70,000 Tons of Preview
Part Four
It’s 2017 and it’s January so that means this month is dedicated to prepping up for the next 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. This year will be my third year going and I am beyond ecstatic. As of today (24 January 2017), there have been 52 out of 60 bands announced. My gameplan is to cover 12 bands every week, except for the final week because at that point I will already be in Florida and not every band will be announced at that point. The order in which I review these bands will be in the order that they were announced. I will showcase a song from each band as well as my general impression of that band. Some of these names will be bands that I am just hearing for the first time. I will probably just select the first song that pops up on YouTube and make a determination from there. This is week three, so we’ll be looking at #37-#48.
#37 – PSYCROPTIC (AUSTRALIA) TECHNICAL DEATH METAL
Psycroptic is a band that I have heard the name of a million times but never really looked into. A lot of people were really excited when they were added. Listening to them now, I definitely have an appreciation for their technical skill. They will be worth looking into,.
#38 – AVATARIUM (SWEDEN) DOOM METAL
When I saw this name, I assumed it was some rock opera or power metal band. I took a quick on YouTube and immediately felt they sounded like Candlemass with a female singer. This actually made a lot of sense as Leif Edling is a member of this band as well. This means…if Candlemass gets added (which would be amazing), Mats Leven can sing up there with Therion. This would be a HUGE deal to me. Here’s hoping! I will definitely be seeing one set, maybe both of theirs.
#39 – HAGGARD (GERMANY) NEOCLASSICAL METAL, SYMPHONIC METAL, DOOM METAL, PROGRESSIVE METAL, DEATH METAL
So, I don’t know if you’ve ever seen how many people are in Haggard, but it’s pretty close to a million so I don’t know how they will on fit on stage, Nevertheless, they will be there and I have heard rave reviews about their live performance and how fun it is. I definitely dig this kind of sound.
#40 – MORS PRINCIPIUM EST (FINLAND) MELODIC DEATH METAL
I was completely elated when I saw this announcement. They will likely be playing some of their new material for the upcoming album. This might end up being a two set band for me.
#41 – MISERY LOVES CO. (SWEDEN) INDUSTRIAL METAL
I’m not sure how I feel about this band, I will likely skip them unless I just end up there.
#42 – CATTLE DECAPITATON (UNITED STATES) DEATHGRIND, DEATH METAL
This was another huge name for many people. Cattle Decapitation is known for their focuses on the environment and animal rights. Their latest album also peaked at #100 on the Billboard 200. I will be checking out one set of theirs for sure,
#43 – NIGHTMARE (FRANCE) HEAVY METAL, POWER METAL
Nightmare has been around forever and you can tell. I’m not against seeing them, but I don’t have plans to.
#44 – GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS (UNITED STATES) PROGRESSIVE METAL
As fun as this band will be, the implications here are clear: Three former members of Nevermore are in this band and Jeff Loomis is also onboard. Could we see a Nevermore reunion?
#45 – AXXIS (GERMANY) POWER METAL, HEAVY METAL, ELECTRONIC ROCK, HARD ROCK
Holy shit, this band is cheesey. Very Gamma Ray. There are a lot of power metal bands on. I may check these guys out, but not super thrilled.
#46 – TRAUMA (UNITED STATES) POWER METAL, THRASH METAL
As above, so below.
#47 – TROLLFEST (NORWAY) FOLK METAL, METALCORE, MELODIC DEATH METAL, AVANT-GARDE METAL
This band was a blast live two years ago on the ship. I look forward to this again.
#48 – NILE (UNITED STATES) TECHNICAL DEATH METAL
Nile is known for quick drumming and Middle Eastern influence. They are amazing to see live. I saw them with Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation last year and they were awesome. Looking forward to a set from them.
Well, next week will be all the bands that are left over. Hopefully we are close to knowing the full 60 bands for the list. See you next time!
-Ryan