Summer Breeze 2015 Review

Summer Breeze 2015
It has become a tradition each year the festival summer got finished by the Summer Breeze, a festival highlight which has become the favorite open air event to several editors as writers of this magazine.
The second biggest Metal Festival of Germany still offers a chilled atmosphere in the landscape near by the nice town of Dinkelsbühl. Besides that we like the concept of considering a strong billing of all Metal or Metal-related subgenres happening on all stages in stead of mainly investing in the headliners. So Kreator, Nightwish and Trivium had the honor as the excercise to set main accents justifying their headliner slots after many strong performances each day. Besides that exclusive performances as Amorphis playing the „Tales From The Thousand Lakes“ in its entirety for its 20th anniversary, the Death To All nostalgy show honoring the passed Chuck Schuldiner or one of the rare Bloodbath appearences gave the billing another special update. This year’s weather was a very varied one: Between tropical heat and a storm warning everything was possible. The warning caused a break for about an hour. The mentionable organization took care about evacuating the festival area by loud speakers as the video wall. After the as well communicated all-clear the program continued including all bands playing with modified times. A new offer was the invented Green Camping for people who prefer a more silent as ecology-minded camping. On this year’s Summer Breeze 124 bands appeared on four stages in front of about 35000 visitors. (Sold Out!).

Wednesday
T-Stage
Panzer The traditional Nuclear Blast label night on the bigger of the two wednesday stages included the new project of Destruction’s mainman Schmier who got assisted by the well-known Herman Frank on guitar and Stefan Schwarzmann on drums. This in comparison to his main band more melodic-orientated combo didn’t really fascinate by the mateiral of their debut „Send Them All To Hell“.
Sonic Syndicate As expected the Swedes attracted the most spectators in the tent for the first festival day. Not only to my surprise bassist Karin Axelsson had left the band and got replaced by Michel Bärzén. The quartet animated the crowd moving to the Modern Metal by „Revolution, Baby“, „Denied“, „Aftermath“ and „Jack Of Diamonds“.
Death AngelThe Bay Area fivepiece started by „Left For Dead“ into the last show of their European 2015 tour. The Thrash Metal fans celebrated „Buried Alive“, „Evil Priest“ and the final „Thrown To The Wolves“ by moshpits while fronter Mark Osegueda and his comrades mobilized their last reserves.

Thursday
Main Stage
Trollfest By using several instruments the Folk group from Oslo opened this year’s program on the main festival area and surprised interpreting the Britney Spears hit „Toxic“.
The Sirens Behind the sirens hide the three grand ladies of the 90ies Gothic Metal wave Kari Rueslatten, Liv Kristine Espenaes and Anneke van Giersbergen who performed classics of their ex-bands The 3rd And The Mortal, Theatre Of Tragedy and The Gathering. Especially the last named band’s hit „Strange Machines“ earned much support from the audience. The whole show of this Norwegian-Dutch collaboration turned out to the impression of a really brilliant idea.
Corvus Corax The German medieval Folk sevenpiece returned to satisfy their fans, but probably nobody more. „Spielmannstanz“ as „Twilight Of The Tundergod“ stuck on my nerves while the first rows moved to it.
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter When the formation from Weimar enters any stage in Germany, the party is guaranteed. So they did in Dinkelsbühl. It’s not my cup of tea, but it was astonishing watching thousands of fans singing along with „Revolution“, „Es Wird Schlimmer“, „Reitermania“ or the rare played „Der Rausch“.
Black Stone Cherry A nice change of sound got fulfilled by the Southern Rock fourpiece from Kentucky. While hot temperatures there weren’t that many fans in front of the stage, but those ones who were, saw a rocking show containing „White Trash Millionaire“, „Rain Wizard“ and „Blame It On The Boom Boom“
Opeth The quintet from Stockholm began by „Eternal Rains Will Come“ and „Cusp Of Eternity“ from their current album „Pale Communion“ causing moderate reactions like applause. When the show became harder by „The Drapery Falls“ as the awesome final consisting of „Heir Apparent“, „The Grand Conjuration“ and „Deliverance“ lots of fans headbanged and jubilated. But the problem was that in contrast to former festival shows when Mikael Akerfeldt & Co always had played the best show of the whole weekend this time they set to many atmosphere blocking calm tracks in between the amazing ones.
Kreator It was up to the fourpiece from Essen to set the final highlight of the Big Teutonic Four – package being integrated on today’s open air program. Supported by much confetti Mille & Co opened by „Enemy Of God“, and from now on they pushed the huge crowd to its maximum power. Singalongs, headbanging and several moshpits were the steady companions to „Phobia“, „Phantom Antichrist“, „Extreme Aggression“ including a big wall of death, „Black Sunrise“ and „Hordes Of Chaos“. An amazing show including fronter Mille’s CO2-gun as pyros which got concluded by „Violent Revolution“ and „Pleasure To Kill“. Just „Flag Of Hate“ was missed.

Pain Stage
Megaherz After some technical problems the German formation returned on stage playing their Rammstein-influenced sound. Highlight became for another time their final hit „Miststück“.
Kyle Gass Band To whom I had talked before nearly everyone mentioned the wish to watch this pretty early placed Rock fivepiece in hope of listening to some Tenacious D material. This hope didn’t become fulfilled. But the show rocked anyway culminating in a cover medley consisting of „I Want You Back“, „Black Or White“ and „The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air“.
Tankard By „Zombie Attack“ the fourpiece from Frankfurt opened the thrashback-section of the german big 4 Thrash Metal acts. Supported by Holy Moses drummer Gerd Lücking who replaced the sick Olaf Zissel this weekend. Lead by fronter Gerre and his funny comments the fans banged to „The Morning After“, „Chemical Invasion“ and the final „(Empty) Tankard“.
Destruction The second part of the german Thrash section became less interesting. Supported by a couple of pyros mainman Schmier and his two bandmates celebrated nothing but their old school reference. But there still were several supporters being happy with „Nailed To The Cross“, „Mad Butcher“, „The Butcher Strikes Back“ and „Bestial Invasion“.
Sodom The opener „Agent Orange“ got visualized by orange smoke leading into a thrashing setlist filled with classics. The „Outbreak Of Evil“ / „The Saw Is The Law“ – medley, „Nuclear Winter“, „Sodomy & Lust“, „Napalm In The Morning“, „Blasphemer“ and the finisher „Ausgebombt“ shouldn’t have left the most fans’ wishlists open.
Saltatio Mortis The Folk Metal sevenpiece was about to release their new record „Zirkus Zeitgeist“ of which they introduced its new single „Wo Sind Die Clowns?“. As always their sound as performace was too medieval and too less Metal / Rock to me.
Amorphis Today’s final show on the open air stages was supposed to become a very special one. To it’s 20th anniversary Finland’s finest performed the album classic „Tales From The Thousand Lakes“ in its entirety. The fans seemed really had been waiting for starting headbanging and singalong to „Into Hiding“ and „The Castaway“ which became even more intense while „Black Winter Day“ and „In The Beginning“. After the full interpretation of the mentioned masterpiece the band added by the „Elegy“ compositions „Better Unborn“, „Against Widows“ and „My Kantele“ further classics. An exclusive as overwhelming appearance!

T-Stage
Agalloch The artists from the boomtown Portland created a compact atmosphere nobody could flee from. The band around mainman John Haughm fascinated by „Ghosts Of The Midwinter Fires“, „Hallways Of Enchanted Ebony“ as „Into The Painted Grey“ leaving astonished spectators in the tent.
Death To All A big hour of nostalgy was about to follow. Honoring the opuses of the left Chuck Schuldiner as his band Death the ex-musicians Steve DiGeorgio, Gene Hoglan and Bobby Koelble got completed by Max Phelps who astonished by his look, the grunts as even how he held his guitar. All was similar to Chuck. But he didn’t provoke to be like his clone. In phases with no vocals he stepped behind let focus the spot light on his bandmates. The communication got done by Steve. The setlist considered represented by the opener „The Philosopher“, „Leprousy“, „Symbolic“, „Spirit Crusher“, „Crystal Mountain“ and the final „Pull The Plug“ all different band phases. Awesome!

Friday
Main Stage
Any Given Day In the early forenoon the Metalcore quintet from Gelsenkirchen enthused the first few hundred supporters on the festival area. The well-known Rihanna cover of course turned out to the most jubilated highlight, but the opener „Home Is Where The Heart Is“, „Never Say Die“ and „The Beginning Of The End“ showed there’s much more to discover.
Kissin’ Dynamite The fivepiece came from the close town of Reutlingen to spread some good mood over the festival area. Similar to the Pagan Folk group on the neighbored stage right before this just worked with the die-hard fans.
Alestorm The Folk Metal commando from United Kingdom introduced many fans in front of the stage. To me the most exciting show aspect was the very colored backdrop reminding to a hippie-influenced one. The fans partied until the final „Captain Morgan’s Revenge“.
Ensiferum The Pagan combo filled up the festival area. Thousands of fans celebrated everything including the opener „Axe Of Jugement“, „Heathen Horde“, „Warriors Without A War“ and the final „Two Of Spades“ from the new output „One Man Army“.
Sepultura After a one hour lasting break due to climate conditions Brasil’s finest aroused a storm on their own. From the opening classic „Troops Of Doom“ on the quartet kicked ass inspiring the fans to headbang and take part in moshpits. Especially the classics „Inner Self“, „Territory“, „Arise“ as „Refuse/Resist“ enthused a lot. So „Ratamahatta“ and „Roots, Bloody Roots“ closed a jubilated show and left many sweaty as satisfied fans.
Powerwolf It must have been the fifth or sixth time the wolves appeared at Summer Breeze, and in the meantime they raised to the co-headliner over the years. And so the festival area was pretty packed when they started with „Sanctified With Dynamite“. Lead by front entertainer Attila Dorn and his funny comments thousands sang along with „Amen & Attack“, „Resurrection By Errection“, „Werevolves Of Armenia“, „All We Need Is Blood“ as „We Drink Your Blood“. And „Army Of The Night“, „Armata Strigoi“ as the title track from the just exactly four weeks young new album „Blessed & Possessed“ got celebrated as well. What a triumphant show!
Trivium The quartet from Florida filled the following 100 minutes with their stirring music somewhere between Thrash and Modern Metal in which became clear for another time how many hits they had written. „Down From The Sky“, „Strife“, „Like Light To The Flies“, Built To Fall“ and „Pull Harder The Strings Of Your Martyr“ left no doubt about it, the wall of death didn’t as well. Just Matt Heafy’s monotonous crowd animations between the songs turned out unnecessary. The fans supported „Throes Of Perditions“, „Black“ and „A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation“ as much as the opener „Silence In The Snow“ and „Blind Leading The Blind“ from the forthcoming album. So „In Waves“ marked the end of a great show in front of an amazing stage set.

Pain Stage
Heidevolk The Dutch Pagan Folk formation communicated in friendly german and tried to invent the first party atmosphere of the day. This plan worked well in the first few rows, the others still were damaged from the latest one.
Blutengel I don’t know why there’s a need to book a Gothic Pop – act like this one. While the female singer did a good job, the male one missed his vocals a few times. The assisting erotic dancers couldn’t compensate this anyway.
Kadavar After the hippie backdrop of Alestorm right before on the neighbored Main Stage it was time for real hippie music. The Stoner trio introduced by the opener „Lord Of The Sky“ and „Into The Night“ new material from the forthcoming album being named by their home town „Berlin“ to be released the following week.
Pyogenesis And after all the people forget: Ten years since their latest live activities it felt much too empty on the festival area when the Gothic Metal / Crossover quartet played their german comeback show. This looked very special when the pyro show started. Anyway, the band rocked enormously by „Undead“, „Every Single Day“, „Twinaleblood“ and „Love Nation Sugarhead“. But „Steam Paves Its Way“ and „The Swan King“ from the comeback masterpiece „A Century In The Curse Of Time“ fit into the bands’ live sound. Mainman Flo stagedived on an air mattress and „Fade Away“ closed a cool gig. This needs to be continued!
Suicide Silence In spite of the beginning rain there still were more than enough fans left to watch the Californians. They shouldn’t get disapointed. The fivepiece performed a very intense hour of Deathcore by „Fuck Everything“, „Inherit The Crown“, „You Can’t Stop Me“, etc..
Bloodbath The Swedish all-star – Death Metal band honored Dinkelsbühl with one of their rare appearances introducing their new fronter Nick Holmes, known from his main band Paradise Lost. Starting by „Let The Stillborn Come To Me“ with the opener of the recent album „Grand Morbid Funeral“ the fivepiece (mainly) from Stockholm started a headbanging orgy. The fans celebrated „So You Die“, „Breeding Death“, „Cancer Of The Soul“ and „Soul Evisceration“ in exactly that way all over the festivalsite. The fronter entertained by his british humor between the songs, and a successful concert found its end by „Eaten“ and „Cry My Name“ while singalongs turned into gruntalongs.
Cradle Of Filth The British Black Metal icon returned to perform another late night open air show in Dinkelsbühl. There were still enough fans left to rock. Assisted by two female fire-breathing dancers the sixpack considered songs from all their band phases up to „Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych“ from the brand new release „Hammer Of The Witches“. But the most inspiring live section got reached with the final consisting of „Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids“, „Her Ghost In The Fog“ and „From The Cradle To Enslave“.

T-Stage
Lantlos The mainly instrumental orientated band started a great atmospheric sound orgy which caught all present spectators. „Bliss“, „Pulse / Surreal“, etc. inspired everyone to move, head or foot shaking minimum. What a stirring concert by the quintet from the west german city of Gütersloh. More of that!

Saturday
Main Stage
Serum 114 Punk Rock was about to wake up the party-tired visitors on the last day of this year’s SB-edition. To strenghten this fronter Esche entered the stage with a Bengal light. That worked for those few visitors in front of the stage so far.
Be’Lakor The quartet from Melbourne appeared in Dinkelsbühl for the third time. Like in 2010 and 2012 they had an early slot on the main festival area. Too early for a probably much bigger audience. Their Melodic Death Metal is hard as catchy as „Countless Skies“ or „Venator“ showed. Cool band!
Betontod The German Punkrock fivepiece can pick their live tracks from a long discography list. So a greatest hits selection satisfied their supporters partying. The most impressing moment happened when the crowd kneeled down to set a sign against racism right before „Viva Punk!“.
Kataklysm The Canadien Death Metal machine played the last of a row of summer festivals in 2015 this year. While „As I Slither“ vocalist Maurizio Iacono initiated the security stress test causing the probably highest number of crowdsurfers this weekend. But besides this the fans knew how to celebrate while „At The Edge Of The World“, „Black Sheep“ (from the brandnew album „Of Ghosts And Gods“), „Push The Venom“, „Taking The World By Storm“ and „Ambassador Of Pain“ by headbanging and taking part in the several moshpits. So the quartet left by „Shadows And Dust“ and „Crippled And Broken“ a happy as in the end powerless crowd.
Paradise Lost The British innovators of Gothic Metal seem to become like a good wine better each year. In Dinkelsbühl they performed a best of show that shouldn’t have left too much wishes open. Besides presenting by „No Hope In Sight“ as „Terminal“ from the new masterpiece „The Plague Within“ the opener „Enemy“, „Tragic Idol“, „One Second“, „Hallowed Land“, „Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us“ showed all the different phases of the band. Vocalist Nick Holmes did his second live job after performing with Bloodbath just the day before and entertained with his british humor. So an excellent show found its worthy end by „As I Die“ and „Say Just Words“.
Hatebreed After Grindcore on the neighbored Pain Stage New York City Hardcore ruled the festival area. From the opener „Everyone Bleeds Now“ over „To The Threshold“, „Live For This“, „This Is Now“ up to „I Will Be Heard“ and „Destroy Everything“ the crowd jumped, sang along, crowdsurfed and took part in the several moshpits. Shouter Jamey Jasta knew what to say on this festival and emphasized the unity between Hardcore, Metal and Punk.
Nightwish The Finnish Gothic / Symphonic Metal institution with the Dutch vocalist followed with a monstrous show including several kinds of pyros shooting in different directions to the rhythm of each song and a couple of other special effects. Self-confident they introduced by the opener „Shudder Before The Beautiful“, „Yours Is An Empty Hope“, „My Walden“, „Élan“ and „Weak Fantasy“ many songs from the new album „Endless Forms Most Beautiful“. But the new voice Floor Jansen (known from her ex-band After Forever) showed she also knows how to interpret classics like „Amaranthe“ or „I Want My Tears Back“. It seemed like she had been accepted by the fans right when she joined the band. What a show!

Pain Stage
Majesty The German True Metal act didn’t attract much people to support them. Considering by the opener „Hawks Will Fly“ and the title track of the new output „Generation Steel“ the fivepiece didn’t give any arguments to spend time for such an old-fashioned appearance.
Haudegen The German speech Rock duo bored enormously for the following 45 minutes. „Ein Mann, Ein Wort“ and the new „Ziemlich Beste Freunde“ from the forthcoming release united the little dumber part of the visitors.
Emil Bulls The quintet from Munich returned to Summer Breeze to show for another time their immense live qualities. The many supporters celebrated their party-compatible Crossover by singalongs and jumping to „The Most Evil Spell“, „The Way Of The Warrior“ and „Here Comes The Fire“. Just the sound didn’t really work well. Anyway, the band itself rocked and finished by „When God Was Sleeping“ and „Worlds Apart“ an inspiring gig.
Knorkator Like two years ago there was the question why the weirdos from Berlin didn’t get a slot on the Main Stage. The place in front of the second biggest Pain Stage was a bit too small again. „Ding Inne Schnauze“, „Alter Mann“, „Ultimativer Mann“, „Wir Werden Alle Sterben“, „Böse“ and the Boney M. Cover „Ma Baker“ left no other option than to party. The hightlight got reached when the agile fronter Stumpen crowdsurfed inside a gum ball.
Cannibal Corpse There’s alway just a pro or contra about the US Grindcore fivepiece. The music as lyrics doesn’t leave any compromise about it. So it did in Dinkelsbühl. By „Stripped, Raped And Strangled“, „Disposal Of The Body“, „Make Them Suffer“, „Hammer Smashed Face“ and the final „Devoured By Vermin“ fronter Corpsegrinder & Co enthused their fans which probably were more than enough.
Dark Tranquillity The co-founders of the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal sound returned to Summer Breeze to perform an amazing set containing „White Noise / Black Silence“, „The Lesser Faith“, „The Wonders At Your Feet“, „ThereIn“, „Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)“, „Final Resistance“ and causing much flying hair. The whole place was jubilating. Fronter Mikael Stanne showed himeself very agile as close to the fans for another time. Generally the band still seemed their biggest fans besides the other several thousand ones which celebrated until „Misery’s Crown“ in massive singalongs. Overwhelming show!
Venom This year’s final open air stage show should be done by nothing less than the Black / Thrash Metal legend from Great Britain. The new release „From The Very Depths“ just got considered by „Long Haired Punks“, the rest of the setlist was filled with classics like „Hammerhead“, „Welcome To Hell“, „Countess Bathory“ and of course the final „Black Metal“ while the rain started for the following hours. Nevertheless the Venom fans enjoyed every second of the show.

T-Stage
Morgoth The German Death Metal icon returned to introduce their new fronter Karsten ‘Jagger’ Jäger, who is known from Disbelief as well, and by the opener „Ungod“, „God Is Evil“ and „Traitor“ fresh material from the first album since nearly two decades which worked well between the classics „Sold Baptism“, „Resistance“, „Suffer Life“, „Under The Surface“ and the final „Isolated“ which all got interpreted very well by Jagger. Morgoth at its best – what a return!
Ghost Brigade Suomi’s finest in Death Doom Metal returned into the tent to play another strong concert. To other bands it would be a too high risk to play new material for more than half of the set, not to the sixpiece which performed the opener „Wretched Blues“, „Aurora“, „Stones And Pillars“, „Electra Complex“ and the final „Elämä On Tulta“ from the recent masterpiece „IV – One With The Storm“. The fans celebrated them anyway like the a bit older „Into The Black Light“, „Breakwater“ and „Clawmaster“. What an intense concert experience!

Conclusion:
Despite it has grown to one of the biggest Metal festivals in Europe the Summer Breeze still preserved its relaxed atmosphere while its organization raised with the size being a very professional one. After several years of enormous heat and last year’s colder edition this year’s SB had nearly every weather circumstances during the four days. The food mile offered the well-known variety while most of the prices stayed constant in comparison to the year before (e.g. 3,50 € for 0,4 l can of beer or softdrink).
So we are looking forward to Summer Breeze 2016!!! Special thanks go out to David Gregori and the Summer Breeze team!!!!! At the Summer Breeze rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Dumbo, Densen, Starvin’ Marvin, Evil-in & Yell-Midge!