With Full Force
2017 marked a big change in the WFF-history: After 18 editions on the airfield of Roitzschjora the organizers decided to move to Ferropolis which is locally known as the „city of iron“ and had been the location for other big festivals as Melt or Splash. It’s placed on a peninsula surrounded by a lake in the former coal mining district, located in the same region as Roitzschjora. The festival area included four stages: The Ferox Stage, whose name might remind of a rank in the movie „Divergent“, can be seen as the successor of the former Main Stage, the Impericon Hardball as the Metal Hammer Stage still existed, and the new Big Wheel Stage raised the billing opportunities, so two stages alternated with the other both ones. The biggest two stages offered a bit of an arena character with seat opportunities around the infields. In front of the Metal Hammer Stage the sand ground offered some kind of beach character. Next to the Big Wheel Stage the visitors had the option to find a real beach including a bath in the lake. The most remarkable characteristic of the impressive festival location were the giant diggers between the stages reminding of Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee & Co from the „Transformers“ movies. Those ones got illuminated in the evening as night while several pyros got started in intervals over those hours. Besides the place the time factor got changed as well: The WFF happened one weak earlier on the latest june-weekend instead of the first one of july. And the day rhythm got changed from friday until sunday now to thursday till saturday. This resulted in the Saturday Night Fever being the last attraction of the festival as two Knüppelnacht-events were placed the two nights before. Bands which had played on the former sunday night attraction Last Supper acted on the Big Wheel Stage which got played on friday and saturday.
This Ferropolis-premier edition started with a wind- as a thunderstorm. So nearly the complete thursday-program got canceled. After two attempts this was definitely the right decision: Safety first! Besides that the organization ran well, it was astonishing how good the move of this huge organization worked. Lead by In Flames and Dropkick Murphys the billing offered an interesting variety. Just the prices for food and drinks raised again (e.g. 0,4 l beer for 3,50 €) which might have to do with the new location and its caterer like it does at the amphitheatre of the Rock Hard Festival. At Ferropolis appeared 59 (83 planned) bands on two stages in three days for about 20.000 visitors.
Thursday
Due to the mentioned weather phnomenon just a few bands appeared, mainly for a shorter slot. Nearly the complete thursday billing (Apocalyptica, Airbourne, Sepultura, Madball, etc.) got canceled.
Friday
Ferox Stage
Spasm After the good experience of the last year another Porn Grind formation from Czech Republic opened the biggest WFF-stage on the second day which of course felt like the first one. So because of that even more visitors were curious for the first act and got enthused by blastbeat, a fronter wearing a Borat-bathing-suit as a penis mask and some „bree“.
Walking Dead On Broadway The fivepiece from the close city of Leipzig had to work hard to hold the majority of the mainly fun-orientated Spasm-audience, but they convinced with their Deathcore-appearance considering the new release „Slaves“ („Haunted“, „The Sinner“) as the debut „Aeshma“ („Illusions“, „Last Existence“).
Callejon The Metalcore fivepiece from Düsseldorf introduced by „Utopia“, „Pincocchio“, „Noch Einmal“ (for which they produced a video) and the title track the forthcoming album „Fandigo“ by even four songs. These also in german held compositions got celebrated as the known „Blitzkreutz“, the Fettes Brot cover „Schwule Mädchen“ and the ballad „Kind Im Nebel“. So „Snake Mountain“ and the Die-Ärzte-cover „Schrei Nach Liebe“ marked the end of another succesful Callejon-WFF-show.
Knorkator Another WFF-familiar formation is the satiric band from Berlin. Fronter Stumpen showed his humor entering the stage with a tight green suit just to take it of after the opener „Alter Mann“ and to continue „Ich Lass Mich Klonen“ and „Der Ultimative Mann“ just in a slip. And his colleges Alf Ator as Stumpen didn’t look more serious, by the way, although an instrumental high-skilled band performed tight, especially relating to Stumpen’s phenomenal opera voice. The audience celebrated „Böse“, „Buchstabe“, „Eigentum“ and sang along with the final „Wir Werden Alle Sterben“ while Stumpen stood inside a huge sparks emitting ring.
Ministry The Industrial icon returned to With Full Force to impress by another statement for a hard cold sound and against conservative right-wing policy. As mastermind Al Jourgensen had pointed out this band has its strongest phases while Republican US-presidencies they can focus their anger on, and so from this year it seemed like an even stronger phase, musically by classics like „Thieves“ or „Just One Fix“ as by the comments between the songs.
Dropkick Murphys The sixpack invaded the stage by „Hang ‘Em High“ and „Blood“, and the crowd partied from this beginning on. The co-headliner-gig evolved to a headliner-status during the performance containing „The State Of Massachusetts“, „Rose Tattoo“, „The Boys Are Back“ as „Jonny, I Hardly Knew Ya“. The Rodgers & Hammerstein cover and soccer hymn „You’ll Never Walk Alone“ got sung by thousands of supporters after which the band let follow by „If The Kids Are United“ another cover of Sham 69. So the hit „Shipping Up To Boston“ concluded an overwhelming Folk Punk party.
In Flames That’s the circle of history: Two years ago the Swedes were forced to cancel their WFF-headliner-show after a thunder storm had begun just right before, and in 2017 they appeared as the first headliner on the second day. Fronter Anders Fridén reminded of the fact pointing out to finally play at this place being really Metal. More Metal than before sounds their recent album „Battles“ what probably was the reason for considering it much by „Wallflower“, „Before I Fall“, „The Truth“, „The End“ as „Here Until Forever“ which got dedicated to a young couple being familiar with the band that has died tragically. This lead to the only calmed down moment. The rest of the show got supported by several pyros and other special effects as by the numerous fans jubilating to „Leeches“, „Alias“, the classic „Moonshield“, „Only For The Weak“ and „Take This Life by headbanging, crowdsurfing as pit-action resulting in another overwhelming In-Flames-WFF-show.
Tent Stage: Impericon Hardbowl
Adept Finally I had the opportunity to watch the quintet from Sweden. After a long time of live absence in Germany they still attracted an astonishing number of supporters in front of the stage. And they shouldn’t get disappointed. Just the clean vocals of vocalist Robert Ljung could get improved. The fans celebrated from the opener „Black Veins“ over „Secrets“, „Dark Clouds“, „Shark! Shark! Shark!“ until the final „The Lost Boys“.
Tent Stage: Knüppelnacht
Napalm Death After the first planned Knüppelnacht had to be canceled the classic one on friday satisfied the fans of more brutal sounds. So did the Grindcore icon from Birmingham. Fronter Barney Greenway ran the stage up an down performing „When All Is Said And Done,“ „Scum“ as „Suffer The Children“ and animating the motivated crowd.
Eis Although this sixpiece got founded 12 years ago and has produced five longplayers I haven’t really recognized them. Completely covered in white corpsepaints the musicians obviously enjoyed performing their Black Metal held in german on this stage, but just a small crowd was left to celebrate „Winters Schwingenschlag“, „Kainsmal“ and „Galeere“.
Carach Angren Another corpsepainted Black Metal formation with a five-release-background entered the stage to still just play for a couple of fans. Those ones experienced the live-presentation of the opener „Charlie“, „Blood Queen“ and „Pitch Black Box“ from their brandnew output „Dance And Laugh Amongst The Rotten“ which had been released just a week before.
Debauchery Deep in the night the small left audience celebrated the fourpiece from Stuttgart and their Death Metal / Rock – mix like „Warmachines At War“ and „Blood For The Blood God“. Nice party, but as both Black Metal groups before nothing special.
Saturday
Ferox Stage
Elsterglanz It has become a WFF-classic the weirdoes as local heroes open the program on one festival day to assemble lots of spectators. Their crazy show took care of the entertainment factor before „Kaputtschlaahn“ became for the highlight for another time.
Morgoth Finally the German Death Metal legend appeared at the WFF. But somehow I could count myself just to a few number of interested fans. Anyway, lead by their new fronter Jagger (also known from Disbelief) the small crowd enjoyed classics like „Isolated“, „Sold Baptism“ as „Suffer Life“.
Emil Bulls As constant guests of the latest Roitzschjora editions the quintet from Munich returned to the WFF. And their catchy Crossover-hymns worked in Ferropolis as well. Many supporters returned in front of the stage to celebrate and sing along with „The Most Evil Spell“, „The Way Of The Warrior“, „Here Comes The Fire“, „When God Was Sleeping“, „The Jaws Of Oblivion“ as „The Age Of Revolution“. So „The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea“ finished another successful Emil-Bulls-gig at WFF.
Die Kassierer After headlining the Hardbowl every second year, on the new festival area the madmen from Bochum promoted to the biggest venue. Fronter Wölfi Wendland entered the stage with a crutch after he had broken his leg months before. He went to the mircrophone to intodruce the audience by pointing out that in contrast to a passed german singer he had survived his downthrow. After this they amused by their Fun-Punk-songs which of course are very well-known in the WFF-community. So the crowd celebrated „Besoffen Sein“, „Sex Mit Dem Sozialarbeiter“, „Mein Gehirnvolumen“, „Blumenkohl Am Pillemann“,“Quantenphysik“, „Mach Die Titten Frei, Ich Will Wichsen“, „Ich Töte Meinen Nachbarn Und Verprügel Seine Leiche“, „Arsch Abwischen“, „U.F.O.“ as „Tot Tot Tot“.
Royal Republic The following fourpiece came from Gothenburg, but had nothing to do with the so-called sound. Their Rock reminded of bands like The Hives and seemed a bit displaced between weird Fun Punk and brutal Hardcore. The audience applauded for the opener „When I See You Dance With Another“, „Make Love Not War“ as the final „Full Steam Spacemachine“. Real atmosphere got just reached by covering the first two minutes of Metallica’s „Battery“.
Terror What followed, was total motion on as in front of the stage. From „Your Enimies Are Mine“ on shouter Scott Vogel animated the fans to interact, and so they did. Several moshpits generated the right scenery for „Spit My Rage“, „One With The Underdogs“ as „Always The Hard Way“. This got raised to its highest peak by the great final consisting of „Keep Your Mouth Shut“ and „Keepers Of The Faith“.
Kreator The german Thrash Metal institution had participated a couple of times at former Wff-editions, but this time they did for the first time on the headliner position. And this special position got dignified by a church wall with different windows behind the band. Several projections on this backdrop as pyros all around created a very special atmosphere at this unique location. By the two younger classics „Hordes Of Chaos“ and „Phobia“ the quartet started into its set which contained by „Satan Is Real“, the title track, „Army Of Storms“, „Fallen Brother“ (including projecting several passed Rock/Metal personalities) and „Hail To The Hordes“ five songs from the new album „Gods Of Violence“. Fronter Mille entertained by his typical announcements and the tight band combined with the atmospheric show effects guaranteed an amazing live experience getting finished by „Violent Revolution“ and „Pleasure To Kill“.
Impericon Hardbowl
Comeback Kid The quartet from Winnipeg showed for another time what live intensity means. Shouter Andrew Neufeld and his colleges were in constant motion from the opener „Wasted Arrows“, „Do Yourself A Favor“, „G.M. Vincent & I“, „Should Know Better“ up to the hit „Wake The Dead“, and so did the crowd joining the moshpits. Awesome!
Architects The British fivepiece enthused by their energetic Metalcore performance. The many played songs from the recent album „All Our Gods Have Abandoned“ like the opener „Nihilist“, „Deathwish“, „Phantom Fear“, „Downfall“ „Gravity“ or „A Match Made In Heaven“ got celebrated by moshpits in the infield as by applause of the spectators sitting on the stairs around. And so they of course did for „These Colours Don’t Run“, „Broken Cross“, „Naysayer“ and the dedicated final „Gone With The Wind“.
Big Wheel Stage
Soilwork After thirteen years the Swedish guintet returned to WFF and started strong with „The Ride Majestic“, „Nerve“ and „The Chainheart Machine“. The pretty crowded lawn in front of the Big Wheel Stage was filled by spectators taking part in the Melodic Death Metal. „Bastard Chain“ and „Stabbing The Drama“ closed a set nobody had anything to complain about.
Metal Hammer Stage
Novelists After the final acts on the main stages the fivepiece from Paris invited to its innovative sound somewhere between Djent and Metalcore. So an astonishing numer of supporters jumped to „Gravity“, enjoyed the ballad „5:12 AM“, got introduced to the new song „The Light, The Fire“ and got left much too early by „Voyager“. Absolute highlight!
Tent Stage: Saturday Night Fever
Combichrist This Norwegian combo and their Industrial something was a bit too electronic for me. It was obvious: After days of hard music the visitors were supposed to have the chance to dance, but just a few did. So the opener „What The Fuck Is Wrong With You?“ had some kind of a significant meaning.
Silent Descent Electronic as well, but with a much higher Metalcore- as melody-factor the British fivepiece rocked the left crowd by „Breaking The Space“, „Duplicity“, „Phychotic Euphoric“, their new single „Vortex“ and the Limp Bizkit cover „Break Stuff“. By far the most interesting sound during this late shift!
Atari Teenage Riot The electronic weirdoes around Alec Empire mobilized the last reserves of the few persons in the infield. It became more electronic again, and a few persons tried to move to „Blood In My Eyes“, „Destroy 2000 Years Of Culture“ as „Activate“.
Conclusion:
In the end the move from Roitzschjora to Ferropolis was totally worth it, offering now one of the most uniqu festival locations. Hopefully most of the canceled thursday bands will return in on of the following WFF-editions. Our special thanks go out to Madeline Friedemann and the WFF-team!!!!! In the city of iron rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Wirwa, Tami and Micha!!!!!