07) Nervosa – Royal Theater, Day 03
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
Nervosa’s lineup changes over the years have been hectic – but I think they’ve finally perfected it. All the pieces are in place. Prika Amaral has stepped up to the mic and handed over lead guitar duties to the absolute shredder that is Helena Kotina while switching herself to rhythm, Hel Pyre holds down the bass, and brand new drummer Gabriella Abud made her debut with the band onboard 70k this year. This is not a shot against any of the previous incarnations of Nervosa, but putting Prika front and center in the band that is so clearly her labor of love makes the most sense. Their set was mostly made up of songs from their incredible 2023 record Jailbreak, but every era of the band was represented – these are Prika’s songs. The energy between the members on stage was electric. Prika had proven herself as a vocalist on record, but performing live is a different beast. She was more than up to the task, and sounds great live, without being a simple soundalike to any of their previous vocalists.
08) Skyforger – Studio B Ice Rink, Day 03
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
Another new name for me, and another name that I don’t expect to see much in North America, is Skyforger. Musically, the band blends black metal and folk metal with traditional Latvian melodies. The songs depict key events in Latvian history, often overlooked by Western culture, making this one of the most unique and interesting sets this year. It’s amazing how a band can have a 20+ year career in your favorite genre before you stumble across them, but they were an absolutely stellar addition to the 2024 lineup. Their Studio B Ice Rink set was energetic and engaging, and every member of the band was completely on point, and the old Latvian garb gave them a unique look compared to the rest of the bands this year. There’s a lot to love here, and I have since confirmed their records are just as awesome as their live show!
09) Sodom, Old School Best-Of Set – Pool Deck, Day 03
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
Tom Angelripper has escalated to “icon” status among metalheads. While Agent Orange cemented them as thrash metal legends, their legacy starts earlier than that. Originally a black metal band, Sodom’s Pool Deck set focused on their material from 1988 and earlier – capturing their transition from black metal to thrash metal, and even throwing in a Venom cover for good measure. This was an incredibly unique set, and whether they ever play a set quite like this again is up in the air (their other set on board happened to be Agent Orange from beginning to end, which was also a high point – but it didn’t seem fair to include them on this list twice!). This set was completely unmissable – the Pool Deck was overflowing with fans and the crowdsurfing never ended. While I generally don’t consider the crowd onboard 70k to be an especially rowdy bunch, the audience was completely restless and didn’t stop moving for their hour long set.
10) The Halo Effect – Royal Theater, Day 01
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
There’s a handful of musicians who seem to make it their personal mission to get booked on 70000 Tons of Metal as often as possible, despite the Skipper’s ruling that no band can play two years in a row. Mikael Stanne, who cannot escape his reputation as being one of the absolute nicest and fan-accessible vocalists in metal, figured his way around the rule was to alternate between three potential bands (Dark Tranquility, Grim Cadaver, and The Halo Effect) to maximize his chances of being booked. Naturally, it makes sense that someone who really, really wants to be here is going to put on a good show. Enter The Halo Effect – who put on a completely hypnotic set early into the voyage on Day 01. Though they only have one full length out in the world at the moment, they didn’t feel limited at all by lack of material, and even tried out some new material to an open minded fanbase. The best part about The Halo Effect is that they’re all seasoned vets of the Gothenburg Melodeath scene – so needless to say, the performance was impressive, with decades to perfect their craft. This was easily the best set of Day 01, and set the tone for an incredible four days at sea.
