PARTY SAN OPEN AIR 2011

Triptykon - Decapitated - Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Negura Bunget - Aborted - Dew-Scented - Byfrost

“Soberly taking photos from the headliner means not having understood Party San Open Air!” - Dajana
(Well, we didn’t take any photos from the headliner, right? – Wiebke)
(Nope, but it was not a matter of drunkenness *laughs* - Dajana)

[Dajana] Ok, let’s dive headlong into the festival madness… erm… well… hmmmm. Seems we got unlovely thwarted. On our first expedition in the afternoon we promptly witnessed work and efforts of local fire department and organizers to save the main stage. Roof canvases has been shredded by the storm and there was fear that the cross beam might have been twisted too damaging the entire structure and static. Besides, without the roof equipment was supposed to drown by rain. And the sky looked very much so. Anyway, organizers decided to put the bands into the party tent…
[Haris] ...which caused discontent at first, but it was the right decision to ensure the due amount of security for bands and fans.

[Dajana] No sooner said than done. With an half hour of delay the festival finally opened its gates. Situation was not really comfortable since the party was meant to be entry and exit and not the place for the shows, especially since the tent offered room to a tenth of festival goers at best. Sound was bad as well as the lights but in consideration of the facts the best one could make out of this situation. In this way organizers have reacted very quick and flexible. Thanks guys, well done!

:: pics ::

[Dajana] Getting off the grid Norwegian :: BYFROST :: had to be the first to enter the stage and to open the PARTY SAN OPEN AIR 2011 in front of a densely packed crowd and own well-flagged fan-base. BYFROST offered raw Immortal-like styled Black Metal focusing on their most recent and well-received album Of Death.
[Wiebke] As for me the main question on this Thursday had to be: “pain or pleasure”. Bergen’s own BYFROST kick off strongly and already create much power at this early hour. Fronter and guitarist Heavy Harms as well as bassist R.I.P. Meister are both responsible for singing and deliver fierce vocals, while Mr. Heavy Harms tries to entertain the crowd in between too. With his announcement to Buried Alive „I tried to make a ballad but this came out“ he scored a lot. Great rhythms one could not elude and I see first manes rotate. Unfortunately BYFROST cannot keep up the high level of the first songs and drift away into mediocrity.
[Dajana] Well, all beginnings are difficult but a perfect warm-up for the things to come ;)
Setlist: May The Dead Rise, Eye For An Eye, Shadow Of Fear, Buried Alive, Horns To The Sky, Black Earth, All Gods Are Gone, Of Death

[Haris] Since I wasn’t really into the imagination of some thousands of fans attending the party tent, :: DEW-SCENTED :: was the only band I saw on Thursday. It was more than worthwhile, because the German thrashers made the best of the situation and turned in a furious gig. The crowd liked the straight, technical Thrash as well!
[Wiebke] The quintet kicks around right from the beginning. Today the guys gets supported by Michael Hankel on guitar and shot tracks such as Arise From Decay and Cities Of The Dead into the audience. It was a hell of a blast and not only singer Leif felt like home ;) At the end the match Walsrode (DE) – Bergen (NO) was won 1:0.
Setlist: Downfall, Arise From Decay, Cities Of The Dead, Never To Return, A Critical Mass, Rituals Of Time, Soul Poison, Condemnation, Acts Of Rage

[Dajana] The last :: ABORTED :: show I attended brought me partially fractured rips. This time I did it the better way, without any injuries, thank to the photo-pit, I don’t know what would have happened otherwise, ABORTED once again so… rocked the tent! Ok, too nice… they brutally nailed everything on the wall ;) Frontman Svencho got himself a new crew and this one did a great job. Yep, there was a need to blow my head ;)
[Wiebke] Long time no see yet recognized ;) No difficult task when you hear Svencho’s distinctive vocals. As we know them they technically thrashed through complicated structures, breaks, blast beats and monster riffs. I also sense out some melodies, so no high-speed stimulus satiation.

[Dajana] Right after the stylistic break was huge ;) Drudgingly caught up time was blown away again by :: NEGURA BUNGET :: who needed a lot of time to set up their equipment and sound. They extended the delay to almost one hour. Many people could not or didn’t want to do anything with this Ambient-like Black Metal sounds and went off the tent to enjoy Köstritzer and cocktails at Brutz & Brakel. Long buildup and sound check got on nerves and had its impact on show and fan response. Unfortunately one of the worse shows I saw from this Romanian band.
[Wiebke] Yep, first high-speed furiousness at full volume and these gentle sounds on a lower level: NEGURA BUNGET made for pure relaxation. The Romanians play with their full equipment pool and quickly loose themselves in dark melodies. So wonderful. Oh, can someone please switch off the lights? They truly suck…

[Dajana] Now time has come for my very first encounter with :: DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT :: I already heard a lot of the guitar shredding and blood spitting frontlady Onielar, lucky me, me and my cam were not hit ;) Besides, their Black Metal style and evilness appeared to me so downright forced and artificial that it already turned out be… cute. Musically speaking just Black Metal standards, nothing special.
[Wiebke] I have to say all the fuss around DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT and the screamed announcements so get on my nerves. And for the deco stuff like turned crosses, chains and the bloody mess I’m probably too uninspired. But I like their raw style of Black Metal. Not that bad.
Setlist: Saldorian Spell, Bearer Of The Blackest Might, Slaughtercult, Ars Moriendi, Intro, Das All-Eine, Beneath The Moon Scars Above, Pestilential Deathride, The Descent To The Last Circle, The Saturnine Chapel

[Dajana] I think now we witnessed a special moment. It is really great to see these sorely afflicted Poles back live on stage. :: DECAPITATED :: return with a brand new and freshly released album entitled Carnival Is Forever, where they played 6 of the 8 songs from. Technical Death Metal on a very high level with such an impact, power and dynamics. Just great!
Setlist: Intro, Day 69, Pest, United, Intro Nihility, Mother War, Homo Sum/404, Winds Of Creation, A View From A Whole, The Knife

[Dajana] Well then. There have been many rumors floating around the entire evening. But yes :: TRIPTYKON :: entered the stage much to the pleasure of their fans. Much to our unpleasure we were not allowed to take part (as media and photographers). As already mentioned, the entire situation this evening was not comfortable for bands and fans at all. At the end it would have been TRIPTYKON itself who had/must play underneath a missing roof with all its risks. In consideration of the killed festival goers the last two weekends (USA and Belgium) safety comes first! So I really did not understand the bitchiness of Mr. Fischer who even offended the organizers.
[Wiebke] Yep, TRIPTYKON definitely got driven by frustration. It was said that the Swiss guys would cancel their appearance. Luckily they did not, even if they blocked the pit for press and photographers. With hardly any lights TRIPTYKON delivered a show with an additional portion of aggression. As it was heard afterwards, TRIPTYKON will headline one of the main days at next year’s PARTY SAN.
Setlist: Crucifixus, Procreation (Of The Wicked), Goetia, Circle Of The Tyrants, Babylon Fell, The Prolonging

[Dajana] Well, paid attention for the usual 3 songs and then… I addicted myself to the festival madness, to the full, as far as it went… far… *lol*