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 5: Batushka.
Polish black metal group Batushka took their ritual to the seas earlier this year. Although the details of the lawsuit surrounding the split with two, technically three, bands sharing the same moniker remain unclear or undisclosed, it’s evident that Bartłomiej Krysiuk’s Batushka, the one that released 2019’s Hospodi and recently signed with Napalm Records, has garnered the most attention and label recognition.
Metal Insider had the opportunity to witness both sets, which were a stark contrast in terms of atmosphere and timing; a unique and somewhat amusing experience watching them perform in both daylight and nighttime settings. The group had a few humorous encounters, notably being seen in their ritual attire while enjoying the hot tub – an image that made its rounds on social media.
The year 2023 marked the band’s inaugural appearance at 70000tons, a cruise festival where they experienced several “firsts.” During their first ritual on January 30th at Studio B – The Ice Rink Theater, they promptly kicked off the ceremonious ceremonies at 10:15 PM. The members appeared faceless in their Great Schema attire, representing Old Church Slavonic, creating a dark atmosphere filled with chants from the Old Slavonic language that echoed throughout the theater. The performance was an hour of blasphemous bliss and spiritual enchantments, accompanied by howls of glorious black metal music. The evening featured many serene moments, with candles being lit and incense burning, creating an enchanting ambiance in front of a mesmerized crowd. It was a moment of pure excellence.
Batushka Set 1
In contrast, their second performance took place on the event’s final day, February 2nd, 2023. This time, the group performed under the bright sunlight, presenting the same ritual while still appearing faceless in their Schema Monk attire. Performing in broad daylight, on the last day of an event where hardly anyone gets much sleep, added an element of humor and hilarity to the performance. However, they managed to maintain the same ritualistic mood, as if their music had cast a shadow over the sun, eliciting a similar response from the audience on the first night.
Batushka’s performances on the cruise were among the strongest and most unique, especially considering the limited presence of black metal music and rituals during the 2023 voyage. As for their current activities, they have just completed their headlining North American tour with Swallow the Sun and Stormruler. Their European Black Pilgrimage trek, featuring seventeen cities in 13 European countries with Arkona, Aeternam, and Varang Nord, begins tomorrow (28th). We can only hope to hear news of fresh ritualistic tunes soon.
Batushka Set 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:
