Metal

SIXTEEN WEEKENDS ‘TIL BLOODSTOCK…

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Hot on the heels of JUDAS PRIEST confirming that their Sunday headline slot at BLOODSTOCK this summer will now be their only European performance this year, let the excitement for the metal party of the year continue to rev up with another 7 bands joining them on the bill… 

 VENOM PRISON are set to crush a Friday slot on the Ronnie James Dio main stage.  The band tell us, “Venom Prison are honoured to be invited to play at the legendary Bloodstock Festival again, having first appeared at the 2017 edition. This will be our first show in nearly two years since the world was shut down by the pandemic. We can’t wait to step out on stage again and cause utter destruction. See you in the pit.” The group are hard at work on their next studio album, the first for new label Century Media. For a hint of what’s to come, watch ‘Slayer Of Holofernes’, from their recent ‘Primeval’ release. 

New UK hardcore squad, BORSTAL, featuring Nick Barker (ex-Cradle of Filth, Brujeria) on drums, promise a punishing opening to proceedings on Saturday’s main stage.  Just the thing to sort out your Friday night bangover! The band released their debut EP, ‘At Her Majesty’s Pleasure’ just two weeks ago via 4Family Records.  Check out the video for ‘Vicious Circles’, taken from that EP, here.  

On the Sophie Lancaster stage front, BLOODYWOOD have unfortunately had to postpone their appearance at BLOODSTOCK, but we look forward to welcoming them in 2022!  As such, their Friday night headline slot will be filled by the mighty NAPALM DEATH!  Having recently renewed their record deal with Century Media, the grindcore legends are set to see some of their ample catalogue re-released on vinyl.  Check out their social media for details and warm your necks up with some classic Napalm noise via the video for ‘Time Waits For No Slave’.  

Snagging Friday spots on the Sophie stage are Cornish rockers KING CREATURE and melodic/power metal beasts, PRIMITAI.  Adding to the Saturday Sophie affray are Southampton crew TERRA IV and steamrolling in to Sunday’s lineup are Leicester metal five piece, INTERNAL CONFLICT.

BLOODSTOCK’s 2021 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday), KREATOR (Saturday), and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday).  The festival will also feature sets from DIMMU BORGIR, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, BURY TOMORROW, DIAMOND HEAD, THERAPY?, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SAXON, THE WILDHEARTS, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, BLEED FROM WITHIN, PHIL CAMPBELL & THE BASTARD SONS, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC., GREEN LUNG, CONJURER, ORANGE GOBLIN, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, RAGING SPEEDHORN, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, SYLOSIS, WINTERFYLLETH, HACKTIVIST, THE CRAWLING, RAISED BY OWLS, ACID REIGN, SVALBARD, SOEN, BLASPHEMER, PIST, SHARKS IN YOUR MOUTH, SEIDRBLOT, NOCTEM, MOTHER VULTURE, BLOODSHOT DAWN, & EVILE and many more.  Even more bands performing across the long weekend are still to be announced.

BLOODSTOCK FORGE AHEAD, ANNOUNCING 11 MORE BANDS FOR 2021!

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We’re full speed ahead with plans for this year’s event and are excited to announce a string of new bands to the 2021 bill at Catton Park!


THE WILDHEARTS romp into a main stage slot on Friday! Having been a big hit in 2019 when they stepped up last minute to fill in a cancellation, we’re happy to welcome the band back to Catton Park this year. With 2019’s ‘Renaissance Men’ album being deemed a huge return to form (as well as a return to the ranks for original bassist, Danny McCormack), the band also very recently dropped the ‘The Wildhearts, Live: 30 Year Itch’ via Round Records. 


Grabbing a Sophie Lancaster stage slot on Friday are Corby’s finest, the mighty RAGING SPEEDHORN! Having impressed many with their ‘Hard To Kill’ comeback album in October 2020, we’re thrilled to see they’re back and bringing their delicious noise to BLOODSTOCK. 


Moving into Saturday’s headline position on the Sophie stage are PHIL CAMPBELL & THE BASTARD SONS. The band unveiled their splendid new album ‘We’re The Bastards’ in November via Nuclear Blast, having recorded it in Wales during the lockdown.


Also grabbing Thursday spots on the Sophie stage are HACKTIVIST, THUNDEROUS JONES, ASHEN CROWN, LUNA’S CALL, URNE, FORLORN WORLD, SEETHING AKIRA, and KING WITCH. 


BLOODSTOCK’s 2021 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday), KREATOR (Saturday), and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday). The festival will also feature sets from DIMMU BORGIR, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, BURY TOMORROW, DIAMOND HEAD, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SAXON, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, BLOODYWOOD, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC., GREEN LUNG, CONJURER, ORANGE GOBLIN, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, SYLOSIS, WINTERFYLLETH, THE CRAWLING, RAISED BY OWLS, ANAKIM, ACID REIGN, SVALBARD, SOEN, DOG TIRED, BAILER, BLASPHEMER, BLACK TONGUE, LIBERTY LIES, PIST, SHARKS IN YOUR MOUTH, SEIDRBLOT, BLOODSHOT DAWN, & EVILE so far. More bands performing across the long weekend are still to be announced.

BLOODSTOCK ANNOUNCE REPLACEMENT SATURDAY NIGHT HEADLINER; DETAIL THREE MORE BANDS

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BLOODSTOCK is working to bring you the very best metal party possible this August, but due to the ongoing issues and restrictions surrounding Covid-19, a number of overseas bands are no longer able to be at Catton Park with us this Summer.  MERCYFUL FATE sadly have to postpone their headline slot until 2022. Their iconic frontman, King Diamond tells us, “Due to the uncertainties of international touring logistics, health, and safety issues, MERCYFUL FATE are unable to perform at this Summer’s BLOODSTOCK. Unfortunately, most of our Summer routing is already postponed or postponing soon. Like many others in our position we’re amending our plans to get back on the road as soon as possible. We’re gutted. However, we are happy to say that we’ve worked with the BLOODSTOCK organisers and report that we will be back to headline the festival in Summer ‘22. Until then, stay heavy and stay safe.”


As such, pioneers of heavy, KREATOR will replace MERCYFUL FATE as Saturday’s Ronnie James Dio main stage headliner, in a UK festival exclusive. Frontman Mille Petrozza says, “We are very excited to headline the BLOODSTOCK festival for the first time! This means a lot to KREATOR since all the previous shows we have played there were exceptional! We promise you the most brutal show BLOODSTOCK has ever seen! Be prepared!” The much lauded German thrashers just released the deluxe ‘Under The Guillotine’ box set, celebrating their classic early Noise Records years. Fans are eagerly awaiting the group’s fifteenth studio album – the follow up to 2017’s ‘Gods Of Violence’ – due out later this year via Nuclear Blast. Check out this clip of ‘Violent Revolution’ taken from their 2017 set. 


Also having to cancel plans to be at Catton Park are PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, BUTCHER BABIES, LIFE OF AGONY, SACRED REICH, NECROT, EXHUMED, and UNTO OTHERS. While fans of these acts may be disappointed, BLOODSTOCK knows everyone appreciates the exceptional challenges right now and we hope to welcome these bands to Catton Park before too long. BLOODSTOCK remains as keen as you to be reunited with our metal brethren this summer and is determined to make it a most excellent time for all, with more bands and on-site fun still to be revealed.


Without further ado, picking up a Ronnie James Dio main stage slot on Sunday are Norse shamans, SEIDRBLOT. If you haven’t discovered them yet, check out this video for single ‘Skeggold’, shot in stunning Iceland. The band are promising a new song imminently and plan to resume making their new album as soon as lockdown lifts.
Joining them are UK-based melodic death bruisers, BLOODSHOT DAWN, who first appeared at BLOODSTOCK many moons ago as METAL 2 THE MASSES winners! The group have been teasing a new album on social media, so BLOODSTOCK looks forward to the possibility of hearing new headbanging tunes in August! Get familiar over on their Bandcamp.

BLOODSTOCK is also pleased to reveal that Brit thrash beasts, EVILE will be adding to Friday’s mayhem on the Sophie Lancaster stage. The band’s hotly anticipated and long awaited fifth album ‘Hell Unleashed’ lands April 30th via Napalm Records and while you’re waiting, check out the title track here. Keep an eye out for another new track at the end of next week…


Stay tuned for more news soon, with plans underway for a re-jigged version of the 2021 METAL 2 THE MASSES scheme, as BLOODSTOCK continues to champion grassroots metal, bringing the best of upcoming talent to the New Blood stage.  BLOODSTOCK’s other two 2021 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday) and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday). The festival will also feature sets from DIMMU BORGIR, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, BURY TOMORROW, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DIAMOND HEAD, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SAXON, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BLOODYWOOD, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC., GREEN LUNG, CONJURER, ORANGE GOBLIN, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, SYLOSIS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, WINTERFYLLETH, NEKROGOBLIKON, THE CRAWLING, RAISED BY OWLS, ANAKIM, ACID REIGN, SVALBARD, SOEN, DOG TIRED, BAILER, BLASPHEMER, BLACK TONGUE, LIBERTY LIES, PIST, & SHARKS IN YOUR MOUTH so far. More bands performing across the long weekend are still to be announced. 

Bloodstock announce new charity partner & reveal six more acts for 2020

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BLOODSTOCK has another six bands to announce for this summer’s best metal weekender. Not only that, the festival has a brand new charity partner this year. Read on for the latest news…
First of all, BLOODSTOCK is pleased to reveal that Louisville, Kentucky’s SAVAGE MASTER will be opening the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Saturday, waking you up with a concrete slab of traditional heavy metal! The group released their latest record ‘Myth, Magic & Steel’ in October. Check out the title track here.
Jetting in from Italy, blackened-death metal demons BLASPHEMER stride onto Sunday’s Sophie Lancaster stage to unleash unholy hell, no doubt including a few new tunes from their latest opus, ‘The Sixth Hour’, released last month via Candlelight Records. A concept album, themed around ‘The Way of the Cross’, explore ‘The Deposition’ here.
Joining them on Sunday’s Sophie stage, are modern hard rock crew, LIBERTY LIES. Citing influences such as Biffy Clyro, QOTSA, and Coheed & Cambria, this West Midlands squad finally dropped new album ‘It’s The Hope That Kills You’ last November. Have a listen to their latest, chilled-out single ‘Letters’, released on Valentine’s Day, here.
Also performing on the Sophie stage on Sunday, are BLACK TONGUE. Hailing from Hull, and bringing some down-tempo doom, the five-piece have added their most recent album ‘Nadir’ to their YouTube channel in its entirety, so you have until August to make sure you know it back to front, if you don’t already. Get started here.
In addition, Bury based riff juggernaut PIST are added to the Sophie Sunday bill. The band released their latest album ‘Hailz’ last November through APF Records. It’s a record that will grab the attention of fans of Orange Goblin, Kvelertak, Motörhead, Entombed, Uada and Black Breath, elevating PIST to one of the standout bands in the current UK underground heavy scene. Have a listen to ‘Mind Rotter’ here.
If that’s shaping up your Sunday viewing nicely, why not add SHARKS IN YOUR MOUTH to your must-see Sophie list on Saturday. Offering up their take on post-hardcore and djent, the Italian outfit released their second full-length ‘Sacrilegious’ in 2019 and you can watch the video for their newly released single ‘Gone’ here.
BLOODSTOCK is very pleased to share that this year’s charity partner will be the mental health charity Mind. Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, and campaign to improve services and raise awareness. 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem every year and Mind won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. In addition to guestlist donations, raising funds on behalf of Mind on site at BLOODSTOCK will be festival attendee Michael Lacy, with his PATCH AMNESTY initiative. Bring your old, spare, or new patches to donate, browse patches to buy, or even just stop by for a chat. All proceeds go to Mind. Please look out for PATCH AMNESTY / Mind signage and stop by his stand in the main arena to give your support.
Maria Khosla, Community Fundraising Manager for Mind, says : “We are grateful to the organisers of Bloodstock Festival and to Michael Lacy from Patch Amnesty for choosing to support Mind at this year’s event. One in four of us will experience a mental health problem every year so their support in raising funds and awareness means we can continue to make sure that no one has to face a mental health problem alone.”
BLOODSTOCK’s 2020 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday), BEHEMOTH (Saturday), and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday). The festival also welcomes HATEBREED, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, LIFE OF AGONY, BURY TOMORROW, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DIAMOND HEAD, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SACRED REICH, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, BUTCHER BABIES, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BLOODYWOOD, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC, GREEN LUNG, BOSSK, CONJURER, ORANGE GOBLIN, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, SAXON, SYLOSIS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, NECTOR, WINTERFYLLETH, EXHUMED, NEKROGOBLIKON, THE CRAWLING, RAISED BY OWLS, ANAKIM, ACID REIGN, SVALBARD, IDLE HANDS, SOEN, VISCERA, DOG TIRED, & BAILER so far. Many more bands performing over the weekend are still to be announced! Unsure what to expect? Watch a trailer all about BLOODSTOCK here.
BLOODSTOCK 2020 takes place at Catton Park, Derbyshire from 6th-9th August 2020. For more info, click to www.bloodstock.uk.com.

Download festival announces major site improvements for 2020

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Download Festival, the world’s premier rock event has announced major site improvement plans for the 2020 festival which takes place on 12 – 14 June 2020 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets are on sale now at  downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets.

Download Festival prides itself on listening to its loyal fanbase. The Village has moved even closer to The Arena and will be located on the hardstanding tarmac lake and will be home to the largest ever festival merch superstore for weekend campers. The festival has become even more sustainable on site with 100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil biofuel to be used that will reduce carbon emissions by a dramatic 60%, and vegan options have increased. Alongside new locations for all campsites, walking distances have decreased, and with the new Castle Donington Bypass, there is the addition of an East Car Park. Download Festival’s legacy will also be encapsulated with a time capsule burial on site over Download weekend.

Melvin Benn, Festival Republic MD says;
“Download is a festival like no other, the audience is as essential as a headliner and we’re excited to bring these site changes to the 2020 festival for better customer experience. The new location of The Village is incredibly exciting as we have made use of the hardstanding tarmac lake. What’s equally exciting is the merch superstore that will be located here, with plenty of options to commemorate the weekend. The new Castle Donington Bypass has allowed us to introduce a third carpark for those coming from the North, and all these site changes have reduced walking times across the site.

The legacy of Download deserves to be celebrated so we will be burying a time capsule on site during Download weekend. Artists will add to it, and I would love for Downloaders to be involved by suggesting items to include and becoming a part of history. Here’s to a great 2020.”

Download Festival have reduced walking distances for festival attendees by moving campsites, car parks, the transport hub and The Village. When campers were looking at almost an hour walk to campsites from The Arena, the new campsite locations mean that Downloaders can reach their tents in the furthest campsites from The Arena in just 25 minutes. As The Village is now a central hub between campsites, this can be reached from the majority of campsites in 10 minutes or less.

The newly located general campsites will also see a fan rebrand, and Downloaders can suggest what each of the six campsites should be called right here (https://form.jotform.com/FRMarketing/campsite-name-suggestions-DL2020). Entries must be submitted by Monday 9th March, and winning names will be announced via socials on Friday 13th March. Greenpeace’s Eco Campsite also returns for its third year, with 100% of tents taken away in the previous two years.

Download Festival have reacted to public feedback, relocating The Village after the severe weather conditions of last year, to the hardstanding Tarmac Lake. Home of The Dog House, Hair Of The Dog bar, food stands, and the incredible Mind The Dog Mindfulness programming that will return in 2020, plus just minutes away from the Access Campsite, access customers can go from their camp to The Village without leaving solid ground.

The Village will also be home to a new massive 900 square meter merch superstore for the first time, and in The Arena, the serving areas of merchandise stalls have increased by 13 meters, plus additional staff on hand to aid in providing size choices whilst waiting. The lines were too long last year, and this should help speed up the process. New for 2020, the Guest Area will also have its own merch stand.

Download takes climate change seriously and as part of our Green Nation charter we are using 100% renewable Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) biofuel to power the event this year. HVO is a form of renewable diesel that has been produced from vegetable fats and oils and offers a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In the recent The Show Must Go On (https://www.vision2025.org.uk/) report, 76% of an event on site carbon emission is power, and this act will reduce Download’s carbon emissions by 60%.

In 2019, the Liftshare carpark sold out with 157 cars taking part, with combined travel saving 16.29 tonnes of CO2e, and £20,000 was raised for local schools to install solar panels through car park donations which is up on £15,800 in 2018. The Recycling and composting rates rose from 46% in 2018 to 59% in 2019 with zero waste going to landfill, bars will once again be operating with reusable cups, and Co-op’s reverse vending machines return for a third year. All water bottles sold at the bars and traders stands will be made from renewable plant-based bottles, and all water refill points in The Arena have been completely redesigned with high flow meaning that a litre bottle can be refilled in just 3 seconds, compared to last year which could have taken up to 12 seconds. That’s four times faster!

The food we eat is responsible for almost a third of our global carbon footprint.  We’ve increased vegan food offerings by 40% to give over 30 vegan vendors to choose from on site and a total of over 40 vegetarian stalls to tuck into. Gluten free traders have also increased to a total of 30 stalls across the site, an increase of 42% from 2019.

For 2020, Download Festival has introduced a new East Car Park, which alongside the West Car Park, will be dedicated to weekend campers with easy access to campsites either side of the site. The East Car Park will also be easily accessible by those travelling from the North of England via the newly created Castle Donington bypass. The South Car Park will be dedicated to day ticket holders and improved conditions within the car parks aim to better handle weather conditions. The increase in car parks also means Downloaders no longer have to walk for miles with their weekend belongings, as if parked in the East Car Park, they can reach the nearest campsite in just two minutes.

Inspired by Iron Maiden performing their Legacy of the Beast Tour, Download will be celebrating the festivals legacy with a time capsule burial on the hallowed grounds of Donington. Download will be calling on its line up of legends across the weekend to contribute to the time capsule and make their mark on the Download Festival legacy, Downloaders will also be able to suggest what can be included and have the chance to add their own bit of history. May 2078 will see the resurfacing date, marking 75 years since the very first Download Festival!

Inside the arena itself, The Dogtooth Stage has a reputation to host some of the best talent around, with the tent overflowing from overwhelming popularity within recent years and to reflect this, organisers will be increasing capacity from 2890 to 4050.

Festival Republic have worked with Attitude is Everything since 2001. Download Festival signed up to the Attitude is Everything Charter of Best Practice in 2017 and currently holds the Gold Award within the charter. The Accessible Campsite remains on the same hardstanding location. The Accessible Campervan space has moved to a flatter more accessible location and the space for campervans has increased by 42% to over 100 spaces for 2020.

For further information, please visit Download Festival’s Website, Facebook and Twitter

 

#DL2020

BLOODSTOCK CONFIRM SEVEN MORE BANDS; ANNOUNCE ON SITE GAMING ARENA & CELEBRATE 100K YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS

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As the number of months left to BLOODSTOCK 2020 reaches the half-way point, festival HQ shows no signs of slowing down with booking bands and making plans to make BLOODSTOCK’s 20th anniversary year the biggest and boldest yet! With a YouTube 100k subscriber milestone achieved this month too, there’s a brand new competition you can win weekend tickets in, as well as news about the exciting gaming arena debuting at BLOODSTOCK this year, and go on then, seven more bands to announce as well…
Brit thrash luminaries, ACID REIGN are set for a Friday slot on the Ronnie James Dio main stage!  Having rebooted the band in 2015 after a 24 year hiatus, frontman H tells us, “Anyone who witnessed our 2016 show on the Sophie stage knows exactly how much we love playing BLOODSTOCK.  There is a lot of excitement in the AR camp right now, we finally got a new album out after all these years (29 to be exact) and now we get to put a BLOODSTOCK sized cherry on the top of that cake. Can’t wait to see you all there!”  The band released that long-awaited album, ‘The Age Of Entitlement’ in August last year. Check out the video for ‘The New Low’ from that release here.
Also appearing on Friday’s main stage, are Bristol’s hardcore punk crew SVALBARD. Signed to Holy Roar Records, their topical and furious last album ‘It’s Hard To Have Hope’ surfaced in 2018, and was described by Kerrang! as “a grand declaration of war, on everything wrong with the modern world, set to a truly brilliant, visceral soundtrack.” See if you agree; watch the video for ‘For The Sake Of The Breed’ from that album here.
Goth-soaked metal newcomers, IDLE HANDS will open the main stage on Sunday!  The Portland-based band are hot off their recent US support slot to the mighty King Diamond and the release of debut album, ‘Mana’ via Eisenwald Records.  View the retrotastic video for ‘Give Me To The Night’, taken from that release here.
Swedish progressive rock collective, SOEN crash straight into Friday’s special guest slot on the Sophie Lancaster stage. Reformed by frontman Joel Ekelöf and former Opeth drummer, Martin Lopez back in 2010, SOEN are four albums deep into their career, having released current album, ‘Lotus’ in early 2019.  Investigate the sublime title track from that opus and its accompanying video here.
VISCERA earn themselves a Sophie stage slot on Saturday.  The band, featuring former members of Heart of a Coward, Abhorrent Decimation, Martyr Defiled, Nervecell, and Surfaces, blend their influences (Pantera, Meshuggah, At The Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder and Killswitch Engage) with modern tech/death and deathcore flavours.  They release their debut album, ‘Obsidian’ this Spring via Unique Leader Records, but in the meantime, take a look at the video to ‘Lamb To The Slaughter’ taken from that release here.
Edinburgh’s riff squad and former BLOODSTOCK ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ alumni, DOG TIRED also land a slot on Friday’s Sophie stage. Since landing a slot in the New Blood tent in 2014, the band have been honing their stagecraft, playing with the likes of Skindred and Raging Speedhorn.  We’re happy to welcome them back with step up to the Sophie Stage in 2020. Get a taste for their sound with the video of ‘Dagoth’s Nine’ here.
BAILER join Saturday’s Sophie stage line up.  Metal Hammer inform that “Sometimes you hear a new band that make you want to drive a motorbike through a wall. BAILER are that band.”  Discover something new and make up your own mind by checking out ‘Long Gone’, featuring guest vocals from Adam Carroll here, and catch ‘em at Catton Park in August.
Consider yourself a bit of a gamer, or always fancied a go?  This year, BLOODSTOCK is pleased to introduce the Nordic Spirit Game Arena, where you can try to beat your mates on a range of games on XBox and PS4 consoles. Prefer your games on your PC?  Don’t worry, there’ll be a couple of gaming PCs as well, plus a few arcade machines from Jagermeister and Redbull, for starters. Best of all, play is absolutely free!
There’s just two weeks left to sign up to BLOODSTOCK’s very popular ticket deposit scheme, which allows you to spread your standard weekend ticket purchase over 5 instalments.  Be sure to make your first payment of £29 + booking fees before 28th February, then after that, your instalments break down as follows: Payment 2 – £29 (debits your bank account on 27/03/20), Payment 3 – £29 (debits 27/04/20), Payment 4 – £29 (debits 26/05/20), and then your Final Payment – £29 + postage (debits 26/06/20).  Please note VIP and child tickets are not eligible for the deposit scheme. Sign up at the ticket store.
BLOODSTOCK is also delighted to welcome the 100,000th subscriber to its official YouTube channel! To celebrate the milestone, BLOODSTOCK will randomly select two winners from channel subscribers to receive a pair of weekend tickets to 2020’s event. If you’re already subscribed, you’re already entered to win! If not, head over to the YouTube channel here and sign up! All new subscribers registered before the end of February 16th will also be entered. The lucky winners will be announced on BLOODSTOCK’s Facebook page in due course.
Not visited BLOODSTOCK’s YouTube channel before? You’ll find a host of cool and exclusive content from BLOODSTOCK, including interviews and live songs (or even whole sets) of a wide range of bands throughout the years. Didn’t get to watch Parkway Drive headline the main stage in 2019? Watch it on YouTube! How about Gojira the year before?  Also on BLOODSTOCK’s YouTube! New content is added regularly; make sure you stay subscribed so you don’t miss out and be the first to see brand new, thrilling live clips from classic, explosive, and downright headbangin’ sets at BLOODSTOCK!
BLOODSTOCK’s 2020 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday), BEHEMOTH (Saturday), and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday). The festival also welcomes HATEBREED, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, LIFE OF AGONY, BURY TOMORROW, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DIAMOND HEAD, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SACRED REICH, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, BUTCHER BABIES, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BLOODYWOOD, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC, GREEN LUNG, BOSSK, CONJURER, ORANGE GOBLIN, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, SAXON, SYLOSIS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, NECTOR, WINTERFYLLETH, EXHUMED, NEKROGOBLIKON, THE CRAWLING, RAISED BY OWLS, & ANAKIM so far.  Many more bands performing over the weekend are still to be announced! Unsure what to expect? Watch a trailer all about BLOODSTOCK here.

BLOODSTOCK REVEALS MORE THURSDAY ACTS, EXCLUSIVE TO WEEKEND TICKET HOLDERS

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Are you a BLOODSTOCK regular? Perhaps you’re thinking of coming for the first time, or you’ve tested the waters before with a day ticket just to see what you think? BLOODSTOCK weekend ticket holders don’t just get three days of heavy metal glory, they get four!  While day tickets can be purchased closer to the event for Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday, BLOODSTOCK starts the party on Thursday, exclusively for weekend ticket holders!  Get your tent pitched, grab your mates, and head over to the Planet Rock presents…Sophie Lancaster stage for a jam-packed evening of heavy metal fun.
Back in December, BLOODSTOCK revealed that Swedish hard rockers THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA are set to headline Thursday’s opening night party.  The Nuclear Blast-signed band, who feature members of Soilwork and Arch Enemy in their ranks, are promising new songs in 2020, but meanwhile, check out ‘This Time’ from current release, ‘Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough’ here.
BLOODSTOCK is thrilled to announce that they’ll be joined on the bill by these four bands…
Firstly, the irrepressible goblin kings, NEKROGOBLIKON. Hailing from California, the group released latest album ‘Welcome To Bonkers’ in 2018, featuring the track ‘Dressed As Goblins’ – watch the video for it here. If that’s not enough goblin for you, browse the rest of their Nekrogoblitude, and if you want to dress up especially for their set, who are we to stop you?!  Be sure to get your photo snapped by our roving official photographers if you do!
Northern Irish death/doom merchants THE CRAWLING are also added to Thursday’s line-up. Citing influences such as Paradise Lost, Marduk, Katatonia, and Bolt Thrower, this stripped back, dark three piece will bring all the heavy. Get familiar via the video for ‘Still No Sun’ here, taken from their album ‘Wolves And The Hideous White’.
Derby-based grind squad RAISED BY OWLS are looking forward to adding their brand of extreme metal to Thursday’s headbangin’ shenanigans, promising a no-holds-barred aural assault with a hefty dose of sardonic humour.  You only have to check out the video for their Christmas charity single ‘The Santanist’ here (proceeds going to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation), to get a flavour of what’s in store.
Also joining the fray, are last year’s Bournemouth Metal 2 The Masses victors ANAKIM, offering up a choice blend of progressive black/death metal to get your weekend started. Check out that live set, including the single ‘Born Of The Serpents Tongue’, filmed at BLOODSTOCK, here.  Their album, ‘Monuments To Departed Worlds’, is out now.
And that’s just the bands! There’s a host of other entertainment planned too, sure to kick off your weekend in glorious style. Don’t miss out!
Unsure what to expect? Watch a trailer all about BLOODSTOCK here.
BLOODSTOCK’s 2020 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday), BEHEMOTH (Saturday), and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday). The festival also welcomes HATEBREED, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, LIFE OF AGONY, BURY TOMORROW, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DIAMOND HEAD, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SACRED REICH, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, BUTCHER BABIES, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BLOODYWOOD, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC, GREEN LUNG, BOSSK, CONJURER, ORANGE GOBLIN, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, SAXON, SYLOSIS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, NECTOR, WINTERFYLLETH, & EXHUMED so far. Many more bands performing over the weekend are still to be announced!

More acts added for DOWNLOAD 2020!

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Download Festival, the world’s premier rock event, has announced further acts including ALTER BRIDGE, BOWLING FOR SOUP, FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES, MASTODON, THE DISTILLERS, SEPULTURA, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE and FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, to join headliners IRON MAIDEN (Legacy of the Beast Tour), KISS and SYSTEM OF A DOWN this summer. NXT UK is returning to deliver more knockout entertainment over the weekend, and Kerrang! Radio will host FINDING FRESH BLOOD for another year – searching for the best emerging acts in the world of rock to perform on The Avalanche Stage.

Download takes place on 12 – 14 June 2020 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets are on sale now at downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets.

The Main Stage just got even better with a host of new names which are sure to stir the crowd into a frenzy. US heavyweights ALTER BRIDGE will return to Download with their breed of blistering and technical rock completed with incredible showmanship courtesy of Miles Kennedy.

Mark Tremonti from Alter Bridge said:
“We are very proud and honoured to be a part of the 2020 lineup.  Download has always been the highlight of our touring schedule over the years, thanks for another opportunity to perform for some of the best rock fans in the world!”

The brilliantly chaotic FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES will wreak havoc at Download, with pit-starter anthems such as ‘Juggernaut’, ‘Crowbar’ and ‘I Hate You’. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are staggeringly heavy, with a good dosage of theatrics that will no doubt fuel a memorable performance. Also performing rare Australia’s ferocious THY ART IS MURDER, rising Florida metalcorers WAGE WAR, and melodic Brit metallers THE RAVEN AGE.

Chris Motionless from Motionless In White said:
“Playing Download is an accomplishment that bands of every level still write home about. It is THE festival to be a part of, and I’m so proud to announce that we will be making an appearance again for the first one of the new decade. See you in a few months!”

Looking towards The Zippo Stage, Atlanta’s finest MASTODON have garnered a reputation as a formidable live force, and their performance at 2020 is sure to be enormous. Fronted by the infamous Brody Dalle, THE DISTILLERS are a household name in modern punk and make their anticipated return to Donington. THE DARKNESS are also set to bring a healthy dose of classic rock and roll bombast., Italian goth icons LACUNA COIL, melodic rockers AMARANTHE, bondage-punks HATARI and rock n roll revivalists THE GLORIOUS SONS. They’ll be joined by Mississippi rock stalwarts 3 DOORS DOWN.

Justin Hawkins of The Darkness said:
 “UK festival appearances are like children – so precious and impossible to pick a favourite. This year though, my number 1 child is our Download slot! I have a pair of pyjama bottoms designed to look like jeans with tickets for Monsters of Rock 1991 hanging out of the pocket, and that tells you everything you need to know about my excitement levels.”

Following their disbanding in 2016, Download are beyond excited to reveal that Welsh post-hardcore and crowd favourite FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND will make their euphoric return to the festival by headlining The Avalanche Stage. Joining them are Texan troopers BOWLING FOR SOUP who are sure-fire to get Donington singing along to their tongue-in-cheek pop punk anthems.

Ryan Richards from Funeral For A Friend said “As a band, and as individuals – we’ve made some incredible memories at the hallowed grounds of Donington through the years, so it’s going to be nice to come back and make a few more together. Those trademark black fringes are a bit greyer/balder these days, but we’ll still be able to show these young ‘uns a thing or two!”

Jaret Reddick from Bowling For Soup said:
“Download Festival is always something special for Bowling For Soup. So many of the stories we share with other bands and family members back home come from our time spent playing or hanging out at this festival. Very much looking forward to making more memories this summer…and of course bringing something special to our show, that only BFS can get away with!”

Elsewhere on the Avalanche Stage are Philadelphia’s THE MENZINGERS who will draw a monstrous crowd with their honest melodic punk, Woking’s brutal EMPLOYED TO SERVE, anonymous collective SLEEP TOKEN, garage punk outfit PRESS CLUB, Welsh post-hardcore band HOLDING ABSENCE, Liverpool prog-metallers LOATHE, mysterious emo rapper SULLII, London ska-punks THE SKINTS, alt-pop-rock Mancs THE HARA, Northern Californian pop-rockers CEMETERY SUN, and Brighton indie punks GENDER ROLES. They’ll be joined by punk trio MILK TEETH.

Headlining The Dog Tooth Stage are genre defining heavy music titans SEPULTURA who are set to be a crowd pleaser with huge songs such as Roots Bloody Root and Refuse / Resist.

Derrick Green from Sepultura said;
“We are ecstatic about our return to Download Festival. It’s an honour and pleasure to be a part of a festival with such a rich music history. We look forward to rocking out with you all!!”

Also on The Dog Tooth stage are Sydney metalcore innovators NORTHLANE, alongside bruising Leeds hardcore collective HIGHER POWER. If that wasn’t enough, further Dogtooth Stage additions are London progressive rock band HAKEN, virtuosic Texan quartet POLYPHIA, Sacramento noise metallers WILL HAVEN, the hotly tipped KILL THE LIGHTS (featuring members from Bullet For My Valentine, Still Remains, Throw The Fight, Glamour Of The Kill and Threat Signal), self-proclaimed ‘Satanic doo wop’ trio TWIN TEMPLE, Texan hardcore outfit FIRE FROM THE GODS, Bristol post-punks HEAVY LUNGS, NYC rockers TEMPT, Peterborough melodic hardcore act MODERN ERROR, brutal Holy Roar signees London five-piece RENOUNCED, mesmerising alt rock artist JJ WILDE, and Brummie metalcore pack SHVPES.

Download Festival are pleased to announce the return of WWE NXT UK to this year’s festival. The first round of Superstars to be announced are title-holders WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER, NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray, and NXT UK Tag Team Champions Gallus. The first-ever WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate, and his Tag Team partner Trent Seven, will no doubt bring a stunner of a show. Also set to perform is Finn Bálor’s protégé Jordan Devlin, the highflyer Mark Andrews, and his Tag Team partner Flash Morgan Webster. Toni Storm is also confirmed, alongside powerhouse Piper Niven – both of whom will bring the energy to Donington Park. NXT UK has made a massive impact at Download in previous years, full of tense moments and adrenaline-soaked performances, it’s the ultimate spectacle for fans of loud music and even louder sport.

In addition, Kerrang! Radio will once more host Finding Fresh Blood, the search to bring the hottest emerging talent to Donington. 2019 was its inaugural year and grime-punks PENGSHUi triumphantly opened the Avalanche Stage. UK acts can now upload their tracks online to be in with the chance of playing this year’s festival on the same stage. To apply, and for more information please visit their website. The chance to apply closes on 1st March at 23:59, and winners will be announced in April.

Kerrang! Radio’s Alex Baker said:
“Playing at The Download Festival is a benchmark moment in any bands career, it is the most important festival in the country for alternative music and a performance on any of the hallowed stages can catapult your career as a musician to new heights. I only like working with people who share my unyielding spirit for supporting new artists, and the absolute dedication that Andy and the team from Download have in this field is truly inspiring. When Pengshui walked out on the Avalanche Stage last year, the atmosphere on the stage, in the crowd AND in the wings was absolutely electric – it is a moment that will never be forgotten.”

Download Festival is the home of rock music and takes place on the sacred grounds of Donington Park, which have been associated with rock since the eighties. The festival attracts icons of rock and metal to its main stage, plus some of the best and hottest new acts in the world.

BLOODSTOCK KICKS OFF 2020 BY ANNOUNCING SEVEN BANDS INCLUDING HATEBREED, BURY TOMORROW, SYLOSIS, AND MORE

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What better than some line-up news from BLOODSTOCK, to banish your January blues and help pass the time to pay day! As we boldly go into 2020, here are seven more bands to whet your appetite for the UK’s best metal weekender.
BLOODSTOCK is delighted to announce that Sunday’s headliner on the Sophie Lancaster stage will be none other than Connecticut bruisers HATEBREED. Jamey Jasta & crew certainly know how to get a pit going and are sure to round out the weekend in pulverising fashion! The group spent the latter part of 2019 working on new music for the follow-up to their crushing 2016 album ‘The Concrete Confessional’ and are promising a new album via Nuclear Blast in the spring! While you’re waiting, warm up your neck with this 2016 banger, ‘Looking Down The Barrel Of Today’, here.
Performing at BLOODSTOCK for the very first time, are BURY TOMORROW. The British metalheads release new album ‘Cannibal’ via Music For Nations in April, so you have ‘til August to learn the new songs to bang your head to! Get started with its title track here. They said, “We’re really excited! BLOODSTOCK are known for showcasing the best bands in the genre, so we’re genuinely honoured to be involved in 2020, see you in August!” The group will be appearing on the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Saturday, promoting the previously announced PARADISE LOST with their ‘Draconian Times’ set to special guests that day.
Also landing a spot on the main stage on Saturday, are home-grown, heavy metal beasts SYLOSIS, last setting foot on BLOODSTOCK’s hallowed ground way back in 2010. The Nuclear Blast signed group drop their long awaited new album ‘Cycle Of Suffering’ next month. Wrap your eyes and ears around the lead track ‘I Sever’ here (and if that’s not enough, head over to their Facebook for another new track they debuted just last week).
Joining them, BLOODSTOCK welcomes Portland, Oregon thrashers TOXIC HOLOCAUST. After a six year wait, patient fans were rewarded with new album ‘Primal Future: 2019’ last October, with the band’s frontman Grind recording all the instruments on it harking back to their early days. Watch the lyric video for ‘Chemical Warfare’ from that album here.
Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage on Saturday, don’t miss the return of atmospheric black metal squad WINTERFYLLETH. While they’ve been working on new material, in September they released live CD/DVD ‘The Siege Of Mercia’, for which the DVD footage was filmed at BLOODSTOCK in 2017! They add, “We have been fortunate enough to have been asked back to perform at the festival on a number of occasions since our early days, and it has always felt like ‘coming home’ when we do.” See the video for ’The Swart Raven (Live At Bloodstock) here.
Californian deathgrind merchants EXHUMED will also appear on Sophie Lancaster stage this year. Formed way back in 1990, the band now have eight albums under their belt to choose the set list from! Watch the video for the song ‘Naked, Screaming, And Covered In Blood’ from their latest Relapse Records album ‘Horror’ here. The song title is not a suggestion of how to watch their set.
Last but certainly not least, Californian three-piece NECROT will be bringing their blend of death metal/punk to the Sophie stage. The group closed out 2019 on a 6-week tour of the USA with EXHUMED! Not familiar with NECROT yet? Courtesy of record label Tankcrimes, you can play their latest album ‘Blood Offerings’ in its entirety here.
Just for a bit of fun to help any of you with January gym resolutions, BLOODSTOCK alumni Venom Prison have created BLOODSTOCK and Heavy Metal Lifting Club a special workout playlist on Spotify. Blast it out here.
BLOODSTOCK’s very popular ticket deposit scheme is now up and running, allowing you to spread your standard weekend ticket purchase over 5 instalments. You can sign up at any time until February 28th and will make your first payment of £29 + booking fees straight away. After that, payments break down as follows: Payment 2 – £29.00 (debited on 27/03/20), Payment 3 – £29.00 (debited on 27/04/20), Payment 4 – £29.00 (debited on 26/05/20), and then your Final Payment – £29.00 + postage (debited on 26/06/20). Please note VIP and child tickets are not eligible for the deposit scheme. Get tickets at the ticket store.
Unsure what to expect? Watch a trailer all about BLOODSTOCK here.
BLOODSTOCK’s 2020 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday), BEHEMOTH (Saturday), and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday). The festival also welcomes PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, LIFE OF AGONY, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DIAMOND HEAD, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SACRED REICH, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILITY, BUTCHER BABIES, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BLOODYWOOD, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC, GREEN LUNG, BOSSK, CONJURER, ORANGE GOBLIN, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, and SAXON so far. Many more bands performing over the weekend will be announced in due course.

BLOODSTOCK reveals Devin Townsend setlist plans; adds 5 bands & more

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As Winter rolls in and Christmas approaches, BLOODSTOCK has been busy confirming yet more bands for 2020’s best heavy metal weekender, plotting daily festive competitions, preparing to launch this year’s deposit scheme, and even devising an early Christmas present, with a little help from Friday headliner, DEVIN TOWNSEND…
Back in September, BLOODSTOCK announced that DEVIN TOWNSEND would headline the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Friday with a very special, UK exclusive set. BLOODSTOCK can now reveal more details about that setlist… it’s down to you, the fans, to help decide it! Dying to hear a deep cut of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD? What about a favourite DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT classic?! Now’s your chance to have your say! We’ve added a huge list of songs from throughout DEVIN’s career for you to vote on, via a dedicated thread on BLOODSTOCK’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/bloodstock/. DEVIN will be watching and we’ll update in due course…
Not only that, BLOODSTOCK is very pleased to announce that the mighty SAXON will be special guests on the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Sunday! The NWOBHM legends recently released live album ‘The Eagle Has Landed 40 (Live)’ to celebrate 40 head-bangin’ years and word has it, have been in the studio with Andy Sneap working on new music too. Watch a clip of classic track ‘747 Strangers In The Night (Live)’ from the new live release at: https://youtu.be/Gq6VhHTYGq0. In this, the band have said to expect their biggest, boldest show yet.
Also joining the Sunday main stage line up, are ORANGE GOBLIN with their unmistakable heavy metal blend of stoner, doom, black, crust, and southern rock. After a 4 year wait, the London-based group released latest album ‘The Wolf Bites Back’ last year, and are revving up to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2020. Treat yourself and hear the whole album on Spotify.
Fast-rising British metal beasts CONJURER join the main stage fun on Saturday. Described as “ultra-gnarly, monstrously heavy” by Metal Hammer, record label Holy Roar released their debut album ‘Mire’ to vast praise in 2018. See the video for ‘Thankless’ from that record at:  https://youtu.be/Ogjc5DzIRHE or hear it in its entirety at: https://youtu.be/anXfPhYjb9E.
BLOODSTOCK can also reveal that Thursday’s Sophie Lancaster stage headliners will be none other than Swedish hard rockers THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA! The Nuclear Blast signed band, who boast members of Soilwork and Arch Enemy amidst their line-up, are promising a new album for 2020 but if you’re not familiar with them yet, make time to check out ‘This Time’ from their current release ‘Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough’ at https://youtu.be/9QdHI0if_xk.
On Sunday, the Sophie stage welcomes Canadian power metal squad UNLEASH THE ARCHERS. Have a listen to ‘The Matriarch’ at https://youtu.be/fs8RUFS18g0, from their acclaimed last album ‘Apex’, or pick up their new limited edition ‘Explorers’ EP which includes two special cover songs and was released by Napalm Records in October.
Don’t forget!! Sunday 15th December is the last day to snap up standard weekend tickets with early bird discount, if stocks last until then! On Monday 16th December, standard weekend tickets will move from £130 to £145; keeping the price the same as 2019’s event. A very limited number of VIP ticket upgrades will also go on sale on the 16th. Don’t hang about if you want to grab these!! Get tickets at the ticket store.
BLOODSTOCK’s ever popular ticket deposit scheme kicks off at 9am on December 20th, allowing you to spread your standard weekend ticket purchase over 5 instalments. You can sign up at any time until February 28th and will make your first payment of £29 + booking fees straight away. After that, payments break down as follows: Payment 2 – £29.00 (debited on 27/03/20), Payment 3 – £29.00 (debited on 27/04/20), Payment 4 – £29.00 (debited on 26/05/20), and then your Final Payment – £29.00 + postage (debited on 26/06/20). Please note VIP and child tickets are not eligible for the deposit scheme.
Unsure what to expect? Watch the brand new BLOODSTOCK trailer here.
In other BLOODSTOCK fun, as 2020 marks 20 years of BLOODSTOCK, instead of ‘12 Days Of Christmas’ competitions, BLOODSTOCK is having 20 and they’re already underway! Don’t miss out – visit https://www.facebook.com/bloodstock/ every morning for details of each one-day-only competition, and be in with a chance to win all sorts of prizes from BLOODSTOCK bands past and present, festival sponsors, and of course BLOODSTOCK!
BLOODSTOCK’s 2020 main stage headliners are DEVIN TOWNSEND (Friday), BEHEMOTH (Saturday), and JUDAS PRIEST (Sunday). The festival also welcomes PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, SKINDRED, PARADISE LOST, LIFE OF AGONY, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DIAMOND HEAD, JINJER, VIO-LENCE, SACRED REICH, GLORYHAMMER, DARK TRANQUILITY, BUTCHER BABIES, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BLOODYWOOD, MEMORIAM, RAMAGE INC, GREEN LUNG, & BOSSK so far. Many more bands performing over the weekend will be announced in due course.