Finally the best 'metal' festival of the year arrives this week! Held at Catton Hall in south Derbyshire, the festival returns for its sophomore year. See the official Bloodstock Open Air 2007 website for more detailed information on opening times and ticket prices.

Rock Matrix and Kent favourites Kobrakai will be there. Will you? Here is a list of bands confirmed to date:

THURSDAY

• Testament
• Kiuas
• Firewind
• Head–On
• Sight of Emptiness

FRIDAY

• Lacuna Coil
• Dark Tranquillity
• Nevermore
• Epica
• Wolf
• Scar Symmetry
• Exploder
• Memfis
• Korpiklaani
• Mindflow
• Life Denied
• The Aftermath
• Idiom
• Sinocence
• Cerebral Fix
• Forever Never
• Timefall
• TheOmen
• Enemo J
• Hexagram
• King Lizard

SATURDAY

• In Flames
• Arch Enemy
• Dream Evil
• Sabbat
• Finntroll
• Kobrakai
• Benediction
• Legion of the Damned
• Beyond All Reason
• Rise To Addiction
• Freedom Call
• Exit Ten
• Nephwrack
• The Hollow Earth Theory
• Nemhain
• Terrathorn
• Speedtheory
• Honey For Christ
• Trigger 9
• Sinnergod
• Axis of Evil
• Hanging Doll
• The Apostacy

Metal Monday at The Woodman every Monday. £1.50 for loyalty card holders – £2.00 for everyone else.

You will bow before the metallic might of Shattered Alliance while the almighty Snakebite make their Rock Matrix debut. Elements open the night with some nu–metal chuggery.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Woodman? – Email us a request now!

Rock Night Live at the Bull and Vic every Tuesday. £1.50 for loyalty card holders – £2.00 for those with flyers – £2.50 for everyone else.

This coming Tuesday we have not 2, not 3, not even 4 but 5 acts just for you with F69 headlining. Also playing are Filling Violets, the ever so dark Mr Holloway and Happy Penguin Hungry Bear and South Side Heroes.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Bull n Vic? – Email us a request now!

Live music at the Rat and Parrot every Wednesday. £1.50 for loyalty card holders – £2.00 for those with flyers – £2.50 for everyone else.

They are ready to tour with Sepultura again but first they need a little warm up. The Inbreds, the local scenes biggest band play this Wednesday at the Rat and Parrot. Miss them at your peril! Also playing are Colt.44 and local comedy merchants The Custard Chuckers.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at Live at the Rat? – Email us a request now!

Go Mental! at the Rat and Parrot every week. Resident DJs DJ King Steve and DJ Samwise along with regular guests DJ Bunny, DJ 69, DJ Laminator and guest DJs playing the likes of Municipal Waste, Dimmu Borgir, Skindred, Linkin Park, Vain, Rammstein and lots more! Free entry for loyalty card holders – £1.00 for everyone else.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Rat and Parrot? – Email us a request now!

Rock is coming home to the The Woodman this Friday. £1.50 for loyalty card holders – £2.00 for those with a flyer – £2.50 for everyone else.

The simply brilliant Gary Star Gutter plays along with Rock Hard Wille. More acts to be confirmed.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Woodman? – Email us a request now!

Mammoth Promotions bring you a mammoth all–dayer at the The Railway in Bromley this Sunday. £3.00 for Rock Matrix loyalty card holders, those with a flyer and NUS cards – £4.00 for everyone else.

Haven't got a ticket for Reading? Reading too expensive? Or did you look at the Reading line–up and laugh? No matter as you are free to come to the Anti–Reading–Fest at the the Phoenix pub in Dartford. £3.00 for loyalty card holders – £4.00 for those with flyers – £5.00 for everyone else. The fun starts at 1pm.

Prepare to be skarred for life! The Lovespuds bring us the best in local ska–punk and headline the all–dayer. They are worth seeing for the entrance fee alone! The Depths continue the punk vibe with a little garage sound in there to keep you on your toes. Brain Ache bring the heaviness up a knotch but not too much so their punk influences will continue to have you bouncing along. Also on the bill are Fused, The Frequency, The Custard Chuckers, Alvina, Roulette Dares, Rhizobium, Every Other Thursday and Disturbance Within. DJ 69 along with guest DJs will be spinning some tunes between bands.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at Anti–Reading–Fest? – Email us a request now!

Anyone who has gone to the handful of previous metal all–dayers at the Bull and Vic in Dartford will tell you how good they have been. So what would be the obvious thing to do? Have another metal all– of course! So, yes, here we are with another day full of metal in the form of Met–All–Day, and this could be the best one yet. £3.00 for loyalty card holders – £4.00 for those with flyers – £5.00 for everyone else. The riffs starts at 1pm.

As one of the best local bands to play regularly the past year Silas have slowly but surely been building their massive sound each and every time. It is only right that they headline the Met–All–Day. Manchester based SevenYearsDead have played for Rock Matrix several times already in their career and with their debut album due out soon this will be one mighty performance. If you haven't heard of them before than think Pantera playing Skid Row covers. Lets just say they are one hell of a band! The Furious Horde need little introduction. With a sound drawn from classic and comtempory black metal, they will slay all before them – including you! They also have an album in the works which is likely to shoot them beyond the confines of local promise. Another damn heavy mob in the form of Ritual Abuse will show the rest of the bill just how fast and heavy you can really play. On top of this they have everyones favourite soundman in Gummby on bass! Without Remorse will provide us with yet another solid and professional set while Training Icarus will show a packed pub why they are the band of the moment! Also playing are Equinox, POS 51, Fleshwound and local guitar fiddlers Andy Finney and Les Clayden. DJ 69 will be spinning on the decks of death...

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at Met–All–Day? – Email us a request now!