Dong Open Air
For the 13th time we moved upwards to the Dong hilltop to celebrate another incomparable familiar underground experience. This year’s edition got entitled „Into The Pott“ and described a combination between the near urban region and the Bay Area formation headlining on saturday. The other headliners were the returning Dong-familars Amorphis and the live rarity Bloodbath. Another one was the live appearance of Haggard with an orchestra. Besides that Rage played one of the first shows in their new line-up as Hackneyed performed one of their last ones before splitting-up. Those mentioned bands as the Dong-evergreen Skyclad, Germany’s No.1 in Pagan Metal formation Equilibrium as the weirdos from Fleshgod Apocalypse lead an respactable billing. The weather guaranteed ideal conditions to rock, party and enjoy the great landscape while the organization ran well. On the Dong hill 28 bands appeared on one stage in three days for about 2000 visitors.
Thursday
Ebony Wall After three years the Dong Open Air again started with the german final of the WOA Metal Battle which is a worldwide underground competition crowning its yearly winner at the Wacken Open Air. The semi final winner from East Germany started it. During songs like „Strangers In Hell“ the voice of their singer Nina stood out their Symphonic Metal sound.
Syndemic Less symphonic, but more brutal without ignoring the melodies their opponent from Hamburg presented its Death Metal. Of course they had the advantage to have more spectators in front of the stage. But the fivepiece convinced musically as well, me as obviously the jury. So they won and made it to the following Wacken Open Air.
Harpyie After this competition the regular program started. And this start didn’t set the standards too high. Ordinary Folk Metal in german language like we had listened too many times before didn’t really excite too much. Sure, the sevenpiece perforemd „Monster“ as „Sturmvögel“ agile on stage, but they should think about their show factor respectively their costumes. Their female violinist looked like a Domina working in Mordor.
Elvellon Some kind of home game became the following show. The local heroes from the close town of Moers were the second Symphonic Metal act this day, and it became clear this would become a hard first part of the evening to me. Especially the yodeling vocals of fronter Nele stuck on my nerves.
Craving The north german formation increased the speed on stage. Their Black Metal had a few melodies reaching close to the Pagan-genre, so it attracted several Folk Metal fans to enter the Dong stage.
Suidakra After three Dong appearances the fourpiece could be described as DOA-veterans. And so they attracted lots of supporters in the tent to celebrate tracks from the new release „Realms Of Odoric“ as several ones from their huge backcatalogue like „Isle Of Sky“ and „Dead Men’s Reel“. To me they still sounded too much Pagan, but the crowd enjoyed it, and that counts.
Rage Four weeks ago this german Metal icon appearead for the first time on the Dong hill. But in 2016 it felt like a new band was appearing in front of the Rage-backdrop. This impression was the result of their fundamental line-up-change, the new one around mainman Peavy Wagner played one of their first festival shows, and their tightness astonished. By „My Way“, „Spirits Of The Night“ and the title track of their brandnew album „The Devil Strikes Back“ the trio presented itself as a unity, and so they did during the much jubilated classics „Solitary Man“, „Back In Time“, „End Of All Days“ and „Don’t Fear The Winter“. The packed tent celebrated the band, and the final „Higher Than The Sky“ got sung by hundreds of voices.
Amorphis The Finnish sixpiece returned on the Dong hill to enthuse the crowd for another time. Lead by their voice Tomi Joutsen and the epic guitar riffs of Esa Holopainen as Tomi Koivusaari they opened by the title track, „Sacrifice“ and „Bad Blood“ of the new „Under The Red Cloud“ – album. And who hadn’t been excited then got it by the following well-known „Sky Is Mine“ or „On Rich And Poor“. After playing by „Dark Path“ and „The Four Wise Ones“ two further new songs „Silent Waters“ and „My Kantele“ raised the atmosphere again. After the hymn „House Of Sleep“ the band returned on stage to perform by the also new „Death Of A King“, „Silver Bride“ and „Black Winter Day“ three intensely celebrated encores.
Friday
Kryptos It must have been the first band from India appearing at the Dong Open Air. This exotic factor might have been the reason why numerous of spectators filled the tent. And their Thrash Metal like „Full Throttle“ from the current album „Burn Up The Night“ inspired a few metalheads to headbang although their tracks were pretty ordinary.
Another Problem The next band didn’t have to travel as far. The fivepiece performed good Metalcore combined with an agile show. The agility happened in front of the stage as well. After many India-curious spectators had left the tent, the Metalcore-fraction ruled the pit.
Delirious Also from nearby was the following formation. After I had met an intensely heavyset guy in the restroom container denying to enter a cabin being too tight for him a couple of minutes later I realized this was the fronter from the next act. Their Thrash Metal seemed to be pretty known by the audience letting the gig become kind of a home game.
Jesus Chrüsler Supercar Time was up for some Death ‘n’ Roll. And this one came straight from Stockholm. The numerous supporters celebrated tracks from the debut „Among The Ruins And Desolated Lands“ („Pitchfork“, „Killing Machine“) as from the new output „35 Supersonic“ („From Hell“, „Let It Roll“)
Burden Of Grief The quintet returned to the Dong Open Air to perform their Melodic Death Metal which was a bit rare on this year’s DOA-edition. Heavyness met catchy melodies and resulted in the best band of today before the headliner. But while that sunny weather the tent still was just half-filled. Anyway, those ones who were in celebrated songs like „Awaken The Nightmare“.
The Pokes This Folk-combo including the typical instruments had been to the Dong hill, too. After nine years they returned to party with the audience. And this plan worked well, so in the end it was clear: „God Save The Pokes“.
Gloryful Right in the neighborehood a formation got founded by musicians from other well-known bands and evolved to a respectable True Metal fivepiece playing several tours as festivals. To me it was too true as it were too many choirs in the songs. But last named element works well with drunk metalheads, so did this concept in the Dong-tent as well at that time.
Fleshgod Apokalypse Right from Rome the five musiccians and one female opera voice entered the stage to blast the audience by their Symphonic Death Metal monsters. Their compositions as their musical abilities convinced enormously. Opening by „Marche Royale“ and „In Aeternum“ as playing further new material by „Cold As Perfection“, „Gravity“ and „The Fool“ they mainly considered the new album „King“ without ignoring the past too much by performing „Pathfinder“, „The Violation“ and „The Forsaking“. Just the medieval costumes and the stage performance of their opera lady became a bit kitchy. Anyway, an impressing show!
Equilibrium After they had played one of their first festival shows on the Dong hill in 2004 the fivepiece from Munich returned as friday’s co-headliner which is not the worst live band evolution. And so they attracted numerous supporters in the tent when they started with „Ankunft“ and „Was Lange Währt“. Their fans celebrated the german-held Pagan Metal while others left the place. By „Prey“ the band introduced a new track from the forthcoming record „Armageddon“ being released the following month. By the encore „Blut Im Auge“ they increased the participation of their fans before leaving the stage.
Bloodbath Which side-project can be called an icon of its genre? If there is any, I would mention Bloodbath first. The band consisting of members from Katatonia and Opeth had found a new more than well-known fronter replacing Mikael Akerfeldt: Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost played one of his first shows for that band which live appearance could have been counted to the rarest events in the Metal genre. The quintet began powerful by „Let The Stillborn Come To Me“ and „So You Die“ and caught the audience completely. The headbanging- as pit-action continued over „Cancer Of The Soul“ and „Soul Evisceration“ until the encores „Eaten“ as „Cry My Name“. What a blast!
Saturday
Kadavrik One of the hardest billing positions is the opening one on the festival’s last day. The quintet from the close town of Wesel at least filled half of the tent which was more than respectable. And this half took part in celebrating the innovative Melodic Death Metal as „Whither Away“ or „Salted Sea“.
Ignition This formation got founded by members of the ex-Dong-live-acts Ravage and Synasthasia. Lead by a strong voice and three guitars their Power Metal attracted a couple of metalheads in the noon which enjoyed „Reveal My Way“, „We Are The Force“ and „I’ll Take The Shelter“.
Can Of Worms The following act came right from the home town of Gojira, the wonderful Bayonne. In contrast to France’s finest the quartet performed Death Thrash from their full-length-albums „World Collapse“ and „Kult Of Nuke“. The technical high-skilled band showed an agile performance which raised the number of spectators step by step.
Raven Woods Just one day after the putsch in their home town Ankara as other cities in Turkey and a still pretty unclear situation there the fivepiece didn’t seem to be out of the concept. The former Black Metal and nowadays Death Metal band convinced by slammers of their outputs „… And Emotions Are Spilled“ as „Enfeebling The Throne“. Respect!
Apron Crossover in german language combined with a clownish wild show was a colorful contrast in the program. Anyway, the foolish lyrics and the affected freakshow became ridiculous. This wasn’t funny at all, and I still have the fear they meant this serious. But I have to mention several visitors celebrated this show. So somehow it had its place in the billing.
Dust Bolt What happened to Munich? The trio also came from the bavarian capital and didn’t seem less affected. In the beginning they filled the tent with numerous curious Thrash Metal supporters, but those ones left spectator by spectator while the combo introduced tracks from their brandnew release „Mass Confusion“ as older ones from their two records before.
Hackneyed After about ten years, four albums and many live appearances this was one of the last shows for the quartet. They performed an ambitious as tight best of set supported by a wild Death Metal mob, of course finished by „Gut Candy“. Well done!
Skyclad If there is one DOA-home-band, it’s not from the direct regional neighborhood, it comes all the way from Newcastle, England. It must have been their eigth participation on the Dong hill, and for another time they introduced numerous fans to celebrate their Folk Metal classics. As always a pleasure!
Haggard The stage got even more packed than the place before had already been. The Symphonic Death Metal formation from Munich brought an orchestra turning the Dong tent into a special classic set. This one got jubilated from the openers „Tales Of Ithiria“ and „Per Aspera Astra“ until the final section consisting of „Eppur Si Muove“, „Awaking The Centuries“ and „Of A Might Divine“. The audience seemed to know most of the compositions and took part in, so this gig became a clear success to Asis Nasseri & Co.
Testament Finally this years DOA lead to that time when the Bay Area legend entered the stage to destroy the place. Fronter Chuck Billy animated the crowd from the first tone on. Younger material like „Rise Up“, „Native Blood“ and Dark Roots Of The Earth“ got as much celebrated by the completely packed tent as the eponym of this year’s DOA-slogan („Into The Pit“) and further classics like, „Practise What You Preach“, „More Than Meets The Eye“, „Disciples Of The Watch“and „D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)“. The riffmasters Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson set the tone while Chuck Billy showed his complete fronter abilities. And who can call a rhythm section with Steve DiGiorgio and Gene Hoglan behind its own, knows nothing can go wrong. And so it didn’t. What a smashing show which held all high expectations!
Conclusion
While this year’s Dong Open Air several world news happened like the terrorist attack in Nizza and the putsch in Turkey. Part of the audience like us dealt with these issues, but didn’t let stop those ones our pleasure while the event. Anything different wouldn’t have changed anything to a better situation.As you might have noticed reading the lines above while DOA 2016 mainly the headliners and co-headliners excited us what stands in total contrast to most of the editions before. But this time the bigger bands convinced us majorly while just a few underground acts did that. We hope this will be more balanced in 2017 again.The prices for food and drinks raised a bit, but were still fair, the weather was good and all anounced bands played. The organization worked well except for the wrist-band-check-in which got a very long waiting line while the first bands playing this year. But we’re sure this got recognized by the organizers and will change next year.Thanks go out to Benjamin „Colamann“ Munsch and the DOA-team!!!!!At the Dong Open Air drank, rocked and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Dumbo & Sharon!!!!!