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 40: Melechesh.

Middle Eastern folk metal giants Melechesh celebrated their thirtieth anniversary with a remarkable debut on the 70000tons of Metal cruise in 2023. Making their first appearance on Day 2 at 10:00 PM at Studio B – Ice Rink Theater on January 31, 2023, and a subsequent set on Day 3, February 1, 2023, at the Royal Theater at 3:00 am, Melechesh delivered a unique and must-see performance. The anticipation was palpable as fans, eager to witness one of the darker metal groups on the boat, experienced Melechesh’s distinctive blend of Middle Eastern folk influences and metal. Navigating the challenges of the cruise schedule, we were fortunate enough to catch their second set, showcasing the band’s dark and mythological essence. Despite being nearly nine years since the release of 2015’s Enki, Melechesh’s enigmatic and captivating stage presence remained unparalleled. The band’s unique and mythological performance makes them a must-see whenever the opportunity arises. Even with only a brief exposure to their set on the cruise, the experience was thoroughly worthwhile.

Melechesh

As we move forward into 2024, there seems to be a lull in activity for the group. However, with the year still in its infancy, we can only hope to look out for any potential announcements or developments from Melechesh as the months unfold.

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:

Abysmal Dawn
Amberian Dawn
Amorphis
Atrocity
Batushka
Belphegor
Bodyfarm
Cancer
Cryptosis
Cynic
Dark Tranquillity
Dear Mother
Deathless Legacy
Destruction
Dragonforce
Edge of Paradise
Eleine
Elvenking
Empress
Eshtadur
Evergrey
Fallujah
Feuerschwanz
Fractal Universe
Freedom Call
God Dethroned
Hei’An
Hideous Divinity
Hypocrisy
Insomnium
Internal Bleeding
Iron Savior
Isole
Jungle Rot
Kamelot
Keep of Kalessin
Korpiklaani
Kreator
Månegarm