Summer Breeze 2002
3 days -2 stages – lots of bands …and just 2 eyes and ears to hear and watch! 😉 So here you´ll find my impressions – I haven’ t seen all bands – so maybe you´re missing one or more…
Thursday
Main Stage
Entwine The band from Finland played Gothic Rock, which is comparable to „HIM“ and „Too Die For“, while sunshine. They presented their current output „Time Of Despair“ and started with „The Pit“. But the guys including the female keyboarder with the impossible „pony-hair-style“ acted much too static. Nevertheless songs like „Stream Of Life“ or „Snow White Suicide“ point to a good future.
Hypocrisy The Swedish Death Metal machine began with „Roswell 47“ and „Pleasure Of Molestation“. Peter Tägtgren and his three fellows showed a much better gig than the disappointing gig on this year’s Graspop and finished with „The Last Chapter“ and the encore „Fractured Millenium“. When I concentrated on the crowd I just saw banging heads.
Edguy It seems to be „in“ to like the fivepiece from Fulda. Whatever: To me they are just „Edgay“; middle class melodic metal with no significance. The fans enjoyed the gig which mainly contained „Mandrake“-songs. The only moment of the show which I enjoyed was the message of frontclown Tobias Sammet that this was the last show for the next two years. Thanks a lot!
Tiamat The last time I watched the Swedish band around their charismatic frontman Johan Edlund was on the Dynamo 1997 as a headliner, too. This time they were not as boring as befrore because of an interesting setlist. The band with their guitaristThomas Petersson who was disguised as Kiss’s sixstringer Ace Frehley started with „The Return Of The Son Of Nothing“. They did not earn big reactions from the crowd, but besides tracks from their newer albums („Brigther Than The Sun“, „Cold Seed“, „Vote For Love“) they also offered old classics („Whatever That Hurts“, „The Ar“, „The Sleeping Beauty“, the finishing encore „Gaia“). Good show with atmosphere – for some to go to bed and for others to go ahead drinking, huhu!
Pain Stage
Night In Gales After we reached Abtsgmünd the Melodic Death-Thrashers from the „Ruhrpott“ were my first band on this year’s Summer Breeze. They won the crowd by hammer tracks like „Stormchild“, „Nailwork“ and „Deadmouth Daisies“ and finished a short (25 minutes), but celebrated, set. Besides that it was the last Open Air-gig of drummer Christian Basz for Night In Gales.
Bonfire The German Hardrock-oldtimers were assisted by rhythm guitarist Are Haug. The group around original frontman Claus Lessmann celebrated their Party Rock with songs like „Ready 4 Action“, „Sweet Obsession“ and „Bang Down The Door“ and showed a lot of routine.
Red Aim Comedy-Party-Rock ‘n’ Roll from Southern Germany: The fourpiece wore flame shirts and posed the hell out of themselves to their own songs as to their covers „The Trooper“ and „Rock You Like A Hurricane“. A while after their cool fronter Dr. Rogers opened his shirt to show his beer belly, Night In Gales-singer Björn Gooßes („104 kg balled erotic!“) came on stage to do the same and to pose together with the band. What a show!
Ektomorf The Sepultura-wannabes from Hungary presented their new album „I Scream Up To The Sky“. They gained a wild moshpit in front of the stage, but in my eyes and ears they sound to similar to their idols from Brasil without reaching the half of their intensity.
Friday
Main Stage
Left Hand Solution The Swedish Gothic Rock-fourpiece around their sympathic female singer with her very own dark voice had their big moments when they played songs from their debut „Fevered“. It was my first chance to watch them, hopefully it was not the last!
Soilwork 35 minutes are definitely much too short for the Death Metal-sensation from Helsingborg whoose set mainly contained songs from their new album „Natural Born Chaos“! Björn „Speed“ Strid who wore a red Ferrari-formula 1-jersey and his four bandmates conquered Abtsgmünd with hits like the opener „Follow The Hollow“, „Needlefeast“, „The Bringer“ and „As We Speak“ and achieved a big moshpit in front of the stage. The highlight of the festival!
Emil Bulls Crossover from Munich with the only DJ in the festival billing: This band rocked much harder than expected and showed there are not just an „MTVIVA“-hype. Besides the well-known A-ha-cover „Take On Me“ they surprised with an interesting intepretation of Megadeth’s „Symphony Of Destruction“.
The Gathering Netherland’s finest showed courage by starting their set with their new as unknown track „Even The Spirits Are Afraid“ which is pretty experimental. But with their third song „Strange Machines“ they caught the masses and added with „Leaves“ and „Eleanor“ other hits from their album classic „Mandylion“ which made this set so special. With this rare setlist, which was closed by „Saturnine“, and the charismatic voice of their singer Anneke Van Giersbergen it was easy for the band to succeed.
Nightwish The Gothic/Power Metal formation from Finland introduced their new bassist Marco Hietala to their fans. The band around singer Tarja Turunen played their songs („Wishmaster“, „Deep Silent Complete“) very tight and they convinced the crowd. Another triumph for the Finish Sensation.
Dimmu Borgir The Norwegian Black Metal-giant were okay, but I expected much more. They combined the main part of their set consisting of their current „Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia“-album with old classics („Stormblast“, „Broderskapets Ring“) and songs from the band’s „middle ages“ („The Insight And The Catharsis“ and the finishing hit „Mourning Palace“). The sound was bad and the band did not seem to have their best day. Nevertheless they are a great band and next live situation they will kill again.
Pain Stage
After Forever The Gothic Metal-band from Netherland profited by ist very sympathic frontwoman Floor Jansen who mainly concentrated on two things: singing and headbanging. Her voice did not stuck on my nerves like on this year’s Graspop and the whole band gained the crowd’s sympathy.
Disbelief The German Death Metal-group created live much more suspense than they usually do on CD. It was the first time I watched them since Dynamo 1998 and they still have this live power. With songs like their opener „Misery“ they had no problem to win the spectators.
Bl[a]flowerz The Gothic Metal-band from Aalen surprised the year before. The phenomenal voice of singer Kirsten Zahn is the most important voice of the fourpiece. And with more hits like „Love-Sick“ they will a have a great future for sure.
Vader Wherever you are you see the Death Metal-exotics from Poland. They blew away the crowd which turned into a big moshpit.
Axxis The Hardrock-legend from Dortmund created a cool party. Singer Bernhard Weiss and his four fellows reached loud singalongs by „Eyes Of Darkness“, „My Little Princess“, „Little Look Back“, „Brother Moonlight“ and „Living In A World“. We had fun!
Pain With this name the Industrial Metal-combo of Peter Tägtgren was a logic headliner for the Pain Stage. Instead of Matthias Kamijo Hypocrisy-sixstringer Andreas Holm played the guitar. This exciting gig became another festival-highlight. With the opener „It’s Only Them“, the slow „Just Hate Me“, the Beatles-cover „Eleanor Rigby and the set closing hit „Shut Your Mouth“ from their new album „Nothing Remains The Same“ they succeeded as well as with their classic „End Of The Line“. Cool gig and great moshpit!
Saturday
Main Stage
Flowing Tears The German Gothic Metal-fourpiece rocked a lot for a band of ist genre. Besides an appealing glitter-optic of the band fantastic singer Stefanie Duchene knew how to inspire the spectatorship.
Amon Amarth Besides Vader another band you always meet everywhereThe Swedish Death Metal-formation around chief-viking Johan Hegg built a great ocean of banging heads in the crowd while hot sunshine. With songs like „The Last Pagan With Blood“ this is definitely no surprise.
Within Temptation Sharon den Adel who wore a red dress and her black-suited bandmates are a band you can describe as uprising. With their Gothic Metal they are no longer well-known just in their home country Netherland. First of all they astonished with their backline consisting of gum-trees which belong to the main theme of there last album „Mother Earth“. With hits like the title track from that output, „Ice Queen“ or „Deceiver Of Fools“ this show was great, better than their appearance on this year’s Dynamo.
Brainstorm The fivepiece from Southwest Germany were just one of a few Power Metal bands on the billing, but they were definitely one of the best in common. With Andy B. Franck they had the best and most active singer on this year’s Summer Breeze. The fans celebrated songs from the new album („Metus Mortis“, „Hollow Hideway“) as to their classics („Voices“, „Liar’s End“). One big highlight of the festival.
Sentenced The Finish formation around front giant Ville Laihiala and guitarist Sami Lopakka offered an interesting set which contained more songs from Ville’s first Sentenced-album „Down“. But besides „Noose“, „Warrior Of Life“, etc. the guys rocked through their last few outputs by the opener „Cross My Heart And Hope To Die“, the „Amok“-classic „Nepenthe“, the hit „Drown Together“ and the two encores „The Suicider“ and „Excuse Me While I Kill Myself“. Great gig by this group and another big highlight of Summer Breeze 2002.
Samael The long awaited comeback after two years of abstinence by the fourpiece from Suisse. Supported by a great light show and fire juggling and spitting dancers it was the visual element which excited besides the acoustic one („Moonskin“, „Jupiterian Vibe“ and the finishing „My Saviour“).
Paradise Lost The British Legend headlined the Summer Breeze: What an event! For this festival they appeared with a very interesting setlist containing tracks from the last three albums with the opening „Say Just Words“, „Mouth“ and „So Much Is Lost“ or the last encore „One Second“, one song from their next output „Symbol Of Life“ („Self Obsessed“) and a lot of classics („As I Die“, „Ember’s Fire“, „Remembrance“, „True Belief“, „Hollowed Land“, „Forever Failure“, „The Last Time“). Technical problems were no difficulties for the band around the well-entertaining singer Nick Holmes, who made jokes by laying down under the drum-riser or by pointing out with the comment: „There Is A ghost in our machine.“ They did not earn big reactions from the masses, but to me it was great gig from the fivepiece after a long time.
Pain Stage
Undertow The local heroes surprised with their Doom-Metal in the tradition of Crowbar. Besides their grooving songs the anouncements of the fronman won much sympathy. More of that, please!
End Of Green Another local heroes band, but this time a well-known one. And they grooved for sure with hits from their new album „Songs For A Dying World“ („Motor“, „Only One“, „Death In Veins“, „Godsick“) and even newer tracks („Tormented Sundown“, „Evergreen“, „Highway 69“). Cool riffs combined with a variable voice meaned: Another big festival-highlight.
Stormwitch The return of the Avantgarde-Melodic Metal-legend turned out into a great and fantastic show. The original member singer Andy Mück found new fantastic musicians who realised the high level of this appearance. With their songs „Dance Of The Witches“ „Stronger Than Heaven“, „Ashes On Fire“ (supported by pyros) and the classics „Ravenlord“ (many may knew it because of the cover version from Hammerfall) and the finishing „Walpurgis Night“ they fascinated the crowd. Highlight of the show was the acoustic „Tears By The Firelight“ with the guest appearance of original guitarist Stefan Kauffmann. Guitarist Fabse who grinned most time of the set and the keyboarder Alex who spent nearly as much time jumping in front as playing his instrument in the back did the rest to make this show unique. Great!
Prime sth Nice Melodic Punkrock from Sweden, but maybe on the wrong position. They should have switched them with some of the darker band which had done their show while sunshine. But pushed by the Nuclear Blast-sub-label Rebelution Entertainment which possibly was the reason for that wrong decision the fourpiece got this position in the running order. But this was not a favor for the unknown band and the spectators. This band played cool material from their forthcoming debut album „Underneath The Surface“ that would have better fitted to sunshine. And with more hits like „I’m Stupid (Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me)“, „In My Head“, „I Don’t Envy You“ or the title track Noa, Martin, Jspr and Kaz may have a good future.
Pro-Pain Besides Pain the day before there could not be any better band to headline the Pain Stage. The American Hardcore-legend finished Summer Breeze ’02 blew the crowd away with „Don’t Kill Yourself To Live“ and the Seals & Crofts-cover „Summer Breeze“ (well-known as a cover version from Type O Negative) which chorus frontman Gary Meskil often repeated in the breaks between the other songs what created a cool atmoshere between the moshpits. Cool!
At the Summer Breeze 2002 in Abtsgmünd rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi!!!!!