[Psycho] I in fact was emphatically invited to party and to share the carpet at Andy’s hotel suite but I preferred my own bed. Since I live nearby I so had a much relaxed start into this Saturday morning.
[Dajana] Yep, we had a hell of a party and we used the hotel comfort. Hahahaha. Not on Andy’s carpet nota bene, we had our own room two doors ahead (with Enslaved in between). No real hangovers next day but we sure had some start-up difficulties ;) BUT… on time we stood, probably looking much knackered but ready, in the photo-pit to welcome the first band of festival day #2!

:: pics ::

[Dajana] And the opening act came from Switzerland :: DREAMSHADE :: had to face a barely filled Amphitheater. But luckily the sun brought the one and the other back down to the area. Also a flock of worshipping kids followed. Must have been a fan club… Musically we got treated with melodic Death Metal, the Swedish-styled a lá Soilwork. No keyboards on stage but I actually did not miss them. Sound had a gruffer approach than on their debut CD What Silence Hide, where keys are much in the foreground. Ok guys, I’m awake now ;)
[Wiebke] I’m not. Coffee did not unfold its effect yet. Although DREAMSHADE had their moments I rather get stuck with the originals.

[Psycho] It seems like there are hordes of young bands these days dedicated to the legacy of 80s metal music. If someone would have told me that 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed any word of that… But here we go and :: IN SOLUTUDE :: is one of these bands. They looked like having raided wardrobe and LP collection of their parents and decided for Merciful Fate afterwards. Aesthetic choice, but not really stringent regarding music and live performance. Solid show but IN SOLITUDE still did not tap their full potential. Also their singing needs some improvement.
[Dajana] I’d like to suppose that the singer’s voice was a thing due to his “condition”. Maybe he was drunk, maybe he was stoned, maybe both of them… and a little bit too intentionally agro.
[Psycho] What already struck me here was the fact that the crowd was already bigger, even as later in the evening the last day.
[Wiebke] “Twee guys” was my first thought ;) But yeah, they rocked out like hell. Too bad is was so bright and sunny…

[Psycho] Next up is :: DISBELIEF :: a band that has a very own style and permanently releases strong records. And though it seems they still have difficulties to progress. That might be due to all these line-up changes that always caused sort of a break. Maybe DISBELIEF just got the doubled portion of bad luck. It seems they get tracked by this, struggling through technical problems at the beginning of their show. The intro didn’t work, then there was only the backline but not the PA working during A Place To Hide. That’s of course poison for the DISBELIEF sound, which not least lives from its tremendous impact. Thankfully problems could be solved quickly. Singer Jagger, as a longtime Rock Hard fan, was visibly touched to play finally this festival and impressed the fans with his unbelievably brutal and emotional singing. Live performance was much lively and so, all together, the band gained respectable results from the audience. But I have also seen much better DISBELIEF shows.
[Dajana] Yes, too bad that things turned out like that. If a band would have deserved to play this festival than DISBELIEF. But I’d say they made the best out of this situation and delivered a good show. Drummer Corny seemed to have a hell of fun behind his kit, also new guitarist Wolfgang Rothbauer cut a good figure. Only Alex I think could let his hair down a bit more ;)
[Wiebke] Not enough movement? He was moshing all the time!
Setlist: A Place To Hide, Sick, Rewind It All, The Last Force: Attack!, Misery, Hate/Aggression Schedule, Navigator, Room 309

[Psycho] When :: EPICA :: got into their set I left to get me some food. Sorry, not my cup of tea, although I have to certify that they are beyond doubts when it comes to their technical skills. Sometime later I dropped by again and found it… um… erm… twee. Am I allowed to say it this way without being alleged for sexist ulterior motives? No? Ok, then I shut up…
[Dajana] Well, I don’t like female fronted bands either. Especially all the Gothic-like stuff makes me run away. Yes, from a objective point of view, Simone Simons is a great and talented singer and from a photographic view she is definitely an eye-catcher. But without her voice the music would go down much better ;) Apropos twee… there were a lot of vociferous “strip down” calls Simone answered choked with a keen “no, thank you”. Well, it was Rockpalast day and the TV cams were running…
[Wiebke] *agrees* It was funnier to watch Coen in what direction he would turn his keyboards without falling down from his platform.

[Psycho] Man, what great times we had in the 80s. We were rockin’ like AC/DC, posing like Accept and had a hell of a blast. Those, who could not experience this great period, age-related, got now a first class demonstration with an unconditional party guarantee. Promptly the area got really crowded for the first time and fans worshipped :: BULLET :: as if there was no tomorrow. The Swedes downright explode in their delight to play, delivered an almost perfect setlist and just blow everybody off the feet. Hell yeah, what a great show! Besides, the band blessed with a great sound now, clear, clean and powerful. The crowd was freaking out and didn’t want BULLET leave the stage. No wonder… The bar for following bands was raised fucking high by now.
Setlist: Highway Pirates, Back On The Road, Turn It Up Loud, Stay Wild, Rambling Man, Roadking, Dusk Til Dawn, Pay The Price, Bite The Bullet

[Psycho] Fortunately :: MORGOTH :: belong to a completely different genre. No need to draw comparisons. Germany’s finest death metallers actually just reunited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their full-length Cursed during this year’s festival season. And what MORGOTH offered was just breathtaking! Excellent Death Metal, played so damn fucking tight. The setlist through the first four albums was just awesome; the band played everything of hits they could store in this short playing time. What attracted attention was the fact that the band has fractionally reworked some songs and that Marc Grewe sings higher. It makes sound sense. Everything still sounded nicely harsh and I guess Marc’s nowadays singing is healthier for his vocal chords than his growls in the 90s. And because everything was just so nice… it started raining again.
[Wiebke] Wow! Finally I could see live what I once was listening to and recording from my local radio station (yes, once upon the time they played metal music on public radio stations).
Setlist: Body Count, Exit To Temptation, Unreal Imagination, Travel, Resistance, Suffer Life, Pits Of Utumno, Burnt Identity, Sold Baptism, Under The Surface, Isolated, White Gallery

[Psycho] …the problem just was, the rain did not stop after a few minutes! It took quite some time for being just a shower. Rain almost fell in sheets. With temperatures below 20°C and squally winds everything else than a pleasure. As it was to hear also on the camping ground things went haywire. Thus :: AMORPHIS :: had to start with a lifted crowd, although many around here count AMORPHIS to their faves.
[Wiebke] Admittedly, I got so bloody soppy and in foul mood. WTF have I done that it rains just now? Never mind. The new backdrops are huge and look just awesome. With the intro the Finnish cats enter the stage while the audience welcomes them a vociferous hoot. I tear up a bit when AMORPHIS play Battle Of Light, the opening track from their new album The Beginning Of Times and fully get into their set. They did it the heavier way and hey presto I was in the right AMORPHIS feeling. The band agreed on a best of setlist with a few new tracks embedded while the rain stopped and the sun broke through again. Perfect. Tomi goes wild on stage and let his dreads rotate while the other ones took it easier. Traditionally fans freak out at the older songs and especially Cast Away gets highly celebrated. At House Of Sleep Tomi wanted the crowd to sing along. It didn’t work properly in the beginning but step by step more throats joined in. Have already heard better and more massive choirs. Who cares. Way too fast the show is over again and the Finns released with a thundering applause. Damn, I’m still in high spirits and could have enjoyed them for another hour. Oh, and by the way, I would have also loved to announce them…
[Dajana] To be honest I find the new album really boring and too croony. But yes, live AMORPHIS still rock as hell. It’s pure pleasure to see the gents playing live on stage. Tearjerker like You I Need they better could have cut out. Causes toothache… Don’t get me wrong, I’m for sure romantically minded, just in a different way ;)
Setlist: Battle For Light, My Enemy, Smoke, Sky Is Mine, You I Need, Towards & Against, Heaven Of My Heart, Three Words, Silver Bride, Against Widows, Crack In The Stone, Cast Away, House Of Sleep

[Dajana] Headliner time! With tons of water from above. When we left the hotel in the morning :: ICED EARTH :: just had arrived and Matt Barlow got promptly besieged. Ok, once again we have to face his departure from the band and thus his farewell-tour. After the show at WOA Matt will completely resign. *Argh* it makes me wanna cry. That is why the heavens opened, especially at Jack and The Hunter, where I got under the roof too. Right after I was back in the arena, still soppy and of course it was still raining, but with a fresh unwatered beer for heartfelt moments at Melancholy (Holy Martyr). Matt Barlow got adored, cheered, worshipped and celebrated as if there is no tomorrow. Well, there actually isn’t. Fans screamed and chanted his name all the time. Gosh darn it! Why the crap he wants to leave?
[Terry] I was first rocking upstairs with my mate Maddin but then needed to join the masses in front of stage and met promptly Dajana. The show was just thrilling, memorable, thank to the differentiated and powerful sound. Just have a look on the setlist with the grandiose Something Wicked This Way Comes trilogy at the end. I still have the lead melody of Birth Of The Wicked in my mind. Well, the wrangling around the singers is distressing and a poor matter. That (a musicians) life on tour leaves little room for privacy and family is a fact Matt already knew years ago. And he is the only real one, at least for ICED EARTH.
[Wiebke] That I would like to see Melancholy performed live with Matt, I wouldn’t have expected. Sheer lunacy. Second time gooseflesh.
Setlist: 1776, Burning Times, Declaration Day, Vengeance Is Mine, Violate, Watching Over Me, Last December, Travel In Stygian, I Died For You, Jack, The Hunter, Melancholy, Prophecy, Birth Of The Wicked, The Coming Curse, Colors, My Own Savior, Iced Earth

[Dajana] And so the second festival day comes to an end. Weather does not mean it well, with the rain comes low temperatures. But hey, there are some well deserved cocktails and beer waiting us to stand the sky ;)

story © Psycho, Terry, Wiebke, Dajana • pics © Dajana