We’re counting down to the 2024 edition of 70000 tons of Metal! This is by far one of our personal favorite metal cruises where every artist is a headliner. Metalheads from around the globe share an insane experience of four days with very little to no sleep of nonstop metal shows. From big pool deck experiences to the intimate Star Lounge, there’s something for all metalheads regardless of subgenre, and we love it all. 2023 marked a significant return for the cruise after all cruises generally faced a halt due to the pandemic. The event’s future was uncertain, but it returned, giving sixty unique artists a go. This year we saw a number of acts having their first experience on the boat to artists having some notable silver-to-gold member status returns. We managed to capture all sixty bands, and as we countdown to the 2024 edition, we will share artist spotlights from the 2023 expedition leading up to the 2024 voyage. Artist Number 3: Amorphis.
No stranger to 70000tons of Metal, Amorphis made their fourth return to the cruise! These Gold status-set-sail-pass Finnish progressive metal icons have been part of the voyage since 2012, delightfully returning in 2015, 2017, and now in 2023. It’s an act we can never grow tired of seeing, and we would welcome their return to the Freedom of the Seas in 2024. This year, the group made their first performance on the boat on January 31st, the second day of the open-seas journey and the first day of the Pool Deck kick-off. Day two of the event is the most tiring, kicking off at roughly ten in the morning and running through near-dawn at around six a.m. These guys had a near-perfect time slot at ten pm, where their stage presence and energy were worth seeing under the stars, with flashing lights providing the perfect backdrop for vocalist Tomi Joutsen, known for his signature mic stance, a shot many 70000tons of Metal photographers were eager to capture. This return didn’t include any special anniversary performances, but they did bring their latest record, Halo, to the stage. This gave the crowd, whether they had seen them on tour or could only attend the cruise, a live sample of their latest material, including songs like “On The Dark Waters,” a personal favorite from the record. The first evening was pure magic and mastery, aligning perfectly with the stars, the crowd, and the overall mood. It was an Amorphis performance fans have grown to love over the years.
Amorphis Night 1
Unfortunately, their second performance, the very next day on February 1st, the third night of the cruise in the Royal Theater, didn’t have as magical a setting. This day is known as either the excursion day or the day of rest when cruisers visit the area of Bimini, The Bahamas, or decide to stay on the boat to catch up on some sleep, peace, and quiet. Some rumors were circulating that one of the concertgoers allegedly bought drugs on land, resulting in various telephone-game-like stories, including jumping off the ship. Regardless, it was a scare and caused all performances for that evening to come to a complete halt. Through conversations on the cruise that evening, it was apparent that the cruiser allegedly did get picked up to be admitted to a nearby hospital in Miami. There were also notes on this attendee being okay, which was a relief. However, due to visa regulations, when the ship returned to Miami waters, out of international waters, all acts could only perform once the ship returned to international waters. Recalling that evening, the person was suspected to be severely injured during Amorphis’ performance, making it a bit distracting to enjoy their second set fully. However, right before they went on, a person in the crowd alerted the attendee in question was okay. After a moment of anxiety and worry, the cruise returned to schedule, and Amorphis gave another fantastic set.
What’s Amorphis been up to lately? We’re not sure if these Finnish progressive metal masters have had any rest since their return from the voyage. They’ve been constantly on the road, touring in support of Halo, making festival appearances, and soon embarking on another voyage – Germany’s Full Metal Cruise. They were recently announced to return to the United States next year for ProgPower USA in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 6th, 2024. There’s no rest for these greats, but we’re enjoying the ride with them. And there’s more exciting news: guitarist Tomi Koivusaari has recently announced his long-awaited solo project, BJØRKØ, with a new album titled Heartrot, set to release in December 2023 via Svart Records. These giants continue to amaze us, and we’re looking forward to their next journey, whether on the road or in the recording studio.
Amorphis Night 2
70000 tons of Metal will return on January 29th, setting sail from Miami, FL to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and back on February 2nd with another batch promising sixty bands to perform twice throughout the waves of adventure. The announcements have been moving fast this year as tickets have already gone on sale, and, well no updates since our last post but, in case you missed it, 37 bands out of 60 have been revealed thus far:
2024 70000tons of Metal artists:
Aborted
Angra
Blind Guardian
Blood Red Throne
Crypta
Dalriada
Depressive Age
Draconian
Dynazty
Epica
Equilibrium
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Grave Digger
Heidevolk
Infected Rain
Iotunn
Kataklysm
Legion of the Damned
Lord of the Lost
Marduk
My Dying Bride
Mystic Prophecy
Nanowar of Steel
Nervosa
Nile
Omnium Gatherum
Saor
Scar Symmetry
Serenity
Sodom
The Halo Effect
Thyrfing
Tygers of Pan Tang
Unleashed
Victory
Warkings
Wind Rose
2023 Artist Spotlight:
