With full force
This Festival unites all kinds of harder music! Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal,Speed Metal, Gothic Metal, Melodic Metal, Metalcore, Hardcore, Punk, Rock, Crossover: You can name any sub-genre of ass-kicking music, you will find it on the WFF which is pretty unique in Europe by this high billing quality. Of course this year the billing represented this wide-spread mixture again and the organizers held the high standards they had set the years before. And they were even able to improve the headliner positions to a nearly unachieveable optimum for this year.
At the airfield of Roitschzjora played 63 bands on three different stages (Besides that Mambo Kurt appeared on the Jim Beam Stage on the camping area.) in three days in front of about 25000 visitors.
Friday
Main Stage
Mastodon The second time I watched them live after they had supported together with Hatesphere the The Haunted-tour. And although they played an original complicated sound close to Neurosis they were boring again. But they had enough die-hard-fans who were curious about tracks like “I Am Ahab”, “Iron Tusk” and “Blood And Thunder”.
Obituary The first highlight on the Main Stage was the return of the Death Metal-legend from Florida. After a much too long intro fronter John Tardy and co began with the new “Redneck Stomp” and let follow “Threatening Skies” while the crowd was freaking out. For the first time of today the pit-security had to a lot to do and was probably happy when the fivepiece finished their gig with the new “Insane” and the classic “Slowly We Rot”. Cool, but somehow not completely convincing, so it became boring in the middle of the set. But I’m looking forward to their next shows.
Killswitch Engage Since I had been visiting the WFF I had wished this band for the ideal one fitting to this festival. And now it happened! The band entered a place where they belong to: Onto the big stages of this planet! After I had seen their amazing tour shows in Essen and Cologne a few months before I was a witness following their first-class material also works in front of thousands of people. They started with the opener of the new masterpiece “The End Of Heartache” (“A Bid Farewell”) and a big moshpit started and didn’t rust during songs from the new album (“Breathe Life”, the two single hits “The End Of Heartache”, “Rose Of Sharyn”), as from the debut “Alive Or Just Breathing” (“Life To Lifeless”, “Fixation Of The Darkness”, the first single “My Last Serenade” as the last played title). The crowd was kept in motion like the band. So much that bassist Mike D’Antonio fell about two metres from the stage. But he didn’t hold in for a second, stood up, climbed on stage and kept on rocking. A big rocker is guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz who seemed to act influenced by some miles & more –rule and pulled many faces. Singer Ron Howard inspired by his variable voice and the great interpretation of their many hits banned on just three albums. Overwhelming!
In Flames Gothenburg’s Melodic Death Metal-founders performed an exclusive Open Air Show (this year’s only one in Germany). Definitely exclusive was the show of In Flames followed by a pyro-spectacle I had rarely (or maybe never) seen before. The start into their concert consisting of “Cloud Connected”, “Touch Of Red”, “Pinball Map”, “System” and “Drifter” blasted the audience away returning to wild motion. In the last third of their one hour lasting performance the fivepeace inspired by the hits “Only For The Weak” and “The Quiet Place” they brought with “Graveland” a “The Jester Race” classic before leaving their lots of fans with “Trigger” and “My Sweet Shadow”. What a show and what a display of fireworks!
Slayer I have never seen a better Slayer showcase than this one. What doesn’t really mean they were good. But this time the favourite band of the WFF-visitors (polls can attest that clearly) was nice and the audience had the very rare honour fronter Tom Araya was even talking to them. Unbelievable! Besides that it was a typical Slayer-gig: More motivated than usual, but still pretty unmotivated, and still celebrated by an endless number of supporters who were happy to see their faves. And those played after the opener “Darkness Of Christ” with “Disciple” the only newer track and satisfied their fanbase by a classic-setlist including “War Ensmble”, “Necrophiliac”, “Dead Skin Mask”,”Show No Mercy”, “Raining Blood” and “South Of Heaven”. After the Ami-Thrash-icon surprised with “Silent Scream” which became ironically very symbolic for this performance which sound was much too low (like in Wacken 2003). So they closed the showcase with “Mandatory Suicide” and the jubilated “Angel Of Death”. The fact that “Hell Awaits” and “Seasons In The Abyss” weren’t played didn’t really matter anyone.
Tent Stage: Hardbowl
Barcode The Danish Hardcore-institution played a very cool gig keeping their Hardcore-fans and convincing most of ´Barcode-averages`. Produced by the Danish star-producer Tue Madsen the band and especially Jacob Bredahl (known as the fronter of Hatesphere) who penetrated the guitar had fun with their supporters anyway.
Cataract Another band mixed by Tue Madsen who had also produced their current “With Triumph Comes Loss”-hammer. The Swiss Metalcore formation are one of those which definitely fit to the Hardbowl. So they reached a nearly full tent which says all for that early time. With smashers like “Nothing Left” active fronter Fedi and his guys had no problem keeping the big bunch alive.
Tent Stage: Knüppelnacht
Unleashed The first Knüppelnacht-act held a Death Metal-gig becoming one whole triumph. Johnny Hedlund felt great about it and communicated with his motivated fans in the most song breaks. The Swedes also brought some ass-kicking material to Roitzschjora: The opener “To Asgard We Fly”, “Death Metal Victory”, “Victims Of War”, “Into Glory Ride”, “Before The Creation Of Time” were the right food for the hungry crowd.
Gorgoroth This high standards set by the band acting before the Blackies from Gorgoroth weren’t able to hold. So the tent became much emptier. Tracks like “Procreating Satan”, “Forces Of Satan”, “Destroyer”, “Incipit Satan” and “Revelation Of Doom” just entertained a few supporters. What the devil went wrong?
God Dethroned The sympathic Death Metal-band from the Netherlands played another bomb-set similar to Unleashed and definitely unsimilar to Gorgoroth. And the people hadn’t been going to sleep the band before. They filled up the tent again and went wild to the opener of their current and now seventh release “The Lair Of The White Worm” (“Nihilism”) as to the well-known older stuff (“Into The Lungs Of Hell”, “Boiling Blood”, “The Tombstone”, “Art Of Immolation”, “Sigma Enigma”, “The Warcult”). Cheers to Henri Sattler and his colleges for this performance!
Carpathian Forest “Let’s Go To Hell!” What a welcome to their audience saluted by fronter Nattefrost. But the show didn’t become as spectacular. It was the second corpsepaint-group this night and the second one of the Knüppelnacht which didn’t really rule. They were better than Gorgoroth, but somehow very ordinary. The tent became much emptier again, and those who stayed were allowed to listen to ordinary Midtempo Black Metal like “Black Shining Leather” or “Nuclear Fucking Deathmachine” (What song titles! ). Much more entertaining was Nattefrosts attempt speaking Geman: “Ich bin ein Kugelschreiber!” You can translate it in English as: “I’m a ball-pen!”
Illdisposed The main reason for my mission to stay till the end of the Knüppelnacht were the Danish cocaine-fans! And my special hint for this year’s WFF should become the greatest performance of the whole strong billing! Starting after the cool intro with the opener of the new album “1 – 800 Vindication” (“I Believe In Me”) and the new single (“Still Sane”) the band ruled the tent from the first played tone. All maniacs hadn’t gone to their own little tent went to the big one where the music was played. And they chose the right decision for sure and joined a big party to great Death Metal-hits (“Dark”, “And Now We’re History”, “Near The Gates”, the final “In Search Of Souls”). As you may see they concentrated mainly on material from the new album. Normally no good decision for a band calling seven longplayers their own. But here it worked because the new one is even more killer than those ones before are. For the cool wild party atmoshere cared Mr. Frontman and entertainer himself Mr. Bo Summer with his funny comments held in brilliant German between each song. One example of many: After the third song: “Germany is our second home country!” – Jubilation from the spectatorside – “Liechtenstein is our first one!” Fantastic!!!
Behemoth At 4:35 a.m. Black Metal from Poland was supposed to invade the tent. While their appearance I nearly slept in twice. And the few madmen who still hadn’t left made the same passive impression. On the other hand the band wasn’t able to recall the mob to life as the band before had done. Nevertheless I waited till the end (5:15 a.m.) without having really fun. Next time the band can trie it again to convince with titles like “Conquer All” by another billing position. Good night!
Saturday
Main Stage
Kataklysm Holy shit! Another appearance by the Canadians which showed me why I enjoy them so much. Hayperblastspeed-Death Metal in a perfection never seen before was served in the hot afternoon. They caught many fans starting this day’s Mainstage-pit to “Ambassador Of Pain”, “As I Slither”, “Serenety In Fire”, “Illuminate”, “Manipulator Of Souls” and with “Crippled And Broken” a new track from their forthcoming album. Very strong and impressing performance!
Such A Surge They were the German Crossover-shooting-stars in the middle of the 90ies. Ten years later they seemed like shadows of their own. Most people went to the Hardbowl following nowadays Metalcore-shooting stars Maroon. In the beginning of their set the sixpack played newer titles (“Radiosong”, “O.K.”) most spectators didn’t care about. When they began to play older hits (“Silver Surger”, “Chaos”, “Gegen Den Strom”, “Schatten”) enough visitors felt animated by the two very active vocalists Olli and Michel to jump to. But most of the time this appearance was boring!
Sick Of It All The NYHC-institution around the Koller-brothers Lou and Pete had much more following than Braunschweig’s finest before. Nevertheless I need to mention I had already seen them in a better mood. Anyway the fourpiece inspired a big crowd and brought them more old school-stuff than expected (“Breeders Of Hate”, “My Life”, “Stick Together”, “Injustice System”, “Just Look Around”) and organized a big monster version of a wall of death which Lou divided in one “Iron Maiden”- and in one “Merauder/Murphy’s Law-side”. So they dismissed their supporters with their hits “Step Down” and “Scratch The Surface” (jubilated by thousands of stretched fists) who had seen a good performance.
Iron Maiden Every year the WFF-headliners are able confirm big headliners. And this year they presented the Heavy Metal-legend from the UK what had surpassed my high expectations. The idea to only play material from their first four longplayers found much consent on tour as on the WFF. After the intro “Ides Of March” The NWOBHM-icon opened with “Murders In The Rue Morgue” in front of a huge audience filling up the festivalsite. In the beginning of the show the fans needed to get used to the well-mixed, but too low sound. So in this first part of the concert the atmosphere wasn’t as brilliant as it should become during the appearance. Then songs like “The Trooper”, “Remember Tomorrow”, “Run To The Hills” and “When Eagles Dare” were jubilated loudly by the loyal fans. Those saw with vocalist Bruce Dickinson a vocalist always being in action, and many special effects. Besides a big pyro-show and often changing Backdrops, Eddie entered the stage and satan himself gave a guest-appearance while “Hallowed Be Thy Name” which got celebrated by thousands of supporters like “The Number Of The Beast”, “Iron Maiden”, “Running Free” or the final “Sanctuary”. Besides that we as many media weren’t allowed to do photos! Anyway a memorable show! Up The Irons! Also for the guy waiting for almost 20 years to watch his idols who preffered to let his ´yellow rain` in his empty beer cup instead of visiting the restrooms.
Tent Stage: Hardbowl
Murphy’s Law For the first time I watched the NYHC-institution who played a show which can only place you into a good mood. The sympathic fourpiece played Party-Hardcore at its best. During the whole gig the fronter was weaponed with a Jägermeister-bottle. This one he held in the drumkit which became a percussion-part of it when the drummer played a solo in the middle of a Reggae-song. Another highlight became the Black Flag-cover “Six-Pack”. Great entertainment!
Terror After I had missed the Californian Hardcore-band on last year’s WFF this year I was curious about following their gig this time. And in contrast to the band before the guys from the other coast didn’t plan to be funny. With highspeed-material which also grooved they caused the hugest pit in the Hardbowl-tent. The short tracks rocked the stage and the crowd turned the tent into a battle-ground. Between the titles shouter Scott Vogel entertained with a lot of self-irony. The rest of the time the band impressed by their performance. What a massacre!
Maroon Another band like Cataract whose time had definitely come to play on the Hardbowl. And the fivepeace from Nordhausen justified their good position in the billing with an energetic performance. After the intro they started with “Watch It All Come Down” and “Chosen Fate”. As Terror they reached an almost full Hardbowl-tent while Such A Surge played for much less spectators. They also impressed by hard-riffing material which was just a little lower and included a few more harmonies. Lead by a funny as active fronter André Moraweck people moshed to “Shadow Of The Vengeance”, “The Worlds Havoc” as to the set finishing “Endorsed By Hate” and “Stillborn”. Cool show!
Die Kassierer The chaos Punk-band returned after two years to the WFF. Of course they entered the stage to the “Star Wars”-intro. And of course fronter Wölfi was just suited by pants showing his belly. The pants didn’t survive the show which was necessary for the track about a penis being too big for sexual action. Other topics this evening: sex with the social worker, a polka about stinking pussies, a song about hate, sex with an alien. The supporters celebrated the chaotic show whether the four punks from Bochum-Wattenscheid played tracks from the new output “Männer, Bomben, Satelliten” or classics. As you can imagine all the songs dealt with the same theme complex. A cool chaotic show by the Punk-originals whose singer Wölfi also is the top-candidate for a chaotic party called APPD which will take part in the national German elctions in september.
Tent Stage: Saturday Night Fever
Knorkator Another chaos on the sympathic way was brought by Stumpen, Alf Ator, Buzz Dee & Co from Berlin. Beginning after midnight with the debut-track “Kurz Und Klein” the band played in a tent full of madmen who all wanted to party. The band entertained with brilliant as intelligent black humour in songs like “Der Ultimative Mann”, “Ich Lass Mich Klonen”, “Wie Weit Ist Es Bis Zum Horizont” (including explanations on a flip-chart), “Ich Will Nur Fickn”, “Narrenkappe” and the farewell “Böse”. It’s always a real pleasure to follow their shows, especially on festivals.
Brainless Wankers Somehow my way lead me back to the Tent Stage where a sevenpiece celebrated their Ska-Punkrock. So I stayed for a while watched them like most of the surprised visitors for the first time. Nice!
Sunday
Main Stage
Dew-Scented In the early hot afternoon everybody was invited to get woken up by the Death/Trash-band. After the short-termed cancelation of this day’s headliner Motörhead each band earned some more time to play on the new fixed timetable. The guys from Braunschweig started with “New Found Pain” and “Bitter Conflict”. The fans felt motivated by the riff-attack to bang their heads to “Unconditional”and “Soul Poison”. In the end of the show fronter Leif dedicated the new track “Never To Return” to Maroon-fronter André Moraweck and left a satisfied audience.
Nuclear Assault A total disappointment was caused by the US-Speed/Thrash-heroes around fronter John Connelly and bass original Danny Lilker. The band bored through its set and the area in front of the Main Stage became much emptier. Even their classics “F#”, “Buttf**k” and “Hang The Pope” didn’t change that fact. They need to improve a lot about their live presentation.
Pro-Pain Then Gary Meskil and Co showed how to rock the Main Stage. And this should become one of the best performances of this year’s WFF. After a cool intro the band began with “Stand Tall” to let it follow the grooving “In For The Kill”. This inspired the huge crowd to jump to the smashers of the Hardcore-icon from New York City. Grown to a fourpiece again Gary Meskil and his comrades obviously had much fun playing for such a crowd thankfully celebrating every song. So they did while “Make War (Not Love)” and the set closing Böhse Onkelz-cover “Terpentin”.
Hellacopters Rock ‘n’ Roll at its best! After the canceled Motörhead-gig the Swedes around front-rocker Nicke were the only band left of its style. So in front of a nice little backdrop the fourpiece spread a little 70ies flair on the Main Stage. It wasn’t a big mob raging on the festival area. But the fourpiece caught numerous of spectators enjoying the relaxed rocking atmosphere spread over the festivalsite. The highlight to me was their hit “By The Grace Of God”. Cool!
Anthrax Now promoted to the headliner of With Full Force’s Sunday getting ten minutes added Anthrax played their nostalgy show awaited by a lot of fans. Besides Scott Ian and Charlie Benante the line-up got completed by Frank Bello, Dan Spitz and Joey Belladonna. This line-up hadn’t played live together for more than twelve years. Frank was the same stage animal as he had been the years beofore, but he just returned to the band after a short time of being out. The people focussed on Dan who did his job very well and singer Joey who showed after some problems in the beginning a surprising performance. From the beginning with “Among The Living”, “Got The Time” and “Caught In A Mosh” over “Madhouse”, the Trust-cover “Antisocial” and “Indians” until the phenomenal end consisting of “I’m The Man” (Frank Bello rules!), Metal Thrashing Mad”, the Pantera-cover “A New Level” dedicated to Dimebag Darrell and “I Am The Law” which was dedicated to the sick Lemmy they fascinated their fans. They were a worthy headliner for sure totally accepted by the crowd which partied to the Thrash Metal-classics. Honestly: It made a lot of fun to watch this line-up perfoming together the early years-material. But nevertheless the band should return to their unbeatable singer John Bush. This can only be the way. Showcases like this one become so cool because they are unique. Otherwise they become a comedy of itself!
Tent Stage: Hardbowl
Fear My Thoughts The Metalcore-hopefuls from Freiburg played an energetic gig holding the tent visitors in motion. Especially the tracks from the latest release “The Great Collapse” (the title track and “Reign”) really kicked ass. The band also introduced new material from the forthcoming album which showed them involving to the Swedisch Melodic Death-sound. The band caught the crowd organizing some moshpits. Cool show! Just the unlucky comment about the tragedy on a metalcore event short time before was really stupid. Fronter Mathias noticed that and corrected himself after the next song.
Tent Stage: The Last Supper
Subway To Sally The Folk Rock/Metal-protagonists opened with “Veitstanz” and “Knochenschiff”. After a few other tracks of their newer days like “Ohne Dich” or “Das Letzte Abendmahl” they rewarded their loyal fanship tent with classics like “Falscher Heiland”, “Henkersbraut”, “Mephisto” and “Julia Und Die Räuber”. So the sevenpiece inspired the filled tent dancing to their mediterrean aera songs.
Finntroll Another tent-party followed. Now the main actors presented Viking Metal. The fans celebrated each track thankfully. Besides the new “Eliytres” the tracks “Människorpesten”, “Trollhammeren” and “Jaktens Tid” earned the biggest applause.
Eläkeläiset The Polka-alcohol-attack from Finland offered for another time funny Polka-versions of Pop-, Rock- and Metal-classics (“Breaking The Law”, “Like A Virgin”) while the musicians consumed some vodka. Another – in the meantime – little smaller party.
Haggard Definitely no party was the Haggard-appearance. Assis Nasseri, his band, the additional female singers and the orchestra didn’t really impress me. This whole show became a little ridiculous. I hadn’t seen them for a long while. So I was disappointed the band hadn’t evolved after their innovative second album “And Thou Shalt Trust The Seer”. Instead of that one female singer entertained comically with her affected headbanging and Assis seemed to enjoy their weak show.
Jim Beam Stage
Mambo Kurt After some fan took off his pants to show what needn’t be shown Mambo Kurt rocked the stage on the campsite close to the festival area with his hammond organ-interpretations of well-known classics like “The Final Countdown”, “Raining Blood” or “My Heart Will Go On” and entertained a not too small crowd well.
Conclusion:
The With Full Force-festival is one of the most attractive festivals in Europe. Every year the organizers are able to offer a high standard billing for a more than fair price. From the smallest underground band to the biggest headliner stars in all different styles of harder music you can watch high quality. So the short time-cancelation of the Motörhead-headliner-appearance (Lemmy layed down sick in hospital) didn’t become such a big problem as it would have become to other festivals. Besides that the visitors again had the opportunity to watch skateboard and motorcycle stunt-events next to the Tent Stage. The organization of the festival was as usual top and the food- and beverage-prices were low for another time (e.g. 2,30 Euro for a 0,4l beer or softdrink).
Special thanks go out to Susann “Susi” Raditzky and the WFF-team!!!!!
At the With Full Force 2005 rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi and Dumbo!!!!!