AMON AMARTH have ever been called winners or surprises within the festival reviews which is certainly right. The crowd stood behind the band from the first step they made on stage and frontman Johan Hegg knew what had to be done letting the fans bang their head. The fans ended banging their heads with the last noise. The band said goodbye to the fans with their Viking Death Metal Hymn Victorious March after 40min unfortunately.
The last post had to be done. PRO PAIN went on the stage a band of first division’ Hardcore-Metal. They were in best fettle at this evening. They got a playtime of 45min but the played 30min longer, the crowd won’t let them go, there were calls for more at everytime, the crowd sung for the band, banged and poged. I have never seen the band so funny and relaxed it was a real exceptional gig which was opened with a party part-singing Intro. The quartet sung the Type O Negative song Summer Breeze in between, thanked the organizer and their record label and their fans of course. Within the gig more and more musicians of other bands stood at the sides of the stage to watch and celebrate this great gig. After three songs the snare of the drummer broke down, he threw it away and used the substitute snare. An absolute highlight at the end of the festival and Pro Pain will come back next year with the No Mercy Easter festival tour with Testament.
Endlessly the long awaited PARADISE LOST entered the stage. The quintet had no stage properties and no extraordinary clothing. It was clear that there would be no consensus of opinion about the band after their change from the early Death Metal days. They are a modern Metal band who are playing Gothic Metal. It is to be heard that the band does not like playing live nut I cannot understand that in any way they enjoyed standing on stage especially the guitar player banged his head nonstop. Vocalist Nick was very funny, the typical british humour. The band played their hits from all their albums (Mouth, So much is lost, True Belief or One Second) only the beloved albums Gothic but later they played the hit As I Die. All in all a triumphant appearance the only problem was the cruel sound.
The biggest problem of the appearance of the next band was their album not being published at that time. The new cd of PRIME STH should be published in july but the record label changed the date due to promotional reasons into september so that less people knew the songs of the Swedes. The songs are very good and a success would be no wonder at the one hand and earned at the other hand. If you like Bush or blessed Stabbin Westward (modern Rock in the american way) you would have liked it. Less people realized the Nirvana Cover version.
The audience had missed the next band like the former Stormwitch. Nevertheless they did not appeared on stage for a long time the crowd longed for SAMAEL and welcomed them very enthusiastic. The four musicians had thought up something really special and diversified. While rocking the stage they had disturbed transparence projecting, some fire acrobatics and a perfect lightshow. There were discussions whether the band could convince due to their line-up changes (new guitar player) and some problems within the band. There were, at the end, no reasons for discussion the band was great and they should record a new album.
It’s always the unforeseen that occurs, maybe that fits best to the following band. STORMWITCH alive since 1979 but the witch was silent for years now. This year the band published a new album and the fans did not forget them, it seemed there are more fans than before. The crowd welcomed them really happy and Stormwitch gave their best with an energetic show a loving stage property and a great pyro show.
The first impression of SENTENCED at that day were their autograph session in the Metal Hammer bus but more people went to see their show. The Finn took the whole time to play their asses off. Sometimes they played three songs without a break in between highlights like Sun Won’t Shine, Bleed, Noose, Nephente were given with a bottle of vodka in the vocalists hand (really cliché like) to the audience. The last songs were The Suicider and Excuse me while i kill myself and he announced them as Happy Songs (sarcastic?!).
The Swabian END OF Green entered the stage with different feelings. It was the first that they had so many people standing in front of them. They played at a late hour and they made a great show. Most of the songs were from the new album “Songs for a dying world” but also some older and new songs. They underlined their high position on the billing with this show.
They did not visit the Summer Breeze for the first time, BRAINSTORM. The crowd looked forward to see them. The band decided to record a live DVD in advance. The band wanted to have the direct contact to the audience and frontman Andy B. Franck went down to the fist rows and get to know the people. That was their harvest after long years of work after their support tour for Blind Guardian. A Slayer riff was to be found in the song Liars Edge. The gig was finished with the songs Hollow Hideaway (the audience gave the time to the drummer) and Under Lights from the Metus Morbis album. That will be a fine DVD.
The following band developed to a real important band in the German scene and after the Dutch band finished there were calls for: Reiter! Reiter! Reiter! Die Apokalyptischen Reiter got more and more fans especially with publishing their last album “All you need is love”. They are said to be a great live band and nobody was disappointed. They were surely the only band who asked the audience whether they want to have some flowers and then threw sunflowers to the crowd. Vocalist Eumel was clothed in his pink pyjama trousers and rocked over the stage and called the audience to rock with him. The real highlight was the keayboard player who stood on the right side. He had this uninterested expression for the whole gig. And had this smart old style white starched shirt, black trouser and black vest. They presented older and new material and the band was celebrated frenetic by the audience. Respect!
Due to their show they were the highlight of the festival. WITHIN TEMPTATION are one of the most successful bands in the Netherlands. Nevertheless being not that famous in Germany like in Holland they played their whole show. The whole background was covered with a big backdrop with a light-blue heaven design in front of that stood different huge distended cactus or creepers, green would describe it best. From now on the focus was on the female vocalist who was dressed in a blood-red snow white ball-dress. The band won a lot of new fans with their Gothic Metal. Within their show they had huge fire columns and a plastics rain at the end of the gig. Imposing is the right word!
Guest critics by Power Metal.de
The Swabian UNDERTOW made a very energetic show and rocked the stage like we are used to see them. The audience liked their mixture out of Metal and Hardcore melody and heavy guitars the mainpoint of their gig laid on the new album “Unit E”. Vocalist Josch was joking like every time and the audience laughed about his jokes at least as he said there are standing a lot of people in front of him. Nobody was bored within the appearance. Undertow liked the crowd and the crowd liked them.(Dani)
FLOWING TEARS were another band who came with a female vocalist and Gothic Metal fighting against the sun and bringing dark music to the audience. I already saw the guitarist before I think he rocked with Red Aim too. The important thing of their music are their guitars not the keyboards like in the most bands in this scene. The reason for getting up for the most people certainly was the front woman Stephanie Duchenes.
RAUNCHY have had the same problems like Substyle before and Prime sth afterwards their current songs were fully unknown to the audience. Meanwhile the published debut album will have convinced some people about the bands qualities. The friendly Danes obviously enjoyed the professional atmosphere and played an energetic gig. Their record label Nuclear Blast compare Raunchy’s music with Fear Factory but they do not have too much similarities. They played interesting, technical and energetic modern Metal and the audience liked it.
The former bands were not as fast as the upcoming Swiss GURD. Saying goodbye to their old Crossover days they welcomed a new time with a new sound which is probably know as Old School Thrash. Sometimes the sound remembered to bands like Sacred Reich. The band tried to wake up everybody present and I think they succeed. They played two new songs and welcomed their new bassplayer.
The third Poser Rock Band at the weekend were CHRYSTAL BALL and it happened something like the day before at the Axxis gig less people would have known the band before but they convinced with a lot of fun and an engaged show. Most of the listeners will remember that gig in a positive way. The singer got background support from the whole string community within the part-singing songs. The crowd enjoyed the gig, but the certainly would not buy a cd of them.
ASHES YOU LEAVE probably had the longest journey to the festival, they come from Croatia. Not too many people know them before but that will certainly change. The band did not devise Gothic Metal but they are living their music. The female vocalist is of course the mainpoint of the band. There were some fans from their home country too and had the flag with them. After that great gig they will have more fans from other countries. The new album will be published in october
EWIGHEIM were a bit out of place. Only 3 people were on stage the male vocalist with a light-blue tight dress animated his drummer who was not alive a drum computer. Music somewhere between EBM/Electro and Gothic. The band has it s own kind of humour just think about song titles like: children’s forest, an evil joke, dead body to the sea – which was played with violin. Parts of the band are also playing with Eisregen. The audience was really confused about this gig.
Hooting of sirenes sounded from the Mainstage the Intro of the following band NERVES. The four musicians appeared in caps cloaks and flying goggles which was not the best decision with that high temperatures. They rocked and sweat through their 25min show like The Ramones and the audience banged.
MY DARKEST HATE did misunderstand something. They went on the stage ande were pissed off. The band played energetic but a bit weak too. The band left the stage with an abusive about the organizer of the festival after their regular 20min. (they played an Exodus Cover within their short time). The band complained about the shortened time but they may forget that hey got the regular time. Unfortunately it was to be heard that My Darkest Hate don’t want to play at the Summer Breeze anymore.
THE BLUE SEASON played next. The place in front of the stage was not filled up with visitors but more and more people arrived. They were very professional on that stage although they had not entered such a big stage before, very experienced. They were higher than the average with female vocalist Natalie Pereira and the bongo player. The upcoming album will surely be great.
