Top 5 Bloodstock Sets Of 2014

This summer has been brilliant in the way of music festivals. While Download's 2014 was slightly shaky (due to the fact the past couple of years have been pretty much perfect) Sonisphere and Bloodstock put on hugely enjoyable events. Today, I'm going to be talking about my 5 favourite festival sets of this particular summer.

DISCLAIMER : All of them happened at Bloodstock.
Enjoy!

5. GRAVEYARD at Bloodstock 2014: Sophie Lancaster Stage
Taking into account the Swedish rock act had issues getting on site and setting up, it's all the more triumphant seeing them put on one of the most brilliant shows I've ever seen. Their brand of psychedelic/bluesy rock music shook the Sophie Lancaster stage down to it's very foundations, hypnotizing every member of the audience in the process. Competing with Amon Amarth's stage show is no mean feat, but Graveyard brought Bloodstock to a close in spectacular fashion.

4. DECAPITATED at Bloodstock 2014: Ronnie James Dio Stage
Not only are Decapitated one of the most ground-breaking outfits in death metal, they are quite simply one of the best. Both Winds Of Creation and Nihility stand up as two of the strongest records in the history of death metal, and hearing those songs performed live in front of 10,000 people in the most crushing manner possibly was quite the experience. With a new record on the way next month, this is a band to keep on your radar.

3. DOWN at Bloodstock 2014: Head-lining the Ronnie James Dio Stage Friday
Supergroups often suffer from the same issue: lack of chemistry. The members don't adapt to the other member's capabilities, thus making the music muddled and confused. Down, quite simply, don't. Since they all formed in the same scene, they share similar backgrounds, both musically and in lifestyle. They have written some of the strongest albums in the history of metal, and the crowd knew that. Hearing 12,000 people scream the lyrics to Lifer back at the machine that is Phil Anselmo is worth the price of admission alone.

2. Carcass at Bloodstock 2014: Ronnie James Dio Stage
Extreme metal rarely creates bands as dynamic as Carcass. They have evolved more throughout their career than pretty much any other band in their world. The death metal stylings of Necroticism and Heartwork provided refreshing variety to the Bloodstock bill, not only did the kick start some of the biggest mosh-pits of the festival but also some of the most powerful sing-a-longs. The Surgical Steel tracks fit in perfectly with the set (Unfit For Human Consumption being a personal high-light). With a potential new album in the works, catch these guys while you can.

1. Emperor at Bloodstock 2014: Ronnie James Dio Stage
Few albums are as influential and as important as Emperor's 1994 album In The Nightside Eclipse. It changed metal in as many ways as can be imagined. It summoned the Norwegian metal scene to unforeseen levels of critical acclaim. Hearing this band reform to perform the album in it's entirety at Bloodstock Festival among 12,000 black metal fans is an experience that I doubt I will ever forget. Having pretty much the original line-up on stage (bar some replacements) just added to the experience. While some may not have wanted Faust (the drummer who was convicted for a murder in the mid-90s), for me personally it didn't take away from the experience. It's difficult to put into words the experience, so I'll just leave it here. Utterly perfect.