A HEAVY metal band with members from North Wales has clinched a spot at a top festival.

‘I Saw The World Burn’ (ISTWB) performed at the Metal 2 The Masses grand final at the iconic Grand Central in Manchester at the weekend and impressed the judges so much they are now set to perform at the mighty Bloodstock Festival in August.

Leader photographer and ISTWB bassist Don Jackson-Wyatt said: “We are so pleased that we are playing Bloodstock Festival, it is a massive honour to have been invited to play on the same bill as some of the biggest and most influential bands on the planet, such as Slayer and Anthrax. 

“It’s nice to see our hard work and dedication coming together and we hope this is the start of things to come.”

ISTWB were really up against tough competition at the Metal 2 The Masses grand final on Sunday.

With two band members from Stoke-on-Trent and two from North Wales, Don said it was a challenge to get fans together from out of the area to go and support them on Father’s Day – but their dedicated fanbase didn’t let them down.

ISTWB were the first band on stage in the final with their loyal fans wearing the distinctive white T-shirts that has been specifically made for the occasion.

Don said the band powered through their 30 minute set watched by Simon Hall, main judge for Bloodstock Festival’s New Blood stage

Video and pictures by Craig Colville / NWN Media

He said: “Our vocalist Katie Cairns commanded the stage with her powerful presence, yet her bubbly and likeable personality shone through in between songs – leaving the fans mesmerised with the performance.”

After ISTWB performed their set, they watched as the four other bands played to an excellent standard, leaving the judges with a difficult decision.

The Metal 2 The Masses competition states that only one band can be chosen as winner to go through, but as ISTWB impressed the judges so much, they were invited to play at the mighty Bloodstock Festival as a guest band.

The winning band were After the Abduction from the Manchester Area.

Bloodstock Festival first started in 2005 and this year won the award for Best UK Festival by Kerrang magazine, beating  the likes of Download and Glastonbury to the title.

Simon Hall, who runs the Hobgoblin Newblood Stage, said: “The Metal 2 The Masses tour has been a resounding success thus far seeking out bands from Norway to Norwich and from the Highlands of Scotland to Poland. 

“Yet Manchester has never failed to deliver, and in ISTWB and After the Abduction, we’ve unearthed a couple of true underground 

 forces, that’ll shake the foundations of the Newblood Stage in August.”

Visit www.facebook.com/ Isawtheworldburn to follow the band’s updates and progress.