Amon Amarth's Johan Hegg: We’ll rock Bloodstock at Dawn’s First Light

That’s because the band’s name is taken from name of Mount Doom in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth in Lord Of The Rings – believed to have been based on the smoke-covered surroundings of the Midland region.

And they’re no strangers to the wider area either, having recorded two albums in Derbyshire.

“I kind of knew Middle Earth was based on the Black Country – though I’m not entirely sure exactly which part of the Midlands the Black Country falls under,” says lead singer Johan Hegg.

“When creating Lord Of The Rings, Tolkien came up with his own version of English mythology, while borrowing some bits from Nordic mythology and stuff.

“We’ve played the Midlands a few times. We’ve played Birmingham and Bloodstock, and we even recorded two albums in Derbyshire.

“This year will be the fourth time we have played Bloodstock.”

Despite having played the Catton Park festival lots of times, Johan says the band is excited ahead of their show; which they say will be the biggest production the group has ever done.

“We’re so looking forward to it. It’s going to be amazing,” says Johan.

“Bloodstock is always lots of fun. And this year is going to be better than ever – we’re headlining and bringing a full production with us; so it’ll be more fun for us than ever.

“We’ll be bringing a pretty big production with us to Bloodstock – bigger than ever before.

“I’m keen not to give away anything, but it will be a big show. We’re doing something special.

“We’re quite an old school band. We grew up with bands like Iron Maiden and AC/DC; bands which do huge stage productions.

“We’re not an LED screen-kinda band. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – some bands do it really well. We just prefer the old-school approach.

“I just hope everyone has a great time. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone.

“We are going to rock your socks off.”

Not only is Johan known for his role as frontman of Amon Amarth, but he also has a blossoming acting career, having recently debuted in TV series Northmen: A Viking Saga back in 2014.

“Being in Northmen was a great experience; I learnt a lot – especially from my acting colleagues. It’s given me a completely different view of actors and far more respect,” says Johan.

“I don’t think I fully understood how much work goes into it and how difficult acting actually is.

“It was a truly fantastic experience.

“In terms of future acting, there are a few things in the pipeline. I have been contacted by a group of people that are making a movie. If everything works out, I could be in that. Hopefully we’ll know more in the next few months.”

Finally, when asked who – out of anyone from history – he would most like to work with, one of Johan’s number one icons was the late, great Ronnie James Dio.

“There are so many fantastic people through history I would love to have worked with.

“From a musical standpoint, it would have been an honour to do something with some of the great singers. Ronnie James Dio, for example. He had such an amazing voice. That would have been incredible.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with some wonderful people in the past on our albums. We’ve been blessed.”

Bloodstock takes place at Catton Park, near Burton on Trent from 10th - 13th August. Weekend tickets are sold out, but day tickets & further information can be found at www.bloodstock.uk.com.