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Chapter 1: Navigating the Seas of Metal – Pre-Departure and Day 1

By Gilberto Morais

Welcome! All aboard!

No, actually, not yet! Let me explain how this works before boarding.

To begin, I'm sure that the starting point of this journey for many travelers began, above all, while they were in transit from some airport, somewhere in the world, heading towards the airports of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or even the more distant West Palm Beach, depending on the time of day. These are the closest available airports to the Port of Miami, where our journey began.

First, we, the passengers, received the Sailing Invitation about three weeks before the departure date so that we could check in online, which I personally recommend you do as well. This procedure not only saves you precious time but also avoids unnecessary queues on the day of your journey. Furthermore, it allows you to learn more about the world of cruising, exploring the stunning "Majesty of the Seas" and its 14 decks, making it easier to familiarize yourself with it. Believe me! Besides the shows, there's plenty to do there.

Immediately upon entering the departure terminal on your way to the ship, where it is docked, keep in mind that you will be subject to the same legal procedures as if you were traveling by plane. First, you, as a foreigner, must present your passport (with a visa or ESTA, depending on your nationality) or a legal and recognized photo ID, in the case of US residents. You will also need your cruise pass (a type of boarding pass applicable to cruises, generated by filling out the Cruise Invitation form) and the credit card you provided with your cruise pass, which will cover all your expenses during your stay. Next, you will fill out another form attesting to your good health, sign it, and, if you wish, check your baggage. Once this is done, proceed directly to security (detectors), leaving your belongings on the conveyor belt to be scanned, just as you would at an airport. And lastly, the final task is the official welcome photo, duly taken with a backdrop featuring the festival logo, which will be available for purchase on board.

Hey sailors, from now on, you're ready to enjoy the trip!

As far as I know, the first headbangers to be admitted on board boarded at 11:30 AM, about four hours before the permitted check-in time for all passengers. Meanwhile, the cabins were being cleaned and prepared by the crew and therefore were not yet ready. We were advised to visit one of the restaurants, the Windjammer, located on Deck 11, to enjoy our first meal. I noticed that many people were there. We can consider this the beginning of the trip for many of us.

At 4 PM, everyone was asked to leave their cabins and report to the crew member responsible for their cabin area, who would then escort us to the respective deck for mandatory safety demonstrations, as required by local laws, regardless of any prior experience in the matter.

The departure time was promptly at 5 PM, as planned. Despite this lengthy introduction, it's time to describe the festival itself.

As the pioneer of metal-themed cruises in the USA, 70,000 Tons of Metal does not disappoint. Fun is guaranteed! No matter what you're doing, even during basic needs like eating and drinking, and also gambling in the casino or just relaxing by the pool, you'll be breathing metal all the time, if you're in the mood! Anyway, if you're accompanied by wives, fiancées, girlfriends or children, don't worry! They're not interested in metal? No problem! The ship offers a lot of activities that will keep them busy with something related to their tastes and interests and they won't get bored. There are even activities designed for children. Imagine, you'll find practically everything on the ship!

Now it's time to introduce you to the three stages of this cruise ship, whose arrangement is absolutely perfect and met my expectations, and you will understand them below:

SPECTRUM LOUNGE : This is the smallest of them all, with a capacity of approximately 500 people, I believe. The Spectrum Lounge simulates what a typical club show is like. Although there are seats in this area, mainly located in the back rows, the experience and feeling is as if you were watching a show in a regular, sweaty club somewhere, not inside a ship. Despite the ship's movement, you disconnect from this fact, in the same way as in the Chorus Line Theatre, the next stage. In general, the sound quality in this room was good enough, depending on the band that had performed, a little uneven, however; varying from good to almost excellent. My only complaint about this room is the fact that the stage is a little low in relation to the viewing range of the spectators, who were not standing in the first rows. Modifying this for the next edition, which I personally don't believe will happen, would be a fantastic improvement.

CHORUS LINE THEATER : Located between Decks 5-7. It goes without saying that this is a theater with a balcony (upper seating) on ​​Deck 6, and it was well-prepared by the event organizers, who removed the first few rows of seats, which are probably available for other regular events, not metal shows. In my humble opinion, this room was truly amazing! I really enjoyed seeing most of the shows there! The overall sound quality was better than in the Spectrum Lounge, to my surprise. Whether you want to stand or sit, the view is really good. The capacity should be around 1300 people in total, I'm not sure.

POOL DECK : Apart from the first two stages mentioned, this is the only outdoor stage, located on the 11th Deck, which simulates a typical "Open Air" festival. I was truly amazed at how good it was to see shows up there. To begin with, the sound quality was consistent from beginning to end, not varying much, with regularity and precision. Regarding this topic, I would say: EXCELLENT sound quality compared to the European festivals I'm used to attending regularly, it didn't disappoint me in any way! Standing ovation to the promoters who provided the appropriate equipment and conditions for the musicians and the audience. Above all, I was able to watch all the shows I wanted there, without the slightest problem. It didn't matter where I was.

All 41 bands at the festival played two sets: one indoor show (Spectrum Lounge or Chorus Line) and another outdoors (Pool Deck), with one or two exceptions.

But let's get straight to the shows I saw. After all, that's what you want, right?

HELSTAR (5:30 pm – 6:15 pm) – SPECTRUM LOUNGE

Helstar, an institution of 80s Heavy/Power Metal from Houston, Texas, had the honor of being the first band to perform live at this year's 70,000 Tons festival, and they deserve it, as well as greater recognition from headbangers. I have no idea why they are so underrated, as they offer us the best of good old American 80s Power/Heavy Metal, a scene that includes bands like Liege Lord, Savage Grace, and especially Metal Church, the only one to achieve greater commercial success thanks to their first two albums.

The thing is, Helstar took the stage promptly at 5:30 PM and treated us to a cohesive performance as always! What a wonderful show to start with! I'm not entirely sure, but I think this was one of their first shows in four months. After their last performance of the "30 Years of Hell" tour in Europe, which took place in Berlin, and which, coincidentally, I attended.

“Pandemonium” opened this short show, which also included anthems like “Evil Reign” and a new classic, “King of Hell.” They played “Good Day to Die” again, which I couldn't understand why it took them so long to play live, and which instantly became a classic, despite being part of the controversial album “Multiples of Black.” If you enjoy sharp metal, do yourself a favor and check out their albums, especially “Remnants of War,” “Distant Thunder,” “Nosferatu,” and also the last two albums after their return, “King of Hell” and “Glory of Chaos.” Please note that I will not provide the complete setlists for any band. Whether I attended or not, it's impossible for me to remember everything, and above all, I kept myself busy with commitments related to this general coverage, whether taking photos, filming the performances, etc. I suggest you search and take a look at websites like metalsetlists.com or setlist.fm, where they may soon be available.

One thing I need to say is that Mike Lepond from Symphony X played in place of Jerry Abarca, Helstar's bassist, who took time off to deal with his recent health issues, and he did an excellent job on the bass. While I missed Jerry because of his skill and identity in Helstar, I can't complain about Mike Lepond's performance. It didn't seem like he was replacing a vital member of the band, but rather that he had been playing with the guys for a long time.

In conclusion, the other band members were amazing! James Rivera is one of the most talented vocalists of this American generation of all time. It doesn't surprise me that when a vocalist from any American band leaves their correspondent, they receive calls asking for help, as was the case with "Seven Witches," "Flotsam and Jetsam," "Malice," "Vicious Rumors," etc. Larry Barragan and Rob Trevino, the two guitarists, were incredible! What a way to start such an unforgettable experience!

SABATON (6pm – 7pm) – CHORUS LINE THEATER

Having seen the entire Helstar show, I missed the beginning of this one. Although I had seen several Sabaton shows before this one, I wasn't sure what to expect this time. Let me explain: shortly after the release of the album Carolus Rex, four of the six members suddenly left the band. Despite the positive reviews I read about their current shows, I was skeptical that this significant lineup change might affect their live performances. Fortunately not, Joakim Broden and Pär Sundström brought in the right guys to get the band back on track.

Proving to me that this didn't affect their popularity at all, Sabaton was by far the show with the biggest audience of the entire festival that I could see. There wasn't any space either on the floor or in the mezzanine above, where I was sitting.

In any case, it wasn't entirely clear to me whether Sabaton had also conquered America or whether it was due to their Northern European fanbase, mainly composed of Swedes and Germans who were present, where they are very large (and I later realized their presence due to hearing both languages ​​spoken on the ship for four days straight). However, from what I could understand, they are also becoming increasingly large in North America as well.

In my opinion, Sabaton plays better in indoor venues than outdoors. This time, this performance wasn't as faithful as those I've seen before in clubs and arenas in Berlin or Hamburg, but their performance was good enough.

It's incredible, no matter where they're playing, the audience's reaction to songs like "Cliffs of Gallipoli", "Attero Dominatus" and "Primo Victoria" where Joakim regularly asks the audience to sing along and jump, and they respond positively to his request.

In conclusion, it's worth mentioning that the former sextet now has five members, and the keyboard tracks were recorded by the original keyboardist, who was one of the four who recently left the band after the release of their last album, as mentioned.

NILE (7:45 pm – 8:45 pm) – CHORUS LINE THEATER

Once again I'm back at Chorus Line to check out Nile for the first time. Actually, my first time seeing them live was supposed to be last December during their co-headlining tour with Kreator and Morbid Angel, which included the Americans in the lineup, but due to personal issues, I couldn't get to the club in time to see them.

To be honest, I'm not very familiar with their sound. I knew they were a very solid and cohesive Death Metal band, so I was expecting something as good as "Death", "Morbid Angel", "Possessed", "Obituary" and "Cannibal Corpse", which are my favorite bands in this genre.

The thing is, their performance was OK, mainly due to their great skill as musicians on their instruments. Honestly, I love being surprised by bands I've never heard of or those I'm seeing live for the first time and that might turn me into a new fan, and that wasn't the case here.

That being said, I'm not saying they were bad. Not at all! On the contrary, it was OK, but not good enough for me to freak out and immediately buy their material. Anyway, I would give them another chance to convince me to follow them. I apologize for not highlighting the setlist, but I can't remember the title of any of the tracks. 10 minutes before the end of the show, I left the theater to catch the next performance.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM (8:45 pm – 9:30 pm) – SPECTRUM LOUNGE

Back at the Spectrum Lounge, it was time to see one of my all-time favorite Thrash Metal bands, Flotsam and Jetsam, whom I'd only had one chance to see live before.

There was also another reason to celebrate this unique moment: the band had finished their new album, “Ugly Noise,” whose successful crowdfunding campaign allowed fans to finally get their hands on it. That's not all: featuring the lineup from the “Cuatro-Drift-High” albums reunited after 17 years, this represented one of the first performances since the return of guitarist Michael Gilbert and drummer Kelly David Smith. On the other hand, bassist Jason Ward was absent from these shows due to personal reasons. In any case, Jeff Barbaree, his replacement, played very well.

It goes without saying how brilliant this performance was. “Hammerhead,” one of the highlights of his career, opened the show, followed by “Iron Tears,” both from his debut album “Doomsday for the Deceiver.” I was amazed by the number of tracks from his first six albums that were chosen, in addition to two new ones from “Ugly Noise,” both the title track and “Motherfuckery” with its somewhat techno-electronic intro, which then properly returns to its roots.

Eric AK, also known as Knutson, remains an exceptional vocalist and hits the highest notes as if he were younger. Having watched a rehearsal on YouTube some time ago, I wasn't convinced enough that they could deliver such a cohesive and solid performance, and I'm glad I was wrong. "Hammerhead" sounded like the old days. What an amazing show! It's hard to single out a highlight, as there were so many. All the members played very well. At that point, it was certainly a serious contender for best performance of the entire event.

In conclusion, songs from their second album, the also formidable "No Place for Disgrace," such as the title track and "Escape Within," were part of the set, as well as some surprises, mainly "Natural Enemy" from "Cuatro" and "Swatting at Flies." I couldn't wait to see their next show. Incidentally, many bands varied their setlist, which was a wise decision; I'll tell you about these changes, subtle or not, at the appropriate time.

HELLOWEEN (9:30 pm – 10:45 pm) – CHORUS LINE THEATER

Having seen the entire Flotsam and Jetsam show, I was aware that I would miss the beginning of the Helloween show, however, that wasn't quite the case.

When I arrived at the Chorus Line, the show hadn't started yet. In fact, it took some time for the soundcheck to begin. Because of the delay, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, the audience started to get nervous and impatient. Then, suddenly, the band came on stage and the show began.

At the beginning of the presentation, the sound quality was not good, but it improved significantly as the presentation progressed.

Helloween mixed a lot of old songs with new ones in a balanced way, representing both the Michael Kiske and Andi Deris eras. So, these are the tracks I remember from this set: “I'm Alive”, “Future World”, “I Want Out” (with audience singing), “Dr. Stein”, and respectively “Are You Metal”, “Power”, “If I Could Fly”, “When the Sinners Go”, and the new “Burning Sun”.

Despite being granted a 75-minute slot, the longest time for the main bands, the show lasted just over 60 minutes. This is probably due to the long delay, which was the main reason for shortening the setlist. The performance was good, but I've seen Helloween in better shape. The much-criticized Andi Deris sang well, even on Michael Kiske's tracks, considering his vocal range.

LIZZY BORDEN (10:45 pm – 11:30 pm) – SPECTRUM LOUNGE

Due to the delay during the Helloween show, I missed most of this wonderful Lizzy Borden performance, which I deeply regret.

I had only seen Lizzy Borden perform at outdoor festivals, apart from the show at the Wet/Headbangers Ballroom, which is the Wacken tent and could be considered an "indoor" show, so I was quite curious to see what my first experience at a typical club show of theirs would be like.

Man, I saw the last three songs: “Me Against the World,” “American Metal,” and “Tomorrow Never Comes,” and I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. It was enough to confirm that it had been the best performance up to that point, surpassing Flotsam and Jetsam, which I had mentioned before.

Being a typical 80s American Hard/Heavy band, including performances of so-called shock rock led by frontman Lizzy Borden, this is THE SHOW! You can't go wrong, see one of their shows and you'll never regret it. This time, a slight change in the lineup was noticeable compared to last year's show I attended; the band played as a quartet, with one less guitarist. In any case, Dario Lorena, the guitarist who remained, handled it very well, thanks to his extraordinary talent as a musician. That said, I didn't miss having a second guitar.

It's a shame that a fantastic band like this doesn't play regular tours, even in Europe, only festival appearances. People don't know what they're missing!

METAL CHURCH (00:30 – 01:30) – POOL DECK

The wait is finally over! It took me over 27 years to see a Metal Church show for the first time. It doesn't matter that David Wayne died and this isn't my dream lineup. I did it!

This lineup includes all the members before the band broke up in 2009: Steve Unger (bass), Ronny Munro on vocals, and Jeff Plate (ex-Savatage) on drums, who did an exceptional job. If I had to select three shows as the highlight of the entire event, Metal Church would be one of my choices. Represented only by a founding member, guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, the setlist for this performance consisted of the so-called "greatest hits" spanning the band's career, chosen by the fans who attended the show, whose votes were given 10x the weight of votes open to the general public who did not participate in the event. Basically, most of the chosen songs were from the first two albums, "Metal Church" and "The Dark".

To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about the reviews I read regarding Ronny Munro's performance, and I disagree. Looking back at the two shows I saw of theirs, he deserves my applause for being in David Wayne's place, and especially because of Mike Howe, who is my all-time favorite Metal Church vocalist. He honored the band's legacy.

The other guys delivered a cohesive and solid performance, and I truly had a magical night. From what I could tell, even people who weren't very familiar with Metal Church seemed to react very positively during their set. Besides that, this was the first show on the pool deck stage in 2013.

In conclusion, I must reiterate how difficult it was to select a few songs as highlights of the show, but I couldn't fail to mention "Watch the Children Pray", "Badlands", "Beyond the Black" and "Gods of Wrath".

TIAMAT (01:30 – 02:30) – CHORUS LINE THEATER

Despite being very tired, I mustered the strength to catch a bit of Tiamat's show. Having seen one of their shows in 2009, which, frankly, I didn't enjoy, I arrived late due to my schedule, and the first song I heard made me stay to see the rest of the show.

The second song they played was already quite different from the first. So I decided to leave and head to the Spectrum Lounge to see the next show. It's not my kind of thing!

IMMOLATION (01:45 – 02:30) – SPECTRUM LOUNGE

To be honest, I wasn't interested in covering this show so late. What I might write below doesn't necessarily mean that's how it was. I noticed that Immolation has great musicianship, like many Death Metal bands, however, like Nile, I wasn't convinced I should stay and see the rest of the performance. Therefore, I would only stay at that point for a couple of bands that I truly loved.

To be honest, I had been traveling straight to that point and my body was immediately begging for a break, considering the climate and time zone differences. Believe me, metalheads also need to take a break for a while.

Goodnight!

Click here to read Chapter 2.

NEXT: CHAPTER 2 – HEADBANGERS ROCKING IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS – DAY 2

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Allison Painchaud (The Ultimate Metal Cruises)
, Jan Rosenberg & Björn von Oettingen (CMM Marketing)

*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.

Click here to see other texts by WikiBrother Gilberto Morais!