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 24: Fractal Universe.
There is no exact recipe for why one band flourishes seemingly out of nowhere while incredible talent that has persevered for over a decade struggles to gain global recognition. Sometimes, a larger act isn’t as talented as a small club band that simply knows how to market itself. Who really knows? The point is that the French progressive technical death metal unit, Fractal Universe, stands out. Despite forming in 2013 and releasing one EP and three full-length albums, it took ten years for them to make their closest appearance across the seas, remaining on the same ocean, to North America at the 2023 edition of 70000 tons of metal. While 3,000 cruisers from across the globe were also present, this was a significant milestone for the group. Their first set closed the intimate Star Lounge on Day 2 at 1:30 AM, January 31st, and their second set on Day 4, February 2nd, at 12:15 PM at the Royal Theater. We were fortunate to catch their second set. We were thoroughly impressed not only by their live execution but also by a great set of tunes, drawing comparisons to the likes of German tech death metal giants Obscura. Fractal Universe undeniably possesses the “it” factor, and we anticipate more from them.
Since then, it doesn’t appear that Fractal Universe has been incredibly active. They’ve performed a few shows since. In the meantime, we strongly recommend exploring their latest offering, The Impassable Horizon, released in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. You’ll thank us later.
Fractal Universe
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:
