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 20: Eshtadur.
In the wake of 2023, Colombian melodic death metallers Eshtadur set sail on the metal seas for the first time, representing the only Colombian band on board. Their first performance on the voyage took place on January 31st, Day 2, at 1:00 PM at Studio B – Ice Rink Theater, followed by their second set on Day 3, February 1st, at 7:45 PM at the intimate Star Lounge. Despite a tight schedule, we managed to catch the end of their first set. The stage was bathed in low, dark blue lights, but this didn’t hinder the band from delivering an enthusiastic performance, expressing genuine excitement to be there. Although we only glimpsed a part of their set, it became evident at the start of 2023 that Eshtadur was destined for great things in the coming months.
Since then, Eshtadur has played a number of live gigs and released a few new singles. The latest, “Fire Above Mountain Below,” their second release this year, following September’s “Umbra.” This recent offering blends ancestral folk elements with a symphonic orchestra. Hopefully, these two singles hint at more music to come in 2024.
70000tons of Metal stands out as one of the best metal cruises, not only for featuring well-known acts but also for providing a platform to artists from around the globe who rarely tour or are just getting their foot in the door. By introducing their sound on the cruise, many bands have embarked on North American headlining tours or collaborated with larger acts, expanding their reach to broader audiences. While there are other metal cruises available, this unique opportunity is what consistently brings Metal Insider back to the original, the World’s biggest metal cruise.
Eshtadur
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, 36 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
Tygers of Pan Tang
Unleashed
Victory
Warkings
Wind Rose
2023 Artist Spotlight:
