Graspop 2002 Review

Graspop 2002
Friday
Marquee I
Rage What a Threepiece consisting of Mainman and Bandfounder Peavey Wagner, guitar virtuoso Victor Smolski and drum animal Mike Terrana. The Band from Herne presented its new album unity („All I Want”) and added tracks from earlier albums („From The Cradle To The Crave”, „Higher Than The Sky”).

Doro German Power Metal again: On every Metal-Festival it seems like the Metal lady is at home. Besides new tracks („Always Live To Win”, „Fight”) there are especially the Doro classics („I Rule The Ruins”, „Burning The Witches”, „Für Immer”) which motivates the fans to sing out loud.

Moonspell Last year on the Summer Breeze the portuguese band around the charismatic singer Fernando Ribeiro showed there are back. Not a big gig, but the crowd is always thankful for hits like „Opium” and „Alma Mater”.

Kreator The beginning of a trilogy of three hammer-appearances in a row on Marquee I-Stage. The Thrash Metal-fourpiece from Essen started with „Violent Revolution”, the title track from their new album. With their classics „Tormentor”, „Flag Of Hate” and „Extreme Aggression” Mille & Co. motivated the fans to bang the shit out of them.

Anathema The British genuises around the three brothers Vincent, Danny and the new Jamie Cavanagh fascinated the masses another time. Supported by clear sound and a nice light show they created a very own, pleasant atmosphere. With albumsa like the current „A Fine Day To Exit” and undying songs like „Fragile Dreams or „A Dying Wish” this band will always achieve such phenomenal reactions from the spectatorship.

Saxon The NWOBHM-legend headlined over two hours on Friday with their eagle show. The older singer Biff Byford gets the better his voice clings to songs like „Killing Ground”, „Metalhead”, „Dogs Of War” and „Strong Arm Of The Law”. In the beginning of „The Eagle Has Landed” the big eagle show element above the band first stuck a little bit, but after a while because of the intervention of a roadie it came to action. Great show!

Saturday
Mainstage
Evergrey It was on the only band of the Prog Metal genre besides Dream Theater after the cancelation of Symphony X to open the Graspop-Mainstage in 2002. Mainman Tom S. Enflund introduced three new bandmates to the crowd and presented his band’s new album „In Search Of Truth” very successfully. Nobody expected so many people headbanging to „The Encounter” and the finishing „The Masterplan” in the morning.

Tristania The Gothic Metal-institution from Stavanger didn’t get their best day in presenting their current album „World Of Glass”. Vibeke Stene as the new male singer missed their tones much too often and generally it was weak gig.

Halford The ex-Judas Priest-frontman Rob Halford was celebrated by a lot of fans and combined his set with new tracks („Betrayal”, „Golgotha) and old Priest-classics („Electric Eye”, „Painkiller”). But they had no luck because the sound switched off twice because of technical problems. The band left the stage very disappointed.

Bruce Dickinson The Iron Maiden-fronter whose backing band was consisting of musicians from the band „Sack Trick” had more luck. His set held the balance between the best tracks of Bruce’s solo career („Accident Of Birth”, „The Tower”, „Tears of The Dragon, „Tattooed Millionaire”) and Maiden classics („Revelations”, „Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter” and the finishing „Powerslave”) and reached the loudest fan choirs of the whole festival. Respect!

Machine Head The Neo-Thrasher from the Bay Area around mainman Robb Flynn and new guitarist Phil Demmel opened their set with the strong „Davidian”. Not less powerful were „The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears”, „Ten Ton Hammer, „Old” and the title track of the band’s current album „Supercharger”. Machine Head brought a surprise with a fantastic cover of Metallica’s „Creeping Death”. Besides the fact that Robb’s every fifth word minimum was fuck they played a great gig.

Dream Theater New York’s Prog Metal-kings decided to play the harder side of their repertoir („The Mirror”, „Lie”, „Scenes From A Memory”). They integrated Metallica’s „Master Of Puppets” into their hit „Pull me Under” and closed their set with the intro of Slayer’s „Raining Blood”. Brilliant!

Slayer The thrash kings (with Dave Lombardo on the drums again) played their hits („Raining Blood”, „South Of Heaven”, „Seasons In Th Abyss”, „Angel Of Death”), but didn’t convince me. There was no big movement or motivation to perceive, so that’s maybe one possible reason why I slept in in front of the Mainstage while the headliner bored.

Marquee I
Dismember The Death Metal-lunatics from Stockholm smashed the tent stage away with „And So Is Life”, „Questionable Ethics” and „Mutual Animosity” in the noon. Just one word: Cool!

Arch Enemy The swedish Death Metal-assault around the two brothers Christopher and Michael Amott introduced their new album „Wages Of Sin” and their new female grunter Angela Gossow from Cologne. She has to work on her stageacting while the two brothers and the rhythm section were phenomenous.

Hypocrisy Another big swedish Death Metal band: But in contrast to other shows of the band around Peter Tägtgren they were very weak this time. Just in the beginning of their set they appeared with their hits „Roswell 47″, „Apocalypse” and „Buried”, but it didn’t help. But I’m confident that Hypocrisy will find back to their usual strength in the next live situation.

Cannibal Corpse In contrast to Germany the band from the state of the lost election ballots is allowed to perform their old gore hits „A Skull Full Of Maggots” and „Hammer Smashed Face” in Belgium. Those (in Germany forbidden) tracks found as much celebration than their live standards „Bloodthirsty” and „Fucked With A Knife”.
Immortal The norwegian Black Metal-combo had less sound and technical problems than on last year’s Summer Breeze. Fronter Abbath spitted fire and his threepeace won their Black Metal-battle with „Tyrants” and the bombastic „Damned In Black”.

My Dying Bride In the beginning of their performance the british Doomsters didn’t have a good sound, but after a short while this problem was solved. Over the years Aaron became a less introverted better frontman and hits like „My Hope, The Destroyer ” (from their new masterpiece „ The Dreadful Hours”), „The Cry Of Mankind”, „She Is The Dark and the finishing „The Fever Sea” achieved a bang ocean in the tent. Excellent!
Conclusion:
Graspop 2002 was a new festival to me. It was a well-organized festival with great billing and a sympathic atmosphere. I have to mention there was also a Marquee II-tent-stage with a billing mainly consisting of Hardcore-bands. It was impossible to review all bands on all stages because it was a spontaneous decision to go there and I was alone. Hopefully next year we’ll get accredition to present you the whole festival containing exclusive pics.

See you in Dessel at the Graspop 2003!!!
At the Graspop 2002 in Dessel (Belgium) rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi!!!!!