11 funniest metal memes to get you excited for the UK’s Bloodstock Open Air fest

August 8, 2017

Remember Woodstock? That mellow, hippy, psychedelic and iconic event that took place in New York’s Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in 1969?

Well, the U.K.’s Bloodstock is a lot like it.

Except, it’s not. Not at all. Not in the slightest, actually.

Bloodstock Open Air is the mecca for any true metalhead, and this year it runs from Aug. 10-13. Punters drink from Viking horns, necks thrash repeatedly at 180 degrees and mosh pits/walls of death are not just encouraged, they are expected and demanded.

Despite the forceful nature of the environment, there really is a genuine sense of camaraderie between Bloodstock festival-goers. The fest even has a stage named and dedicated to the memory of Sophie Lancaster, a 20-year-old woman who was murdered almost a decade ago, for the sole reason that she dressed in gothic fashion publicly. Permanent features like this are testament to the event’s commitment to solidarity in the face of adversity.

Past headliners of Bloodstock Open Air include Mastodon, Slayer, Trivium, Rob Zombie, Down, Lamb Of God, Machine Head, Alice Cooper, Motorhead and Opeth. But 2017 sees Amon Amarth, Ghost and Megadeth take the main stage reins—a medley of bookings that have ensured all-weekend tickets are totally sold out (but individual day tickets are still available!).

If all that background about the fest and the headliners didn’t get you psyched enough, then these 11 hilarious memes of the killer bands slaying Bloodstock Open Air next weekend might do the trick.

AMON AMARTH