Report

70,000 Tons Of Metal 2024 (Day One) - The Full Experience Of Metal At Sea

There are very few metal festivals that the attendees will lose sleep over waiting for the band announcements, 70,000 Tons Of Metal just might rank number one on that list. This is my sixth 70,000 Tons Of Metal, so I’m never surprised that many of the 60 bands are announced during the final two weeks leading up to the cruise ship’s departure date. At this point in my 70 Tons Of Metal exploits, I just know that something awesome is about to happen and to just enjoy the ride, but in this case, let’s just cruise man…

It’s amusing to read the comments in certain social media platforms dedicated to the festival. There always those that post things such as, “This is my last 70k Of Metal because it’s so unfair that we have to wait so long to know the full line-up.” I read many similar comments this year. They just don’t get it. Even though it’s nice to know the full line-up before reserving your spot on the boat, it’s more of a convenience. This festival isn’t about the line-up per se, it's about the full experience. This is also what this road report is about, my 2024, 70,000 Tons Of Metal experience.

The unofficial festival starts about a week before the actual sail date. For those that live in colder climates, they are usually the first to arrive and I don’t blame them. Normally, the average temperatures are very mild around late January and early February, however, this year it was a little cooler than average. Try telling that to any Canadian or Norwegian attending 70,000 Tons and they’ll laugh you off the beach.

There are several events that take place during the week leading up to the festival. There are some local warm-up shows, a few parties, BBQ’s and the original beach party located on Miami Beach. 70,000 Tons Of Metal is a community. It’s global and it’s welcoming to anyone and everyone that’s a fan of heavy music. There are no barriers or borders on board either. We were all here to have a fun time together and that’s part of the 70,000 Tons Of Metal experience.
I had a lot going on in my personal life leading up to this year’s festival, so my wife and I flew in the day before and checked out the beach party for a bit.

It was late afternoon when we arrived and by that time, they were getting ready for the annual beach party group photo. My wife and I are somewhat vertically challenged, so we took off our flip-flops and held them up so we could find ourselves easier once the photos were published. A few hours later, we saw some of the photos and because the beach party has grown exponentially over the years, the only thing we could see were the tips of our flip-flops. It was still awesome to see that mass of black t-shirts taking over the beach, that never gets old.

Kataklysm

The last time I went to 70,000 Tons Of Metal, it was in 2020 and I remember the cruise ship check-in process being decent. Fast forward four years, the process is so much simpler and quicker. We arrived at the port and were walking down the gangway of Freedom Of The Seas within an hour of arriving. This was my first time on this ship, so we did a little exploration before the masses arrived in mass. Everything was the same as Independence Of The Seas other than a couple of minor foodery/restaurant changes.

Pentagram Chile

After our luggage was delivered to our cabin, I prepped my camera for our first band of the night, Infected Rain. The Star Lounge was already packed, and after making my way to the front, I learned, along with the other photographers, that there would be no photo pit for this venue for the rest of the night. That was a bummer because unless you’re within the first 2 front rows of people in this lounge, it’s almost impossible to see the band unless you’re six feet tall, nevertheless, to photograph them. Crypta was scheduled to play after Infected Rain at the lounge so that was disappointing. I would have to check out both of those bands during their second sets during the ship’s return to Miami.

Blind Guardian

For the first night of the festival, we were able to check out Kataklysm, Blind Guardian, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Pentagram (Chile). Minus Fleshgod Apocalypse, this was my first time seeing the balance of the bands. I know that Blind Guardian has a huge fanbase, but I’m not so into power metal in general. After seeing them, my opinion had changed about them. I found their vocalist, Hansi Kürsch, to be charismatic and down to earth. Because this was the first time seeing them, they reminded me of Iron Maiden ala their 90’s era sound. Pentagram Chile was a nice surprise as well. I really dig their old school blackened thrash sound. Kataklysm put on an awesome set and Fleshgod Apocalypse never fails to deliver during their operatic, death metal spectacle.

Fleshgod Apocalypse