Bloodstock Bound: Joakem

Bloodstock Bound: Joakem

As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.

Today we chat with Joakem

Please introduce yourselves.

Joakem is the brainchild of vocalist, keyboardist, and composer Stelios Ioakim. The band was formed in 2018 alongside the release of our debut album Mind Matter. Since then, we’ve been performing both locally and internationally, playing headline shows and supporting some legendary names in the industry.

How would you describe your sound?

Depends who’s asking. If it’s my mom’s aunt, I’ll just say “rock” and hope she knows what I mean. If it’s a music enthusiast (especially a prog snob like myself) then I’d say Progressive Metal.

How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?

Last year, we reached the finals of the first ever Metal 2 The Masses competition held in Cyprus, but we didn’t manage to qualify for Bloodstock. We decided it was time to step up our stage setup and overall live presence and apparently it worked because this time we secured a spot at Bloodstock.

What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?

With the release of our new singles and our upcoming second album, this feels like the perfect time to showcase our music and introduce the new era of Joakem’s sound to the UK audience. It’s definitely a big milestone for us.

For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?

We’ll be performing a mix of older material and our freshly released songs. Expect proggy heaviness, powerful grooves, and melodic hooks that will stick with you long after the show.

What day are you performing?

Sunday

What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?

There are loads of bands on the lineup that I’m excited to see live, but my top two would probably be Lamb of God – for the fifth time – since Randy Blythe had a huge influence on my extreme vocals, and Leprous because, well, PROG!

See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!

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