Buried By My Heartache makes finals of Metal 2 The Masses contest in Nottingham

A Spalding band is a step closer to a dream performance at one of the country’s biggest festivals.

Buried By My Heartache fought off strong competition at the weekend to make the finals of the Metal 2 The Masses contest in Nottingham.

The winners of the final, which is set to take place in July, will go on to play heavy metal festival Bloodstock the following month.

Drummer Michael ‘Chippy’ Chipperfield said: “We are in total disbelief but very excited.

“This time round we practiced so much. We played these songs religiously at practice every Tuesday night for a year.

“As a result, everyone says we are so tight as a band – our songs sound the same live just like they do on the records, we don’t add anything else in, so that really helps too.”

The band has missed out on the chance to headline the massive event twice – but is hoping an army of supporters and a new EP might hold the key to sweet success.

“Last year, we only took two or three people with us,” Michael explained.

“But this time we took a huge following with us and they were all wearing our t-shirts. I hate to say it, but having a good following does really help.

“Hopefully we will have the same amount of people with us at the final.

“I think what also helped was getting the singles out. Suffer in Silence was released a couple of weeks ago and I think it’s giving people the chance to hear us recorded, not just live.

“It’s giving them an earwig ahead of the shows.”

While two songs have already been released from EP ‘Suffer’, the rest of the tracks will be available for streaming from this Friday (May 26).

“People seem really interested in the singles,” he said.

“There’s been a really good reaction and we’ve had 2,500 views of the video of Suffer in Silence already.”

The band will go up against Beyond Your Design, Dead Demons and Thirteenth Sign at the Old Cold Store in Nottingham on July 8. Last year’s winners, Drip Fed Empire will also be performing.

Tickets for the show - and further information about the band - can be found on the Buried By My Heartache Facebook page.