[Dajana] What a bummer! This is too bad. For the first time I cannot attend all three days of the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL. On Sunday another exceptional band was awaiting me in Berlin, a band, I didn’t want to miss for anything in this world. (We were listening to that band on the way back home and were thinking of you ;) - Psycho). And of course, the Sunday was the best festival day at RHF. I had to miss ARMORED SAINT, CORONER and MEMORIAM. Hmpf.
Well, ARMORED SAINT will embark on a Symbol Of Salvation tour in fall, must-be-there dates and the other bands I catch sometime later ;) As for that I wish the remaining NH crew a stunning last festival day at the Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen :)
[Psycho] Thank you! You really pitched on the strongest festival day to have an affair… ;)
[Sui] Indeed, the Sunday packed a wallop. Even if head and body were maltreated and tired it was worth to mobilize all energy and power for this day.
[Dajana] My affair was it worth to miss the Sunday at RHF too ;)
[BRT] The third festival day usually suffers from an exhausted crowd. But on this Sunday there was nothing like that to sense. Not at all! Even the headliner knew how to squeeze the last bit of energy and power out of everybody down there in the theater.
[Psycho] And the day already started powerfully. Stumbling right out of the tour bus, opening force :: THUNDERMOTHER :: did not take any prisoners. The four Swedes kicked asses with dirty Rock and visibly enjoyed playing there. They inevitably made the crowd fidget. Okay, it is surely possible to play your instrument cleaner but you do not have to… ;) And promptly the fans in the pit started crowding, even on the circles. Hardly ever so many fans wanted to see the opener at ROCK HARD FESTIVAL. Great! That was fun!
[Sui] On the credit side the girls can put: delight in playing, a dirty Rock attitude and songs you cannot keep your feet still. On the debit side we have: weaknesses on instruments, especially guitarist Filippa Nässil played wrong many a time, and songs that in fact work excellently live but are generally rather 08/15. However, the audience loved them and was eager to get the dust blown out of cerebral gyri. A fun show at low demand.
[BRT] THUNDRMOTHER – A girl band opening the last festival day. Sounds as if that was well considered, and it probably was. Yes, the theater was significantly more filled than known from previous festivals. But yeah, the Swedish girls rocked the Amphitheater to the core. Their mix of AC/DC kind of Rock with Heart worked perfectly, but never sounded perfectly. Lead singer Guernica Mancini has a kick-ass voice, but she also was not perfect. Great show. Sure, the comment: “great to see live but I would not listen to them back home” I heard many times around. It was fun but far away from being original.
[Psycho] We went on with old school Death Metal, as Karl Willets always again pointed out. Unfortunately, I could not help thinking that :: MEMORIAM :: strongly lives on the past’s merits. Their own song material is not stringent enough and seems not fully composed, kind of half-done. So, the gig of MEMORIAM just passed by without leaving any memories.
[Sui] Yes, MEMORIAM live on a big name without filling the shoes, not even remotely. The name is the game. What we got was a faint memory of the past. Little inspiration, much patchwork, nothing that got stuck. Musically, it was common Death Metal and actually not worthy a former Bolt Thrower singer.
[BRT] It was disappointing to see the British gentlemen of MEMORIAM hide behind the success of the past. Songs were just average, halfheartedly composed, and little original. Every song had somewhat of a cool riff, one a great one but when it comes to melodies and something of recognition value… there was nothing. Bummer!
Setlist: War Rages On, Dronestrike V3, Soulless Parasite, Bleed The Same, Resistance, No Known Grave, (Flatline?)
[Psycho] Still the newcomer (?) of the day are :: NIGHT DEMON ::, who were straight invited again after their fulminant show last year (as the Sunday’s opener). Smart decision, because the trio delivered once again such an amazing show. The band somehow manages to sound retro, fresh, and modern at the same time, which is a stirring combination. Additionally, they have a strong stage presence and a high level of musicianship. Heavy Metal at it's best!
[Sui] Hey, the two axe-men of NIGHT DEMON I already have seen here. Ah, yeah, yesterday, playing with Cirith Ungol. The trio plays flawless British Heavy Metal, without sounding any bit moldy. Much the opposite. The note of Iron Maiden and other NWOBHM protagonists sounds like as if they have invented it right now. Additionally a highly energetic, sweaty and thrilling performance and you get one of the highlights of ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018. That’s the way how Metal can have melodies and still be as heavy as fuck.
[BRT] Since the guys were a bit overexposed during the last months I used the time to raid the food stalls. But yeah, I understand, so long the guys around Jarvis Leatherby did not do anything wrong so far.
Setlist: Welcome To The Night, Hallowed Ground, Life On The Run, Save Me Now, Curse Of The Damned, Stranger In The Room, Heavy Metal Heat, Dawn Rider, Screams In The Night, The Chalice, Darkness Remains, Night Demon
[Sui] Now it became reflective. Guitar hero :: ULI JON ROTH :: came up with a Scorpions classic set and three guitarists. About his music, opinions might differ. Some see him as an exceptionally gifted guitar player; his endless guitar harmonies, solos and hippie-like flair might bother others. What is undeniable is the high level of musicality. The band consists of highly talented musicians, without exception. Foremost, singer Niklas Turmann did an outstanding job. He really made it to convey the Klaus Meine vocals without getting on nerves with his nasal twang. But most of all the virtuosic, spherical, often on unusual oriental scales based ULI JON ROTH solos conjured more than once pure magic. At the end, ULI JON ROTH played two Jimi Hendrix covers and thus went very retro. Many left the theater, but those who stayed were rewarded with an excellent show.
[BRT] ULI JON ROTH acts like an old hippie that fell out of time. When on the channel a boat with loud Techno music passed by he denied to start his next song, because it was a different pitch than the noise on the channel. But he friendly greeted the boat... Of course, musically it was a big thing. Scorpion songs from their heydays without that Klaus Meine voice and brilliant guitar play. No doubt an exceptional artist.
Setlist: All Night Long (Scorpions song), The Sails Of Charon (Scorpions song), Sun In My Hand (Scorpions song), We'll Burn The Sky (Scorpions song), In Trance (Scorpions song), Fly To The Rainbow (Scorpions song), Pictured Life (Scorpions song), Catch Your Train (Scorpions song), Along The Watchtower (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover), Little Wing (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
[Psycho] I was really looking forward to see :: CORONER :: playing live. The Swiss have always released interesting and varied albums and this bow the band drew musically at their RHF show. They played tracks from the first record R.I.P. up to Grin, so that the stylistic evolution of the band could be comprehended rudimentary. That made CORONER the most progressive band on the festival. Unfortunately, the sound was really bad what made it difficult to follow all those breaks and rhythm changes. Great to see this band active again. What about a new album?
[Sui] After Uli Jon Roth, CORONER offered sophistication significantly heavier. In fact, the sound at ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018 was much better than during the previous years but at this kind of complex and tricky music one probably cannot help but accept curtailment. But there was enough sound left to accentuate the progressive Thrash Metal of the Swiss. I, anyway, was taken by the fact that all those CORONER songs sounded so fresh after 20 years.
[BRT] Awesome! Finally CORONER live! Front of stage the sound was ok. Nothing to nag about. Although CORONER played a full history spanning best-of set they highlighted Grin and Mental Vortex a little bit more, which offer, next to progressive Thrash, also a touch of Psychedelic and Industrial. Sure, there was not much action on stage. If at all, then it was drummer Diego Rapacchietti going wild. CORONER have a unique sound and this sound is still timeless. Yes, I would appreciate a new album. With Serpent Moves from Grin they played my favorite song and shortly before the final they played Reborn Through Hate from the debut R.I.P. – my entry to the CORONER universe. Chapeau and well done!
Setlist: Golden Cashmere Sleeper, Internal Conflicts, Serpent Moves, Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis), Semtex Revolution, Tunnel Of Pain, Metamorphosis, Masked Jackal, Grin (Nails Hurt), Reborn Through Hate, Die By My Hand
[Psycho] The :: BACKYARD BABIES :: never appeared on my radar. For some reason I always thought that is a Glam Rock band. They are not and thus, I was quite surprised to get Punk... A lot of energy and a good song flow. More I cannot tell for lack of knowledge about this genre…
[Sui] I actually should have liked the BACKYARD BABIES: straight and dirty Punk Rock with a touch of AOR in the refrains. I did not. Maybe it was because those three festival days took its toll. Maybe it was because the band could not offer anything new or fresh from this genre. One affair definitely played a role for not liking them: both guitarists constantly and demonstrative bemoaned their instruments and/or sound. Little advice: If your amp sounds like shit, it does not help to kick and kill the amp micros. And it helps even less if you do it twice. Perhaps the guys wanted to play up their Punk attitude. To me it just felt unprofessional and dislikable.
[BRT] Total13 was a great record. But afterwards I lost sight of the Swedes. I was off during their part. What I heard from the distance did not convince me. And I did not hear much positive about their show either.
Setlist: Made Me Madman, UFO Romeo, Dysfunctional Professional, The Clash, Brand New Hate, Abandon, Highlights, A Song For The Outcast, Shovin' Rocks, Star War, Bombed (Out Of My Mind), Th1rte3n Or Nothing, Nomadic, Minus Celsius
[Psycho] Now let’s talk about my personal festival highlight. This time my (high) expectations were not disappointed. :: ARMORED SAINT :: kicked off fulminant with March Of The Saint and went so on for the whole show. With On The Way and Spineless (yeaaahhh!) they even played rare material live. And ARMORED SAINT delivered a show as thrilling and energetic as we know it from them. Especially great was Left Hook From Right Field, a killer version. Next to excellent musicianship, I have to set John Bush apart. He is truly the best Metal singer. He just needs a fashion adviser… Meanwhile the theater was packed and crowded and the fans enthused, absolute rightly. To me, the best gig of the festival!
[Sui] There is no Metal festival that would not be significantly upvalued with ARMORED SAINT on the billing. The band is in best form these days and it is easy to note that John Bush feels home musically. The band focused on the über-album Symbol Of Salvation, celebrated with grand power and precision. The title track of the most recent record, Win Hands Down, proved, that new material is not any bit less impressing and does not need to hide in the shadows of older masterpieces. ARMORED SAINT play sophisticated Power Metal and are red hot. One of the best live bands on the planet.
[BRT] ARMORED SAINT are one a just a few bands, this crew completely agrees. Lit up eyes everywhere. And rightly so. The California guys came onto stage with a huge amount of energy and an overwhelming delight in play, serving one hit after another. Killer show. The best band on the festival and surely one of the unique ones in the Metal scene.
Setlist: March Of The Saint, Reign Of Fire, Nervous Man, Pay Dirt, Last Train Home, On The Way, Symbol Of Salvation, Book Of Blood, Spineless, Aftermath, Left Hook From Right Field, Chemical Euphoria, Win Hands Down, Can U Deliver
[Psycho] Playing after such performance would be a difficult task for every band, but :: SAXON :: are already too long in business to even think about it. Biff Byford seems to indestructible and also the rest of the band appeared to be much more agile that I have in mind from the last show I have seen. But playing special sets or doing special stuff seems to be not their cup of tea. SAXON introduced their new record, Thunderbolt, and besides played a set with plenty of classics. Crusader, Never Surrender and Dallas 1 PM were played, songs you cannot do anything wrong with. Luckily, newer material did not fall any short either, so that the way was free for a frenetic response by the crowd. A great finale for a festival, with Denim & Leather as the last dance and the last highlight.
[Sui] SAXON do not need to prove anything anymore and do not need to compete with anybody out there. Of course, they brought many classics to the Amphitheater. Song from the new album well-fitted in live. Motorcycle Man, Strong Arm Of The Law etc. etc. - SAXON knew what they owed to the fans and they responded accordingly: with frenetic enthusiasm. Most active on stage was bassist Tim „Nibbs“ Carter, who whirled around like the devil himself. (Almost) a crowning finale (if Armored Saint would not have played) of the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018.
[BRT] I surely was not the only one who prognosticated SAXON a tough position. But SAXON refuted all fears in a twinkling without starting with a volley of hits and classics right from the beginning. Energy, delight in playing and humor… SAXON are always a force, no matter if there are niggler who get SAXON presented too often as a headliner. The new songs work live better than on CD. I like to see them playing live always again ;)
Setlist: Thunderbolt, Sacrifice, Nosferatu (The Vampires Waltz), Motorcycle Man, Strong Arm Of The Law, Battering Ram, Power And The Glory, The Secret Of Flight, Dallas 1 PM, Never Surrender, Predator, They Played Rock And Roll, Bands Played On, 747, Sons Of Odin, Crusader, Princess // Heavy Metal Thunder, Wheels, Denim & Leather
Summary: ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018
[Psycho] Before you can say knife the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018 is over again. It was an entertaining festival; we had a lot of fun. With bands such as DOOL, CIRITH UNGOL, NIGHT DEMOM and ARMORED SAINT we got real live pearls, TRAITOR, THUNDERMOTHER, CORONER, OVERKILL and SAXON were great too. Some bands were not able to measure up to set expectations and they are to blame themselves for that. No bummer (except one), so I’d say it is a good average for a festival. From a subjective point of view, I’d say there were a few hundred people less than in the previous years. No idea, if that will take effect on the booking and presentation on next year’s edition. The mix of bands and genres was well balanced but some surprises, also at an exposed position, would surely do well. Anyway, I’m looking forward to RHF 2019.
[Sui] Best weather, good sound from the first up to the last band, which predominantly fulfilled expectations. My personal highlights were DOOL and DIAMOND HEAD on Friday and AXEL RUDI PELL and OVERKILL on Saturday. The Sunday consisted only of highlights, except for two bands, whereas ARMORED SAINT stood out significantly. What I didn’t like - but that is nagging on a high level – was the fact that many bands lived from their glorious past. There are many new bands that can match the old warhorses. NIGHT DEMON for example. This year’s ROCK HARD FESTIVAL will stay in mind for a long time.
[Dajana] In consideration of the fact that I missed the best day of the festival I found the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018 rather lame. Weather was great and people were great (except for some dorks). Many rarely or never seen old school bands were fun. DOOL, OVERKILL and CIRITH UNGOL were outstanding, but altogether I had the feeling the RHF 2018 was running on low gear. Too many band repetitions, too little new, different, unique or innovative stuff. In my opinion that also reflected in the lower ticket sale. Let’s see how the RHF 2019 will develop.
[BRT] Lame? No way! Sure, when it comes to headliners, the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL goes in circles. Like other festivals too, like Party San Open Air and Bang Your Head festival. There is need for action in this matter. The spirit at ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018 was great, the weather has contributed too. The Sunday stood out – more people, better line-up. Nothing could top ARMORED SAINT! To me: world class! Additionally CORONER were just great. With THUNDERMOTHER, ULI JON ROTH and SAXON we got an awesome festival day. ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2019 – I’ll be there! |
