Reportagens de Concertos
Wacken Open Air 2015
2015-07-30 - 2015-08-01 | Wacken Open Air
We arrived Tuesday morning at the camping site and managed to setup our tent and pick up our Full:Metal:Bags and festival wristbands without any rain, but soon realized that things would become quite messy just as soon as we moved onward to get our W.C. passes and official merchandise. The main roads were full of mud and people were slipping constantly as they walked. When we stopped in line right before one of the main merch stands, our feet started to go down deep into the ground and soon we were up to our ankles in mud. Well, it would rain only for one more day and a half, according to the weather forecast, so soon things should get better... We pulled our raincoats out of the bags and made our usual trip to the village to search for more official merchandise, have a bite and check the overall mood of the most metal of all towns! We soon were a hundred euros lighter, but also quite happy with our new t-shirts, zipped hoodies and whatever more we ended up buying. As the rain returned in full force, we fastened our pace and as quickly as possible made our way back to the camping. The rest of the day would be lazily spent seated in the car or dozing in the tent as the rain kept falling. I still had to pick up my press credentials, so when I woke up at half past midnight and noticed the rain had stopped, I decided that it would be as good a time as any to get that deal done, so off I went for one of the most bizarre adventures I've put myself into. The roads were now all squashy, all fully covered in mud, and the lights were few to none, so 5 minutes later I was in the dark and struggling with each step to push my feet back from the mud with my shoes still attached to them. 30 minutes later I was still halfway through the camping site, panting, walking baby-steps, and watching all the chaos that surrounded me with people slipping and falling and stuck cars throwing mud in all directions as their drivers pressed the pedal and the wheels started to spin, to no avail as the cars wouldn't budge. Somehow, I reached solid ground and the village's deserted main road, and by 2a.m. I was finally at the press office and got my press and photo passes. Still, there would be no rest for the wicked, as I soon was making my way back through the same streets, and then back into the mud, and by 03:30 my tent - and my well-deserved rest - was finally in sight.
DIA 0
Comes Vacantes
2015-07-29 12:55
The morning brought the rain, so we kept ourselves dry, inside the car. The sun finally showed itself in the beginning of the afternoon, and gave us enough time to make our slow and slippery way through the mud to the Wackinger Village. The Wackinger Stage this year was placed differently than last year, so this time the bigger crowds wouldn't get in the way of everyone else trying to move along through the main passage. For the moment, only a few people were standing there, as we were about to watch our first Wacken show of 2015.
Comes Vagantes was our first show at this year's Wacken. The crowd slowly built up as they carefully walked through the muddier parts of the ground on to the front. The 4 bagpipers, drummer and percussionist gave quite an impression, with all their cool-looking bagpipes, medieval-ish outfits and some interaction, as their tunes tried to cheer everyone and take their minds off the mud and rain. The song Platerspiel was one of the highlights.
Comes Vagantes was our first show at this year's Wacken. The crowd slowly built up as they carefully walked through the muddier parts of the ground on to the front. The 4 bagpipers, drummer and percussionist gave quite an impression, with all their cool-looking bagpipes, medieval-ish outfits and some interaction, as their tunes tried to cheer everyone and take their minds off the mud and rain. The song Platerspiel was one of the highlights.
The Loudest Silence
2015-07-29 13:10
We went inside the tent to check The Loudest Silence, the Metal Battle participant from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The female-fronted Symphonic Metal band made the crowd cheer for a few times, whenever their singer started to jump or raised her arms. Her outfit would be more at place if worn by some super-heroine in a comic-book, and her gestures sometimes seemed also a little off, but she eventually managed to fit in and pull a nice show, helped by the bassist, always upfront and with a smile on his face. They grew stronger with each song and made a nice, interesting performance.
Summoned Tide
2015-07-29 13:30
The next Metal Battle act was the Swedish power-metal band Summoned Tide.The lead singer / guitarist seemed quite confident and the bassist was also very energic, always headbanging with her blonde hair in constant motion. Still, the songs lacked that certain something and the crowd just stood there watching half-heartedly.
Steve'n'Seagulls
2015-07-29 14:15
As the sky cleared a bit, we made our way out of the Bullhead City Circus and headed out to the Beergarden to watch Steve'n'Seagulls. The Finnish rednecks took the crowd by storm with their accordion, cello, banjo and whatnot and everyone cheered and danced in the mud to their covers of classics such as Thunderstruck or The Trooper.
No Words
2015-07-29 17:20
Before the next show, a surprise with Nik Kai's No Words, a new band featuring a 14-year-old guitar player that will be on Mikkey Dee's upcoming record label. Their sound was decent, they just shouldn't repeat the guitar player's age every 30 seconds and focus on their music.
John Diva
2015-07-29 18:00
As the rain returned heavily, we jumped right back to the Bullhead City Circus and sadly ended up missing The Gentle Storm, playing in the Wackinger Stage.
Inside the tent, the covers continued as John Diva and The Rockets of Love entered the left stage, accompanied by several cheerleaders that danced onstage throughout the set. Songs such as Jump or Rock You Like A Hurricane were played flawlessly and with flair, sounding and looking as good as if they were being played by their original creators. The Final Countdown was also played - the first out of three times we would hear the song on this day. This ended up being a cool show that I wasn't planning on watching, but I must say I had a lot of fun!
Inside the tent, the covers continued as John Diva and The Rockets of Love entered the left stage, accompanied by several cheerleaders that danced onstage throughout the set. Songs such as Jump or Rock You Like A Hurricane were played flawlessly and with flair, sounding and looking as good as if they were being played by their original creators. The Final Countdown was also played - the first out of three times we would hear the song on this day. This ended up being a cool show that I wasn't planning on watching, but I must say I had a lot of fun!
Grailknights
2015-07-29 19:10
Next, Grailknights. We'd already had the chance to see them in 2013 at the Metalfest Open Air in Loreley, and we wouldn't miss them for the world here at Wacken. These guys are cheesy and proud of it, and really, really, REALLY fun to watch. With their colored outfits, wild gesturing and storytelling throughout the songs, we really get the whole deal with these guys! They're still as fun a we remembered and Hey, now they also had lots of fire onstage, so fun was ever greater! Everyone cheered, sang along and laughed out loud. Oh, and yes, Evil was defeated and Good has once again prevailed! Hurray!
Mambo Kurt
2015-07-29 20:00
Back to the left stage and back to covers as another Wacken classic act was about to enter the stage. Mambo Kurt has been playing metal covers at Wacken for some years now, and the metalheads enjoy it so much that nowadays he even gets to play several sets each day, jumping around with his organ through the stages. Once again, Jump and The Final Countdown could be heard, along with several other (un)expected songs such as Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough or the theme song from Super Mario Bros. In the end, he invited a random fan to be his clone and play the organ as he joined the fans and crowdsurfed for the whole "song".
New Model Army
2015-07-29 21:00
As the rain continued to pour outside, the English alternative-rock band New Model Army entered the stage. I lost track of these guys after hearing of them in the late 80's / early 90's, but I enjoyed most of the show, and was amazed when, near the end, I recognized The Hunt, which was later covered by Sepultura, and I even remembered some of the lyrics from their final song of the set, I Love The World.
Uli Jon Roth
2015-07-29 22:20
Uli Jon Roth followed and brought a set of classic Scorpions songs from his era, celebrating the 40th anniversary of joined the band. This was a great class act, with Roth stealing the show, as expected, but very nicely accompanied by the amazing singer Niklas Turmann. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this show as much as I did, and songs such as The Sails of Charon, In Trance or Fly To The Rainbow, along with Roth's heartfelt soloing and gentle presence, turned the show into a very special one.
Europe
2015-07-29 23:30
Closing this rainy Day 0, the Swedish hard-rockers Europe. The set opened with the title-track of their latest album War of Kings, the stage resembling the album cover with the chess table and a white king piece placed next to Mic Michaeli's keyboards. I was expecting that, being at Wacken, they would play a set of the heavier songs, but they focused the show in their latest album. Luckily for me, the second most played album was my favorite, Out Of This World, and halfway through the set, Ready or Not just made my day and helped speed things up, as most of the newer songs are kind of slow or mellow! Somewhere along the set, Joey Tempest announced they were recording the show, which later would be included in a War Of Kings special edition - well, that explains those 6 songs off that album, doesn't it?!? Still, I'd rather they'd played a couple songs off Start From The Dark or Secret Society - or Ian Haugland's drum solo - and even things up a little bit. Setlist aside, the band is looking great, with Joey still in great shape, always under the spotlights, moving and jumping around without missing a note. Towards the end of the set, Let The Good Times Rock, Rock The Night and the inevitable The Final Countdown would close the set, sending us back to the rain for a hard and lengthy journey back to our tent, with our feet ankle-deep in the mud, slipping and tumbling all the way through.
DIA 1
U.D.O.
2015-07-30 16:00
Like the song, we woke up to the sound of pouring rain. Our original plan was to get to the Bullhead City Circus and watch some of the Metal Battle shows, as I was curious to see some of the bands, specially the representatives from China and from Japan. Unfortunately, the rain just kept falling over and over and we decided to just stay and rest as much as we could. We finally made our way when time came for the main events in the main stages, slowly dragging our feet again through the deep mud.
When we finally reached the main stages area, U.D.O. had just hit the stage, accompanied by an orchestra of the German armed forces. Sporting military clothing and a lot of smiles on their faces, everyone onstage was having a ball as they played songs of Udo's solo project. One of the highlights was the awesomely funny song Trainride In Russia, as they were joined by a white-haired good-natured man in full military regalia, playing the accordion. Everyone soon was singing and dancing to this merry tune, and the set would get to its end soon, leaving for last 2 Accept songs - Metal Heart and Princess of the Dawn. A great - if late - start for the first official day.
When we finally reached the main stages area, U.D.O. had just hit the stage, accompanied by an orchestra of the German armed forces. Sporting military clothing and a lot of smiles on their faces, everyone onstage was having a ball as they played songs of Udo's solo project. One of the highlights was the awesomely funny song Trainride In Russia, as they were joined by a white-haired good-natured man in full military regalia, playing the accordion. Everyone soon was singing and dancing to this merry tune, and the set would get to its end soon, leaving for last 2 Accept songs - Metal Heart and Princess of the Dawn. A great - if late - start for the first official day.
In Extremo
2015-07-30 17:50
In Extremo, one of the many German bands that makes me wish I knew their language... These guys make some amazing songs and know perfectly how to be on the stage. Under the spiritual guidance of their oddly-named charismatic singer Das Letzte Einhorn, they immediately set on to a great show, opening with a strong one, Frei zu sein. Nicely combining older classic with some more recent ones, they kept everyone entertained, with lots of people singing along through the songs. Their set included some great moments, with songs like Vollmond, Spielmannsfluch, Liam, among many others... It's amazing, knowing that they left out several of their best songs, that I remember seeing them play in previous shows, and still there wasn't a dull moment during the whole set.
Rob Zombie
2015-07-30 19:20
The last time I saw Rob Zombie was in 2011. This time, the show was a lot more impressive and colorful that 4 years ago, with John 5 and Piggy D capturing a lot of attention, as well as Ginger Fish, behind the drumkit. Rob Zombie also made a great performance, even coming upfront to interact a little closer to the crowd. Some White Zombie songs were also played, such as Super-Charger Heaven or More Human Than Human but I thought they sounded a little bit too altered from what I remembered, sadly. As the set moved forward, I had to walk out on a mission to search for some RAIN BOOTS, and maybe give my feet and sport shoes some rest, but alas, they were all sold out, replaced by a huge cemetery of old, muddy shoes.
Savatage
2015-07-30 21:40
And then, something no one had ever seen before at Wacken - Savatage would join Trans-Siberian Orchestra for a show that would occupy at the same time the two main stages. Savatage would enter the stage first, with Jon Oliva seated in the back, behind the keyboards. The crowd was delighted to listen to songs such as Edge of Thorns or Dead Winter Dead. The stage lights were also pretty impressive, and monitors covered the whole space around the two stages, as if we were watching a huge massive screen.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
2015-07-30 22:20
And then, Trans-Siberian Orchestra entered the other stage with a huge choir and fabulous light effects. It was really a very impressive and powerful show, with all the bombastic voices and wonderful details. At a time, Zak Stevens joined in, but a few moments later things would go even further when the stage on the left, where Savatage had just played, would return to life and both bands would then join forces and perform as one a set of songs that combined classic themes like O Fortuna with Savatage tracks like Believe or Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24). This was one of those show that you can't see anywhere else but here!
Architects of Chaoz
2015-07-31 00:10
After such an amazing show, we made a final stop before going back to our tent. At the Bullhead City Circus, Paul Di'Anno and his Architects of Chaoz would play a set that included 2 Iron Maiden songs - Prowler and, later on, Killers. Although the show was looking good, we were quite tired and couldn't stay until the end, so we slowly walked out and listened from the growing distance, as we when back to our tent.
DIA 2
Angra
2015-07-31 11:05
We woke up to a still clouded sky, but at least the rain was now limited to a few quick isolated showers. The camping ground was still a mess, of course, and the roads that had been turned into rivers of mud showed no signs of turning back to their original dry, solid state. We walked through the chaos as quickly - and safely - as we could to try to reach the Main Stages in time for the first act.
We started Day 2 at the Party Stage, with Angra. This was the first time I was finally able to see these guys live, after so many years listening to such amazing albums as Angels Cry or Holy Land. Accompanying the virtuoso shred-masters Rafael Bittencourt and Kiko Loureiro was singer Fabio Lione, who's been with them since 2012, and man, has he improved since when I saw him here in Porto, playing with Rhapsody, back in 2000. Upfront in the crowd we could see a lot of people displaying brazilian flags with a proud look in their faces, and they should be as the band played a good opening set. The setlist was short and focused mainly in their latest album Secret Garden, but they still managed to fit in some oldies, including the fan-favorites Carry On and Nothing To Say.
We started Day 2 at the Party Stage, with Angra. This was the first time I was finally able to see these guys live, after so many years listening to such amazing albums as Angels Cry or Holy Land. Accompanying the virtuoso shred-masters Rafael Bittencourt and Kiko Loureiro was singer Fabio Lione, who's been with them since 2012, and man, has he improved since when I saw him here in Porto, playing with Rhapsody, back in 2000. Upfront in the crowd we could see a lot of people displaying brazilian flags with a proud look in their faces, and they should be as the band played a good opening set. The setlist was short and focused mainly in their latest album Secret Garden, but they still managed to fit in some oldies, including the fan-favorites Carry On and Nothing To Say.
Ensiferum
2015-07-31 12:00
A quick jump to the main stages as Ensiferum was about to open the True Metal Stage. We've been able to check these guys live almost on an yearly base, so we knew what we were in for. As expected, Sami Hinkka immediately took things over with his charismatic presence and energy, Almost half of their set was based on their latest album One Man Army, but they got the most from the crowd towards the end, when From Afar, Lai Lai Hei or Burning Leaves were played.
Sepultura
2015-07-31 13:05
We jumped in for a few shots as Sepultura entered the Black Stage, but only for a couple of minutes as we continued our way to the Party Stage.
Falconer
2015-07-31 13:10
We moved along to the Party Stage to finally see the swedish folk/power band Falconer. I was waiting for this one, as I've been following these guys since their self-titled debut album, back in 2001, but never had the chance to check them out live. I was a little bit let down by their lack of stage props or live action, but singing along to songs like Upon the Grave of Guilt or Northwind with lots of the other metalheads surrounding us eventually made up for that. In-between songs, Mathias Blad announced this was their third and final show here in Wacken, although we couldn't figure out why. For the end, another great moment with the final song The Clarion Call.
Kvelertak
2015-07-31 14:15
Back to the True Metal Stage to check out the Norwegian six-piece Kvelertak. The show was not as intense as the one I remember from Metalfest Loreley, a couple of years ago, but the crowd seemed to be very pleased by their performance.
Stratovarius
2015-07-31 15:30
And we returned to the Party Stage for some Finnish power metal. It's been some time since the last time I'd seen Stratovarius, but their latest album showed them once again on the right track, so I had to check them out live. At first I didn't recognize Timo Kotipelto, but he still has some pipes left and I was eventually shocked to recognize him in that aged-looking guy in the stage. Well, it's been more than 10 years since I last saw them, so that ought to explain something. Jens Johansson was also older than I remember, but still funny - even if slightly sloppy on the keyboards, at moments. Lauri Porra was having a ball, smiling all the time and even taking some photos of the crowd. The set opened with Black Diamond, from the album Visions, from which they would also play Legions and Paradise later on the set - great picks from what is possibly their best album. I was hoping they would've played The Kiss of Judas, also off the same album, but hey, we can't win them all! They also included a song premiere with Shine in the Dark, but quickly returned to several other classics, including Speed of Light, closing with Hunting High and Low. It was nice to go back in time and listen to these songs once again.
Queensrÿche
2015-07-31 16:45
Back again to the True Metal Stage for another long-awaited show! I've been a fan of Queenrÿche since I heard them for the first time, upon the release of the Empire album, and even more after discovering their awesome back-catalog. The later "Tate years" had been nothing to be proud of, so I was completely thrilled when Todd La Torre joined the band and they brought back the band's sound I used to love so much. The setlist just reassured all our hopes as it was close to perfect, including songs off their first 4 releases, including Nightrider and Queen of the Reich from their self-titled EP. En Force, Warning, The Needle Lies, and many other classic songs brought us back to the good old days, and even Arrow of Time, a new song from their upcoming album Condition Hüman had that special something from that era and sound. La Torre was flawless in his performance, his voice fitting the songs perfectly, just like the original. Take Hold of the Flame brought the end of the show, so much better than I ever hoped for. The Ryche are back! Long live the Ryche!
Opeth
2015-07-31 18:00
Last year we were let down by Opeth's performance in Portugal's Vagos Open Air. I've been a longtime fan of these Swedish, but that set was boring as hell, and even the usually funny remarks in-between songs were lackluster, completely uninspired. So, I was a little bit cautious about this show, hoping not to relive that experience once again. The sun was still shining and the stage's backdrop showed was based on their latest Pale Comunion cover. Mikael Åkerfeldt's lines were a little bit more inspired, even if not as fresh and funny as they used to, and the setlist was way, way better than last year's, rekindling my relation with their live shows.
Thyrfing
2015-07-31 18:45
While Opeth were playing on the Main Stages, I pulled myself together and made my way through all the deep mud, forcing my feet one after the other to make my way back to the Bullhead City Circus, to check Thyrfing for the first time - and man, it was worth all the effort I made! The stage was dark as Mot Helgrind started, but soon fire was leaping right in front of the stage, their painted faces gleaming and showing off all the rage and emotion. The lightning was just perfect, combining the colors and shadows along with the songs' passages. The crowd was also having a lot of fun, screaming and waving along through the epic set, with Digerdöden or Storms of Asgard, to name only a couple, as some of the most brilliant moments of the set.
Dream Theater
2015-07-31 19:30
Back on the Main Stages, prog masters Dream Theater were up next. Their set passed through their long discography, 9 songs off 9 different albums, including Metropolis Pt.1! LaBrie seemed more at ease than the rest of the band, even though his continuous strolling from one side of the stage to the other seemed more mechanic than anything else - but at least he was moving, while the others mostly kept themselves in the back of the stage, making almost no connection with the audience.
Black Label Society
2015-07-31 21:00
On the Black Stage, Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society entered to play to the last sunny moments of the day. If you've ever seen a BLS show before, you know what to expect - Zakk with his mic stand with the skulls, right in the center of the stage, shredding and showing off his guitars, as he plays his southern-influenced heavy metal. And that's exactly what the fans got here at Wacken! Zakk rocked, of course. But the rest of the band showed that they weren't there just to make number, and made sure to also be a part of the show, specially bassist John DeServio, with lots of energy with his red-stringed bass. The set included all of the band's biggest hits, of course, finishing off in great style with In This River, The Blessed Hellride, Concrete Jungle and Stillborn.
Samael
2015-07-31 21:30
In Flames would hit the Main Stage for one of the biggest shows of this second festival day, but at the Bullhead City Circus was about to start a show we couldn't miss for the world. Samael would celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Ceremony of Opposites by playing the whole album so once again we made our way through the mud for this one. The set was dark, the back of the stage showing the cover from their EP Rebellion, with the black and white snakes forming the yin-yang symbol. They entered the stage, with Xytras in the back, with the drums and keyboards, showing through the flashing lights. More on the front, Makro's face was also only visible at times, as it was divided in half, one side painted in white and the other in black. Soon after the intro, Vorph growled the starting verses of Black Trip and we all made a journey back in time and memories came back. Celebration of the Fourth followed, of course, as the album was once again fresh in our minds. The crowd was more than happy, cheering and moving along to the songs. Mask of Red Death and Baphomet's Throne stirred things even more, but really everyone was enjoying the whole set right to the very end. The title-track Ceremony of Opposites closed the album but the audience was in for a little treat, as there would be room for one extra song - The Truth Is Marching On, from Lux Mundi. An enormous applause would follow for nearly a minute, praising the great show.
Running Wild
2015-08-01 00:05
Our legs were numb already by all the extra-effort forced upon them, so we gave them a few more minutes of rest as we watched a few hilarious wrestling matches still at the tent, but eventually we would have to make our way back to the Main Stages to witness Running Wild's return. 6 years ago we missed their show here at Wacken, so we couldn't let that happen again this time, arriving just as they were about to start. The stage was dark and some bright white lights moved up and down, in laser-like fashion. The pirates hit the stage with Under Jolly Roger, knocking everyone off. The lightning was awesome and Rolf Kasparek's merry men were all having a ball, watching the frantic crowd right in front of them. A little bit afterwards, Genghis Khan would bring us another great moment, to be followed by a live debut, Locomotive, of the recent album Shadowmaker. This wouldn't be the only debut of their show, as also Riding the Tide, Soldiers of Fortune, Bloody Island (these 2 off their latest album Resilient) and Into The West (a world premiere from their upcoming album, this one), would be played here live for the first time. Maybe because of so many unusual songs being in the set, the show slowly became less intense as time went by, but still this was a great return by these German pirates, even if they chose to leave out a lot of their gems.
My Dying Bride
2015-08-01 01:05
Aaaaand off we went, once again, on our way to the Bullhead City Circus, for yet another show that we eagerly had been waiting for. My Dying Bride has been one of my favorite bands for longer than I can remember, but they've rarely been to Portugal, so when they were confirmed here at Wacken I was thrilled to finally see them live. They opened with Your River, the lightning so perfect, giving them a shady overall look, on par with their gloomy sound, yet leaving a bright focus placed over the very thin-looking Aaron Stainthorpe. The setlist was what one could ask for, and included all-time classics like the aforementioned Your River, Turn Loose the Swans, The Cry of Mankind of A Kiss to Remember. Aaron was very emotional in his performance, while his colleagues kept a lower profile and kept more in the shades. As tired as we were, we stood there mesmerized by the songs right up to the end of the set, as God is Alone's final sounds ceased to be.
The Bosshoss
2015-08-01 01:45
The BossHoss are a really fun band to watch, and we'd really love to see them, but our legs just wouldn't do once again the way back to the Main area and then back again towards the camping site, so we called it a day and slowly started our march through the slippery mud and found our way back to our tent.
DIA 3
Khold
2015-08-01 12:00
And the final day of Wacken was upon us. We quickly moved our way through the tents and the mud to quickly get to the Main Stages. The sun was already greeting us warmingly, but there was still a lot of work to be done if he wanted to dry up all the muddy areas, and even though this was the easier walk we had of all these days, there were still a lot of wet muddy areas to cover.
We reached the front of the Black Stage as Khold were hitting their first notes of the set, only to be cut shortly after some problems occurred in one of the amps. The singer/guitarrist seemed a bit nervous or affected by that, as he missed a few notes, but they easily surpassed that and played a solid opening show on this sunny final Wacken morning. I'd like to see this guys again, but in a smaller, dark venue instead, I bet that would work out a lot better as they had a very impressive look and a great sound, just weren't in the right place and time.
We reached the front of the Black Stage as Khold were hitting their first notes of the set, only to be cut shortly after some problems occurred in one of the amps. The singer/guitarrist seemed a bit nervous or affected by that, as he missed a few notes, but they easily surpassed that and played a solid opening show on this sunny final Wacken morning. I'd like to see this guys again, but in a smaller, dark venue instead, I bet that would work out a lot better as they had a very impressive look and a great sound, just weren't in the right place and time.
Powerwolf
2015-08-01 13:15
We moved to the True Metal Stage for our dearly beloved wolves. Powerwolf are an amazing band and although it's been ages since they played in Portugal, we've been lucky enough to get them in some of the festivals we've attended here in Germany, so we knew exactly what to expect from this show - great songs, great visuals and a lot of energy. And we were right, of course. In front of a huge backdrop with the cover of their latest album Blessed & Possessed, they entered the stage to enormous ovations and started with Sanctified With Dynamite. Coleus Sanctus and Army of the Night followed, from their latest album, fitting perfectly alongside with their usual live hits. Among some of the highlights was the ever so funny Resurrection By Erection or, after a change on the stage's backdrop, Werewolves of Armenia. We Drink Your Blood brought us closer to the end of the set, and the closing epic Lupus Dei was the perfect way of doing it. It's always great seeing a band that clearly knows what it's doing, and these guys are pretty much at the top of their game. Their songs work great when played live and their stage performance and interaction is funny and catchy, with Attila Dorn leading the way with his great voice and stage gimmicks and brilliantly accompanied by the Greywolf brothers and Falk Maria Schlegel. Even Roel van Helden, back behind the drumkit, seems perfectly aware of his role in there, knowing what to do at each moment to get the audience's attention. If ever you have the chance to check these guys live, make sure you don't miss their show! I can promise you you'll love it!
Amorphis
2015-08-01 14:30
And yet another great show was about to begin, one that we were also expecting quite anxiously. Amorphis were about to enter the Black Stage to perform their landmark album Tales from the Thousand Lakes in its entirety. From the opening notes of the intro Thousand Lakes and the following opening song Into Hiding, everyone seemed pretty much aware of the importance of this show, and quite deservingly so. After all, this was a homage to an album that have touched so many people since its release 20 years ago. I was one of those persons, as I remember playing it repeatedly, over and over again, back in the days - and several times from then on. This return to the past also seemed to bring some extra-life to the band, who played with an intensity I didn't remember seeing in them in previous shows. They all seemed happy to be there, and so was the crowd as the following classics The Castaway, First Doom, Black Winter Day or Drowned Maid were played next. The album moved onwards up to its climax with closing song Magic and Mayhem, but there was enough time for a few more songs, and they were smart enough to pick old-school ones, including Elegy hits Against Widows, Better Unborn and My Kantele, thus managing to keep the spirit of the show intact. A great celebration of a brilliant album, one of the great moments of this year's Wacken.
Beyond The Black
2015-08-01 16:20
We quickly jumped up to the Bullhead City Circus - yay, the mud was getting a lot more solid by now - to check out Beyond The Black. The band has been getting a lot of attention and we wanted to see for ourselves the reason for all that fuss. And so we walked onto a completely filled up tent ready to watch this symphonic metal band. Lead singer Jennifer Haben seemed slightly off in the beginning of the set, but after a few songs seemed to get things under her control. Although they have only released an album yet, Songs Of Love and Death, the band handled quite well the fact that they were playing to a completely packed tent - the biggest crowd we've seen there, this year.
Rock Meets Classic
2015-08-01 17:30
We returned to the Main Stages for one of those shows that we only get to see here at Wacken. A full orchestra joined with several rock and metal musicians would perform several rock classics to a huge crowd of metal maniacs. And, to make things even more interesting, some heavy hitters would be joining them throughout the set and make the delights of everyone. After an opening medley followed by Thunderstruck, Beyond The Black's Jennifer Haben appeared onstage to sing In the Shadows and then Rage Before a Storm, this one with Synbreed's Herbie Langhans. And then, legendary singer Joe Lynn Turner was introduced to sing 3 Rainbow songs - I Surrender, Stargazer and Spotlight Kid. Michael Kiske was next, to sing A Little Time, Kids of the Century and I Want Out, from his Helloween years, with pretty much everyone singing along through the whole song. And shortly after, Dee Fucking Snider brought the whole place down as he entered the stage and stole the whole show. He made everyone sing louder than ever, made speeches about Wacken, Metal and even selfie-sticks, and turned an already special show into something really unique, reminding everyone that this is Wacken and making sure that everyone was making their part, celebrating, enjoying it to the fullest. In the end, I Wanna Rock was a hell of an anthem, and the set ended next with Highway to Hell. One of the most amazing shows of this year's Wacken!
Bloodbath
2015-08-01 19:00
As we returned to the True Metal Stage, Bloodbath brought us the most brutal show at this year's Wacken Main Stages. Nick Holmes is the band's new frontman and he appeared with huge shades and lots of blood all over his face, a visage a lot harsher than the one he has used us over the years with his main band Paradise Lost. The sun killed a lot of the lightning effects planned for the show, since the bright flashing lights could hardly be noticed under the bright sunlight, but the brutality of this set will remain in our memory for the times to come. Their set showed of some songs off their latest album, although there was a lot of their older material - at a time, Holmes commented in one of the older ones that "this is a songs that wasn't recorded by me". The final song, Eaten had the special appearance of Dan Swano on vocals.
Sabaton
2015-08-01 20:30
And the Black Stage had already been invaded by the military! A couple of tanks were placed over the stage and some men in uniform were moving along making sure everything was properly setup for the mighty Sabaton. Hannes van Dahl's drumkit was placed on top of one of the biggest tank, which also seemed to be loaded with some pyro. Soon, the most played song of this year's Wacken would once again be heard, as usually with these Swedes - you all know they always open their sets with the audio track of Europe's The Final Countdown, right? Then, The March to War showed the band onstage and Ghost Division started next, with a bang, as the tank started to show some fireworks. Joakim Brodén was restless, as usual, always making poses and smiling to everyone. The crowd was already anxious for this show, and this powerful start made everyone go wild, with lots of crowdsurf and lots of voices singing along. To Hell And Back followed, the first of 6 songs that would be played off their latest album. The band was having a lot of fun and they should, since their show had the biggest crowd of the festival. In-between songs they made some of their usual jokes, even if they were at times too theatrical and things sounded too forced - even by their standards, ahah! But that's what everyone expects from a Sabaton show, as we could confirm when Gott mit uns was once agains played with its chorus changed to Noch Ein Bier. A couple of beers later, the encore would bring us Night Witches and then the whole fucking crowd sang along through Primo Victoria's refrain. The end of the show would follow with the inevitable Metal Crüe. One and a half hours of fun and metal with one of the best metal acts around these days.
Judas Priest
2015-08-01 22:15
The True Metal Stage was covered by a huge curtain showing Judas Priest's logo in huge size. After a somewhat lengthy wait, Black Sabbath's War Pigs sounded, right before the intro Battle Cry announced the return of the Priest! They opened with Dragonaut, off their latest Redeemer of Souls. For some reason, they all kept themselves on the back of the set except for new guy Richie Faulkner, who quickly moved to the front of the stage and showed off for all the fans. Metal Gods was next, with Rob Halford finally showing himself as he slowly moved to the front doing the robotic impersonation he always does in this song. Glenn Tipton also made his appearance upfront, for a short time, as if they were all making sure that Richie had all the attention for as much time as possible. A few oldies were played next, Devil's Child and Victim of Changes, a mix of old and new that would continue throughout the set. Halford showed at times that he's still able to make it, but most of the time he seems to enjoy changing the vocal lines and sing some of the melodies more loosely than the recorded versions. Sometimes it ok, but I wish he hadn't done that so many times over the set. One of the best moments was the epic Beyond the Realms of Death, as were, of course, Breaking the Law, with everyone singing along, and Hell Bent For Leather, with Rob entering the stage with the bike. Electric Eye would mark the return for the first encore, followed by Rob's usual moment with the crowd before You've Got Another Thing Comin'. Their second encore would bring Painkiller and they closed next with Living After Midnight. It was a great show, although for some reason it felt short for me, as if time had passed too quickly. I wish Rob would stick closer to the original with his singing but besides that small peeve of mine, it was awesome watching these guys here at Wacken.
Cradle of Filth
2015-08-02 00:15
The night was now cold and dark and we all knew we were getting closer to the end of one more Wacken. The last show at the Black Stage would bring us Cradle of Filth. The stage had a couple of huge crosses with horned skeletons in it and a lot of smoke was added, making things dark and mysterious. Dani Filth also had an odd looking mic stand, while at the back Lindsay Schoolcraft brought in a cool-looking curved keyboard. We accompanied them for one song and then quickly moved along to the Party Stage, trying to make the most of the few time we had left.
Santiano
2015-08-02 00:25
At the Party Stage we German folk rockers Santiano. These guys look old and the hour was late, but they couldn't care less and performed a really fun show, lightening up.the mood for all us glooming about the coming end of the shows. The stage had a cool-looking setup, the lights were great and they even fired some bright papers to the sky. I'm sure that if I knew how to speak German, I'd be singing along through the set!
Subway To Sally
2015-08-02 01:40
After the usual quick word by the festival organizers, the final show of this year's Wacken was about to begin at the True Metal Stage. Subway To Sally brought a lot of stuff onto the stage, including some wire fences separating the drums - and singer Eric Fish, for some time. There was a lot of fire right from the beginning and Frau Schmitt and Bodenski took advantage of that for come cool silhouettes. Again, I bit myself in the tongue for not knowing German, but still I sang along, mimicking the sounds as close as I could. The crowd was now a lot shorter but a lot of metalheads remained in front of the stage, enjoying the last few moments of the festival. The closed the set with Julia und die Räuber, and after that we dragged our legs back all the way to our tent, one final time.
The morning after came with very few tent left around us. We quickly wrapped our things up to drive back to the airport, but not before being rescued by a very nice - and prepared - woman that was kind enough to borrow us some jumper cables, drive her RV next to our car and bring our car's battery back to life. "I always bring them along and every year there's someone around that ends up using them.", she said. Thank you so much, you saved our day! As we looked around before we left, we saw the usual chaos of ripped tents, destroyed sofas, piles of bottles and leftovers and whatnot... One day our tent will also join all of these and remain in Wacken's sacred camping grounds, but it endured this year's terrible weather so well that we couldn't just leave it here - so it got packed to return home with us, thus surviving its 5th Wacken Open Air.
This was by far the toughest of our 5 Wacken Open Airs. The rain and, more than that, the very deep and ever present mud made things very difficult, and we took ages to go anywhere, always slipping and so many time so very, very close to fall and bury our asses in the mud. And yet, it ended up being very rewarding surpassing all those challenges, and watching everyone being very cautious and polite with everyone, asking if people needed any help. We noticed all the effort made by the Wacken team to try to improve the conditions and remove as many water and mud as they could, even though it was an inglorious task with all the continuous heavy rain. So, in the end, everybody made what they could to sort things up in the best way they could, and then they put a smile upon their faces and made sure that this wouldn't stop them from having a hell of a lot of fun. After all... This is Wacken - Rain or Shine!
This was by far the toughest of our 5 Wacken Open Airs. The rain and, more than that, the very deep and ever present mud made things very difficult, and we took ages to go anywhere, always slipping and so many time so very, very close to fall and bury our asses in the mud. And yet, it ended up being very rewarding surpassing all those challenges, and watching everyone being very cautious and polite with everyone, asking if people needed any help. We noticed all the effort made by the Wacken team to try to improve the conditions and remove as many water and mud as they could, even though it was an inglorious task with all the continuous heavy rain. So, in the end, everybody made what they could to sort things up in the best way they could, and then they put a smile upon their faces and made sure that this wouldn't stop them from having a hell of a lot of fun. After all... This is Wacken - Rain or Shine!