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 25: Freedom Call.
Germany’s power metal giants, Freedom Call, made their triumphant return to the metal seas for the third time, with previous appearances in 2014 and 2018. This year, in 2023, the group had the honor of opening the Pool Deck on Day 2, January 31st, 2023, at 10:00 AM. Whether fueled by a lack of sleep or a quick power nap, attendees eagerly gathered for this early-morning performance. Their second set took place in the opposite setting, the very next day, Day 3, February 1st, at the intimate star lounge at 9:15 PM. We were there for the bright and early set, as the welcoming of the Pool Deck is always exciting every year, and Freedom Call had the perfect energy to kick off the most intense day of the four-day voyage, more or less. The group played a little bit of everything from the anthem tune and title track to their 2019 album, M.E.T.A.L, to classics like “Tears of Babylon” from 2010’s Legend of the Shadowking and more. Overall, it was a fun set that kept the sleepless party going.
Freedom Call have since performed a handful of shows, including participating in several Festivals during the European summer fest season. Their 2019 record above has made such a landmark for the group that they went ahead and released the live album, The M.E.T.A.L. Fest, in July via Steamhammer. Now that 2023 is just about to close, it does look like we may see a new album in the near future as they’ve shared their check into Soundart Recording Studio to work on their new album. It’s only a matter of time until we see new music from these power metal masters.
Freedom Call
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:
