06) Finntroll – Day 4: Pool Deck
Friday evening aboard 70,000 Tons is always a sight to behold, as that is the evening where everyone joins the festivities of the unofficial “costume night!” Combine this with the silliness of Finntroll, and you have yourself an hour of crowdsurfing, party-filled delight! The fan-favorite Pikachu team from 2019 made a return, as did a red shirt from Star Trek, and so many other familiar faces.
05) Orphaned Land – Day 4: Pool Deck
70,000 Tons of Metal is one of those moments that brings people together with a common thread: no matter where you come from, you’re a metalhead, and it’s awesome that you’re on board! Orphaned Land’s message of unity is, therefore, very fitting on the boat. Their Day 4 pool stage set under the burning afternoon sun brought this to the fore.
04) Wintersun – Day 2: Pool Deck
Wintersun is a band whose music most definitely sets an ambiance. Their music has undoubtedly been cued up countless times in the vehicles of those who live in the North upon the season’s first overnight snowfall, in preparation for a melodic death metal driven romp through the darkness of the season towards the office. On the boat, however, their atmosphere-defining brand of metal set the mood on the pool deck most exquisitely as the midnight hour of Day two passed, keeping the party under the stars rolling!
03) Devin Townsend Day 3: Pool Deck
With the vast array of talent from the world of metal onboard 70,000 Tons of Metal, there exist ample opportunities for special appearances that you’d rarely have a chance to see, especially on this side of the Atlantic. Devin Townsend’s digging into the back catalog made for one such fantastic opportunity. Ihsahn joined Devin on the pool stage to handle vocal duties for his own parts during Deconstruction’s “Juular!” Ihsahn was very much in the moment, bringing goosebumps during his parts! Between the intensity of the set, and the unrelenting wind atop the ship, you couldn’t have made for a more memorable way to see Devin Townsend live (except for, perhaps, an Anneke van Giersbergen guest appearance in addition to Ihsahn – one could wish!).
02) Wilderun – Day 1: Royal Theater
As the night drags on into the morning aboard 70,000 Tons of Metal, the music doesn’t stop. There are rewards in store for those with the fortitude to stick through the wee hours. There’s a wonderful feeling associated with the concoction of sleep deprivation-driven delirium, anticipation, and passion for a band you’re willing to stay up until 5 am to catch. Especially once they take the stage. A few years ago, the reward for waiting around until the early-morning timeslot in the Royal Theater was the Boston-based symphonic metal masters Seven Spires. Now in 2020, there was another prize for skipping your cabin in favor of the stage. Coincidentally, hailing from Boston, was the up and coming metal collective, Wilderun! Even with their incredibly late addition to the lineup, their appearance was highly anticipated, earning them a top-10 56% “must see” ranking on the unofficial “70k Bands” app before setting sail. Their anticipation was well deserved. Their delivery of an impeccable-sounding set of their soaring folk-progressive-metal, earning them the adoration of those who stuck around. If you didn’t catch this set or weren’t on board, they will be touring the Eastern and Midwestern United States with Aeternam in April, so take the second chance if you may – without staying up to 5 am to do so!
