The defenders of true metal in Bulgaria, Metal Force HMC, strike again — this time with a brand-new annual festival forged in steel and fire: BLAZING STEEL! Dedicated to classic heavy metal, NWOBHM, speed, and power metal, the first edition of this open-air celebration is set to roar to life on May 31, 2025, at the picturesque Strinava Campground near Dryanovo, Bulgaria.
BLAZING STEEL Vol. 1 isn’t just another fest — it’s a testament to over a decade of relentless dedication to the underground scene. Curated by the seasoned hands behind countless gigs across Bulgaria’s metal underground, this new event fills a long-standing void for fans of the old-school sound — gathering bands who carry the torch of true metal: heavy, fast, melodic, and unapologetically loud.
The location? None other than Strinava, already legendary as the home of Running Free Festival — the annual end-of-summer gathering that returns for its 8th edition this August. Now, Strinava gets a twin flame, lighting up the last weekend of May with the thunder of Blazing Steel.
Festival Preview:
Friday, May 30, 2025 – Free Entry Welcome Day
Come early, pitch your tent, crank some tunes, meet fellow maniacs by the campfire, and set the tone for a weekend of unrelenting metal mayhem.
Saturday, May 31, 2025 – Festival Day
All hell breaks loose with a full-scale heavy metal assault – loud, raw, and true to the roots!
Vol. 1 Line-up:
Tröjan (UK) – NWOBHM cult legends
Trotyl (BG) – Bulgarian heavy metal veterans
White Tower (GR) – defenders of pure heavy metal
Kod:Burya (BG) – heavy/thrash metal with teeth
Tickets:
50 BGN / 25 EUR (Pre-sale) – Grab yours now!
60 BGN / 30 EUR at the gate
This is more than a festival — it’s the birth of a new tradition for Bulgaria’s true metal community. Bring your patches, your battle vests, and your loudest voice. BLAZING STEEL – where the fire of true metal never dies.
See you in the pit!
Tröjan / Taliön return to Bulgaria 35 years after their legendary mini-tour in 1990, this time to headline the very first edition of BLAZING STEEL. Formed in 1982 in Wigan, UK by guitarist Pate Wadeson, Tröjan first made waves with their debut album “Chasing the Storm”, released in 1985 through Roadrunner Records. Shortly after, the band evolved both in name and sound rebranding as Taliön and embracing a heavier, more aggressive style. This transition culminated in the 1989 release of their cult classic “Killing the World”.In 1990, the band embarked on a short but impactful tour of Bulgaria, earning a place in the hearts of local metalheads. Now, on May 31st, Tröjan are storming back to Bulgaria, ready to unleash Chasing the Storm and Killing the World live once again—this time for a new generation of die-hard heavy metal fans.
Facebook of Trojan
TROTYL is the first ever heavy metal band in Bulgaria, founded by five students from the French Language School in Sofia. Their debut concert, which caught the attention of the media at the time, took place in 1983 at the “Hristo Botev” community center. The newspaper Vecherni Novini ran a piece titled “A Decibel Strike”, marking the band’s explosive arrival. In the latter half of the ’80s, TROTYL carved out their identity with a strong repertoire of original songs, a classic heavy metal image, and a fierce stage presence.
After a show at the “Karl Marx” Hall in 1987, the band was investigated by the Ministry of the Interior to explain their stage outfits and was accused of inciting aggression among the audience. Despite the pressure from the authorities, TROTYL won the Audience Award at Bulgaria’s first rock festival in 1987 at the Summer Theatre and repeated their triumph at the Varna Rock Fest the following year. They also stormed the stage at Rock Ring ’89, once again earning the crowd’s acclaim.
In the early ’90s, TROTYL disappeared from the scene for a few years, only to return in 1995 with their debut album “Nosht” (“Night”). Their sound shifted slightly, incorporating rap influences into the vocals. From then on, the band reunited sporadically for short-lived projects. In 2004, they recorded a compilation featuring 17 remixed tracks spanning 1984 to 2004. In 2010, the Dinev brothers and Konstantin Elshishki recorded the album “Fresh Blood”, followed by “Fire Ice”, which remains unreleased officially.In January 2014, drummer Emil Stoev joined the band as an official member. In the spring of 2018, TROTYL performed a reunion show featuring several former members—a tradition they continued the following year.
In 2019, the legendary guitarist Evgeni Dimitrov returned to the line-up. In 2023, TROTYL recorded the English-language album “Warrior – Anthology (1980–1990)”, featuring translated versions of their most iconic songs from the band’s first decade. The album was released as a boutique edition by Stormspell Records, exclusively for the U.S. market. From 2014 to the present day, the band has maintained a steady presence on the Sofia club circuit and continues to release new music annually, with videos uploaded to YouTube and Facebook. In 2024, TROTYL appeared at the traditional rock fest hosted by Black Roses MC in the Kransko Hanche area near the town of Kazanlak.
White Tower emerged from the heavy metal underground of Thessaloniki, Greece in 2020. With a sound rooted in classic heavy metal, the band has already delivered two full-length albums: their self-titled debut “White Tower” and the 2024 follow-up “Night Hunters”.They made their Bulgarian debut in 2023 at Running Free Festival, earning the respect of local headbangers with their powerful riffs and old-school spirit.
Code: Burya is a five-piece metal act from Sofia, Bulgaria, originally formed in August 2022 under the name Embrace of the Storm. The band quickly stepped onto the club and festival circuit within the same year, making a bold entrance onto the local scene.In 2023, they solidified their presence with a short demo release titled “Calm Before the Storm” and their first official single, “Slave to Blindness”. Early 2024 saw a line-up shake-up, prompting the band to pause live appearances and focus fully on completing their debut full-length album, “On the Path”, scheduled for release on March 7, 2025.
By summer of 2024, the band was back with a renewed line-up, currently consisting of:
• Konstantin Evstatiev – vocals
• Sofia Todorova – rhythm guitar
• Georgi Radulov – lead guitar
• Georgi Gerenov – bass
• Alexander Georgiev – drums
Their original material fuses heavy and thrash metal, driven by breakneck tempos, crushing breakdowns, and blazing solos—all delivered with lyrics in Bulgarian.Code: Burya is a live band through and through—powered by youthful energy and razor-sharp musicianship. Their commanding stage presence invites the crowd into the chaos, making every performance an electrifying, full-throttle experience.
The Nwothm 
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