• Mainstage • At The Gates - Sodom - Taake - Immolation - Grave - Niefelheim - Memoriam - Suicidal Angels - Sulphur Aeon - Svarttjern - Iron Reagan - Rectal Smegma

• Tent Stage • Drowned - Rebaelliun - Weak Aside - Mor Dagor - Mosaic - Asomvel

[BRT] Buuuuuh. Dizzling rain the entire morning, ice cold water in the showers… there were quite a lot people wishing the hot temperatures of last year’s edition back. I didn’t care. To watch bands the plain weather wasn’t the worst. Condition was surprisingly great and the beer at breakfast pleasantly cold.
[Dajana] I agree. To get up wasn’t a difficult task. The rainy night kept me away from alcoholic excesses. So, a beer at 12am was a real pleasure. By the way, the dear festival community got its wake-up call every morning at 11 am with a cannon shot (while a siren sent us to sleep at night).

:: Pics ::

[BRT] Friday. 12 am. It became a tradition that the two main festival days gets opened by a Grindcore(-fun) band. This year it was up to Czech Grind masters :: SPASM :: to entertain the crowd. And they did. At this early hour many fans were already up, dressed in more or less goofy or absurd costumes and show-off-attitudes. Singer Radim was strutting the stage in a Borat-styled mankini and a penis mask. Wouldn’t call that a pleasant view. Musically there was nothing to nag about: a blunt, brutal and nonsensical Death/Grindcore massacre. It was fun for a half hour, then we had enough.
[Dajana] Well… hahahaha… Aesthetically beautiful this show was not ;) It wasn’t intended either. I liked it. Was pure fun. Had a good laugh. But I agree, more than a half hour would be torturing *laughs*.

[BRT] What a turn afterwards. Oslo-based :: ISVIND :: play Norwegian old school Black Metal (what else? - Dajana). Straight, asskicking and without frills. A bit too monotonous perhaps, although the one or the other melody scored. I like them more on a smaller club stage.

[BRT] Uiiii, Russian :: KATALEPSY :: really went all out. A Brutal/Slam-Death Metal is hardly to find on a PSOA billing. Maybe that’s the reason why they so amazingly went down well. Also technically the Moscow guys were awesome. But why this Mike Muir look-alike look of singer Igor? Ok, joke aside. Compared to all the umpteen dull ultra-deep growling singers in that genre, Igor scored with his aggressive brutality-styled shouting. KATALEPSY used their playing time to the max and left a very positive impression. Chapeau! Oh, and by the way… the band’s debut Autopsychosis is really a strong record!
[Dajana] Hell, yeah! KATALEPSY truly blew me away! What a fucking awesome band! Well, the Muir-look was eye-catching, sure, but it was ok, it was kind of suiting ;) And the guys could jump! High. To me, KATALEPSY was the most surprising band of the festival.

[BRT] With :: GOATWHORE :: the first of my fave bands entered the stage. Way too early but again with an uncompromising and absolutely convincing live show. Awesome! Guitarist Sam is one friendly contemporary and singer L.Ben Falgoust II is one of the most charismatic frontmen I know. And there is another huge advantage: compared to many other bands, GOATWHORE really rock! Despite their asskicking blend of Black-/Death- and Thrash Metal, GOATWHORE also own a distinct note of Motörhead/Venom, perfectly made to start banging your head. Great! First highlight!
[Dajana] Yes, nothing further to add. After Katalepsy, second highlight of the day!

[BRT] Next up were the Swedes of :: WOLFBRIGADE ::, a band I was specially looking for: Swedish Crustpunk-Death Metal with a proper punch of Rock’n’Roll and a few melodies to please your ears. The guys didn’t take any prisoners and blew everything away with raw D-beats, while the crowd was headbanging their heads off. Definitely THE highlight of the festival!
[Dajana] Well… dunno. Here I was out. Wasn’t really my cup of beer, so to say. Besides, beer and whiskey took its toll and resulted in a certain afternoon-weakness that let me drop out for 4 bands unintended (the plan was to take a break for one band or so ;)).

[BRT] I had to pass on :: OBSCURA ::. Despite my fondness for progressive sounds, live I can’t do anything with the Bavarian guys. Too aloof, too distant it felt what they did there on stage. It works much better on CD.

[BRT] :: BÖLZER :: on stage huge stage? Not the best idea. There was no stage-acting, and, after nonstop touring the last 3, 4 years, playing at every crossroad BÖLZER revealed erosions at the margins. As enthusiastic I was in the beginning about this band, as less I don’t care these days.

[BRT] For many, :: ANGELCORPSE :: were somewhat of a secret headliner, a surprising band a lot of people were looking for. And many were curious how the reunited Death Metal veterans may sound these days live on stage. To be honest… I found them deadly boring, dreary and increasingly bothering. Could have been due to the bad sound and the unappealing charisma…

[Dajana] Ok, woke up. Back to business and :: EQUILIBRIUM :: live on stage… *yawns*. Damn, I should have slept longer… I’m out of all this Folk/Viking/Humppa Metal stuff for ages. I’m never been a fan of EQUILIBRIUM and especially singer Robse plaqued me with his drivel. At least they had a proper pyro show to offer, so that the new bass player Makki got baptized by fire.

[Dajana] I did my job and then switched over to :: DECEMBRE NOIR :: in the tent. The heavy melancholic Death/Doom metallers from Erfurt already convinced with the debut A Discouraged Believer. Now, the show here at PSOA 2016 was at the same time the release show for the band’s sophomore, Forsaken Earth, which again left a strong impression. Fans of bands such as Swallow The Sun should give them a try.

[BRT] The pressure fuelling since 10am meanwhile took its toll on me too. Seems I passed out in my car for quite some time ;) It took till :: DYING FETUS :: to occupy my regular place in front of stage.
[Dajana] Just to continue the interrupted pressure fuelling… DYING FETUS without beer would be utmost nonsense ;)
[BRT] I’m not too familiar with their records, but what saw here live on stage was really great. The trio was kicking asses with full force, competent and absolutely tight. I get many bands in mind that could learn a thing or two from them. And DYING FETUS had a killing sound. Just Wow!
[Dajana] Yes, I like to listen to them too. The only thing that narrows the pleasure a little bit is that music is so challenging that there is hardly any stage acting. As I said, a great listening pleasure. And a great pleasure to drink the next beer…

[BRT] Me and :: EXODUS ::… sorry, this is not going to happen.
[Dajana] No instruction needed anymore. I haven’t seen EXODUS anymore since Rob Dukes was fired. So I was quite curious to see the new old singer Steve "Zetro" Souza performing. At least he’s the more likeable guy ;) Gary Holt was absent, still touring with Slayer anywhere else on this planet. Instead we had Kragen Lum on guitar and thus the half line-up of Heathen live on stage ;)

[BRT] In 2012 :: CARCASS :: have been an outstanding headliner and THE highlight of the PSOA. Anno 2016 I found them over-routined and sluggish. Sound was average and it needed time till CARCASS played songs from Symphonies Of Sickness, such as Exhume To Consume and Reek Of Putrefaction before I started enjoying the show. Maybe CARCASS should play one or two festivals less?
[Dajana] Yep, you have a point there. I really adored them playing the PARTY SAN OPEN AIR in 2014 and during their following tour. And again the played a great show at PSOA 2016 and I enjoyed this show, just without that overwhelming enthusiasm. It’s nothing special anymore to see CARCASS playing live. Sound was average, yes, as it was the whole day, often due to the weather conditions. There was a lot of wind blowing the sound away. And lights… is commonly bad at every band from the blue hour on, as long there no fires, pyros or CO jets involved.

[Dajana] Ok guys and girls. Second day of PARTY SAN OPEN AIR 2016 done. Good night folks.
[BRT] Actually… didn’t we want to take over the party tent? But it seemed this idea already pegged out in the alcoholic fog we were strolling in…

story © BRT & Dajana • pics © Dajana & Dajana Winkel • Photography