Swedish pioneers Meshuggah and Welsh death metal group Desecration have been added to the line-up for this year’s Bloodstock festival.
Both bands have been added to the bill following the sad news of Heaven & Hell’s singer Ronnie James Dio passing away. Heaven & Hell were originally scheduled to headline this year’s show.
Paul Gregory, founder of Bloodstock and responsible for the artwork of Dio’s Angry Machines and Inferno – Last In Live albums, said: "It is indeed a sad time for me and I know for metalheads throughout the world; the demise of one of the true legends of metal has come to pass. I had the privilege of doing two albums for Dio and only got the opportunity to meet him once, a true gentleman in every sense and a giant of the genre. My condolences to the family and all true fans of the music we love.
"As the UK’s only true outdoor metal festival, it seems only fitting that we pay tribute to a man who has done so much for our beloved genre, and so – with overwhelming support from our social networking users – we wish to pay tribute by renaming our main stage the RONNIE JAMES DIO stage, and ensure the spirit of this metal icon lives on."
This year’s festival will take place from August 13 – 15. Click here for more details.
Below is a photo of Quietus editor John Doran moshing to Meshuggah in the moat of a Serbian fort.
