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Heavy metal thrives wherever it goes. From the back alleys of Birmingham to fields in Derbyshire, airbases in Ohio and mountaintops in Slovenia, metal events have popped up in just about every environment you can imagine. But 70,000 Tons Of Metal still holds the distinction of being the first metal festival to take its bill to the open seas, sailing out of Florida each year to a select destination and offering a hefty bill of bands from across the metal spectrum to tickle just about any taste.
But what’s it actually like on board? Hammer slapped on some suncream (erroneously, it turns out) and took a trip across the Atlantic to get a taste of heavy metal on the high seas courtesy of the likes of Anthrax, Paradise Lost, Beast In Black and Dark Tranquillity (plus so many more).
Now look, it’s going to sound incredibly obvious if you’ve been on a cruise ship before. But for those who haven’t, nothing quite prepares you for the floating city you’ll spend the week on. That’s the thing: 70000 Tons isn’t a rinkydink festival on a boat, its more like a floating city, the Freedom Of The Seas ship offering an almost insane amount of space for a few thousand metalheads.
While that technically translates to a main hub of venues, bars, casinos, shops and eateries (you’re not expected to schlep back and forth across the boat the whole week, thankfully), the scale makes it comparable to events like London’s Desertfest or Camden Rocks, with individual venues spread out across several decks and ranging from a converted ice rink to a grand theatre and even open-air space on the pool deck.
There’s a joyous optimism to filling a suitcase with shorts in January. It actually turns out not to be the best idea (though packing a few pairs of spare jeans has been), as the Jan-Feb window of 70,000 Tons Of Metal 2026 also happens to coincide with some pretty gnarly storms and wintery weather.
While iguanas are falling frozen out of the trees in Florida (no, really), fans are freezing their tits off on the pool deck for some of the festival’s biggest acts. Does ruin the show? Hell no. Cold as it gets at times – and with winds approaching gale force at times, it certainly does – fans still turn out for sets in their masses, moshing and dancing to the likes of Anthrax and Wind Rose in 50mph winds.
It turns out getting absolutely drenched in freezing rain watching Amorphis is a whole lot more enjoyable when you can stay toasty in a hot tub. Who’d have thunk?
70,000 Tons Of Metal is more like a continental festival than your Downloads or even Aftershocks. What that means is, bands go late. This year’s event sees bands starting as early as 10am, and the last band going on-stage at 5am. Ooft.
The sight of festival goers getting quick power naps in around the boat is totally usual (and very understandable – after all, when you’ve got sun loungers right there you might as well use them!). More than that, though, is just how impressively active the festival remains right into the wee hours. Bands coming on at 4am aren’t greeted by skeleton crews; there are still sizable crowds bouncing, moshing and headbanging.
The aforementioned storms mean Beast In Black are forced to cancel their open air performance on the Pool Deck on Friday evening. Signs are hastily put up announcing the band will play the theatre stage at the ungodly hour of 4.15am instead. If that has any effect on their crowd, we don’t see it; the dancefloor goes off with the kind of infectious enthusiasm you’d expect for a headliner.
Bands coming on at 4am aren’t greeted by skeleton crews; there are still sizable crowds
There’s no shortage of stirring, epic sounds to be found on board. Symphonic metal is well represented: Seven Spires kick off the whole festival with Gods Of Debauchery, a thundering, snarling take on SM that is more like a string-backed Arch Enemy than your usual Nightwish or Within Temptation before settling into a more familiar power metal realm.
Germany’s Xandria have been kicking around in one form or another for three decades now, but the line-up overhaul in 2022 has clearly reinvigorated them and it’s hardly surprising their sets lean hard on 2023’s The Wonders Still Awaiting, chucking up some stunning compositions.
61 bands across four days already sounds like a solid deal, especially considering none of those bands will play for less than 45 minutes. But one of the big, unique draws of 70K is that the festival books all of its bands to play two sets across the weekend.
That’s not only handy for saving your energy – if a band plays the graveyard shift one night, chances are they’ll have a nice daytime slot for their second set – but also means bands aren’t just dumping out the same setlist.
It encourages repeat viewings of new favourites, as any discovery suddenly becomes an opportunity to deep-dive their catalogue, but also encourages more than a few bands to get really creative with mixing their sets up. Insomnium celebrate the fact by playing 2014’s Shadows Of The Dying Sun in full for one of their sets, while Dark Tranquillity pack in some rarities for an astounding double-dose of melodeath mastery, even closing their first night with a nod to At The Gates and a cover of Blinded By Fear.
As one of the more recognisable/mainstream acts of the festival, Anthrax are primed as one of this year’s highlights – and they deliver. Sort of. The setlist variety isn’t exactly diverse, but when you’re literally playing some of the greatest thrash metal songs ever written – Caught In A Mosh, Metal Thrashing Mad, I Am The Law – complaints about song choices fall by the wayside a little.
Chuck in the fact bassist Frank Bello has had to bail between sets to fly off to the Grammys – he was subbed by Armored Saint’s Joey Vera – and it becomes a lot more understandable. The band do chuck out old school anthem Deathrider too, so that’s a bonus.
Picture the scene: you’ve been awake for 14 hours, you’re jet-lagged and there’s still five hours’ worth of music to see. It’s taken us about a week, but we’re relieved to report that the German masked entities snarling to blackened death metal in masks, vests and kaiser helmets do exist. They’re called Kanonenfieber and they’re brilliant.
As in all other corners of the metal scene right now, there’s something to be said for bands who go the extra mile when it comes to colourful (or at least) eye-grabbing displays and when you’re on band 20 of the weekend, just having that sheer “What the fuck is this?” factor can be a godsend for piquing your interest.
It’s definitely something that Wind Rose frontman Francesco Cavalieri has taken to heart; when not addressing (inflatable) pickaxe-wielding masses with his Dwarven metal group, we spot him relaxing on deck in a white cotton suit complete with gold chains and jewellery that makes it look like he’s about to film a new season of Miami Vice. Turns out it’s all tied in to his new, AOR-influenced side project VBO (Vice Business Only) who played their debut shows on the boat.
Sleep is for the weak. And god, we’re feeling it after a week of late, late nights and early(ish) starts. But the sleep deprivation certainly does enhance the general sense of wonderful oddness that abounded aboard the Freedom Of The Seas in 2026.
There’s a general sense of joy seeing people splashing about and even doing circle pits in the hot tub for just about every band on the pool deck. After a while, it all starts to feel normal: the singer of Beast In Black asking you to pass the salt during breakfast? Yeah, go on then. A conga line of capybara riders dancing past to Soilwork? Checks out. Gandalf rocking out to Dwarven Metal in a whirlpool while Scott Ian commandeers the soft serve station? Very 70000 Tons.
A conga line of capybara riders dancing past to Soilwork? Checks out
You’d think being out at sea during a storm would be a pretty ideal vacation idea for goths like Paradise Lost and Cemetary Skyline. And you’d be right. The former prove they’re the grandaddies of dour metal in a resplendent set on Sunday night that highlights their three-decades mastery over the dark arts.
Cemetery Skyline, on the other hand, turn out to be a revelation. Mikael Stanne might have more bands than hot dinners at this point, but his star quality shines as the band bring a bit of dark romanticism to a fittingly post-midnight set in the Royal Theatre.
Unfortunately, the holy trinity doesn’t quite complete with Tribulation. Tech issues mean both of their sets start late, and the insistence on atmospheric intro tapes is somewhat undercut when the band fail to materialise when the tape finishes, even when they’re already 20 minutes late.
When they do play, it’s absolute bliss; an overly leaden start with The Unrelenting Choir during their first set sees them switch things up for the decidedly more energetic and guitar-driven In Remembrance on night two. Once the band hit their stride its superb – and we relish the fitting themes of Hungry Waters – but there’s kinks to be ironed out.
It’s been a full decade since Soilwork last toured the US, but the absence truly has made the heart grow fonder judging from the rabid reception they get at their first set on the Pool Deck. Sing-alongs are thrown out with gusto, and by the time they go off to Stabbing The Drama there’s a palpable ecstasy as we overhear a couple of Americans delightedly talking about how long it’s been since they last saw the band.
Ukrainian prog metallers Ignea are making their NA debut. Their stirring, symphonically tinged sound is perfectly suited to the kind of epic environs a day out at sea provides. Chunky, nu mdetal style riffs meet deft strings as vocalist Helle Bohodanova soars over it all with a powerful voice that swings from bellowed melodic highs to guttural, snasrling lows, bringing to mind fellow Ukrainian Tatiana Shmayluk whilst chucking some grandeur into the mix.
Eluveitie swing between ferocious, fist-pumping melodeath and jaunty, uber-energetic folk metal as part of their general approach, so the flourishes of hurdy gurdy and fiddle are a perfect palate cleanser when things start to look a bit basic. More than that though, their songs evoke a natural sense of majesty and power that is utterly enthralling, the likes of Ategnatos, The Prodigal Ones and Call Of The Mountain nailing the sense of excitement that’s made them such an enduring force over the decades.
15 years since its maiden voyage, 70,000 Tons Of Metal continues to thrive as a completely unique and fascinating festival experience. Imitators may have cropped up by their dozens, but the unique make-up of the line-ups, multi-set approach and general all-round cushiness of the environs has helped make it a standout even in the ever-increasingly saturated festival landscape.
Storms might have interfered with the “sunny Caribbean getaway” ideal, but 70K 2026 proved to be a triumph nonetheless, veterans and emerging acts alike proving that the future of metal still looks very bright. Hopefully see you on board in 2027!
70,000 Tons Of Metal is confirmed to return in 2027.