Graspop Metal Meeting 2008

Time to dust off the leathers, denim, studs and maybe even some hairsray. This years Graspop Metal Meeting sees the coming together of some of Metals greatest Genre defining bands along with some of the better up and comers. The small Town of Dessel in Belgium will be host to the most eclectic group of bands its tiny boundaries have ever seen.

At the top of the ranks you see Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Whitesnake and Def Leppard sharing the stage with the likes of Cavalera Conspiracy, 36 Crazyfists, In Flames and Opeth. It seems every branch of the Metal tree has someone hanging from the end.

Hosted between the 27th and 29th of June. It is definately a party most people will want to be a part of. From the bands released so far I can see it is going to be more entertaining than Gene and the lads at Donington ;)

Here are a list of the bands bringing Metal to small town Dessel:

Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Whitesnake
Cavalera Conspiracy
Ministry
Sonata Arctica
In Flames
Apocalyptica
Bullet for my Valentine
Opeth
My Dying Bride
Avenged Sevenfold
Saxon
Testament
Morbid Angel
At the Gates
Madball
Yngwie Malmsteen
Obituary
Forbidden
Volbeat
Korpiklaani
Nile
Soilwork
Dying Fetus
Rotting Christ
Behemoth
Hollenthon
Deathstars
36 Crazyfists
Sabaton
Alchemist
Converge
Comeback Kid

Bloodstock Open Air (BOA) 2008

Bloodstock Open Air Festival (BOA) is now into its 3rd year out in the open, and 7th year as one of the best metal festivals in the UK. The first 4 years were indoor events, but as the festival has gained momentum, it has moved from the darkness into the light of day! The festival takes place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of August at Catton Hall, Derbyshire.

This is the metal festival to go to if you want to hear the more brutal and underground artists playing in the UK (if you want mainstream, get yourself to Download).

The line up has yet to be completed, but from the artists already announced, it looks like it will be one hell of an event! So far, the bands confirmed for BOA 2008 are:

COMMUNIC

EVILE
OPETH
SAINT DEAMON
ELUVEITIE
HELLOWEEN
PRIMAL FEAR
TYR
PRO-JEKT
AT THE GATES
DIMMU BORGIR
MOONSORROW
SWALLOW THE SUN
CLOUDSCAPE
MOB RULES
SOILWORK
KATAKLYSM
OVERKILL

I would kill to get along to this event (and trying my hardest to make sure I can)! I'm most excited about Opeth, Soilwork and Swallow The Sun, and can't wait to see what the full line up looks like!

Personally, I would love to see Bloodbath, Blinded Colony, Paradise Lost, Novembre and Sonic Syndicate playing this year. The last three I'd love on the bill are playing the German festival Summer Breeze in the same week, so I'm keeping my fingers, toes and eyes crossed that they all confirm for BOA too!

For more information, check out their website:

http://www.bloodstock.uk.com

Or their Myspace profile:

http://www.myspace.com/bloodstock