Continuing our run of letting you know a little more about as many of the bands on at Bloodstock 2025 as we possibly can before you get a chance to see them, we have HeKz. This bunch play on the New Blood Stage on the Saturday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re from all over the place, but the band is based in London.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
The current lineup has been together for just over a year.
Where does the name of the band come from?
That’s a secret.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
The best description of our sound comes from Prog Magazine here in the UK, “Think Queen having a barney with Dream Theater as Rush and Iron Maiden duke it out on the sidelines!” Some folks might be a bit put off by the ‘prog’ label, expecting a bunch of demonstrative noodling, but that’s not HeKz. We’re a metal band at heart, and we like to be a bit adventurous sometimes, but there are also choruses you can shout along with and riffs you can headbang to without needing a maths degree. Plus, we have an electric violin. What’s not to love?
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
A HeKz show is an immersive experience. We’re not just going to hit you with a bunch of songs. We’re going to tell a story and take you on a journey with us.
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
Many times. It’s a fantastic event run by a dedicated team of passionate metal fans, and that shines through. There’s a reason why BOA is the premier metal festival in the UK.
Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
We came through other channels. Every year, I send an email to the powers that be, and 2025 was our lucky year!
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
A longheld dream coming true.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
What sort of setlist can we expect?
This will be the full HeKz experience. Should that be HeKz-perience? We’re going to be focusing heavily on our latest album ‘Terra Nova’ and may be delving into the back catalogue a little.
Stage times haven’t been announced yet, so which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
Creeper!
What are you working on at the moment?
We are working on our 5th studio album with John Mitchell (Outhouse Studios) in the producer’s chair. It’s our most ambitious and immersive work to date and we can’t wait for people to hear it.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We played at Winter’s End Festival in Chepstow a few years back. We closed our set with a heavy track called ‘The Black Hand,’ which is about 13 minutes long. Turns out, we rocked too hard – the sheer volume from the stage dislodged a very important cable from the sound system and it sounded like someone was firing a canon inside the venue! We got about 9 minutes into the song before we had to abandon ship so that the PA could be repaired.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
As the vocalist, I spend the entire day trying to stay hydrated and usually have a flask of ginger tea on hand to keep my voice warm. The things we do for rock n’ roll, eh?
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HeKz: facebook | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | tiktok | youtube
