Artist Spotlight: 70000tons 2023

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 50: Sight of Emptiness.

Hailing from Costa Rica, melodic death metal outfit Sight of Emptiness graced the metal seas for the first time in 2023. With four albums released and around for nearly two decades, the group continued to welcome new fans as they performed two sets throughout the voyage. The first performance took place on Day 1, January 30, 2023, at the intimate Star Lounge at 8:15 PM, and their second, on Day 4, February 2, 2023, at 10:45 AM at the Royal Theater. We made it just in time for their bright and early second performance. No stranger to performing, the group displayed a unique and powerful representation of melodic death metal, well worth for those into bands from Insomnium to In Flames. As far as the presentation goes, they executed an overall captivating set, welcoming newcomers who may have been unfamiliar with their craft.

Sight of Emptiness

It’s important to note that 70000 tons of metal is a unique festival. Unlike charter music cruises such as Monsters of Rock, Shiprocked, and Lamb of God’s new Headbangers Boat, 70000tons gives an experience welcoming bands from all over the world who are unlikely to book a full tour. Or perhaps, book one soon after introducing their sound. The lineup will tend to have larger-scaled/more known bands, which you will see in 2024 having acts such as Epica and Blind Guardian. However, they package a list of smaller-scale or lesser-known artists to the US market and beyond. 70000tons has introduced many, such as the band Gyze, now known as Ryujin, and will soon give Markus Vanhala (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum) a chance to introduce his black metal project, I Am The Night Horde, where there wouldn’t be much of a chance without the Original World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise. 70000tons opens these doors; whether people want to be exposed to new artists or not that’s up to them. But mainly, these acts are carefully selected from various parts of the world and have always seen each band welcome new fans and soon kick off bigger tours.

For Sight of Emptiness, as far as 2024 is concerned, the group is going through some changes as they gear up for the follow-up to 2020’s Redemption. The new record is expected to arrive sometime this year. However, the latest reveal is a lineup change. As of yesterday (23rd), the band announced parting ways with bassist Esteban Monestel. Monestel has been with the band since 2008, as the band shared the following statement:

“It’s been a great honor and pleasure to be able to create unique moments, incredible stories, honest music and hundreds of anecdotes for so many years, but even more importantly; a great friendship between brothers that even in moments like this, will be affected in the least.

We have come to a mutual agreement and it’s time to continue but without our friend Esteban Monestel in charge of the pulse and low frequencies in the band.

We love you and we’ll be here forever!

Sight of Emptiness

Esteban Monestel Giró | Farewell: 16 years ago I made one of the best decisions of my life, to be part of what for me is the most representative metal band in Costa Rica, Sight of Emptiness. A lot of dreams fulfilled, trips to incredible places and countries that otherwise or with another collective would have been very difficult and 4 albums I was a part of that are representative of these incredible 16 years.

But, everything in life has it’s time and it’s my time to step aside to continue with personal, professional, musical projects and Sight Of Emptiness keep kicking ass.

A deep and sincere thank you to everyone involved through the time I was a part of, who helped make SoE what it is, musicians, cameramen, makeup artists, producers, journalists, graphic designers, sound technicians, promoters, media, etc. But a very special brotherly thank you to Filthy, Andres and Gabo.

No clichés, I powerfully wish you all the vibration to keep reaping milestones, I will always be one more “Sight”.

Love U My Guys.”

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 initially moved fast and suddenly went on a halt. However, things are back on track with 61 out of 60, with potentially one more “W” band to be added making 62 out of 60 promised bands. Also, check out Metal Insider’s 70000tons essential packing guide.

2024 70000tons of Metal artists:

Aborted
Acod
Angra
April Art
Arion
Avulsed
Before the Dawn
Blind Guardian
Blood Red Throne
Carnation
Crypta
Dalriada
Décembre Noir
Disillusion
Draconian
Dynazty
Edenbridge
Einherjer
Endseeker
Epica
Equilibrium
Fleshcrawl
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Graceless
Grave Digger
Heidevolk
I Am The Night Horde
Infected Rain
Inhuman Condition
Iotunn
Kataklysm
Katatonia
Leaves’ Eyes
LEFT-ÖVR
Legion of the Damned
Lord of the Lost
Marduk
My Dying Bride
Mystic Prophecy
Nanowar of Steel
Nervosa
Nile
Noturnail
Omnium Gatherum
Rising Steel
Saor
Scar Symmetry
Serenity
Shores of Null
Skyforger
Sodom
Temperance
The Halo Effect
Threshold
Tygers of Pan Tang
Unleashed
Victory
Vision Divine
Waltari
Warkings
Wind Rose