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 8: Cancer.
UK death metallers Cancer embarked on their first voyage on 70000tons of Metal, fortunate to open the Star Lounge Theater on Day 1, January 31st, and later secured a slot on Day 3, February 2nd, at the Ice Rink Theater at 1:30 AM. Although more underground than bands like Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus, Cancer has been around since 1987, consistently delivering heavy albums and ruthless shows despite a few breakups, hiatuses, and revamped lineups. Vocalist/guitarist John Walker has been a constant force, leading the group, including their latest full-length offering, 2018’s Shadow Gripped. While this year introduced new faces to the 70k lineup, Cancer dominated their set, delivering a classic and fresh thrash sound, showcasing pure brutality with abundant riffs, and proving they are worth seeing live.
Fortunately, we caught a portion of their second set, providing just the right amount of flavor and leaving us eager to see them live again. Due to the multitude of bands and scheduling conflicts, we could only witness a glimpse, a sample of their live energy, which was enough to confirm their talent both on and off the record. What have they been up to since then? There’s yet to be any new material, but they’ve been performing at various UK and European shows. Next month, they’ll head to Mexico for the Mexico Metal Fest. If you’re attending that festival, we highly recommend checking out Cancer.
Cancer
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:
