Bloodstock Festival : M2TM Wolverhampton - The Bands : Heat 5
Every year Bloodstock Festival runs the "Metal 2 The Masses" competition with regional heats up and down the country. Ultimately the winner of each competition gets to play on the hallowed grounds of Catton Hall, lining up at the festival alongside the likes of Judas Priest, Behemoth and Devin Townsend.
This year we are taking a deep dive into the Wolverhampton competition, being held at K.K.'s Steel Mill, a venue run by Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing!
With Heat 5 kicking off this Thursday, lets get to know the four bands competing for a place in the regional semi finals!
Born Zero
First off tell us where your from and how long you’ve been going?
We are all from the Birmingham & Solihull areas. Iggy (Guitarist) & Charlie (Drummer) met and formed when they were just 10 years old with Levi (Vocals) and Tom (Bassist) joining them in 2015 to complete the current line up.
Tell us a little bit about your style of music and influences?
We strive to mix the old school 90’s metal/hardcore scene with a modern melodic twist. We take influence from a range of bands such as Machine Head, Korn, Lamb Of God, Hatebreed etc.
What is your goal in this year’s M2TM competition?
To reach out to as many potential new fans as possible, get the sound of Born Zero out there and also to win!
What should we look out for in your live show?
Crushing breakdowns and catchy riffs, a peculiar image and that pit!
What do you think makes you stand out in the crowded metal scene?
As mentioned earlier we revive the old school sound with a modern twist, containing something for everyone. I think our bands recent dark image makes us stand out in the underground scene. This represents the sound of the band well and the fact that we are all still only 19 yrs, but we are not exactly new to being in a band and doing the stuff we do.
Other than yourselves; Who do you think are your biggest rivals to win this year’s M2TM Wolverhampton?
The Black Hounds because of how close it was last time!
Chaosaroma
First off tell us where your from and how long you’ve been going?
We're based in Wolverhampton, and we've been around properly since mid 2018, but lineup changes have only made us stronger, with the most recent lineup being finalised at the end of 2019.
Tell us a little bit about your style of music and influences?
Josh: I've grown up listening to a lot of Classic Rock such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC but as I got older my influences developed massively into more 90s grunge and that kind of era. Bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Green Day really have influenced me as a musician.
Hal: Man like big noise
Jordan: My influences are beyond scattered, having first gotten into music with bands like Maiden and Metallica, my playing/writing seems to borrow a lot from bands like Black Sabbath and Rush, with a bit of Japanese band Maximum the Hormone in the mix. I also listen to a lot of 2nd and 3rd wave ska which probably makes an appearance somewhere, honestly would be easier for someone else to answer this haha
Hal: Man like big noise
Jordan: My influences are beyond scattered, having first gotten into music with bands like Maiden and Metallica, my playing/writing seems to borrow a lot from bands like Black Sabbath and Rush, with a bit of Japanese band Maximum the Hormone in the mix. I also listen to a lot of 2nd and 3rd wave ska which probably makes an appearance somewhere, honestly would be easier for someone else to answer this haha
What is your goal in this year’s M2TM competition?
Our goal is to have a good time and deliver our music and positive message to the people, making friends on the way. To progress would be amazing, of course though!
What should we look out for in your live show?
Definitely energy, we're all about getting the crowd pumped up as we vibe off of the energy we get back a lot. Our music is also a little eclectic in genre, which links to the next question.
What do you think makes you stand out in the crowded metal scene?
Our sets consist of a few different genres with each song still having enough in common with each members motifs and styles for it to not sound like a bunch of random songs.
Other than yourselves; Who do you think are your biggest rivals to win this year’s M2TM Wolverhampton?
The Wolverhampton M2TM heats have a lot of our friends in and that's what it's all about for us, the community and building foundations as without the community, there's no scene. That being said, Recall the Remains are giants in the local field and definitely deserve glory this year, Mystiek and Lynus are definitely ones to watch too
Mystiek were sadly unavailable for interview prior to the heat, if they progress through to the semi finals we'll catch up with them then!
Celestivl have pulled out of the competition due to availability. We hope to see them back next year!
