• EUPHORIC BOOZE •
[Dajana] The PARTY SAN METAL OPEN AIR is sticking to the early festival start on Thursday and the additional full service in the tent. I still think it's terrible and a shame for the bands that are being wasted at this early hour. This means that 10 bands already fall through for me on the first day of the festival, especially as the playing times overlap and I also have to be in the respective photo pit on time.
[Öko] I can only agree with that! Fewer bands and no overlaps would be better. I'm also of the opinion that a festival doesn't have to go on until 1 am every day. By the third day at the latest, I really don't need that anymore.
:: pics :: BASTARD GRAVE ::
[Dajana] Arrived, pitched the tent and stormed onto the infield to drink a first black Köstritzer. It's a must! I took the opportunity to check out the charming Swedish :: BASTARD GRAVE ::. Death metal to warm soul and fingers up. There's no better way to start a festival ;) And now let's really arrive and say hello to all the friends, quaffing more beers and other stuff ;)
Band: Tiago Dias (vox), Andreas Hjorth (git), Daniel Persson (git), Maria Jonsson (bass), Peter Johansson (drums)
Setlist: Translucent Visions, Drowning In An Ocean Of Bile, Necrotic Ecstasy, Diorama Of Human Suffering, Icon Bearer, Sunder The Earth, Ascensao Carnal, Consumed And Forgotten, Life In The Sewers
[Dajana] I had actually expected :: ETERNAL CHAMPION :: to put their live activities on hold, at least for the summer, after bassist Brad Raub died unexpectedly at the end of May at the age of only 36. But well... I haven't seen them, only heard them ;)
[BRT] Due to a traffic jam in the accreditation zone, we also missed a few bands at first, but then got to the stage reasonably early for ETERNAL CHAMPION. The guys from Austin, Texas are a force to be reckoned with live, even if they haven't quite reached the heights of Visigoth yet. Even here at the holy airport, the guys give their all. Also, or perhaps precisely because ETERNAL CHAMPION are quite out of the ordinary, their performance is great.
[Öko] On the main stage, there was a remarkable break with the previous style when ETERNAL CHAMPION appeared. The band, which has dedicated itself more to classic heavy metal, initially seemed like a foreign body in the festival line-up. But it was precisely because of this contrast that they stood out, and the change of pace actually brought a welcome freshness to the festival.
Band: Jason Tarpey (vox), John Powers (git), Arthur Rizk (drums, git)
:: pics :: VLTIMAS ::
[Dajana] Well, that's a very early hour for a band like :: VLTIMAS ::. On the other hand, David Vincent has to play again at a later hour, so the afternoon gig makes sense. And it was fun too ;)
[BRT] VLTIMAS still fly a bit under the radar despite the star cast. Maybe it's just too musical for the underground riot specialists? The debut album was great, and the new one, Epic, impresses with great songwriting, hidden hard rock quotes and really cool vocals from Mr. Vincent. Live it might be a bit unspectacular, as the guys just stand around and there's very little action on stage. But the songs were great, especially the hit Invictus.
Oh, Flo Mournier was unable to play, so Mr. Pawel Jaroszewicz, who would later also drum for Batushka, was presumably on the drums instead.
[Seb] I arrived on Thursday by bus & train via Erfurt and Mühlhausen, for the first time daringly taking a regular bus instead of the official shuttle (I would have had to wait another hour in the glowing hell at Mühlhausen station) - many thanks at this point to the bus driver who dropped me off unscheduled directly in front of the press office and the other visitors in front of the main entrance!
After a good hour of queuing and the subsequent heavy-packed march to the camp, VLTIMAS were the first band I was able to see in peace. The international band around Dave Vincent and former Mayhem guitarist Blasphemer had already impressed me on the tour for their debut album, and this gig was also a success. Although I found the first album stronger than the current long player Epic (maybe I'm too much of a riot specialist, hihi), this album also comes across quite powerfully live. .
Band: David Vincent (vox), Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen (git), João Duarte (git), Ype TWS (bass), Flo Mounier (drums)
[BRT] Meanwhile, in the tent :: IMHA TARIKAT :: give a taste of their impressive live qualities. When you say “on fire” here, you're absolutely right on that. Of course, the quartet around Kerem Yilmaz benefits a little from the fact that there are some big names on stage: besides Marvin from Hexer and Ricardo from The Night Eternal, there is also Jerome Reil, son of Kreator's Ventor. But the band doesn't rest on its laurels - it's full throttle, dedication and energy. A great live band and anyone who hasn't heard the latest album Hearts Unchained - At War With A Passionless World has certainly missed one of the strongest black metal releases of recent years. Catch up!
[Öko] The PARTY SAN METAL OPEN AIR is known for offering young, up-and-coming and still relatively unknown bands the opportunity to gain festival experience. This was the case, for example, for IMHA TARIKAT and ROPE SECT, who are normally to be found in the underground scis opportunity with sometimes more (IMHA TARIKAT), sometimes less (ROPE SECT) ene, but here, both of them had the opportunity to rock the packed tent. And both bands took advantage of thsuccess.
[Seb] The first black metal band of the day (for me) were the German-Turkish (rather a rarity, at least in my experience) IMHA TARIKAT on the Tent Stage. After almost a decade of existence, three albums and, above all, with the highly acclaimed 2022 Hearts Unchained - At War With A Passionless World in their luggage, the band/project, which currently only officially consists of frontman Ruhsuz Cellât, has long been more than just an insider tip. In front of an enormous audience for the Tent Stage (most of the time the tent was filled almost up to the bar at the other end), IMHA TARIKAT offered fast, sometimes bludgeoning black metal without any superfluous frills - that's how I like it as a “prelude”. I was particularly taken with the tracks from the “current” album, which in my opinion is Cellât's strongest album to date. I'm curious to see if and when - assuming the quality remains the same - we'll see IMHA TARIKAT on the main stage at a future edition of PSOA..
Band: Ruhsuz Cellât (Kerem Yilmaz - vox, git), Marvin Giehr (git), Ricardo Baum (bass), Jerome Reil (drums)
:: pics :: SADUS ::
[BRT] That is difficult. The first three :: SADUS :: records are incredibly important to me, I have fond memories of the gig at the blessed Attack in 1991 as Morbid Angel's support band. But I have a hard time with the newer records. Let's put it this way, I'd like to like them better... Same feelings with the SADUS gig. Unfortunately, it left me cold. Why? I can't even say exactly. Basically, it was solid to good, but I somehow didn't like it. Maybe that was also due to the much more unbridled Imha Tarikat in the tent at almost the same time...
[Dajana] I say SADUS were awesome! The guys really had fun on stage, had a lot to laugh about. Must have been a good joke... The 20-minute delay wasn't so cool, this way SADUS also cut their own set short.
[Seb] At first, SADUS caused chaos: While the manager and stagehands scurried around helplessly, nothing happened for a full 25 minutes after the scheduled start, before the show kicked off without any explanation or announcement. In my opinion, SADUS could have at least responded to this briefly, especially as this would subsequently lead to conflicts of interest with the Tent Stage for many fans: the delay that had built up was of course not fully recouped for the rest of the evening - otherwise SADUS would not have been allowed to play for 20 minutes.
The band opened with Sadus Attack to the first, in the light and weather rather unimpressive pyros and put on an overall experienced performance. Unless I'm very much mistaken, most of the songs were either from the “brand new” 2023 album The Shadow Inside or from Illusions, the now 36-year-old debut album. I wouldn't listen to thrash metal at home anymore, but fortunately it's a whole different ball game live and SADUS are undoubtedly masters of their craft. It's understandable that the current album was emphasized, but a few more old hits like Hands Of Fate would have been nice. .
Band: Darren Travis (vox, git), Claudeous Creamer (git), Bobby Real (bass), Jon Allen (drums)
[BRT] :: ROPE SECT :: from Germany are somehow an insider tip and of a certain underground fame. Somehow almost everyone knows and appreciates this band, which is only active on the fringes of the metal spectrum. Of course, post-punk is the order of the day here, or to be more precise, the slightly more death-rock-like version of it. I really like it on record, but here on the tent stage the vocals sound very monotonous and one-dimensional and the magic of the songs fizzles out a little. A great band, but it's not the first time I've noticed that the legions of Ian Curtis soundalikes (or wannabes) (especially live) simply don't exude much vocal charisma. A bit of a shame. Well, it sounds much better on record.
Band: Immisher (git. & voc.), Harbinger (bass), Gaarentwynder (git.), Redeemer (drums)
Setlist: Fallen Nation, Mementote, Death Is Your Lover, Rattenkönig, Knives, Divide et Impera, Quietus, Revel In Disguise, Rope Of The Just
:: pics :: THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER ::
[Dajana] I was looking forward to the show of :: THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER :: with mixed feelings. Fronter Trevor Strnad, who passed away in 2022, was a very charismatic personality, also the sole lyricist and would be hard to replace. Now guitarist Brian Eschbach has taken over the mic and is doing a pretty good job. But I'm still not entirely convinced...
[BRT] First of all, I haven't really liked THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER so far. I found the records too stressful, especially the very compressed sound gave me a headache. I can't say whether the band has lost any of its uniqueness due to the death of their singer Trevor Strnad. This was my first (conscious?) BLACK DAHLIA MURDER gig. And I was surprised. The band has an unbridled power. Founding member Brian Eschbach has charisma and a powerful voice. The gig was simply fun, even if I probably won't become a fan now...
[Seb] THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER interested me only marginally at best. Sounded quite mature and OK from the camp, in fact the sound was amazingly clear, but at some point you want to set up the tent, pour a drink and rest your feet a bit.
[Öko] After a strong performance before, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER took to the stage. The last time I had seen the band was in 2018, back then without Brian Eschbach as vocalist. While the instrumentalists took the festival by storm as expected, the new frontman's stage presence seemed rather reserved and at times a little awkward as he wandered across the stage. Overall, however, the gig was surprisingly good! But I surely won’t become a big fan of the band’s recordings.
Band: Brian Eschbach (vox), Ryan Knight (git), Brandon Ellis (git), Max Lavelle (bass), Alan Cassidy (drums)
:: pics :: LEFT TO DIE ::
[Öko] Terry Butler and Rick Rozz, two of the founding fathers of the genre and former members of the band being paid homage to, led this apocalyptic ceremony. Their years of experience and mastery were reflected in every riff. Together they created an unshakeable wall of sound that crushed all resistance. Younger fans may wonder if the old death songs will pack the same punch as those who were around in the 80s and 90s when Chuck Schuldiner was still alive. But :: LEFT TO DIE :: didn't just play these classics - they united a community and created an unbreakable bond between band and audience. GREAT!!!
[Dajana] I'm just wondering if, when and where I saw Death live back in the day... Hm, no idea. A certain magic is certainly still there, but LEFT TO DIE don't leave such a deep impact and impression as Death did back then. Again, very little dynamics on stage, little stage acting...
[Seb] I was a big Death fan before I was later drawn to Black Metal and I still have all the original CDs on my shelf today. Over time, I've of course also seen one or two “official” tribute bands with former members in the line-up, but none of them had completely knocked me off my feet yet. I was therefore quite curious to see whether LEFT TO DIE (with the original band members Rick Rozz and Terry Butler (both represented on the Leprosy)) would be able to break this mold. And they actually did, and how! As announced, LEFT TO DIE limited themselves to the first two death albums Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy and thus the least technically sophisticated (some would say least fiddly) phase of the band - which I have absolutely no problem with. While the later albums are all good to great, the first two albums are bursting with raw energy and so many classics that it's more than enough for a 45-minute set. From Choke On It, Open Casket and the eponymous track Left To Die to the final Zombie Ritual, one banger followed another and the audience was thrilled. LEFT TO DIE nailed the characteristic sound of both albums and played the songs almost perfectly throughout. However, there is a slight criticism to be made of the stage presence: I know you don't get any younger as a metal legend, but it did seem a bit static. In addition, I might have thrown in one or two more songs from Scream Bloody Gore, but considering that Rozz and Butler have only been around since Leprosy, the focus on this album is of course understandable.
[BRT] I missed it too... Why? I don't know, but presumably the terribly exaggerated euphoria drinking was already affecting my condition. Well, of course I'm a Death fan and was able to see the band live twice with Mr. Schuldiner. Whether it needs the umpteenth cover band of the old stuff is a moot point.....
Band: Terry Butler (Bass), Rick Rozz (Gitarre), Matt Harvey (Vocals), Gus Rios (Gitarre) Setlist:
:: pics :: RITUAL DEATH ::
[Seb] Here we were somehow in the wrong film on the first day (and partly because of the Sadus delay) and were already expecting Shammasch on stage. But it wasn't bad at all, the mistake turned out to be a stroke of luck, because the Norwegians from :: RITUAL DEATH :: put on a damn good show. I love the PSOA for surprises like this, because this is one of the bands that was just “small” enough to fly under my radar, but is definitely good enough to play at a festival like this. The set mainly consisted of songs from the 2022 self-titled debut Ritual Death and the album will definitely have a playthrough in my home player soon.
It should be noted that singer Wraath's costume didn't have the effect it was supposed to have on me: it looked less threatening than like a doll or, at best, a shrunken head that was "floating" over the black robe in the semi-darkness, haha.
[BRT] One of the bands that I annoyingly missed. I've seen them live before and found them very strong. RITUAL DEATH are one of the countless bands from the Nidrosian/Trondheim black metal scene, where every musician has at least 3-5 bands under his belt and hardly any of them are bad...
[Dajana] I was also very pleasantly surprised and happy to have gone to the tent for supposedly Schammasch ;) The sound in the tent is really good. Better than on the main stage.
Band: Wraath (voc, git), Lord Nathas (bass), Nosophoros (drums)
:: pics :: DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT ::
[Dajana] I've never been able to get anything out of this band. Onielar's voice gets soooo uncomfortable under your skin, it's no fun (which is probably intentional ;)) ! Nevertheless, I found the show very impressive. Or rather, intense, with a force that physically grips you. Even on this big stage. Respect for that.
[BRT] Rather difficult, which is mainly due to the fact that :: DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT :: was quite dull and almost only high-speed. There was a lack of dynamics and variety. Even though the stage outfit looked quite cool, I quickly fled again…
[Öko] I agree with BRT. Looked good, was also musically good for 3-4 songs, but then it just got too monotonous at some point.
[Seb] I don't even know how many times DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT have been at the PSOA now, but it looked practically exactly as I remembered it from the last time (must have been before Onielar's illness). The band plays very decent black metal, but for me it's more suitable for a club stage than a festival like this, I have to say. It wasn't disappointing, but it wasn't anything special for a festival like this either.
Band: Onielar ( vox, git), Velnias (git), R. K. (bass), Horrn (drums) Setlist:
:: pics :: SCHAMMASCH ::
[Seb] The day's finale on the Tent Stage and :: SCHAMMASCH :: lived up to all expectations. Although only half of the band appeared in corpse paint and hoods, there was nothing else to complain about (in my opinion at least the part with the hoods was starting to wear out as a gimmick...). There was darker Black Metal with a number of excellent mid-tempo passages, unfortunately too short despite the headliner spot in the tent and in "direct competition" with the main stage due to the breakdown at Sadus: SCHAMMASCH definitely deserved a bigger audience, but the crowd was divided on the two black metal bands. If you don't know anything about the band yet, I'd like to recommend the two numbers Ego Sum Omega and Golden Light that stand out from the set for me.
[Öko] SCHAMMASCH, an absolute cult band, was chosen as the headliner for the Tentstage on the first day. The tent filled up quickly as the late hour approached and the tension in the audience grew. It was foreseeable that SCHAMMASCH would only be able to play 4 to 5 songs in the limited time available - and also that the time would fly by. The setlist turned out to be a veritable hit list: Ego Sum Omega, Golden Light, Consensus, A Paradigm Of Beauty and the epic Metanoia were masterfully performed. As packed as the audience was, so intense was the mystical atmosphere that SCHAMMASCH created with their sprawling and artistic compositions. Absolutely worth seeing, absolutely magical, magnificent - and of course over far too soon. Best band of the day!
[Dajana] Yes, SCHAMMASCH were great! I really like their albums, I just hadn't seen them live for a very long time, which is a real shame. The sound was great, but unfortunately there's always little to see (and photograph) in the tent. Too much fog, too little light, or just fog and no light at all or fog and red light...
Band: C.S.R (vox, git), B.A.W (drums), M.A. (git), J.B. (git), P.D. (bass)
Setlist: Ego Sum Omega, Golden Light, Consensus, A Paradigm Of Beauty, Metanoia
:: pics :: TERRORIZER ::
[BRT] Well, :: TERRORIZER :: is apparently one of those bands of which there are several versions. I don't want to say which one is the best, but here Oscar Garcia is missing on the vocals. But well, the LA foursome comes across much better than expected, but fails a little due to the washed-out sound. There's no real action on stage here either, which is actually a shame, as the band lives a little from the big names Vincent and Sandoval. But one thing's for sure, the band hasn't come up with a serious follow-up to the world cultural album World Downfall.
[Seb] Highly praised by many, I only listened to TERRORIZER while sitting down and mainly from the beer garden diagonally behind the sound system - simply to recharge my batteries. I quite liked it as background sound, but I can't contribute much more …
[Dajana] I really had a lot of fun! Right, the sound was garbage, kind of blown away by the wind. There was action too, even if it wasn't “visible”, after all Pete “Commando” Sandoval is behind the skins. This man is a beast on the drums. Apart from that, the show was very static and routine, yes, but still great. So!
But it could also have been the euphoria drinking... ;)
At least they played World Downfall in its entirety ;)
[Öko] THE disappointment of the first day! Didn't sound like TERRORIZER at all, at least not like the beloved World Downfall - TERRORIZER! Since all other albums of the band pass me by, this one was absolutely nothing. After half of the songs, I preferred to go drinking beer.
Band: Brian Werner (vox), Richie Brown (git), David Vincent (bass), Pete Sandoval (drums)
Setlist: Hordes Of Zombies, After World Obliteration, Storm Of Stress, Fear Of Napalm, Human Prey, Corporation Pull-In, Strategic Warheads, Condemned System, Resurrection, Enslaved By Propaganda, Need To Live, Ripped To Shreds, Injustice, Whirlwind Struggle, Infestation, Dead Shall Rise, Evolving Era, State Of Mind, Crematorium, Nightmares
:: pics :: ABBATH ::
[Dajana] Yeah, :: ABBATH :: put on a really big stage show for their headlining slot. They used all the pyros, CO2 jets and fireworks the PSOA had to offer. That was a real blast! Abbath, aka Olve Eikemo must have had a lot of fun ;)
[Seb] I've seen ABBATH several times since his split from Immortal, but I haven't been able to enjoy a complete Immortal set from him yet. The change-over was used, among other things, to stretch ABBATH's portrait (of course in his unmistakable corpse paint) as a "front drop" (is that what you call it?) across the entire stage. What can I say, I couldn't have chosen the songs better myself. The master himself was in a great mood and the drums (nothing against Horgh) were better than what I've ever heard live in an original Immortal set. I was particularly happy about the combination of Withstand The Fall Of Time and At The Heart Of Winter from the album of the same name: Since this was once the only CD that was released on several nightly trips between Jena and the then venue Bad Berka due to the festival being drowned was tangible, for me the album is inextricably linked to the PSOA.
Of course, the less serious song announcements couldn't be missed, so Sons Of Nothern Darkness and Tyrants, among others, were ushered in with some laughter. It felt like it was far too early and it was over at exactly one o'clock with the encore ("want more of this shit?") Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark). An all-round successful ending to an overall strong first day at PSOA 2024.
[Öko] ABBATH closed the first day with his Immortal set and probably delivered the show of his life. Although two more reports will follow for the other days, it can already be revealed at this point: ABBATH was an absolute highlight of the entire festival. In an already impressive line-up, his performance clearly stood out. After this successful first day, we were able to retire to the campsite feeling extremely satisfied.
Band: Abbath (vox, git), Ole André Farstad (git), Ukri Suvilehto (drums)
Setlist: Mount North, The Call Of The Wintermoon, Sons Of Northern Darkness, Norden On Fire, One By One, Damned In Black, In My Kingdom Cold, Tyrants, Withstand The Fall of Time, At The Heart Of Winter, The Sun No Longer Rises, Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)
[Dajana] So the first day of the festival comes to an end, and I slump into my tent, righteously tired.
[BRT] My alarm bells started ringing at some point and I left, but too late... I woke up with my boots on, lying on my sleeping bag with a veritable hangover... Phew, always this euphoric drinking on the first day...
[Seb] I like to leave the party tent to the younger people... it's going to be a short night...
[Öko] My highlights of the first day: SCHAMMASCH, LEFT TO DIE, ABBATH
|
