Primordial - Arthur Brown - Dornenreich - Negură Bunget (performed by Dordeduh) - Hekate - Sun Of The Sleepless - St. Michael Front - Vrîmuot

:: Pics ::

Apropos (organizational) drawbacks… I was not left untroubled either. After all, I arrived late on Thursday evening, right before the storm (rain), so I stayed in my hotel room for a cozy evening, starting to type the first words for this live report. Though, I realized, how much out of practice I am when it comes to festivals/organization/packing etc. I guess, I have to repeat this exercise as often as I can ;)

After receiving my wristband, cup and book and having a first look around, the PROPHECY FEST 2021 was opened on time at noon by :: VRÎMUOT ::. This is the Neofolk project by T.S., which draws its spirit and energy from the Teutoburg Forest. For this very special festival appearance, T.S. was supported by two additional drummers to add more power and intensity to the songs of his debut album O Tempora, O Mores!, which was released last year. I guess, you will never ever get the songs performed live this way again. Truly a unique set. Although the music was very calm and rather quietly it much captivated. Well done opening! According to reports a new album is already in the works.
Band: T.S.
Setlist: Erwachen, Nymphaea Alba, Peter Hagendorf, Die Mær vom Steinernen Mann, Palingenese, Ewige Sonne

Next up was :: ST. MICHAEL FRONT ::, a band unusual for the PROPHECY FEST. Of course, the label is known for its open-minded attitude, ignoring defined genres and musical borders. Though, Synth/Dark Pop is far aside from the profile of the label roster. On the other hand, the Hamburg-based duo was signed to Ván Records before. And Prophecy Productions most recently signed Deine Lakaien…
However, based on the band's debut, End Of Ahriman, which already collected a lot of dust, I expected a highly energetic show to dance. Hm. Nope. It was rather calm music, all songs sung in German and taken from the upcoming sophomore Schuld & Sühne, set for an early 2022 release. It felt already Schlager-like. Someone said it would be like a mix of Death In June and Unheilig. Well, yes, there is some truth to it ;) Even dark and biting lyrics don't help. Yep, to be honest, I had other expectations.
Band: Sascha Schafke, Matthias Tedjasukmana
Setlist: Schwarzer Engel, Ende der Zeit, Wir sehen uns wieder, Knochen & Blut, 1000 Namen, So weit nach draußen, Niemand, Dunkelheit, Keine Helden

If Empyrium or The Vision Bleak are around, than :: SUN OF THE SLEEPLESS :: is not far away either. No wonder, it is the solo project of Ulf Theodor Schwadorf ;) And finally the crowd got the wakeup call it wanted (and needed). Fierce and cold Black Metal, perfectly made for this cave ;)
A little bit I was hoping for a song from the most recent split with Cavernous Gate, the solo project of Helrunar drummer and SUN OF THE SLEEPLESS live guitarist Alsvartr. Well, yes, the opening track The Lure Of Nyght was from this split CD, but I meant a Cavernous Gate track with Schwadorf accompanying Alsvartr. The chance was there anyway ;)
Band: Ulf Theodor Schwadorf, Valkenstijn, Alsvartr, Seb
Setlist: The Lure Of Nyght, Romanze zur Nacht, The Owl, Where In My Childhood Lived A Witch, In The Realm Of The Bark, Phoenix Rise

:: HEKATE ::, the Greek goddess of night, witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery (and more), so enchantingly wrapped into melodies of Neofolk and brought back to life again. Always a pleasure to watch and to listen to. Oh, I totally missed that HEKATE have a new album out, entitled Totentanz (2018), they presented live tonight. It was a very emotional show, frenetically received by the fans. At the end, vocalist Susanne had tears in her eyes and I saw it sparkle in Axel’s eyes too. This was indeed a very moving and captivating show! Thank you!
Band: Axel Menzer, Susanne Grosche, Dirk Diederich, Jörg Schwickerath, Achim Weiler
Setlist: Embrace Of Light, Ascension Day, Luzifer Morgenstern, Fatherland, Totentanz, Moritori Te Salutant, Seelenreise, Montségur, House Of God

Now it is time for one of the shows I was really, really looking forward to: :: NEGURĂ BUNGET ::. As every fan around the world, I was deeply shocked when I heard about the passing of NEGURĂ BUNGET mastermind and drummer Gabriel „Negru“ Mafa in 2017. For a long time, the band was put on hold, unfinished, as the third part of the Transylvanian Trilogy was still missing, Negru already worked on before his untimely death.
Now, the remaining members of the last official line-up pluck up courage and decided, after many considerations, to bring the band, the trilogy and the legacy of Negru to a grand finale. Based on the predecessors Tău and Zi and what was already written and recorded, the final album Zău was finished, set to be released on November 26 via Prophecy Productions.
For this evening and this very special, and probably last ever, show, former NEGURĂ BUNGET members Sol Faur and Hupogrammos came together, with Putrid and Flavius Retea (of Dordeduh) to play the old stuff of NEGURĂ BUNGET, mainly songs from Om, except for Pohvala hula from the 1996 debut Zîrnindu-să. Caused me goose bumps.
Unfortunately, the sound was kind of unbalanced and I had the feeling that Hupogrammos and Sol Faur did not really enjoy this set. The difference was clearly to see and hear the next day with Dordeduh. Though, an outstanding and memorable show!
Band: Sol Faur, Hupogrammos, Putrid, Flavius Retea
Setlist: Ceasuri Rele, Cunoașterea Tăcută, Înarborat, Norilor, Pohvala hula, Cel din urmă vis, Tesarul de lumini

Waken from a self-prescribed seven years sleep; something is bestirring in the thorny realm. Released two months ago, :: DORNENREICH :: return to the scene with Du wilde Liebe sei, the band’s ninth full-length, and another step towards Neofolk and Folk Rock.
DORNENREICH promised an exclusive acoustic performance and that was what we got. What I deliberately read over was the word “acoustic”, as drummer Moritz Neuner could not partake in the festival. There is actually nothing wrong with an acoustic show, but since the songs are very calm and mostly whispered, the show was too unhurried to me. I simply did not have the patience to follow the complex stories told. To me, such kind of performance works better in an intimate club surrounding. However, DORNENREICH of course presented many songs from their brand new record Du wilde Liebe sei, but surprisingly many from In Luft geritzt. Like Prophecy Productions, also DORNENREICH celebrate their 25th anniversary. Congratulations!
Band: Eviga, Ínve
Setlist: Liebes dunkle Nacht, Der Hexe nächtlich' Ritt, Der Freiheit Verlangen nach goldenen Ketten, Innerwille ist mein Docht, Drang, Unruhe, Mein Publikum - Der Augenblick, In Strömen aus Verwandlung ein flackerloses Licht, Freitanz, Meer, Erst deine Träne löscht den Brand, Dein knöchern' Kosen, Jagd

Ah, yes! Now! :: ARTHUR BROWN :: is a legend, a phenomenon. He is the "God Of Hellfire" and his eccentric live performances are spectacular. Who does not know his song Fire? For a long time he was out of the scene to recover from a severe stroke. Meanwhile the British Rock legend with the wide-ranging operatic voice is back on track, releases records and rocks stages again. And how he does we witnessed at PROPHECY FEST 2021. This was fucking unbelievable! It is no secret, ARTHUR BROWN is 79 years old and he truly rocked the stage like no other! I saw jaws dropping everywhere (including my own). And then I saw the crowd dancing. Every song was presented with a different costume, each of them gorgeous, glamorously bizarre and surreal, added by eccentric head gear (one even burning) and neon-colored face paint. “Feel the burn and enter The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown”
THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN has released a new album, entitled Gypsy Voodoo in 2019, some of the songs came from, next to many classics. With his theatrical psychedelia he left a mesmerized audience. It is actually not easy to describe an ARTHUR BROWN show. Go and experience yourself. Than you will understand.
ARTHUR BROWN is the king of otherworldliness! Unrivaled the highlight of the entire festival!
Band: Arthur Brown, Jim Mortimore, Sam Walker, Daniel Smith, Robin O'Keeffe
Setlist: Bubbles, Phoenix, Nightmare, Fire Poem, Fire, Come & Buy, Time & Confusion, Sunrise, Voice Of Love, Touched By All, Time Captains

Well, I guess, there is no need to introduce :: PRIMORDIAL ::. The only non-Prophecy band was about to close the first day of PROPHECY FEST 2021. Shortly before midnight the Irish men entered the stage for a grim and wild performance. If you already were sleepy, now you would be wide awake again. Another phenomenal show, just much louder ;) Fueled with red wine, Mr. Alan Averill dominated the stage as aggressive as we know him, making his mates pale. No mercy for the crowd either. Nemtheanga demanded - the fans obeyed.
PRIMORDIAL played a best-of set with a slight focus on the 2007 released To The Nameless Dead. Yes, this was a great closer for the first festival day. Now I’m tired to death and hear my bed calling…
Band: Pól MacAmlaigh, Ciáran MacUiliam, A..A. Nemtheanga, Simon O'Laoghaire, Micheál O'Floinn
Setlist: Where Greater Men Have Fallen, Gallows Hymn, Nail Their Tongues, The Soul Must Sleep, No Grave Deep Enough, To Hell Or The Hangman, Traitors Gate, The Mouth Of Judas, As Rome Burns, Stolen Years, The Coffin Ships, Gods To The Godless, Empire Falls

story & pics © Dajana & Dajana Winkel • Photography