Bloodstock Open Air // M2TM – Heat 1 – 2025 // Voodoo Belfast
Once upon a time, a mawn had a life he used to call his own, he used to chill on a Friday night and enjoy a sedate weekend and life was good. Then he attended his first M2TM and now he’s broken, but enough about me,…
It’s that time of year sheeple!
Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses 2025 has arrived and there is no stopping this juggernaut of a competition! Bloodstock everyone’s favourite UK Metal festival once again brings us the opportunity for some homegrown talent to shine on the biggest of stages. At the infamous NewBlood Stage at Catton Park, every year the thirstiest of bands gather outside Birmingham to rock the actual fuck out over a glorious weekend in August.
Every year Northern Ireland represents, from Lock Horns to The Crawling, Acid Age to Skypilot, BOA can’t get enough of the NI Metal Scene. Tonight we are back at the home of M2TM and everyone’s fave indie venue in Belfast Voodoo, a healthy crowd has gathered to bear witness to this year’s opener and in tow, four bands all ready to cut heads and earn a place in the next stage of the competition.
Up first, Belfasts own Divides Unfold. No strangers to the competition, these lads have been a solid fixture in the NI Metal Scene for a good few years now, and every year they go from strength to strength. Every gig, every mile on the road worn on their hearts and sleeves like a badge of honour. They’re hard to fault, one of the more easy-on-the-ear, really hard-hitting melodic rock acts we have that you know will deliver every time you see them. The vibe in the room says just that, heads are bopping, the crazy kids up front are moshing like their lives depend on it. M2TM has indeed arrived and is in safe hands thus far. A really strong performance and rapturous applause say Belfast approves everything Divides Unfokd threw at them. Well played lads!
Aphrill now is a new band to me, and looking at the M2TM lineup for 2025 there are a lot of new bands in the competition, which is a great thing, we all need the next generation of Craig David’s coming out of the woodwork to sprinkle their own brand of magic on a bloodthirsty Voodoo Belfast. Tonight we have Aphrill, self-described as “Misfits & Weirdos” They’ll fit right in here. Four young whipper snappers all giving it 110% live on stage, if only one of them would play a solo behind their head while grinding like Cardi B …. Well Jesus wept!
What can you say but fair play lads! The vocal duties are being shared out by bother guitarists, cos guitars fuckin rule! Bass players are just drummers with strings! Fact! Wait! Unless you’re Tal Wilkenfeld and then “How You Doin’”. I digress, Aphrill are indeed a mad bunch, but passionate and living their best lives up there, so who am I to knock that? Fly my pretty monkeys, Fly!
Up next is another new band to the competition and our first female-fronted band of the year Arc Dakota, these guys are a all round melodic rock band, going by the reception they received at the end of their first song tells me they brought their fanbase with them, which is a lesson for all bands in the competition, drag everyone you can download with you as the public vote is important. It helps you get that all-important vote, but equally if not more importantly you have to support these local bands. Without your support there will be no live scene for up-and-coming artists to emerge into. The crowd was digging it, many had forced their way to the front and rather than having a rager, they were bouncing around soaking up the party atmosphere, behind them ageing horny rockers bopping their heads in approval soaking it all up. Three bands down and one of Norn Iron’s previous entrants Triggertone up next to wrap up an interesting opener for 2025.
So Triggertone get stuck right in right away with a gnarly set, thunderous drums, slamming bass and a cutting guitar tone that captures the imagination. 3 pieces when done well just rock! These guys have a vibe all their own and know how to maximise it to the full live, intersecting guitar pieces, thickly layered guitar solos wrapped up in delay, what’s not to love and fused together by banging Melodies – Beaut!
It has been an interesting start to the heats, and I am confident a taster of what is to come with so many fresh faces taking part this year we will have a few heads turned no doubt.
As I woke up on tedStrat-Sunday morning, I found out that the two bands who have progressed through our Divides Unfold & Arc Dakota. Fair play; it just shows you that nothing can be taken for granted here, and it definitely helps if you bring your sheeple with you, every vote counts. Both bands had great support in theroom, and I have to say it’s great to see a new band to the scene for us, make it out of the heat to fight again.
Heat 2 is next week – Friday, the 7th once again at Voodoo Belfast, be there or be square!
Ticket link: https://wegottickets.com/event/643863
Fancy joining the Rock ‘N’ Load Team?
I am looking for passionate music lovers across the Island of Ireland to help make this rocking community better, we need Album Reviewers and Live Gig Reviewers to help support artists of all scales, from the local hero’s who really need your support to the bigger international artists who appreciate the love and support from all corners of the globe.
Ask yourself, how many gigs did you attend last year and how many would you love to attend this year, being on the frontlines means you can, we cover shows from the smaller independent venues like Voodoo Belfast right through to the Limelight, Telegraph Building, Ulster Hall & SSE Arena working with PR’s and Record Labels across the globe.
Rock ‘N’ Load is a passion project and grass-roots journalism that the music industry relies heavily on, passionate people who do it all for the love of music, if that’s you drop me a DM via Instagram. Experience not required, but passion is everything.
Photography: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
