Insomnium - Dew-Scented - Suicidal Angels - Mercenary - Omnium Gatherum - Black Abyss

Powerwolf - Orden Ogan - Obscurity - Wolfchant - Bliksem - My Dominion - Crosshead

Grand Magus - Hell - Steelwing - Enforcer - Blitzkrieg - Metrum - Ayscope

Yes, it became somewhat of a ritual to finish the summer festival season with the TUROCK OPEN AIR; of course as part of the Essen city fest, of course FOR FREE and of course in front of the • Turock Club •, organized by the Turock crew. THANKS A LOT GUYS! Unfortunately crew and festival got troubled by crooks, passing counterfeit money and stealing empty steel kegs. Bastards!

I actually had planned this weekend completely different, but well… it goes to show you never can tell. However, at the end I only got one of - and that was brand new - 3 days! I got the Friday. And I specially was regretting the Sunday where GRAND MAGUS and HELL were playing... *sighs*

:: pics :: fans ::

You can’t have it all. Hmpf. As for that weather presented itself from the best side on Friday. It was cold but most time sunny. Autumn definitely arrived.

The late afternoon got kicked off surprisingly by :: BLACK ABYSS :: who replace Essence on a short notice and directly stumbled from the highway on stage. That wasn’t optimal but the guys made the best of this situation and rocked the stage properly. Audience is much clear but with the first tones thundering out of the speakers people start to fill the area. BLACK ABYSS deliver a solid metal show and already know how to get the crowd up.
Setlist: As Long As I'm Bleeding..., Damnation, The Final Call, Rippers Punch, Possessed By Hate, Bloodforce, Eye Of The Storm

Next up are :: OMNIUM GATHERUM :: who are on tour right now with Mercenary. It’s their third to last show, before they have a short break and then head towards China and Korea, though the Finns are full of energy. I would like to state that OMNIUM GATHERUM played the most energetic show of all bands tonight. The dudes are all dressed in OG band shirts, on unison, looks somehow funny. Axe-man Markus Vanhala has to do it twice tonight as he also plays in Insomnium, who are headlining the first day of TUROCK OPEN AIR. Although the Finns range in rather dark and melancholic Death Metal fields there was nothing to sense out in this direction. Much more OMNIUM GATHERUM had a hell of a party going on, and an extremely agile stage-acting by all band members. The stage was on fire, that’s for sure. There must have something in the coffee of the Finns. Great!
Setlist: Luoto, New Dynamic, New World Shadows, The Sonic Sign, Pervo, Eko, Unto, Nail

:: MERCENARY :: follow hot on heels. During their earlier days I liked them a lot. Nowadays they are too modern and core-tinged. It’s nice to watch them play and, from an objective point of view they still play great and enthusing shows, but it does not touch me anymore.

So. Time has come for pure Thrash Metal. Greece’ finest :: SUICIDAL ANGELS :: enter the stage and kill the lights ;) The more often I seem them playing live the more I get the feeling that they have passed their idols Slayer long ago and are now much better than the originals. And the audience honors that clearly as the crowd almost freaks out. SUICIDAL ANGELS are totally delighted and respond with an overwhelming thank you. To those who can’t get enough of the Greek gents, they going to do a headlining tour in January and guess where they will stop… exactly… at the Turock club!

Thrash Metal, the second. I’d say :: DEW-SCENTED :: is one of the most diligent live bands in Germany. There’s hardly a venue they did not play yet. Tonight I see them with a completely changed and new line-up. Looks good, sounds even better. The place before the Turock gets pulverized! That’s it!
Setlist: Intro, Sworn To Obey, Turn To Ash, Soul Poison, Cities Of The Dead, New Found Pain, Confronting Entropy, Never To Return, Storm Within, Thrown To The Lions, Acts Of Rage

Tada… last but not least one of my favorite dark metallers are about to enter the stage :: INSOMNIUM :: The Finns have just released a new EP entitled Ephemeral, which offers us a brand new song and three instrumentals. Of course, those got not played here tonight. Instead we get a well-sorted best-of set through the last three albums. Also INSOMNIUM shine with an overwhelming delight in play, while singer/bassist Niilo additionally scores with his German language knowledge. The Finns are in party mood as the Omnium Gatherum singer storms on stage and feeds the guys with some Whisky. Funny. Awesome show, worthy headliner, indeed.
Setlist: Inertia, Where The Last Wave Broke, Unsung, The Killjoy, Down With The Sun, Only One Who Waits, Through The Shadows, Change Of Heart, Weather The Storm, The Gale, Mortal Share, One For Sorrow, Devoid Of Caring

That’s the way the first (and my last) festival day comes to an end. The fans enter the clubs around, which are now crowded to overflowing. Neither man nor mouse has room to enter. And now it starts raining. Buuuuh. So it’s time for me too to get on me way back home, with much melancholy in my heart…