Dong Open Air
„Weird Times Call For Rock ‘n’ Roll“ was the slogan for this year’s Dong-edition which couldn’t have chosen better in 2017. While a bunch of madmen keep the world in unnecessary action all visitors and bands from different countries showed having a good time together sharing the place on top of the hill including its great landscape and camped as partied together over those three days.
Ensiferum, Iced Earth, Dark Tranquillity and In Extremo who sell venues with the same number of supporters on their own lead the billing including one of the first german shows of the Bolt Thrower successor Memoriam and many other attractive acts. Besides that the organization ran well from the huge stage tent over the food varieties to the restroom options. So supported by optimal weather conditions everything was set for a remarkable weekend in this familiar atmosphere. On the Dong hill 28 bands appeared in three days for about 2500 fans!
Thursday
Darkest Horizon As last year the DOA began with the german final of the Metal Battle competition. The Melodic Death Metal sixpiece started this final as the whole festival. „Skybreaker“, „A Universe Reborn“ as „The Final Hours“ showed some independent riffing, but by the time their stage-acting was too static.
Metal Detraktor In contrast to them the quartet left no doubt about their agility. Supported by several fans from their home town this international band from Hamburg convinced by their Thrash Metal. Not only „De Nekk“ and „Hold!“ earned much applause, the jury decision for sending them as the winner of this final to the Wacken Open Air did as well.
Messiah’s Kiss The fivepiece from the nearby town of Dinslaken with the international line-up including the well-known vocalist Mike Tirelli presented a tight as pretty common Heavy Metal show including „Rescue Anyone“, „Babylon“ and „Nobody Knows Your Name“ except for the only little highlight by their interpretation of Depeche Mode’s „It’s No Good“.
Sisters Of Suffocation In total contrast to the formation before the four young ladies from Eindhoven presented fresh Death Metal. Their set consisted of their forthcoming debut longplayer as their EP, but depite this fact of mainly still unknown material the tent got pretty filled by a motivated fan base celebrating monsters like „I Am Danger“, or „Brutal Queen“.
Vulture Industries For the third time the norwegian quintet appeared on the Dong hill. And for another time they fascinated a well-filled tent by their innovative sound as an overwhelming live performance lead by the mad as brilliant singer Bjornar Erevik Nilsen. His brilliant voice caught as much attention as his action climbing on the high monitor to perform as to step down into the crowd to take part in some weird kind of a circle-pit. The audience celebrated „The Tower“ as songs from their new masterpiece „Stranger Times“ by „Something Vile“ and „Strangers“. Overwhelming performance!
Words Of Farewell The following sixpack is also a pretty familiar one on the Dong-hill. It must have been their third DOA-participation, too. And each time their fronter reminds me of the guy in the beginning of the movie „Troy“ getting killed by Brad Pitt’s Achilles in a few seconds, just much smaller. Maybe that’s why he decided for a Decathlon sport-suit. Anyway, their Melodic Death Metal like „Luminary Ghost“ or „The Great Escape“ convinced the crowd for another time.
Hatesphere The Danish Thrash-/Death-Dynamite-Dynamite returned to the Dong hill to rule by a massive live performance. Lead by mainman Peter Lyse Hansen on guitar their riffs left no option for the crowd to headbang and take part in moshpits. Their current fronter Esben „Esse“ Hansen convinced as the tight instrumental fraction did, and so the quintet finished by the monster-double „Disbeliever“ and „Sickness Within“ an amazing performance.
Ensiferum Ten years after appearing for the first time the Finnish formation headlined the first Dong-night in 2017 and attracted numerous fans into the packed tent. Their solid Folk Metal show could have got a better sound, but the crowd celebrated hits like „Lai Lai Hey“ anyway, so this became a harmonic completion of the first day.
Friday
Fateful Finality The German Metal Battle winner as Wacken Open Air participant of 2012 woke up the hill population by their straight Thrash Metal. By a well-balanced setlist between their two outputs „King Of Torture“ and „Battery“ this mission worked well.
Misanthrope Monarch Instead of the canceling Atomgott the fivepiece from the close city of Oberhausen replaced them and celebrated a spontaneous release party of their brandnew debut album „Regress To The Saturnine Chapter“ in front of a much too small crowd.
Aeverium The sixpiece from the close town of Viersen presented Gothic Metal lead by the nice voice of the beautiful Aeva Maurelle and the deeper one of Chubby. Last named one also took the role of the entertainer by self-ironic statements between the songs. And when the rain outside started they had a much grown audience inside the tent getting their focus as applause for songs from their debut „Break Out“ and their new album „Time“. Well done!
Nervosa A female Thrash trio isn’t an all-day-phenomenon, even not at Metal festivals. And they left no doubt taking their mission serious. With evil looks they performed their tight tracks like „Death“, „Hypocrisy“ or „Hostages“.
War Kabinett Three years after their first time the band from Mexico City returned to the Dong hill. And many fans still seemed to know them celebrating from „Et Creavit Homo Deum“ and „Last Human Player“ over „The Great Deceiver“ up to „Millenial“ and the final „Wall Of Shame“. Their next return probably is just a question of time.
Acyl Another formation could call themself a welcomed returning one: The quintet from Paris enthused for another time by their multi-cultural Ehtno Metal combining several influences. So the crowd danced and headbanged to songs from their debut record „Algebra“ as from their recent album „Aftermath“.
Contradiction The Thrash Metal commando from Wuppertal is one of the familiar bands at the Dong Open Air. They appeared for several times, and after 28 years and eight releases they still brought intensity as energy on stage as not many acts from this genre are able to.
God Dethroned And sometimes they come back: Six years after the Dutch Death Metal quartet had split Henri Sattler & Co were back and performed an intense as tight show. „Annihilation Crusade“ as the title track from their new comeback release „The World Ablaze“ caused numerous headbangers, and of course so did their classics.
Dark Tranquillity It must have been the third time since their first one in 2008 the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal icon appeared at the DOA, and for another time they populated the tent like not many other acts had done. This crowd went crazy while the opener „Force Of Hand“, the title song and „Forward Momentum“ from the recent „Atoma“ album as for the more familiar „The Treason Wall“, „Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)“, „The Wonders At Your Feet“ and the final „Misery’s Crown. For another time the agile vocalist Mikael Stanne and his comrades ruled.
Iced Earth The US Power Metal institution participated for their second time on the Dong hill. After an endless seeming soundcheck the first tones of the intro „Great Heathen Army“ let the fans knew the wait was over. And it was worth it: Supported by a great sound Jon Schaffer & Co showed another ambitious Heavy Metal performance regarding a best of program. While that their singer Stu Block showed his voice could handle by „Black Flag“ material from their brandnew output „Incorruptible“ as classics like „Veangeance Is Mine“, „The Hunter“ or the ballad „Watching Over Me“. So this day found a jubilated end.
Saturday
Storm Seeker In contrast to the morning before the fans got woken up by less harder Folk Metal sounding pretty much like Eluveitie & similar acts. And besides the fact the writer of these lines has pointed out for over a decade this subgenre is overrated, the numerous fans seemed to know the debut-EP „Pirate Scum“ of this sixpiece from the close town of Neuss singing along with „The Longing“ and „Destined Course“.
Spoil Engine The first act from Belgium in the DOA-history raised the heavyness factor. Their variable songwriting culminated in their new fronter, the Dutch Iris with her stage presence as her also variable voice between grunts like Arch Enemy as clear voice. The numer of spectators increased minute by minute supporting „Doomed To Die“, „Black Sails“, the title track and the current hit „Disconnected“ from their new album „Stormsleeper“. Highlight between these brutal smashers was the atmospheric well-sung „Singing Sirens“. A band we have to keep in mind!
Munarheim The biggest formation of this year’s DOA-edition populated the stage. And big means the number of musicians. Their uninspired Folk Metal mainly held in German language didn’t impress me at all, but by far many others who had their fun with „Terra Enigma“, „Stolzes Wesen Mensch“ and „The Last Unicorn“.
Copia It seemed to be the day of the premieres: By the following act the last continent chapter got accomplished for the DOA (Nevermind the Antarctic!). The Modern Metal – quartet from Melbourne had been present on the Dong hill the days before confronting the visitors with their music by ear-plugs and partied with them. So the tent was pretty much filled, and the support for „Hostility“, „Never Forget“ as „Disconnected“ was as astonishing as the loud singalong choir embedded into a song in the and of the show. Lead by the characteristic voice of Andrew Bishop and the tight band performance these 45 minutes became the definite highlight of this year’s DOA.
Elvenking For the third time the Italians performed their Power Metal with strong Folk-elements. And so the tent population increased appearance by appearance over the years. Their first two songs after the intro „The Manifesto“, „King Of The Elves“ and „Elvenlegions“ showed their main theme might be a bit overrepresented. Anyway, the fan support was safe for the „Pagan Revolution“ till the final „The Loser“.
Lord Vigo Doom Metal set the right contrast to the program before. But just a couple of visitors seemed to feel ready for this when the intro „Babylon The Great“ began. „Blackbourne Souls“, „When The Bloodlust Draws On Me“ and the final „Eternal Saviour“ weren’t the big innovation, but well-interpreted music. Those ones who stayed noticed that.
Crossplane The following combo showed: A few formations build their fanbase over the local factor. The fourpiece turned out to a pretty uninspired as boring Motörhead-copy. But their home town Essen was close, so the support fpr „Rollin’“ as „Take It Or Leave It“ was a reamarkable one.
Gloryhammer The British-Helvetian collaboration entered the stage while the intro „Infernus Astra“ to start with „Rise Of The Chaos Wizards“ and „Legend Of The Astral Hammer“ into their set. The entertaining as sympathic performance and comments between the songs secured the support of the audience as their Power Metal did. „Questlords Of Inverness, Ride To The Galactic Fortress!“, „The Hollywood Hootsman“ as the finisher „The Unicorn Invasion Of Dundee“ earned much applause.
Memoriam The UK-collaboration between ex-members of the popular Bolt Thrower and Benediction was a much awaited one just after one published release called „For The Fallen“. Many fans rushed into the tent to hear Karl Willets’ charismatic voice as smashers like „Reduced To Zero“, „Resistance“ and „Surrounded (By Death)“. This show became an undoubtful massive one, but the drummer as the sound didn’t have their best day.
In Extremo For the last slot the DOA-organization confirmed a formation which usually headlines huge Metal Open Airs like the Summer Breeze, but somehow they got the deal, and so in front of a packed tent the sevenpiece showed a motivated performance in front of this familiar atmosphere. Supported by lots of pyro effects and as well motivated supporters knowing most of the lyrics this final show turned out into a real party celebrating „Pikse Palve“, „Störtebeker“, „Sternhagelvoll“ as „Ai Vis Lo Lop“. So the encore „Spielmannsfluch“ became a more than dignified end of the performance as of this year’s Dong Open Air.
Conclusion:
DOA 2017 happened unter top conditions. Especially the weather worked very well: Not too hot, not too cold, and mainly dry. The organizers had just too manage one cancelation by Atomgott replacing them by Misanthrope Monarch.
The hosted WOA Metal Battle Germany final got won by Metal Detraktor who qualified for the international final at this year’s Wacken Open Air.
The rest of the organization worked very well, from the tent over the friendly securities, the variety of food up to the showers and toilets.
Thanks go out to Benjamin „Colamann“ Munsch and the DOA-team!!!!!At the Dong Open Air drank, rocked and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Dumbo & Steffi!!!!!