Festival / Cruise: 70.000 Tons Of Metal 2024
Location: Miami, U.S.A.- Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Date: 29th January – 2nd February 2024
Live Correspondent: Vasiliki Kalogera
Photos: Rafael Burgos (Dark Room Photography)
Videos: Alexandros Soultatos
70000 Tons Of Metal 2024! An unforgettable experience of a lifetime! An experience difficult to organize, but compensates everyone who participates. But let’s start from the beginning….
In 2011, a Swiss guy named Andy “The Skipper” Piller and his crew decided to make one of the most difficult festival ventures in the world, using a 70.000 tons cruise ship, 4 music stages, 42 Metal bands and 2.038 metalheads in the middle of the ocean to rock, drink, meet and live together for four days, embarking form Miami, Florida and heading to Cozumel, Mexico. And they did it! 12 years of successful -on-board- festivals heading to exotic destinations are enough to make me take the decision and participate as a “sailor” for the first time…
So, in January 2024, a group of four friends travelled from Greece to Miami, USA to experience the adventure of the 70000 Tons Of Metal 2024, which starts three days before the cruise. Specifically, on Friday January 26th, 2024, we packed our winter clothes and put on our summer clothes, since the climate here is warm and tropical. We went to the 70k Tons Of Metal Metal party on the rooftop of the Clevelander Hotel, located in the famous Miami Beach. Many people from all over the world were there and the music was mainly from the extreme sound. Beer and new acquaintances are making this party a necessary “warm up” for what is to follow…
On Saturday, January 27th, while we were riding our bicycles near Miami’s South Beach, we met plenty of metalheads! The same evening, another Metal party took place, this time in the courtyard of the Clevelander’s pool. Many band members were present during the classic karaoke show. Metal singing of course and every aspiring singer pulling out his soul on the microphone (not successfully all the times, I must admit…). It was a true family atmosphere of metal devotion! On Sunday, January 28th, our new rendezvous was at the traditional Metal beach party at the South Beach, where many hundreds of metalheads “blackened” the white sand of Miami beach, with lots of music on portable speakers, plenty of beer and swimming, making lifeguard’s shift difficult that day. There, we met old “survivors” and new “sailors” of 70K cruise, people who came to Miami from literally ALL over the planet! At sunset, we all gathered together for our first group photo and then departed to the hotel, in order to get ready for the cruise….
70.000 Tons Of Metal 2024: Day 1 (Monday, 29th January)
Arriving at the port of Miami, the huge cruise ship “Freedom of the Seas” stands forth. We are warmly welcomed by the crew of 70K for a souvenir photo, entering this dreamy ship. It’s a unique sightstaring at this 15-deck ship, with its luxurious lounges, the large dining rooms (where we will be offered a buffet for all tastes all days of the cruise), and a fully equipped gym with a view at the ocean. On the 11th deck the crew has already started to set up the large tent (Pool Deck), flanked by three jacuzzis on the edges and three graded balconies (this tent started operating on the second day of the cruise). On the way down, we take a reconnaissance walk through the other three indoor tents, each of varying size. Arriving at our ocean view room, we find that it’s not the biggest one there is, but it’s certainly big enough to fit four crazy metalheads who don’t plan on staying there for long! At 5 pm the anchor is raised and we begin our journey to the Dominican Republic! Over the course of the four days, 62 metal bands will offer us two concerts each!
The first concert for today will be that of KATAKLYSM in the Royal Theater on the third deck of the ship, where the Canadians will get off to a flattering start! It’s true that in recent years, KATAKLYSM have made a habit of bringing us full-on shows, all over the globe! 70.000 Tons Of Metal could not be an exception! At this particular show the Canadians celebrated the 20 years of the album “Serenity In Fire” so they decided to play the whole album and some more of their hits!
Next band for today, on the same stage, the Swedish THE HALO EFFECT. Former IN FLAMES members Niclas Engelin and Peter Iwers are the driving force of the band, while at the same time the beloved Mikael Stanne of DARK TRANQUILLITY gives a performance recital behind the microphone. After all, it was no coincidence that we chose to go on an excursion with this band after we arrived in the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, once again, Jesper Strömblad was absent from the stage, as he is known to be fighting his own battle to overcome personal difficulties. Despite this, the Swedes brought a lot of energy on stage, naturally focusing on their debut album “Days Of The Lost”. Definitely one of the best performances of this year’s 70K Cruise, drawing us into their melodic Death Metal sounds and a frantic moshpit!
We remain at the Royal Theater, because it was the turn of the German BLIND GUARDIAN who, without a doubt, were the biggest name of this year’s cruise (along with SODOM of course!). An ideal start with “Imaginations From the Other Side” and in total, in a set that lasted 75 minutes, the GUARDIANs, who are a favorite to everyone, played the well-known hits, showing us that they are still unaffected by time.
In between the previous concerts, short stops at the live shows of CRYPTA, EINHERJER and SAOR, to honor the Underground scene! All bands honored their presence, with great stage presence and pulse in their shows
The only complaint is about the Star Lounge stage on the 5th floor of the ship (where we saw CRYPTA and SAOR). The venue has a low-ceiling, it is very cramped and the stage is too low. As a result, only those in the front can see the band and the rest of us just see the backs of those in front! Furthermore, the sound in this venue suffers and the final result definitely needs improvement. Anyway, the time has passed and the fatigue is slowly starting to come out…
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: THE HALO EFFECT, KATAKLYSM
70.000 Tons Of Metal 2024: Day 2 (Tuesday, 30th January)
The second day starts with gym and a view of the Atlantic Ocean, followed by a super-boosted breakfast to fuel us for what’s coming.
First concert of the day at 2.30pm in Studio B on the 3rd floor with a relatively new Black Metal band from Finland, I AM THE NIGHT. The band appeared on stage in corpse paint in a dark atmosphere, giving a very respectable performance.Then there was the Meet’n’Greet with WOLFHEART, photos and getting to know the members and a greeting to the Greek guitarist of the band, Vangelis Karzis.
The truth is that time flies during the cruise.On one hand, the constant meals (remember that everything is paid from the beginning with the purchase of the cruise ticket), on the other hand the conversations and gossip with friends and acquaintances in dining rooms and corridors of the ship, it is inevitable that many shows will be missed. So it would be a good idea to accept it from the beginning, and don’t be disappointed for all the bands you can’t see.
The party continues on the 11th floor, where the pool stage has now opened and the Swedes UNLEASHED are ready to unleash their old fashioned Death Metal machine on the unsuspecting metal boaters! And indeed….old, dirty and pure Death Metal comes out of the speakers, with the band displaying energy and passion, as if 35 years have never passed since its creation. All fists in the air, fans singing every verse and participating in a frenzied moshpit. Satisfying live!
We remain in front of the big stage of the 11th deck, as MY DYING BRIDE appear right after UNLEASHED. Despite the slight breeze and the boogers in the pool that stands right in the middle in front of the stage, Aaron Stainthorpe and his band mates managed to transmit us the heavy Doom/Death Metal energy that has made them stand out all those decades now, blackening our souls with great songs like ‘The Cry of Mankind’, ‘Like Gods of the Sun’ and of course ‘Turn Loose the Swans’ for closer! What else is better? It was an awesome Doom/Metal immersive show, definitely one of the best of this year’s cruise!
Just before the end of the live, I ran off to the Meet’n’Greet with SODOM!
The 100 people waiting before me, did not prevent me from meeting the Germans and saying a few words! Greetings and photos with Tom “Angelripper” and “Frank Blackfire”, who had nothing but good things to say about Greece!
Next up is a quick Meet’n’Greet with Black Metallers I AM THE NIGHT, while BATHUSKA have already been on stage at the Royal Theater for some time now.I should emphasize that, even though BATHUSKA appeared last year on the 70K cruise with the other line-up (after the schism of the Polish churches…), this year’s line-up of BATHUSKA with Krzysztof Drabikowski present is considered to be the original!I managed to see their last 2-3 songs, always in front of a familiar church setting.Powerful presence.
The popular sympho-metallers EPICA were next on the big stage, a fact that inspired me to do something different this time!With my swimsuit in hand, I found myself in the jacuzzi which was right next to the stage, since the Dutch were the right occasion for such a thing! Many fans of the band had already filled the surrounding area, worshiping the amazing Simone Simons and singing the lyrics to every track of the album ‘Omega’, which was the basis of this performance.
So, enough music but also physical relaxation, before the KATATONIA live that came right after, in the amphitheater hall.Unfortunately, the sound and energy of KATATONIA were not at high levels.You could feel that they were bored with what they were doing, becoming quite neurotic even for their kind.
Fortunately, what followed made us forget everything! SODOM‘s live show on the big stage was going to be one of the best at this year’s 70,000 Tons Of Metal! Their setlist consisted only of old school songs from the 80’s and that’s something you don’t see every day!!! I arrived at the packed 11th Deck, at the top of the cruise ship hearing the first notes of “Agent Orange”! Fists in the air and the temperature is rising.
In “Incest” the situation becomes dangerous as a relentless moshpit for the brave begins along with the riffs and relentless drums, the fist fights and stomping of the fanatics… I was left watching the pit in awe, since my ribs and reeds couldn’t take it anymore, while the first historic hits of the German legends continued to fill the air! A show for the old to remember and the younger to learn, in a Thrash metal hellish setting!
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: SODOOOOOM!!!
70.000 Tons Of Metal 2024: Day 3 (Wednesday, 31st January)
Waking up we realized that the ship was dropping anchor in the port of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.Disembarking from the ship and meeting on the coast with Frank Blackfire & Toni Merkel of SODOM, as well as Mikael Stanne & Peter Iwers of THE HALO EFFECT with whom we have organized an excursion to the island and participation in various events!Among them, we touched and swam WITH sharks, hugged elephant seals, watched an amazing dolphin show, fed hundreds of budgies, ate special food together, drank Pina Colada and Bahama Mama cocktails in a coconut shell on the beach…YOU WANT MORE???!!!A unique experience with everyone being relaxed and approachable, with plenty of laughs, teasing and discussion around music and their future plans.
We return to the cruise ship in the afternoon, after 5 full hours with an excellent company, enjoying the beauty of the island on the way which consisted of tropical forests and picturesque Dominican villages.
The evening had come and the ship slowly started its way back, with new shows just around the corner.First on my list today was KATAKLYSM, this time on the pool stage, on the 11th floor. The Canadian melodic/groove Death Metallers, true to their genre, brought out a lot of energy on stage again and among other things, gave us their first live premiere of their track “Temptation’s nest”!Chaos ensues below, and some of the loudest mosh-pits of this year’s cruise are formed!
I head down to the Royal Theater amphitheater, because what followed was melodic death metal sounds, this time from OMNIUM GATHERUM. Decent appearance of the Finns but a bit “processive. Next live at the same venue with the beloved UNLEASHED! We stayed to get a second dose from them as well, since in Greece we have ONLY seen them once in Athens, several years ago.A lot of old school fighting, in a condition that did not remind at all a “relaxed” cruising. Johnny Hedlund sets the pace in the circular pit and the audience – some in swimsuits, some with beers, some with skin uniforms, some with sandwiches in their hands – compose a surreal Death Metal pandemonium!
Then, BLIND GUARDIAN performed for the second time on the outdoor pool stage.I will be completely honest.Initially, I intended to only see them for a while, since they would repeat the same setlist as in their previous appearance. Ultimately, this live was to be the unexpectedly-biggest surprise of the cruise for me!The concert starts and I really saw another HansiKürsch, with incredible passion and a lot of movement on stage.It literally got the entire deck up on its feet, since it was the only live performance where everyone from the audience was in a non-stop crowd-surfing and mosh pit (!), singing every verse out loud for the WHOLE duration of the show.Especially in the songs “Majesty” and “Valhalla” there was a delirium, under the “artificial rain” that was thrown at us by those in the pool!
All stunned by what we experienced, we stayed on the big stage to recover with the Black Metal sounds of BATUSHKA. The strong tropical night air didn’t help the Poles’ appearance as it messed up with their props! Nevertheless, they performed a nice satisfying mystery live show…
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: BLIND GUARDIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!?!
70.000 Tons Of Metal 2024: Day 4 (Thursday, 1st February)
Good morning and happy month from the Caribbean seas!The need for breakfast and coffee, if possible ALL of the ship’s coffee, is now huge! But going up to the dining room, a barbaric Death gore sound from the Royal Theater on the 3rd Deck calls me there.FLESHCRAWL were there to give us raw Bavarian Death Metal! Their abysmal vocals and drumming helped us wake up through a non-stop head banging. Excellent! With the coffee in hand now, we continue with the Dutch GRACELESS on Doom/Death paths! Another little concert surprise for me, looking for a place to put my coffee mug, We wouldn’t want it to break and maybe have an accident in there.
I headed to the small Star Lounge on the 5th floor because CARNATION was in line. No! Never get enough of Death Metal music !The young Belgians, with their corpse paint, really blew us away!A very strong show, even though the particular flat room limits the viewing. As I mentioned before, in order to see any band in that particular venue, one would have to be very far in the front of the room. And unfortunately, not all of us fit there.It would be good if the organizers look into and solve this problem for the best concert experience for all of us. I went to the next live of WIND ROSE at the urging of my friends, since I neither knew the band nor had anything more interesting to watch at that time. Folk/Power Metal and costumes with scenery taken from the universe of Tolkien. The typical fans, dressed as elves and dwarves holding swords and magic sticks in a very nice atmosphere that kept me looking in awe for a long time. Appreciation for the Italian band, even though it’s not my style.
Then, the also Italian FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE continued on the pool stage.Symphonic Death Metal, with Veronica Bordacchini on vocals giving epic vocals and the goth scenery along with the matching costumes complete the experience for the next hour!
Then came the highlight of the evening!All festival goers gathered on the 11th floor of “Freedom of The Seas” and Brazilian Prog/Power Metallers ANGRA took over the stage.Their performance was to be filmed and released on DVD.The spirit of Andre Matos was definitely nearby!The crazy-Italian Fabio Lione, who has been behind the microphone of the band for the last 11 years, seduces us into the Brazilian Power sounds of São Paulo. Terrific artist and professional, which was evident when in a moment of technical trouble the instruments were muted and he filled the gap by singing an operatic vocal solo that would make envious every tenor on the Milan Opera! All the band members were virtuosos at what they played – from the guitarists, to the new member of the lineup on drums and congas.
Special music and lots of fun, made the audience have fun with non-stop crowd-surfing and celebrating another successful cruise.Just before the end of the live show, the organizer Andy “The Skipper” thanked all 62 bands that participated this year, the approximately three thousand metal fans from a total of 71 countries that traveled to Miami. We experienced four days full of 100 concerts, dozens of Meet’n’Greets, midnight Karaoke, infinite and good food, excursions to Santo Domingo as well as many more emotions, with old and new friends by our side.
The next date of 70,000 Tons Of Metal is for next year, from January 30th to February 3rd , 2025 with the destination being Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Last concert for 70,000 Tons Of Metal 2024 was the Finns WOLFHEART on the Studio B stage, to offer us one last hour of melodic Death Metal with plenty of crowd surfing, head banging, mosh pit and whatever else you can think of, just before we packed our staff and say goodbye to the 154,000 ton metal beast that has taken us safely to the Caribbean!
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: ANGRA
Overall impression of 70000 Tons Of Metal 2024: Incredible and unique concert and travel experience worth investing in!
Ps 1.Bands I regretted not seeing: IOTUNN, GRAVE DIGGER, SAOR, NANOWAR OF STEEL.
Ps 2.Bands I regretted seeing: SERENITY, KATATONIA.(Sorry, but..)
Live Correspondent: Vasiliki Kalogera
Translation/Rendering in English language: Kostas Boudoukos, Sofia Bali
Design & Editing: Alexandros Soultatos
External Links: 70.000 TONS OF METAL – Official Page
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