Well if you ever needed prof that there are silver-linings then this is it. You see! We, here at ROCKFLESH towers were devasted about the fact that Dark Tranquillity had to drop out. It is not everyday you get to see a living breathing member of the Gothenburg three, the trio of bands that changed Metal forever back in the mid-nineties. UK shows are such an infrequent happening, so the Bloodstock appearance felt like it was something very special indeed. And then they cancelled. Instead of going for an identikit melo-deth offering, Bloodstock have decided to get creative on our arses and give the high profile fourth from top berth to one of the most interesting young bands that this country has recently spat out. Loathe are a firm favourite of us all at ROCKFLESH tower and it has been our privilege to see them develop and evolve through support slots to their own high-octane headline bashes. Loathe are doing something distinctly different with metal, they are contorting our expectations and turning conventions on their head. There is the requisite heaviness and coarseness, but it interspersed with an avant-garde experimental flare. Loathe feel like a band determined to look forward rather than backwards, and as a genre that seems intent on continually recycling itself this is hugely important. Loathe on Friday at Bloodstock will feel like both a disruption and a breath of fresh air. Put your presumptions to one side and enjoy the future.

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