Deathfeast Open Air 2011 Day 3

Wacken Open Air 2011

Wacken, DE, August 4-6, 2011

Wacken Open Air, in the country side north-west of Hamburg, Germany, is, with over 100.000 visitors, the biggest metal festival in the world. This 22th edition addressed all genres of metal, ranging from gothic through old school heavy metal to grindcore. Not only the bands came from all continents also the visitors did. We saw them carry flags from countries as remote as Japan and India, Egypt and Mexico. We talked to visitors from Belarus and Singapore, just to mention a few. Everybody, from young to old, loved the good music and cosy atmosphere. As for the music, the main acts on the True Metal Stage were Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest and Motörhead. To us the highlights were Iced Earth, Tryptikon, Apocalyptica, Kyuss Lives (Stoner, by one of its founders, USA). The sad news is that this was vocalist’s Matt Barlows last concert with Iced Earth. The good bye was touching and brought Matt to tears as it did too many of his fans. Matt will be replaced by Stu Block of Into Eternity. Blind Guardian and Mayhem on the Black Stage also had a huge audience but these acts suffered from the broad day light. Kataklysm and Sepultura attracted their own fan base and satisfied them totally. The Metal Battle winners Negator (Black, DE), X-Tinxion (NL) and Torture Squad (Death, Brazil) on the W.E.T. stage made a big impression on us. On this stage the last night was solemnly closed by the Swedish cult formation Ghost, whose singer was, a little too often too my taste, slightly out of tune. The W.E.T. stage closed in style: with an extremely wet floor, due the rain, that had started pouring down during Children of Bodom’s performance on the main stage. The most extraordinary act was by Van Canto: 5 singers and a drummer playing Tanja Türinen style music. Their audience loved it. On the same Party Stage German death metal band Morgoth played a good show. In the press area we listened to the new double album of Solstafïr, Svartir Sandar, that will be released next October. It sounds mysteriously and just ... absolutely great! And do you remember Savatage? Their former singer, Zak Stevens, has founded Circle II Circle a few years ago. Circle II Circle performed a show case for the press that was very convincing. Especially now that Matt Barlow has left the scene, apparently for good this time, perhaps Zak is the best remaining male clean solo metal vocalist left.

W:O:A: was not just about music, it also offered many side kicks outside the main stage area. Bullhead City was a huge circus tent for wrestling contests. Wackinger village was a cosy village place with many medieval and other historical arts and crafts and plays, highland games and lots of pagan style metal music, such as the band Rabenschrei. There was a huge general market with mechanical bull riding, pole sitting, a metal CD and book market and a huge, free, film corner where you could sit lazily and watch metal films in an open air movie theatre. This year pyro shows by Domus Dracons were a fine additional nightly attraction.

Photography by Chérie, Nienke & Russell - text by Chérie, Metalphoto - - - - - More pictures will follow in due time (not before September '11).