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. First up on deck: Abysmal Dawn.
Celebrating their twentieth anniversary, Los Angeles death metal outfit Abysmal Dawn embarked on their first 70000 tons of Metal voyage earlier this year. Frontman/guitarist Charles Elliott shared his thoughts on the experience, which was included in our recap, stating:
“Our first time on the boat was a great, surreal and sometimes exhausting experience. So many bands to catch and so many things to do. Our schedule was a little hard to navigate sometimes and since it was our first time, we signed up for as much stuff as we could i.e. signings, hosting a kayak trip, judging a belly flop contest, dinners, etc. We were operating on only a few hours of sleep at times but it was well worth it. It was great to see so many friends, bands and fans we met on tour again. We even did one of our sets in pirate outfits for fun. A unique experience through and through.”
As surreal as it was, we were lucky to make it to not one but both of their sets. And while they were given challenges, performing near the crack of dawn to the smaller stage bright and early with many scheduling conflicts surrounding them, they killed it. Their first set kicking off before five in the morning at Studio B, had some devoted fans make it out for their entire set. As it was brutal for them to perform, it was just as brutal to attend, making it all worth it. While they held on to a more traditional performance, for those used to seeing them in action, their second set was one for the books: think death metal pirates, with eye patches, parrots, sun hats, Floridian shirts, and more, Abysmal Dawn gave the crowd a treat at the Studio Lounge for their second set on the final day of the voyage, at ten in the morning. They got the short end of the stick regarding scheduling, but they pulled it off, and the studio lounge was practically at capacity. Currently signed with Season of Mist, these death metal giants have come a long way since 2006’s From Ashes. Despite the challenges and lineup shuffles the group has seen, Elliott has led the group in complete fortitude since the formation. For those who missed their appearance earlier this year or want to see them again, they will be hitting the road in September on The Carnival of Death tour supporting Cryptopsy, along with Reaping Asmodeia, Warforged, Hate, and Visceral Disgorge.
It’s been a beat since their latest full-length offering, 2020’s Phylogenesis (look back on that record with our interview from Charles himself here), arguably one of, if not the best, death metal albums released that year. However, they’ve since released an EP with 2022’s Nightmare Frontier, which included the excellent cover of Candlemass’ “Bewitched.” The singer/guitarist also landed in joining System of a Down’s Serj Tankian for an exceptional performance earlier this year. While the group has long sustained an impactful twenty-year career, including the challenging times from the pandemic, we’re excited to see what they offer for the next twenty years and beyond!
Tour Dates:
09/07 Manchester, NH @ Jewel Nightclub*
09/08 Brooklyn, NY @ Meadows*
09/09 Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz*
09/10 Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground*
09/11 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell)*
09/12 Tampa, FL @ The Brass Mug*
09/14 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar*
09/15 Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live*
09/16 Dallas, TX @ TBA
09/17 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater*
09/18 Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar*
09/19 Mesa, AZ @ Nile Underground*
09/20 San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick#
09/21 Los Angeles, CA @ 1720#
09/22 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge#
09/23 Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post#
09/24 Portland, OR @ Dante’s#
09/25 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon#
09/26 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater#
09/27 Boise, ID @ The Shredder#
09/29 Denver, CO @ HQ#
09/30 Omaha, NE @ Cosmic Eye Brewing#
10/01 Joliet, IL @ The Forge#
10/02 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme#
10/03 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace#
10/04 Kingston, ON @ Overtime Sports Bar#
10/05 Quebec City, QC @ La Source de la Martinière#
10/06 Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques#
* w/ Hate
# w/ Visceral Disgorge
All dates w/ Reaping Asmodeia & Warforged
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 32 bands out of 60 have been revealed thus far:
Aborted
Angra
Blind Guardian
Blood Red Throne
Crypta
Dalriada
Depressive Age
Draconian
Epica
Equilibrium
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Grave Digger
Infected Rain
Iotunn
Kataklysm
Legion of the Damned
Lord of the Lost
My Dying Bride
Mystic Prophecy
Nanowar of Steel
Nervosa
Nile
Omnium Gatherum
Saor
Serenity
Sodom
The Halo Effect
Thyrfing
Tygers of Pan Tang
Unleashed
Victory
Warkings
