{"id":1452,"date":"2012-09-09T16:08:07","date_gmt":"2012-09-09T15:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=1452"},"modified":"2013-07-09T16:17:54","modified_gmt":"2013-07-09T15:17:54","slug":"summer-breeze-2012-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=1452","title":{"rendered":"Summer Breeze 2012 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUMMER BREEZE 2012<\/strong>
\nSame procedure as every year: The Summer Breeze marks the great final of the most famous Metal-related Open Air Festivals! The organizers have done a great job by raising their festival step by step without losing its relaxed atmosphere deserving the chilling festival name. After 35000 sold tickets they declared Summer Breeze 2012 sold out. This resulted in a very good organized festival fulfilling nearly all wishes of its visitors.
\nBesides that the Summer Breeze offered an amazing variety of all the different styles hard music is able to offer as it had done the editions before. So besides the headliners Subway To Sally, Immortal and Amon Amarth there were lots of very different as interesting bands for us to watch. As the years before the weather worked well for organizers as fans, sometimes it became too hot. Another lucky circumstance was the aspect of having no cancelations this year. On this year’s Summer Breeze 102 bands appeared on four stages (including the Camel Stage) in four days for about 35000 visitors (Sold out!).<\/p>\n

Wednesday<\/strong>
\nParty Stage<\/strong>
\nMunicipal Waste<\/strong> After the New Blood Award – newcomer competition the time had come for the following Nuclear Blast label night beginning with the US Thrash attack. Regarding their new output \u201cThe Fatal Feast\u201d the fourpiece must have been the act with the most played tracks besides Napalm Death of the whole festival lasting about two minutes each. The fans started the first moshpits, so the festival definitely had begun.
\nBullet<\/strong> The Swedisch party guarantee took care of keeping the motivation of the audience alive. Opening with \u201cFull Pull\u201d from their forthcoming release pure Heavy Metal combined with Rock ‘n’ Roll vibes and an agile band the entertainment worked well.
\nRage<\/strong> The German Metal icon attracted a completely filled up tent. Supported by a great sound the trio had a good evening satisfying the thousands of spectators by new \u201c21\u201d – songs as its title track \u201cTwenty One\u201d and the enormously celebrated classics \u201cPaint The Devil On The Walls\u201d, \u201cRefuge\u201d, \u201cHigher Than The Sky\u201d and the final \u201cSoundchaser\u201d. Well done!
\nTankard<\/strong> After their instumental high-skilled colleges the Thrash Metal weirdoes from Frankfurt set their focus back on the party aspect. So to the performance of their beer hymn \u201cFreibier\u201d they got supported by around 30 girls. Gerre also invited a fan with the flag of their hometown soccer club.
\nGraveworm<\/strong> After keyboarder Sabine Mair had quit the band her former bandmates didn’t replace her so the guitar elements became more relevant for the sound of the Dark Metal formation. After the big exodus out of the party tent the left thousand fans headbanged to \u201cI- The Machine\u201d, \u201cHateful Design\u201d and the final Iron Maiden cover \u201cFear Of The Dark\u201d.
\nTasters<\/strong> Just a couple of fans stayed in front of the stage when the Metalcore sevenpiece from Italy entered the stage. Probably nobody had known the band before the opener \u201cKatherine’s Got A Secret\u201d, \u201cSleeping With Spirits\u201d and the final \u201cPlease Destroy This World\u201d convinced and got celebrated.<\/p>\n

Thursday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/strong>
\nBe’Lakor<\/strong> The Australian Melodic Death Metal quintet returned from Melbourne to Dinkelsb\u00fchl to open the Main Stage. A surprisingly huge audience celebrated \u201cRemnants\u201d and \u201cFraught\u201d from the brandnew album \u201cOf Breath And Bone\u201d as well as the opener \u201cVenator\u201d or the set finishing \u201cSun’s Delusion\u201d. Cool!
\nDarkest Hour<\/strong> Is this still Metalcore or is this already Melodic Death Metal? Whatever the five guys from the US-capital Washington rocked the festival area enormously by \u201cWith A Thousand Words To Say\u201d, \u201cDemon(s)\u201d, the new video-single \u201cLove As A Weapon\u201d and the final \u201cDoomsayer (The Beginning Of The End)\u201d. Fans headbanged as their protagonists. This edition’s first highlight.
\nEpica<\/strong> A much too long intro signalized the time had come for the female-fronted Symphonic Metal icon from the Netherlands. They opened with the starting tracks of the new production \u201cRequiem For The Indifferent\u201d (\u201cKarma\u201d, \u201cMonopoly On Truth\u201d). The nice vocalist Simone Simons and her colleges inspired their fans to headbang. To me this was too much symphonic bombast and too less Rock ‘n’ Metal.
\nIced Earth<\/strong> One of the very few Power Metal acts of this billing entered the stage to begin with the title track of the new album \u201cDystopia\u201d and the following classics \u201cBurning Times\u201d and \u201cSlave To The Dark\u201d. Jon Schaffer and his bandmates played a tight set and their new vocalist Stu Block sang well, but was incomparable to his mighty predecessor Matthew Barlow. Nevertheless the ballads \u201cI Died For You\u201d and \u201cWatching Over Me\u201d as the classics \u201cPure Evil\u201d and the set closing \u201cIced Earth\u201d animated lots of fans to singalong or to headbang.
\nBehemoth<\/strong> A lot had happened after their latest Summer Breeze participation in 2008. Their confirmation two years later had to be canceled because fronter Nergal got cancer. He won his fight and returned with his band stronger than before. \u201cDemigod\u201d, \u201cConquer All\u201d and \u201cAt The Left Hand Ov God\u201d were bombastic and found much support by the fans. Nergal’s statement \u201cIt’s good to be alive\u201d earned much applause.
\nSubway To Sally<\/strong> For another time one of Germany’s leading Folk Metal bands headlined the Summer Breeze. Supported by a massive pyro show the medieval sevenpiece got celebrated for the opener \u201cK\u00e4mpfen Wir!\u201d, \u201cEisblumen\u201d, \u201cWenn Engel Hassen\u201d, \u201cKleid Aus Rosen\u201d, \u201cSieben\u201d, \u201cVeitstanz\u201d by a pretty filled festivalsite. To me this show hadn’t become that different to those ones they had performed on the former Summer Breeze area in Abtsgm\u00fcnd.<\/p>\n

Pain Stage<\/strong>
\nObscure Phinx<\/strong> It had become a tradition the two big stages got opened by the winner of the New Blood Award underground competition happening the day before. The fivepiece around a female singer got the price and played a set consisting of the two epics \u201cNastiez\u201d and \u201cParagnomen\u201d from their debut record \u201cAnasthetic Inhalation Ritual\u201d before their time was over.
\nManegarm<\/strong> Their latest release \u201cNattv\u00e4sen\u201d was published three years ago, but nevertheless enough fans wanted to party with the Pagan Metal band. To me this was just a copy of the many other boring Viking Metal bands.
\nEvery Time I Die The Hardcore fivepiece from Buffalo performed an intense set considering by \u201cUnderwater Bimbos From Outer Space\u201d and \u201cTypical Miracle\u201d material from the new output \u201cEx Lives\u201d, but marking the main accent on a best of program.
\nNapalm Death<\/strong> The first four tracks \u201cCircumspect\u201d, \u201cErrors In The Signal\u201d, \u201cEveryday Pox\u201d and \u201cProtection Racket\u201d were identic to the beginning of the new record \u201cUtilitarian\u201d. Without bass original Shane Embury, but again with an extremely agile front-growler Barney Greenway the Grindcore institution from Birmingham animated their supporters until the great final consisting of \u201cSuffer The Children\u201d, \u201cNazi Punks Fuck Off\u201d, \u201cScum\u201d, the quickie \u201cYou Suffer\u201d and \u201cInstinct Of Survival\u201d.
\nDie Apokalyptischen Reiter<\/strong> Musically this band is an East German quirk, so to me it sucked. The show elements containing a confetti cannon and a lady crowdsurfing in a gum boat throwing exclusively for this event printed t-shirts while \u201cSeemann\u201d were cool ideas taking care of the entertainment factor, but that was it.
\nEluveitie<\/strong> The octet from Switzerland started focusing on their new release \u201cHelvetios\u201d by its title track, \u201cLuxtos\u201d, \u201cNeverland\u201d and \u201cMeet The Enemy\u201d before presenting a best of set which let miss their hit \u201cOmnos\u201d. Nevertheless a respectable crowd celebrated their Folk Metal heroes.
\nDeathstars<\/strong> Often the Summer Breeze bands being set after the headliner are the best of the festival creating their own atmosphere. This combo created nothing. Unspectacular Gothic Rock with ridiculous costumes turned out to comedy. Anyway!<\/p>\n

Party Stage<\/strong>
\nBorn From Pain<\/strong> Somewhere between Hardcore and Metalcore the Dutch quintet always understands to mobilize the crowd. And so they did by \u201cRise Or Die\u201d, \u201cSons Of A Dying World\u201d, \u201cThe New Hate\u201d, the only played new \u201cThe New Future\u201d track \u201cAmerican Treason\u201d and the final \u201cStop At Nothing\u201d. Shouter Rob Franssen pointed out on some social as political issues and crowdsurfed a bit. Cool appearance!
\nDie Kassierer<\/strong> After With Full Force and Wacken Open Air it was definitely time for the Summer Breeze to host the Comedy Punk weirdoes which got welcomed by a filled tent partying to \u201cBesoffen Sein\u201d, \u201cSex Mit Dem Sozialarbeiter\u201d, \u201cBlumenkohl Am Pillemann\u201d and \u201cDas Schlimmste Ist, Wenn Das Bier Alle Ist\u201d. Fronter W\u00f6lfi Wendland performed a few songs completely naked and the crowd had enough to laugh.
\nGhost Brigade<\/strong> A demonstration of intensity was done by the Finnish quintet who returned to Dinkelsb\u00fchl. In 2009 they had to appear against Volbeat as a pretty unknown band. Three years later their popularity had risen, so many fans awaited their heroes jubilating the opener \u201cLost In A Loop\u201d. Besides considering their new masterpiece \u201cUntil Fear No Longer Defines Us\u201d by \u201cTraces Of Liberty\u201d, \u201cBreakwater\u201d, \u201cClawmaster\u201d and the final \u201cSoulcarvers\u201d especially the \u201cIsolation Songs\u201d hits \u201cInto The Black Light\u201d as \u201cMy Heart Is A Tomb\u201d rocked the tent causing singalongs as headbanging in the audience. Awesome!
\nExcrementory Grindfuckers<\/strong> One year after their latest Summer Breeze appearance the Grindcomedy madmen returned to continue their positive nonsense. And again they used their soundcheck for funny singalong games before entertaining by \u201cLooking For Grindcore\u201d, \u201cVater Morgana\u201d and \u201cThe Final Grinddown\u201d.<\/p>\n

Friday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/strong>
\nRoterfeld<\/strong> Aaron Roterfeld and his band played Dark Rock as their Italian predecessors on the Pain Stage, but in contrast to them the Austrians were completely boring. \u201cDon’t Be Afraid Of The Dark\u201d – in this case for sure.
\nDew-Scented<\/strong> The Death Thrash commando were the first guarantee for headbangers this friday. After \u201cHubris\u201d and \u201cSworn To Obey\u201d the quintet performed a smashing best of program containing \u201cTurn To Ash\u201d, \u201cThat’s Why I Despise You\u201d, \u201cCities Of The Dead\u201d, the new video single \u201cThrown To The Lions\u201d and the final \u201cActs Of Rage\u201d. Many fans defied the heat and supported the band by several hair-windmills.
\nCrowbar<\/strong> The Sludge legend from New Orleans inspired by their sometimes melancholic as always really heavy riffs, so after a short time several thousand people filled the Main Stage ground. Kirk Windstein and his companions definitely rocked, especially by their great final consisting of \u201cAll I Had (I Gave)\u201d, \u201cPlanets Collide\u201d and \u201cThe Cemetery Angels\u201d.
\nUnearth<\/strong> After they had canceled their Summer Breeze participation two years ago the time had finally come for the Metalcore masters from Boston. Supported by a first class sound shouter Trevor Phipps & Co turned the festival area in a whole moshpit. The opener \u201cThe Great Dividers\u201d, the new video single \u201cWatch It Burn\u201d, \u201cThis Lying World\u201d, \u201cZombie Autopilot\u201d, \u201cThis Glorious Nightmare\u201d, \u201cEyes Of Black\u201d and the final hammer \u201cGiles\u201d inspired to several circle-pits as much headbanging. Outstanding!
\nJasta vs. Windstein<\/strong> The collaboration between the fronters of Hatebreed and Crowbar was a pretty unique one I hadn’t seen on any other festival yet. Kirk Windstein had played as sang the first twelve songs of the project collective Kingdom Of Sorrow before he went to the background of the stage watching Jamey Jasta mobilzing the fans by material from his solo record. Those ones especially moved while the finishing Hatebreed-classic \u201cI Will Be Heard\u201d.
\nWithin Temptation<\/strong> Long before the flood of female-fronted Symphonic Metal acts, especially from their country of the Netherlands, the band created their sound, and meanwhile the new songs sound much more rocking than the old bombast like the first tracks \u201cShot In The Dark\u201d, \u201cIn The Middle Of The Night\u201d and the single \u201cFaster Music\u201d showed right after an intro-movie. After these hits like \u201cIce Queen\u201d, \u201cStand My Ground\u201d, \u201cWhat Have You Done\u201d, \u201cAngels\u201d and the final band hymn \u201cMother Earth\u201d got celebrated much more by the audience. Live guitarist Stefan Helleblad did a good job replacing Robert Westerholt reducing his function to the songwriter and studio guitarist. Still nice!
\nImmortal<\/strong> On my first Summer Breeze in 2001 Immortal was the big headliner, and so much hadn’t changed more than a century later, just the fact the Norwegians hadn’t played on this festival in the meantime. So they returned with the same bombast performing the opener \u201cWithstand The Fall Of Time\u201d, \u201cSons Of Northern Darkness\u201d, \u201cDamned In Black\u201d, \u201cAt The Heart Of Winter\u201d and the final \u201cThe Sun No Longer Rises\u201d. Thousands of fans headbanged while Pyros and Black Metal ruled the Main Stage.<\/p>\n

Pain Stage<\/strong>
\nThe Foreshadowing<\/strong> The sun shined very hot. Probably for the chilling sound of the sixpiece from Rome. Their Gothic Rock with a little doomy influence attracted a few hundred mostly black-suited supporters. Three of the five played songs were from the new album \u201cSecond World\u201d, including the video-single \u201cThe Forsaken Son\u201d.
\nBleed From Within<\/strong> After two Dark Rock acts the last visitor must have been awaken by the Deathcore fivepiece from Glasgow. \u201cThe Novelist\u201d, \u201cDishonour\u201d, \u201cThis Is Our Legacy\u201d and \u201cThe Healing\u201d took care of the first mentionable moshpit-action.
\nMystic Prophecy<\/strong> As the only Melodic Metal act in the billing besides Iced Earth the Bavarian band should have had an advantage, but somehow it seemingly wasn’t just me missing any vibe. Nothing special happened on as in front of the stage.
\nMono Inc. <\/strong>The third Dark Rock act of the day, and the second completely irrelevant one performed one of the two open air stages. Their title hit from their brandnew album \u201cAfter The War\u201d was known from the heavy rotation of the video channels and the LED walls as other special effects couldn’t hide that this band is superfluous.
\nNile<\/strong> It fit to the ultimately hot weather the Technical Death Metal quartet with the acoustic Egyptian touch performed right then. Regarding the brandnew masterpiece \u201cAt The Gate Of Sethu\u201d by \u201cSupreme Humanism Of Megalomania\u201d their set contained the opener \u201cSacrifice Unto Sebek\u201d, \u201cDefiling The Gates Of Ishtar\u201d, \u201cIthyphallic\u201d, \u201cSarcophagus\u201d and the set closing \u201cBlack Seeds Of Vengeance\u201d. Windmill banging was the reaction of the numerous fans to this great concert.
\nSix Feet Under<\/strong> The Death Metal institution from Tampa started by \u201cStripped, Raped And Strangled\u201d with a hit from Chris Barnes’ former band Cannibal Corpse. Surprised by this special the thousands of fans headbanged and started moshpit-action while \u201cRevenge Of The Zombie\u201d, \u201cVictim Of The Paranoid\u201d, and the new \u201cUndead\u201d track \u201cReckless\u201d. And at the end of the show they got another Cannibal Corpse cover surprise by \u201cHammer Smashed Face\u201d before finishing with the regular AC\/DC cover \u201cTNT\u201d.
\nDark Tranquillity<\/strong> Pure energy was the main issue one of the founders of the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal took care about. And the setlist was a very well-choiced one: From \u201cTerminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)\u201d over \u201cThe Treason Wall\u201d, \u201cThe Wonders At Your Feet\u201d, \u201cZero Distance\u201d, \u201cMisery’s Crown\u201d, \u201cThereIn\u201d, \u201cFinal Resistance\u201d and \u201cThe Fatalist\u201d. A record number of crowdsurfers moved forward and charismatic vocalist Mikael Stanne might have won any present visitor. This gig was one of the most jubilated ones of the weekend.
\nCorvus Corax<\/strong> This year the ensemble brought a special viking as celtic set to the audience. Also the assistance by the Taiko drummers Wadoyko was a special one. But this theatre stuck on my nerves like it had done the year before. So the final pyro bang was a good signal to me knowing the aoustic as visual torture was over.<\/p>\n

Party Stage<\/strong>
\nBlack Sun Aeon<\/strong> Act one of two for Tuomas Saukkonen: Like two years ago on the open air stages in the noon his two bands appeared in the early evening. After \u201cFrozen\u201d his side-project mainly concentrated on their current album \u201cBlacklight Deliverance\u201d by \u201cSolitude\u201d, \u201cOblivion\u201d and \u201cNightfall, co-assisted by the female voice of Janika L\u00f6nn. After she had left the stage the trio finished by \u201cA Song For My Funeral\u201d. Cool show!
\nBefore The Dawn<\/strong> Act two for Tuomas Saukkonen: His older band had changed a lot after the quitting of bassist as backing vocalist Lars Eikind. I wasn’t the only one who totally missed his clean voice as a contrast to Mr. Saukkonen’s grunts. So they concentrated on their new album \u201cRise Of The Phoenix\u201d by the opener as new video single Pitch Black Universe\u201d, \u201cThrone Of Ice\u201d, \u201cEclipse\u201d, \u201cFallen World\u201d and the finisher \u201cPhoenix Rising\u201d. Definitely a good Death Metal show, but before I had been used to better ones by this band.
\nInsomnium<\/strong> This quintet is a phenomenon: After the latest strong albums they played a lot on tour impressing by their intense live shows. So after several important festivals they returned to Dinkelsb\u00fchl. After the newer \u201cInertia\u201d and \u201cOnly One Who Waits\u201d they surprised by the vocalist assistance of Mikael Stanne for \u201cWheather The Storm\u201d like in its video just short time before he had to appear with his band Dark Tranquillity on the Pain Stage. The fans celebrated their Melodic Death Metal heroes enormously and banged their heads to \u201cThe Killjoy\u201d, \u201cUnsung\u201d, \u201cThrough The Shadows\u201d, \u201cMortal Share\u201d and \u201cOne For Sorrow\u201d.
\nTerror<\/strong> One of the leading Hardcore bands nowadays turned the tent into a whole massacre. The opener \u201cStick Tight\u201d, \u201cOne With The Underdogs\u201d, \u201cAlways The Hard Way\u201d and the concluding \u201cKeepers Of The Faith\u201d caused several wild moshpits. The fivepiece from Los Angeles showed an agile performance, and so did their fans.
\nMorgoth<\/strong> The reunion of the first and most authentic Death Metal bands in Germany was a very good one, and all the other shows rocked. But this time two things went wrong: In contrast to most of the other bands this weekend the sound sucked. And fronter Marc Grewe talked too often about being Old School Death Metal. Besides that the setlist containing the opener \u201cBody Count\u201d, \u201cResistance\u201d, \u201cSuffer Life\u201d (dedicated in a wonderful announcement to one of the Summer Breeze organizers), \u201cUnder The Surface\u201d, \u201cPits Of Utumno\u201d and \u201cIsolated\u201d spoke for itself showing they are Sauerland’s as Germany’s finest in Death Metal.
\nAhab<\/strong> Like two years ago the Bavarian quartet acted in the tent deep in the night. Their doomy atmospheric sound worked wonderful for this place as time. Because of their epic sound their was just time for four of their compositions. By \u201cDeliverance (Shouting At The Dead)\u201d and \u201cAntarctica The Polymorphess\u201d they considered the new masterpiece \u201cThe Giant\u201d. And they fascinated as the well-known \u201cOld Thunder\u201d and \u201cThe Hunt\u201d. No wonder they earned much applause by the left hundreds of fans. Fantastic appearance!<\/p>\n

Saturday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/strong>
\nNight In Gales<\/strong> 14 years ago the young hopeful quintet from the Ruhrpott seemed to be the German answer to the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal sound and headlined the much smaller Summer Breeze 1999 in Abtsgm\u00fcnd. In the meantime the musicians started other bands, but returned now with a new album called \u201cFive Scars\u201d. Courageosly its songs marked the main part of the setlist (the intro \u201cEpitaph\u201d, \u201cThis Neon Grave\u201d, \u201cDays Of The Mute\u201d, the title track, \u201cVoid Venture\u201d). Those ones earned nearly as much support by the few hundred spectators as the classics \u201cIntruder\u201d and \u201cAutumn Water\u201d. Cool comeback which should have deserved more audience.
\nThe Unguided Founded by three former members of Syndicate it was clear what this band might sound like. But somehow they surprised by the fresh melodies from their debut record \u201cHell Frost\u201d like the opener \u201cInherit Earth\u201d, the video single \u201cBetrayer Of The Code\u201d or the final \u201cPhoenix Down\u201d. The crowd reacted by much applause and several circle-pits. Well done!
\nNaglfar<\/strong> It probably was a bit too bright for the Black Metal attack from Umea. Nevertheless fronter Kristoffer Olivius and his companions killed. Regarding by the opener \u201cPale Horse\u201d and \u201cIII: Death Dimension Phantasma\u201d the new output \u201cT\u00e9ras\u201d showed the new material withstand with the classics.
\nSepultura<\/strong> Brazil’s finest started strong with the classics \u201cBeneath The Remains\u201d and \u201cRefuse\/Resist\u201d. These classics as newer tracks as \u201cKairos\u201d, \u201cConvicted In Life\u201d or \u201cChoke\u201d showed this band never ever needs a reunion with the Cavalera brothers. Derrick Green got the voice power and charisma as standing a Sepultura fronter needs. This fact became especially obvious when the quartet performed the show’s great final consisting of \u201cTerritory\u201d, \u201cArise\u201d, \u201cRattamahatta\u201d and \u201cRoots Bloody Roots\u201d.
\nParadise Lost<\/strong> In contrast to the opinions of a few metalheads Paradise Lost are especially nowadays a pleasure to watch live. Their big backcatalogue of hits and their performance with the wonderful British humour of vocalist Nick Holmes which some criticizer probably doesn’t understand guarantee real live entertainment. The opener \u201cThe Enemy\u201d, \u201cForever Failure\u201d, \u201cPity The Sadness\u201d, \u201cOne Second\u201d, \u201cAs I Die\u201d, \u201cEnchantment\u201d, \u201cFaith Divides Us – Death Unites Us\u201d and the finisher \u201cSay Just Words\u201d showed how many classics of all the different albums the band is able to call their own. Besides the compositions from the new masterpiece \u201cTragic Idol\u201d like \u201cHonesty In Death\u201d, the title song, \u201cFear Of Impending Hell\u201d and \u201cIn This We Dwell\u201d worked as well.
\nSick Of It All<\/strong> The NYC Hardcore icon filled a high position in the billing. And the first minutes it seemed like the spectators just wanted to take a look. But from \u201cGood Looking Out\u201d on the audience as the moshpits raised bigger and bigger. \u201cScratch The Surface\u201d was shouted by thousands and \u201cStep Down\u201d marked the end of a show with much action on as in front of the Main Stage.
\nAmon Amarth<\/strong> For another time the vikings from Stockholm headlined the Summer Breeze, and the masses of fans filling up the fesivalsite showed why. It seemed like a home match when the huge crowd sang along to \u201cRunes To My Memory\u201d, \u201cDeath In Fire\u201d, \u201cCry Of The Blackbirds\u201d, \u201cFate Of Norns\u201d, \u201cPursuit Of Vikings\u201d, \u201cVictorius March\u201d, \u201cTwilight Of The Thunder God\u201d and \u201cGuardians Of Asgaard\u201d. Surpported by a great light and pyro show this appearance was the highlight for many fans.<\/p>\n

Pain Stage<\/strong>
\nWhile She Sleeps<\/strong> Eleven o’ clock in the morning, and the heat continued even hotter. But of course their were enough crazy fans starting the first moshpits while the Sheffield-fivepiece played a well-balanced set between their debut \u201cThe North Stands For Nothing\u201d (title track, \u201cHearts Aside Our Heroes\u201d, \u201cTrophies\u201d, \u201cCrows\u201d) and the new release \u201cThis Is The Six\u201d (\u201cDead Behind The Eyes\u201d, \u201cBe(lie)ve\u201d, title song).
\nBetontod<\/strong> After years of being unattended 2012 the Punk Rock band appeared on nearly every relevant festival in Germany. An astonishing number of fans celebrated \u201cKeine Popsongs\u201d, \u201cViva Punk\u201d and \u201cAuf Eine Gute Zeit\u201d. To me it sounded too much like many other B\u00f6hse Onkelz copies.
\nTanzwut<\/strong> One of the most horrible experiences of the summer should follow by the sevenpiece from Berlin. Combining Industrial Metal with medieval Folk Rock might work generally, but in this specific case it definitely didn’t.
\nUnleashed<\/strong> The biggest Manowar fan of the Death Metal scene Johnny Hedlund entered the stage to conquer Dinkelsb\u00fchl. But to me he and his band considered too many newer tracks instead of the classics. Finally \u201cVictims Of War\u201d and \u201cHammer Battalion\u201d were the most supported tracks while their showcase.
\nLacuna Coil<\/strong> In the beginning of their set Italy’s finest had to deal with several sound problems. But the more it got improved the fans’ support raised. The band integrated a couple of songs from the new album \u201cDark Adrenaline\u201d by the opener \u201cI Don’t Believe In Tomorrow\u201d, \u201cKill The Light\u201d, \u201cUpsidedown\u201d, \u201cGive Me Something More\u201d and the single \u201cTrip The Darkness\u201d. And they rocked like the familiar titles \u201cI Won’t Tell You\u201d, \u201cHeaven’s A Lie\u201d, \u201cOur Truth\u201d, \u201cSwamped\u201d and the final \u201cSpellbound\u201d. The unique voice of Cristina Scabbia and the tight band took care of another special live event.
\nOomph!<\/strong>The German Industrial Gothic group returned to the Summer Breeze. But they had done better live jobs in the past than this one. Dero’s jokes weren’t really funny and the live-appearance didn’t really rock. Of course they got the most reactions for their set closing hit \u201cAugen Auf\u201d.
\nASP<\/strong> Another Industrial Gothic act, but even much worse. I don’t know why that many people wanted to see this, but except for the astonishing special effects the band as the songs were completely irrelevant. After their hit \u201cIch Will Brennen\u201d the horror was over.
\nKatatonia<\/strong> It had become some kind of a ritual letting the Swedes finish the Summer Breeze. Supported by a clear as bombastic sound the quintet started phenomenal by \u201cForsaker\u201d, \u201cLiberation\u201d, \u201cMy Twin\u201d and \u201cThe Longest Year\u201d. Vocals, backing vocals, guitars, and so on: Everything fit and was played tight. So the still big number of fans celebrated \u201cTeargas\u201d, \u201cEvidence\u201d and \u201cJuly\u201d enormously by headbanging as by much applause. So after introducing by \u201cBuildings\u201d an interesting song from the new forthcoming album \u201cDead End Kings\u201d which was supposed to be published a week after the Summer Breeze they bid a very jubilated farewell by \u201cLeaders\u201d. What an amazing open air final!<\/p>\n

Party Stage<\/strong>
\nAudrey Horne<\/strong> To watch the Rock band from Bergen is always a real pleasure. Lead by the agile vocalist Toshie they attracted more and more curious spectators staying in the tent until the end of the show applauding to the starter \u201cStraight To Your Grave\u201d, the title track of ther current album \u201cYoungblood\u201d and the final \u201cRedemption Blues\u201d. Cool performance!
\nAsphyx<\/strong> The Dutch Death Metal institution entered the stage 15 minutes later than planned. But from that moment on the machine worked. What didn’t work was the sound with different problems, and it was much too low. Nevertheless Martin van Drunen animated the tent audience to bang their heads, and they did it massively.<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong>
\nSummer Breeze 2012 was sold out with 35000 visitors a few months before. As the latest editions the organization worked very well in all aspects. The organizers had the luck there was no cancelation in their 102-bands-billing. What really astonished was the sound on the two open air stages which probably was the best festival sound ever. Congrats to the technical crew! Since 2008 the billing always had been the best of each summer, so it was this year. Nowhere else you can find such an interesting billing regarding nearly all hard subgenres and presenting bands you can’t see everwhere.
\nThe food mile offered for another time a variable choice. The prices for food and drinks (e.g. 3, 30 \u20ac for a 0,4 l can of beer or softdrink) were fair. So we are looking forward to Summer Breeze 2013!!! Special thanks go out to David Gregori and the Summer Breeze-team!!!!! At the Summer Breeze rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Vera and Kathy!!!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SUMMER BREEZE 2012 Same procedure as every year: The Summer Breeze marks the great final of the most famous Metal-related Open Air Festivals! The organizers have done a great job by raising their festival step by step without losing its relaxed atmosphere deserving the chilling festival name. After 35000 sold tickets they declared Summer Breeze … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Summer Breeze 2012 Review”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1240,"menu_order":30,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1452"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1452"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1455,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1452\/revisions\/1455"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}