Taxidermist - Exodus - Insomnium - Forgotten Tomb - Skyforger - Rectal Smegma - Harakiri For The Sky - Steel Engraved - Age Of Agony - Insanity Alert - Mosfet - Stormrage - Pray For Pain

11:30 12:00 :: PRAY FOR PAIN :: - Brutal Death in the morning is a nice breakfast for 66,6 early birds, because the band integrates grinding, abrading sequences, which shake the tired bones and infuse adrenaline to the sleepy body - PRAY FOR PAIN are a nice opening act!
Setlist: Drowned And Pound, Kill A Man, Budan, Daddy´s Home, Don´t Expect Mercy, Deflowered At Birth, Fuck Feminism, Soul Sellout

12:20 12:50 :: STORMRAGE :: - I did not know STORMRAGE, so the strong concert is quite a surprise, caused by felicitous twin-guitar-duels and fine tappings. Hurry up guys, it is time for a record, because we can enjoy a video only and that’s not enough! The vocalist shows up as bone-man and delivers a nice job, especially the posing is his speciality, I remember his microphone holder as inverted cross besides sympathetic word concerning one missing member:” Our bassist is that short you cannot see him” – I see the group got fun on stage.

13:10 13:40 :: MOSFET :: - What a pity that MOSFET call it quits after this gig, the better way would be to continue, to change the name and add another T at the end :) Fine Deathlike Thrash’n’Roll fits a festival best and everyone moves and moshes, because you have to act because of the grabbing grooves during songs like Road Song, which swings and stomps directly to hell. I am glad to get the opportunity to see this ultimate show – thanks for this farewell MOSFET(T) performance!

14:00 14:40 :: INSANITY ALERT :: - Precise Thrash with cool stops, garnished with funny, weird announcements from a discreet hysteric vocalist and many requisites care for entertainment and the audience follows demands like “MOSH” written on boards. I do not expect surprises or light-bulb-moments, but the music animates to drink beer and abducts you to the beach. Besides, the band shows how integration works, because the line-up consists of members from Slovenia, England as well as Tyrol – not to forget the only German on the area, because there seems to be none among the visitors or does not dare to raise his hand after being asked. In the end, everyone runs to the pit and moshes for his life!
Setlist: Glorious Thrash, Twist Off Betrayal, Desinfektor, Crucified By Zombies, Zongo Vs. Eyeball, Alcohol (Gang Green Cover), The Claw (Of All That Is Evil), F.U.N., Weedgrinder, Blunt In/Blunt Out, Confessions Of A Crabman, Pact With Satan, Macaroni Maniac, Mankind Eraser, Run To The Pit

15:00 15:40 :: AGE OF AGONY :: - Now beach party time is over and a steamroller from Hungary levels the area, reminding me of a mixture of Bolt Thrower and Cannibal Corpse, enriched by short guitar solos. I really like the slower measures a bit more, because they flatten the ground. Best example is the song Stormtroopers, taken from the latest album For The Forgotten. Viscous lava eruptions burn a trace into my memory.

16:00 16:40 :: STEEL ENGRAVED :: - Now I would have the chance to listen to rare Power Metal, but the weather is quite unfriendly, because heaven opens and the raindrops keep falling and falling, mixed up with high screams and driving Metal, but unfortunately only witnessed from the far away – sorry guys!

17:00 17:40 :: HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY :: - Just a few minutes before stage time, it is dry again and the sound magicians got best conditions. HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY are one of the best bands nowadays talking about emotional music – and they offer an intuitive highlight. For me, the delightful composition Jhator sticks out, because of its sensational acoustic passage, responsible for a glowing star on the Black/Post Metal firmament with goose pimps factor 10. Wonderful melodies and extremely calm, fragile sequences intertwine with dynamic explosions, just to culminate to instrumental multi-layer gorgeousness…the fan bangs, wallows, raises his fists, no matter if altogether or one action after another, it pure magic!
Setlist: Calling The Rain, Burning From Both Ends, Funeral Dreams, Lungs Filled With Water, Jhator

18:00 18:40 :: RECTAL SMEGMA :: - Some connoisseurs told me crazy stories about RECTAL SMEGMA, but the presented sound is not that fast, sick and mad like assumed, maybe the guys are getting old and tempered, who knows? Grinding fun Metal without deeper sense, social message or musical finesses – that’s all, nuff said.

19:00 19:50 :: SKYFORGER :: - Oh man, these accentuated speeches of singer Peter are really nice and conjure up a smile on my face while he talks about war or witches. In addition, this kind of music is just made for a festival, but the Folk touch is reduced because of the missing flutes, which added the certain something. Nevertheless, the multi-vocal arrangements balance this deficit and the swinging tracks integrate danceable rhythms, far away from Humppa kitsch fortunately!

20:10 21:00 :: FORGOTTEN TOMB :: - The sentiments turns completely again and the melancholic masters offer an arsenal of bittersweet, fine chiselled background melodies, but also act like damn cool rockers. All songs breathe an overwhelming atmosphere, similar to the one like Katatonia used to create in awesome style on their first two albums. Consequently, the eerie Italians play like there is no tomorrow and carry the listener far away to an acoustic journey to absolute darkness.

21:30 22:40 :: INSOMNIUM :: - Wow, the vibe is stunning, the responsive audience is in best condition and celebrates the Finnish heroes round birthday boy Niilo boundlessly. Chants, cheers and ecstatic jumps are provokes by demanding sounds, just like relaxed and enjoying listening or speechless astonishment. I am overwhelmed by the down-to-earth impression, despite the problems with the equipment, but there is no feeling of bad mood! Weather The Storm or Ephemeral are hammer songs without doubt and typical Nordic gloom goes together with rampant steam-roller-power. The egregious music misses out striking show elements, but leaves deep marks. It is hard to believe how fast these 70 minutes pass by that quickly…

23:10 00:30 :: EXODUS :: - It seems that EXODUS want to break a new record concerning volume, because a few locals tell me about eminently loud acoustic irradiation around midnight. Of course, it is necessary to enjoy Thrash classics like Bonded By Blood or A Lesson In Violence in appropriate sound intensity, thanks for understanding!
Setlist: The Ballad of Leonard And Charles, Blood In Blood Out, Scar Spangled Banner, And Then There Were None, Children Of A Worthless God, Piranha, Deranged, Exodus, Body Harvest, A Lesson In Violence, Blacklist, War Is My Shepherd, Bonded By Blood, The Toxic Waltz, Strike Of The Beast

00:50 01:30 :: TAXIDERMIST :: - Two characteristics are typical for TAXIDERMIST: the interesting changeover-vocals of growls and screeches as well as the variable speed, ranging from hyper-fast to viscous like chewing gum. It is cool, that some maniacs attend to the show after the previous Thrash show.

story © Leo • photos © Elisabeth Eichmüller for earshot.at