive crowd as their style of music is severely under-represented at this year’s festival. We’re all going to have a freaking blast with this band.

Brendan – Sanguinem (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

The London Metal to the Masses winners, our hometown event, Sanguinem are a really exciting addition to the line up. A new band they may be, but the members are experienced and their aggressive, fast and furious melodic death metal sound is right up my street.

Carl – Elimination (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

It’s not my first-time seeing Elimination at Bloodstock, but the circumstances are quite different this time around. The thrash heavyweights never fail to impress and they can keep me head-banging from the first second to the last. They could be the perfect start to the Sunday of the festival.

Brendan – Dead Air (Jägermeister Stage – Sunday)

South London multi genre fusing Dead Air are an interesting proposition. Willing and happy to blend literally any genre with plenty of punk, rock, pop and metal and more into an energetic and exciting sound, they should pull a big crowd and again offer something a little fresh, a little different to the Bloodstock staple genres.

Carl – Godeth (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

Fusing death, groove, metalcore and hardcore to create their sound. Godeth promise a violent and vicious experience. There’s no shortage of bands promising that over the weekend, but few who back it up quite like Godeth. Their manic and meaty sound is exactly what I’m looking for and I can’t wait to see how they hold up live.

Brendan – Skypilot (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

Northern Ireland’s Skypilot are a band I am reasonably familiar with though I haven’t seen them live yet so am looking forwards to checking them out. I have enjoyed a lot of Skypilot’s output and admire their refusal to adhere to genre norms, instead doing what they enjoy and in their own way. This should be a good opportunity for them to continue their growth showcasing some of the best hard rock and metal Northern Ireland has to offer.

Carl – Outergods (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

The earth shakes, the heavens open, and darkness pours into the world. Outergods are here and none of us will be the same again. An extreme metal band for extreme times on a stage filled with extreme music. This is madness. This is Outergods.

Brendan – Dystopian Sun (New Blood Stage – Sunday)

North Wales’ Dystopian Sun offer hard and heavy deathcore and a brutal assault on your senses, and necks. I don’t know an awful lot about them but North Wales churns out quality, I like deathcore so it all adds up to being a show I am sure to really enjoy and get be excited for. As often happens when bands are announced I don’t know, I look up their music and for these guys, Shadows of Dread is a banger so this should be a great show.