Well, the time has finally come… The Grand Final of this Metal 2 The Masses competition, and tonight one band of four hopefuls will gain the prize that they have been fighting for, their spot to play on the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock. Over the past two weeks I have been trying to make a prediction about which band that not only would I love to see at Bloodstock, but who I thought the judges would love the most. And quite frankly, I had no idea who would take it. All four bands are phenomenal in their own way, and they all bring something different to the table. The anticipation for the results has been killing me since the semi-final, as after all but two of the heat stages it has been fantastic to watch every single band within this competition grow and evolve throughout. It really is a shame to see this all end, but with every competition being an annual event, I already have my sights set for next year. What new bands will make that bold leap into this gruelling battle, or will we see any bands from this year work harder than ever before? I guess we will just have to wait till then to find out. But for now, we still have this evening to decide, and unlike all the other earlier rounds, tonight’s result comes down to just three impartial judges with no crowd vote.
So, with that it is time for the bands, and first to grace the stage was Indecorum. This band has impressed me from the first time I saw them in the quarterfinals and have not disappointed me yet. Paige’s crowd interaction has been explicit every time she has taken to the stage, along with very inspirational speeches in between songs that truly comes from her heart and the bands heart. Tonight, was no different, and it really showed with their performance on stage how much this means to them. Their set was majestically flawless, and with a surprise guest on stage, who was none other than Daniel from Shoot to Kill. This was absolutely heartwarming to see, as these bands known and played together in the past and love each other and have always said praises to myself about all the other bands. Due to the genre both bands play, this seemed to work exponentially well together, with both Paige and Daniel taking turns to sing separately and together. I would not be surprised to see a collaboration thrown together from these two in the future, in fact I seriously hope it happens.
Second up for their final time was Reveller. And just like Indecorum, I missed their heat stage but judging by the rest of the rounds I saw them in, I can only imagine that their first appearance was not faltered just like their performance thus far. Yet again, their sound is so unique and clean it really does feel like this band has been formed for such a long time despite their youth as an entire band. They have been pushing on their socials from the very start by promoting new songs and music videos, and even with their sneak previews, I love the way this band are united together both on and off the stage. I can see them staying together for an exponential amount of time over the next years and I can honestly say, despite not listening to them in the past, they have certainly gained myself as a follower, and undoubtedly more within the crowd this evening. I would say I only have one small criticism about tonight’s performance, is it felt like their nerves go the better of them. Their music was absolutely on point as usual, but they were far stiffer and more ridged on stage than usual. It is only a minutus thing, but this competition is not only about the music they play but also the way they appear on stage. I hope this does not hinder their hopes to take victory tonight as I genuinely believe this band would fit in really well with the New Blood stage.
Third was none other than Stone Soup. I have become a massive fan of this and both on and off the stage. They are a truly humble bunch of lads who are extremely friendly to talk to and I have certainly enjoyed being around, despite Chris trying to buy my friendship with free merch. I was more than willing to pay but he seriously insisted, however that may have been the alcohol talking. It really was thoughtful of him though and I will certainly make sure I will represent them at Bloodstock regardless of tonight’s outcome. As with all the bands within this competition it has been great to see them in action, along with finding another new band to add to my playlists. Their performance through this competition in its entirety has been top notch and tonight was no exception. From the sound of an “Iron Horse” on the harmonica, to which I believe someone within the band has a love of trains, to the very American Star-Spangled Banner, these guys have such a distinct vibe from one song to the next and for me it never gets old. I could easily listen to them as a background noise whilst I am working, but also crank it to eleven when I just want to listen to music that is right up my street. I am ecstatic on seeing these guys later on in the year at Oxfords Rabidfest in November and I would entice you all to attend along with other bands who have been in this competition.
Lastly and by no means least was Shoot to Kill. You must be tired of hearing this by now but along with all three performances thus far, yet again this is another band I have become to love. Not just for their performance on stage but as a collective of fantastic people. They truly have been supportive of all the bands who have not only been and gone, but also to the three bands they are competing against in tonight’s final. Daniel despises the idea of a competition, and like him I would love for all the bands to have a chance to play at Bloodstock, however I do not think my body would be able take over a week of living in a tent and listening to outrageous metal bands. Tonight’s performance was exceptional and flawless. They would certainly fir the New Blood stage well just as with all the other three bands. And to top it all off, Paige from Indecorum repaid the favour and took the opportunity to jump up on stage and join in. Despite this being a battle of the bands, the support these guys give each other is second to none, but seriously guys… get a collaboration together! The sound wand the atmosphere was incredible, and the support was, what I can only describe as, pure love for all thing metal.
So that is that. All four bands have now played their final set with the hope to be victorious with the independent judging panel. I have loved every night that I was able to attend, and I am now extremely sad that only one of these four amazing bands will get the win. So, while the judges deliberate, we had the enormous pleasure of our headlining band Red Method. This band have certainly been on the scene for an amount time now playing The Sofie Lancaster Stage at Bloodstock, Incineration Festival and UK Tech Fest, playing alongside big names. Now these guys are extremely heavy for my liking, but due to the immense vibe from all four of tonight’s performances that did not stop me from joining in a ridiculously small, due to the size of the venue being narrow and long, and tight pits in front of the stage. The crowd were absolutely buzzing for Red Method who were astonishing and all donning impressive and uniformed costumes, to which the standard would easily be expected headlining a huge festival. What a night it has been, but it has now come to then end.
Only one thing left to do, that part everyone has been waiting for. I am sure the crowd, all the previous judges along with TwoFace Promotions, who without these guys this competition would not have taken place. The winners of M2TM Oxford 2023 were… SHOOT TO KILL! An absolute well-deserved win for these guys, but to be fair I would have easily said that about any of the four bands. I could not and would not have been able to call this result. It could not have been any tighter between them, and with the amazing amount of tallet between all four bands it really could have gone either way. Congratulations to Shoot to Kill, but with every winner there has to be those who do not make it, so a massive commiserations to Indecorum, Reveller and Stone Soup. It has been an honour to not only write the reviews about yourselves, but to also be able to spend time with you, get to know you all, and genuinely have a good laugh and a cracking time with you all. My advice you the three bands is simply this, do not give up. Get back to your recording and practice studios, back to writing some more amazing music, and get back to M2TM Oxford next year when we get to do this all over again. Oh, and please feel free to drop me an invite for when you are all practicing or recording as it would be great to hear even more from you all.
So now with this year’s winners finally decided there is only one final part remaining, and that of course is to head into the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock where not only do we get to see Shoot to Kill finally play on a much larger stage, but also witness them opening up the New Blood stage for the whole weekend, as they are the first band starting on the Friday morning 10:30 to 11:00. Let us just hope I do not have too much of a thick head from the night before as I will certainly be there along with more people from Oxfordshire whom I already know will be attending including quite a few bands who have competed this year.
