[Dajana] Eek… The morning was a bit... difficult ;) Anyway, some painkiller will fix it. Just squeezed through a special task force before a foreseeable full closure, and bang... we were back in the round on time. But first… a beer... ;) Ready for round 2!
:: pics :: WHEEL ::
[Dajana] Okay, let's doom the noon... or so ;) :: WHEEL :: delivered an excellent set musically. Unfortunately, the spark didn't really jump over. Too bright, too much sun, therefore too little atmosphere, too little stage acting. WHEEL simply belong in a cozy, dimly lit club with a nice light show to fully exploit the strengths of their music.
[BRT] I guess we didn't get into groove on time, because we only heard the rest of WHEEL's last song on the canal bridge. I've seen the band live before, a great singer, the music very calm and elegiac. Perhaps not quite so suitable as a warm-up act...
[Öko] ...zZz... As great as the music may sound on recordings, WHEEL just don't get any better live. This is the third time I've seen this lame show. Club show, small indoor festival and now big outdoor festival. Arkadius can sing very well, but unfortunately, he's no entertainer at all. The fact that WHEEL are only a four-piece doesn't make it any better, especially on big stages.
Band: Arkadius Kurek (vox), Benjamin Homberger (git), Marcus Grabowski (bass), Cazy (Carsten Jercke - drums)
Setlist: At Night They Came Upon Us, When The Shadow Takes You Over, Icarus, After All, Hero Of The Weak, Aeon Of Darkness
:: pics :: AIR RAID ::
[BRT] Swedish heavy metal and me... Always at war. Usually, the sound is too generic, too monotonous and predictable for me. This was also the case with :: AIR RAID ::, who certainly did a good job on stage, but otherwise sound like one of unbelievably many bands, which only know one Maiden, Priest or Saxon record and sound accordingly. They certainly did a good job as a warm-up act and were well received, so what am I complaining about...
[Dajana] Exactly. After Wheel, the Swedes were the perfect wake-up call for the metal spirits of the audience. Hips and heads began to shake quite quickly all over the theater. Some people enthusiastically stormed into the audience. Not really original, but refreshingly vibrant ;)
[Sui] Straight, unsurprising, professional, playful. Not a real revelation, but it was definitely fun. No more, no less.
[Öko] What Wheel lacked, AIR RAID made up for. Of course, you can't really compare Wheel's music with AIR RAID's stage acting....
Sure, AIR RAID's songs are completely interchangeable and real hits and hooks are missing, but at least there was a lot going on stage.
Band: Fredrik Werner (vox), Andreas Johansson (git), Magnus Mild (git), Jan Ekberg (bass), William Seidl (drums)
Setlist: Aiming For The Sky, Lionheart, Line Of Danger, One By One, A Blade In The Dark, Entering The Zone Zero, Thunderblood, Hold The Flame
:: pics :: BÆST ::
[Dajana] Yay, the Danes had just broken the record for the biggest sold-out headlining show by a (Danish) death metal band. How they managed this, :: BÆST :: proved in the early afternoon in the Amphitheater, which they completely destroyed. BÆST played with brute energy, were masters of grimaces and were in such an overwhelmingly good mood that even the camera-woman was jumping around in the pit. That was really pure fun - for me, the second-best band of the festival!
[BRT] BÆST have completely passed me by so far. I didn't know a single note, but was quite pleasantly surprised. Because, even though it feels like there is a young band on stage, there are absolute professionals who really know what they're doing. Lots of mid-tempo bangers, plenty of melodies and a lot of groove, the whole thing quite straight in your face. A good live band that I would love to see in a club. Okay, they're not exactly original, but who's going to ask?
[Seb] BÆST at an early hour were enough motivation for me to make my way to the venue with a bag of drugs in my luggage, against all reason. I have to say that the decision was definitely worth it! For my taste the Danes were definitely the b(a)est band of the day. Hearty, no-frills death metal and an exuberant audience made for a successful late start to the festival.
[Sui] Death metal that even I like. Without any frills, that's true, but it was still demanding. Half of the material came from the last album Necro Sapiens and was blasting from all angles. Heavy, even doomy at times. Although I don't really like deep growls, I found them authentic and coherent with BÆST. On top of that, the entire band was technically adept and had such fun playing that was gratefully rewarded by the audience. It's not every day that a death metal band can not only surprise me in a positive way, but can even inspire me unreservedly. Chapeau, the band of the day for me too!
[Öko] I can only agree with the praise of the previous speakers! Super live band! I'll probably have now to deal with BÆST's recorded goods!
Band: Simon Olsen (vox), Lasse Revsbech (git), Svend Karlsson (git), Mattias Melchiorsen (bass), Sebastian Abildsten (drums)
Setlist: Abattoir, Colossus, Genesis, Meathook Massacre, Imp Of The Perverse, Ecclesia, Gargoyles, Necro Sapiens
:: pics :: WALTARI ::
[Sui] :: WALTARI :: had a hard time after the powerful attack of Baest. The funky but somewhat punchless sound, the slightly croaking voice of Kärtsy and the crossover, one still needs to get used to, were a total contrast. The somewhat aging frontman tried to spread a good mood right from the start. However, the audience reacted slightly perplexed at first. After all, WALTARI were in a good mood. Some confusion was caused by the announcement of the song Lights On, which was announced as a cover version of Lordi's cover version. Not a highlight of the day but not bad either.
[BRT] Wow yeah. We loved those crazy Finns in the early 90s and even saw them live at Hiltrup's Lox. Torcha and So Fine were absolute party hits that were always fun. But at some point, I lost sight of the guys around professional clown Kärtsy, just like many other bands from that time. What WALTARI did between the crazy Death Metal symphony (Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony In Deep C - 1996) and today is therefore somewhat beyond my knowledge.
But 30 years of So Fine promised old material, so I was as excited as the aforementioned bow...
Yes, unfortunately, the start was a bit bumpy. Without lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö on stage, something sounded very off (possibly Kärtsy vocals). That's why the old hits didn't really come across. No question, the band was in a good mood and had a lot of fun on stage, but the spark was only ignited towards the end when the band announced their ethno-dance hit and title track So Fine. And lo and behold... it did work. Finally, there was a great version of The Cures The Forest, which saved the gig after all.
[Dajana] Yes, I can also remember some crazy concerts in the late 90s and early 2000s. And then it was very quiet around the Finns for a long time. The Finns' comeback was just as quiet and I have to admit that the last three albums completely passed me by musically. Nevertheless, it was nice to finally see the Finns live again. Although their electro-crossover is now an old hat, WALTARI are still somehow unique. Kärtsy hasn't lost any of his craziness either, but I wasn't convinced by the show. The band was clearly not well-rehearsed and Kärtsy himself has aged too. And somehow, I always had to think of "IT"... ;)
[Öko] I haven't heard anything new from WALTARI for a long time either. But Torcha is still one of the most original (metal) albums I've ever heard! I actually put it on from time to time. Apart from that, I very rarely listen to old stuff (there are simply too many great new bands and albums).
Unfortunately, the bad sound ruined the first half of the gig for me, but when these problems faded, I enjoyed seeing the old bastards live for the second time (first time also at my place in Hiltrup Lox). All in all, quite a good gig!
Band: Kärtsy Hatakka (vox, bass), Kimmo Korhonen (git), Nino Silvennoinen (git), Jariot Lehtinen (git), Ville Veikko Vehviläinen (drums), Jani Hölli (keys)
Setlist: The Beginning Song, Mad Boy, Freddie Laker, Misty Man, Lights On, Autumn, Helsinki, Postrock, So Fine, A Forest
:: pics :: VANDENBERG ::
[BRT] The only thing I knew about :: VANDENBERG :: was the name. I knew about the Whitesnake connection and that with Mats Leven an absolute expert in his field was on stage (even though I usually associate him with bands from Leif Edling's doom metal family). So, we got a band in good spirits on stage, absolute joy of playing and plenty of Whitesnake material on offer. Perhaps not so suitable as an advertisement for his own band, but perfect for the audience.
[Sui] VANDENBERG came across as an amazingly well-rehearsed band. What was on the agenda, of course, Whitesnake. The fact that Adrian Vandenberg didn't push himself into the center of attention definitely made his performance likeable, especially as he had very capable sidekicks at his side, first and foremost singer Mats. Vandenberg is often associated with the glam era of Whitesnake, but he contributed little to their most successful album in 1987, especially the guitar work on Here I Go Again, which was consequently the celebrated and heavily crowd-sung crowning finale of the gig.
[Seb] Considering how I've experienced bands built around a star guitarist at the RHF so far (MSG… cough), I feared the worst. Fortunately, my fears were unjustified, all in all it was quite bearable, even though musically this is not my cup of tea.
[Öko] Of course, only professionals are at work at VANDENBERG! You can notice that from the very first second. They offered Whitesnake with a good pinch of their own songs, but those couldn’t keep up with the WS songs. The fact that Mats Leven is a top singer and charismatic frontman doesn't really need to be mentioned separately. What really stands out is that Mr. VANDENBERG keeps a low profile and doesn't push himself to the fore. Very pleasant.
Band: Mats Levén (vox), Adrian Vandenberg (git), Randy van der Elsen (bass), Koen Herfst (drums)
Setlist: Hit The Ground Running, Fool For Your Loving (Whitesnake), Your Love Is In Vain, Give Me All Your Love (Whitesnake), Freight Train, Sailing Ships (Whitesnake), Judgement Day (Whitesnake), Wait, Crying In The Rain (Whitesnake), Here I Go Again (Whitesnake)
:: pics :: PRIMORDIAL ::
[BRT] :: PRIMORDIAL :: are always a safe bet and certainly the band I was looking forward to the most. Bassist Pól had to stay at home with shoulder problems and so there were two stand-in musicians on stage, as the Irish have only one guitarist in the band since last year. And of course, there was hardly anything to complain about. It doesn't really matter which songs they play, as long as Empire Falls and The Coffin Ships are included. Of course, it would have to be darker for the lightshow to work better, but PRIMORDIAL are always a good choice for an open air.
[Seb] PRIMORDIAL… I have not seen for a long time, I think the last time was in Muenster! Unfortunately, a long-standing trend at the RHF continued here: as soon as the music goes in the direction of black metal, the sound is jinxed. Apart from the drums and vocals, everything here was far too quiet and blurred at first, but towards the end the people at the mixing desk were changed or figured things out.
Having said this, and the fact that PRIMORDIAL didn't really work in the light… what should have been one of the best gigs of the day was unfortunately a bit underwhelming.
[Dajana] Since we could still see Dread Sovereign live here yesterday... there was no difference in Mr. A.A.'s (vocal) performance. Only the gallows instead of the bass guitar... I just noticed…
[Sui] PRIMORDIAL are another band that had previously passed me by. The singer's corpse paint made me expect black metal. But if this is black metal now, I'm pretty confused. Because the singer actually deserved to be called a singer and the music also had little resemblance to this genre. The dark mood of the songs was very cool, even if a bit out of place in broad daylight. After a while, however, the guitar strumming got on my nerves a bit. One or two riffs wouldn't do the songs any harm.
[Öko] PRIMORDIAL was also the band I was looking forward to the most! But as already mentioned, neither the time of day nor the sound were ideal for a good performance by a band of this kind. Of course, there were still one or two highlights on the stage, Alan and his bandmates (even if a bit mixed) are simply far too good for that.
Band: A.A. Nemtheanga (vox), Ciáran MacUiliam (git), Pól MacAmlaigh (bass), Simon O'Laoghaire (drums)
Setlist: As Rome Burns, How It Ends, To Hell Or The Hangman, We Shall Not Serve, The Coffin Ships, Victory Has 1000 Fathers, Defeat Is An Orphan, Empire Falls
:: pics :: FORBIDDEN ::
[Dajana] After 15 long years :: FORBIDDEN :: finally return to Germany. For the brand new singer Norman it was even the first time. Guitarist Craig Locicero said: "I thought we never would do it again. I was wrong..." Yeah, welcome back! ♥
Oh, and finally there was some thrash metal! Worthy co-headliner of the second festival day!
[BRT] If I say now that I especially like the Distortion record of FORBIDDEN, I'll probably get stoned. I would have liked to have heard songs from this one, but well, the majority of people were surely down here because of the first two records and the audience was heard. Russ Anderson’s stand-in, Norman Skinner, did a great job, even though I heard a few complaints about him being "too hardcore", which I couldn't really understand. The Bay Area guys accelerated and served up a strong, but also somewhat solidly routine show, nothing more and nothing less.
[Öko] "If I say now that I especially like the Distortion record of FORBIDDEN, I'll probably get stoned." Yes, and rightly so!!!
[Seb] That was very felicitous. Just like the logo & stage decoration reminded of an 80s computer game, there was mainly thrash metal of classic style, very refreshing!
[Sui] I can still remember seeing FORBIDDEN for the first time at the legendary Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven. A revelation, just like their debut album Forbidden Evil, now an absolutely essential thrash classic. Consequently, most of the material played came from this album, filled out with songs from the almost equally good second long-player Twisted Into Form. Only guitarist Craig Locicero and bassist Matt Camacho from the original line-up are still with the band.
The power of back then is no longer quite as noticeable, but the old warriors were highly motivated and delivered a good performance. Norman Skinner coped well with the vocals sung by Russ Anderson in the original. The mosh pit with a surprising number of gray-haired metal veterans and the classic songs they sang along to, especially the crowning finale Chalice Of Blood, left a great impression throughout.
[Öko] Yes, it was great! I only really like the first two records! So, I was very happy with the song selection. Chalice Of Blood was the first song I ever heard from FORBIDDEN, it was on the legendary Under One Flag IV compilation. Back then, 1990, bought on a school trip in Berlin.
Band: Norman Skinner (vox), Steve Smyth (git), Craig Locicero (git), Matt Camacho (bass), Chris Kontos (drums)
Setlist: Stargazer (Intro - Rainbow), Follow Me, Twisted Into Form, March Into Fire, Forbidden Evil, Step By Step, Off The Edge, As Good As Dead, Infinite, Through Eyes Of Glass, Chalice Of Blood
:: pics :: KK‘s PRIEST ::
[Dajana] I must confess, I'm at war with :: KK‘s PRIEST :: K. K. Downing is such an annoying wimp to me. What hasn't he whined about and said in the last few years (regarding his departure from Judas Priest, his former mates etc., you know). And now this exuberant self-adulation in sound and image and a band made up of "leftovers".
Talking about the show, stage setting, sound and lighting... I have to say: respect! That was a blast! Even if the digital walls had problems starting up and the Brits therefore came on stage a little late. There was also nothing to criticize about Tim "Ripper" Owens' vocals.
Nevertheless, I prefer to stick with the original .
[BRT] I didn't know what to expect at first, because KK Downing's original band had also recently been on tour and gave a perfect heavy metal concert with the whole shebang. As for that good old KK might have to blow a lot of hot air. And so it happened. Lightshow, stage setup, background videos, it was all so metal to the max, so much over the top that it was fun again. The videos, dude... fire, explosions, end of the world scenes, the absolute maximum. It can distract from a band, but it didn't.
The Ripper was absolutely on top form, the rest of KK's PRIEST had brought a lot of fun on stage too and enjoyed playing. That was great show - and yes, KK Downing is not resting on his PRIEST laurels, there was plenty of his own material to be heard. That was really fun.
[Seb] According to their announcement, this was the first headlining show of KK's PRIEST, and the band had a full-blown multimedia show in their luggage. I left for the subway after the first 3-4 songs for the reasons mentioned above, the energy was gone and to keep me going it would have had to be different music. Surprisingly, I met a lot of much fitter people at the station who were so annoyed by the video show that they left.
Of course, the videos and especially the intro reminiscent of 80s direct-to-video action movies were extremely cheesy & over-the-top. And when I see someone - just because he's a good-looking protagonist - rushing into battle without a helmet, the "warrior" wearing chain mail ten sizes too big or dangling around loosely, my inner history nerd has to shake in convulsions. But if I had been a fan of the band or the original Priest, that certainly wouldn't have put me off.
What I did remember, apart from the video show, was that the band seemed surprisingly well-rehearsed for a first "big gig" .
[Sui] KK’s PRIEST couldn't really do anything wrong. No other band at the festival had more timeless classics in their luggage than the ex-priest. Plus a gifted singer and frontman who is familiar with the material and masters it off the cuff. And these were the songs that stuck with me from the musically great performance. Their own songs from the post-Priest period are solid metal, but nothing more than that. The stage show, however, was quite annoying after a while. I'm not referring to the stage acting of the thoroughly committed musicians, but to the video show in the background, which was for the most part extremely infantile and clichéd. Above all, it was so annoying at times that it even distracted from the great music. I can understand why some fans left early. The fade-ins were just completely stupid.
Nevertheless: KK's PRIEST were unbeatable and deservedly headliners on this day thanks to the song selection and the performers.
[Öko] I would have gladly done without the aforementioned video show I mentioned. It was kind of embarrassing. But, of course, there was nothing wrong with the JP classics. I really like Ripper as a frontman. I saw JP with him at the Amphitheater in 2001. It was absolutely awesome! He was also not to blame for the decline of Judas Priest after Rob Halford left.
But back to KK's PRIEST. Of course, their own songs couldn't compete with the timeless Judas Priest songs and somehow annoyed me while I was waiting for the next classic .
Band: Tim „Ripper“ Owens (vox), K. K. Downing (git), A.J. Mills (git), Tony Newton (bass), Sean Elg (drums)
Setlist: Hellfire Thunderbolt, Strike Of The Viper, One More Shot At Glory, The Ripper, Reap The Whirlwind, Night Crawler, Sermons Of The Sinner, Burn In Hell, Beyond The Realms Of Death, Hell Patrol, The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown), Breaking The Law, Victim Of Changes, Raise Your Fists
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