{"id":1570,"date":"2013-08-20T08:41:43","date_gmt":"2013-08-20T07:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=1570"},"modified":"2014-06-20T08:46:29","modified_gmt":"2014-06-20T07:46:29","slug":"dong-2013-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=1570","title":{"rendered":"Dong 2013 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

DONG OPEN AIR 2013<\/strong>
\nThe 2013-edition of the Dong Open Air was a special one for us: It was our tenth participation and our own ten-years-anniversary as well after pausing in 2005 due to familiar reasons. And it also was the ten-years-jubileum for the organizers taking place at this unique festival location. After the mud experience of DOA 2012 the typical Dong-weather returned to the hill. That meant sun instead of last year’s notorious rain.
\nBesides the well-known good organisation the Dong-team realized the option of running water toilets which had been too difficult in the past because of strict local regulations at the hill. Furthermore the fans could count on the familiar atmosphere, the amazing location, fair prices (e.g. 2,00 \u20ac for a 0,5 l \u2013 bottle of beer) and an attractive billing containing Sodom, Powerwolf, Soulfly, Dark Tranquillity, Finntroll, Born From Pain, Skyclad, etc. On the Dong hill 28 bands appeared in three days for about 2000 visitors.<\/p>\n

Thursday<\/strong>
\nAeons<\/strong> Confer Eight years after their longplayer debut the sixpiece from Hamburg returned acoustically with their new release \u201cSymphonies Of Saturnus\u201d and qualified German Metal Battle final. And so the set exclusively consisted of tracks from this album. Sad circumstance was the sound which didn’t work well. So it took some time till their Symphonic Black Metal supported by two keyboards reached its potential like by the final \u201cESP\u201d.
\nJ.T. Ripper<\/strong> The second competitor of this German Metal Battle final was a quartet from Chemnitz, East Germany. They played traditional Thrash Metal which turned out much too old-school. Their montonous sound didn’t attract at all and there was no stage-action which lead me to the question: How did they make it to the final? And in the end they won it which meant a place in the Metal Battle – world final as a position in the Wacken billing. Is the German underground that weak? I think the many underground bands of the latest ten Dong-editions definitely negate this question.
\nIn Arkadia<\/strong> The first regular band of this year’s Dong Open Air set new standards in comparison to what had happened before. The quintet from Lyon presented a fresh Deathcore sound and their breakdowns invited to headbang. So after a while more fans filled the tent to do so. The set mainly consisted of the new album \u201cEyes Of The Archetype\u201d except for the also pretty new demo-track \u201cScriptures\u201d. The most well-known one of course had been the Hatebreed cover \u201cI Will Be Heard\u201d causing a circle-pit in which even both guitarists had taken part in before the band finished by \u201cRecurrence\u201d.
\nCrossplane<\/strong> The following act was able to count on a pure home match. It was acoustically obvious the fourpiece from Essen had many fans in the tent who took care about the atmosphere as the band’s entertaining Rock did. And although they mainly concentrated on tracks from the forthcoming previously unreleased output the party continued until the two encores \u201cReal Life\u201d and \u201cRollin’\u201d.
\nFyrnreich<\/strong> It’s no secret I can’t call myself a big Pagan Metal fan, and this shouldn’t change after this appearance. Anyway, the pretty slow music created its atmosphere that showed potential. However, the musicians were allowed to move, but they didn’t. And by the way, titles like \u201cMet Und Bier\u201d or \u201cHeldentod\u201d are a bit ridiculous.
\nTruckfighters<\/strong> The following trio presented Stoner Rock at its best. Grooving rhythms met great melodies supported by an energetic performance. The Swedes convinced the fans as me by a set considering all three released longplayers by \u201cDesert Cruiser\u201d, \u201cAtomic\u201d or \u201cLast Curfew\u201d, and they also played a new seemingly still unnamed track from the forthcoming album. Cool show!
\nDark Tranquillity<\/strong> It was the third time the Melodic Death Metal icon from Gothenburg appeared on the hill and somehow it felt like they had ever belonged to the Dong-family. So they got jubilated a lot when they entered the stage causing by \u201cTerminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)\u201d, \u201cZero Distance\u201d and \u201cThe Wonders At Your Feet\u201d a completely headbanging tent. To my own surprise they acted without any bassist after Daniel Antonsson had quit the band, so those tones got sampled. Besides classics like \u201cLost To Apathy\u201d, \u201cMisery’s Crown\u201d, \u201cThereIn\u201d or \u201cFinal Resistance\u201d they considered by \u201cThe Science Of Noise\u201d, \u201cEndtime Hearts\u201d and \u201cUniformity\u201d three compositions from their new masterpiece \u201cConstruct\u201d. Mikael Stanne appeared as agile and sympathic as always probably running several kilometres on stage as before it and handshaking the whole first row. \u201cThe Fatalist\u201d marked the end of the best show of the weekend in my opinion. Next time as headliner again, please!
\nSodom<\/strong> The German Thrash Metal legend could also be called as local heroes this evening or night. But somehow they weren’t able to attract the same filled tent as the co-headliner had done before. Anyway, mainman Tom Angelripper and his two comrades seemed to enjoy this venue presenting a best-of-set by \u201cOutbreak Of Evil\u201d, \u201cThe Saw Is The Law\u201d, \u201cAusgebombt\u201d, \u201cWachturm\u201d, \u201cBlasphemer\u201d just filled by two tracks from the new release \u201cEpitome Of Torture\u201d (\u201cStigmatized\u201d, \u201cInto The Skies Of War\u201d). The trio animated their supporters to headbang and finished their regular set by \u201cRemember The Fallen\u201d, the Mot\u00f6rhead cover \u201cIron Fist\u201d which got dedicated to their sick fronter Lemmy Kilmister and \u201cBombenhagel\u201d. But the fans didn’t have enough, so they deserved the encore by \u201cNuclear Winter\u201d.<\/p>\n

Friday<\/strong>
\nScornage<\/strong> The local heroes – aspect also matched to the fivepiece coming from a suburb of the close town Aachen. And so their Thrash Metal attracted an astonishing number of supporters in front of the stage. Anyway, to me their sound became too montonous. But to get called back on stage by the audience to play an encore as an opening band is really mentionable.
\nSpectral Viking Black<\/strong> Metal from Trier was up to follow. For another time this turned out to become not my cup of tea as beer. But the protagonists took care of the entertainment factor by giving their former evil sounding titles nicknames and taking themselves not too serious. In the end a raised audience celebrated the final \u201cBang Your Head\u201d in just that way.
\nElvenpath<\/strong> Typical Power Metal with the well-known lyric clich\u00e9 got offered by the fivepiece from Frankfurt. Titles as \u201cBattlefield\u201d, \u201cPriests Of War\u201d and \u201cWar Of Steel\u201d spoke for itself. It might have been enjoyed by a few spectators, myself got bored.
\nDespise & Conquer<\/strong> The fivepiece from the close town of Herten replaced Rotting Empire after they had canceled their participation very short-termed. And it didn’t take much time their live-vibe caught the crowd managing the first moshpit of the day. Besides that their fronter entertained by funny comments between the songs. Of course the band mainly concentrated on their only longplayer besides the newer \u201cCassandra Complex\u201d and the Massacre cover \u201cDawn Of Eternity\u201d. More of that!
\nKadavrik Quite from the neighborhood this quintet from Wesel came. Opening by \u201cAdiposit Obstipation\u201d and \u201cLegacy\u201d they set their main accent on material from their latest album \u201cN.O.A.H.\u201d. Their sound might have been too complex to some of the spectators, to me their technical style was just the right music. Their motivated and agile performance won the majority of the tent celebrating them.
\nExotoxis<\/strong> Just one three-song-demo released, and now on the DOA-stage. Not too bad. Founded just one year ago the special element of this Power Metal band is the female vocalist. Becky Gaber and her bandmates did a good job, but somehow most of the spectators had left the tent. Anyway, it will be interesting to watch their development within the next years.
\nHatred<\/strong> Their second appearance at Dong Open Air started with bad-luck. Because of a traffic jam they were forced to begin 20 minutes too late. Even more motivated the Franconians opened by \u201cFollow The Leader\u201d. Just a song later fronter Bacchus went into the crowd and animated the moshpit. Even in this 25 minutes the Thrash Metal formation made no compromises and the fans celebrated \u201cMoshpit Ritual\u201d, \u201cFractured By Fear\u201d as the final \u201cPokers Revenge\u201d. Hopefully they’ll get the opportunity to return and to play a full-length show.
\nWords Of Farewell<\/strong> This sixpack played for their second time at the Dong hill as well. Also coming from the mid-western region they fascinated by their technical Melodic Death Metal. Their varied sound as the performance convinced the crowd supporting the last underground act of the day. The band of course concentrated on their up to now only album \u201cImmersion\u201d by the opener \u201cProject: Daybreak\u201d, \u201cUrban Panorama\u201d, \u201cEver After\u201d and the final \u201cSorae\u201d, but also considered two new tracks from the forthcoming new release which should have aroused some interest.
\nFinntroll<\/strong> After seven years the Finish Folk\/Black Metal icon returned to the Dong hill to celebrate another Pagan party. This time they entered the stage with ridiculous fantasy mask ears, but anyway got jubilated from the first tone on. By \u201cH\u00e4xbrygd\u201d, \u201cSkogsdotter\u201d, \u201cMidwinterdraken\u201d, \u201cN\u00e4r J\u00e4ttar Marschera\u201d, \u201cEtt Folk F\u00f6rbannat\u201d and the opening title track they played several tracks from the new output \u201cBloodsvept\u201d. But of course the most celebrated ones were the set closing classics \u201cTrollhammeren\u201d and \u201cJaktens Tid\u201d.
\nPowerwolf<\/strong> The following apprearance turned out to a complete triumphant march. The fans filled the tent just after Finntroll had finished before awaiting their faves. From \u201cSanctified With Dynamite\u201d and \u201cPrayer In The Dark\u201d the whole tent celebrated a Metal party searching for its own. By the following \u201cAmen And Attack\u201d and \u201cColeus Sanctus\u201d the quintet presented two compositions from the new album \u201cPreachers Of The Night\u201d which had just one week before its release. The two Greywolf brothers on guitar often switched their positions, the keyboarder used his orchestral breaks to animate the fans on the edge of the stage, the drummer took care of the beat and vocalist Attila Dorn sang as entertained with funny comments very well. So it was no wonder the fans celebrated the best-of-set containing \u201cResurrection By Errection\u201d, \u201cWerewolves Of Armenia\u201d (including the known ‘Hu, Ha’ – games), \u201cCatholic In The Morning, Satanist<\/strong> At Night\u201d and \u201cAll We Need Is Blood\u201d. After the regular set finishing \u201cLupus Dei\u201d they returned to perform \u201cRaise Your Fist, Evangelist\u201d. After the concert Attila Dorn showed himself impressed and emphasized as his colleges how awesome this festival felt to the band. But they didn’t have much time to enjoy the atmosphere because a short time after the show they had to travel to the Czech Republic by their bus.<\/p>\n

Saturday<\/strong>
\nAct Of Worship<\/strong> The Black Metal formation from Darmstadt with diverse Death Metal elements in their sound was the right wake-up-call in the early saturday noon. Their set consisted of their several demos and Eps. The band’s biggest minus was the pretty motionless, nearly shy performance of its grunter, but which looked somehow sympathic as well.
\nGodslave<\/strong> The following fivepiece from South West Germany offered Thrash Metal what first didn’t find that much attention. The opener \u201cHere Comes The Crew\u201d from their forthcoming record just heard a few left metalheads. Its number raised in the end of the show which got finished by the band performing \u201cVodcarnivore\u201d in the photo-pit, except for the drummer of course. And they returned with the encore \u201cOur School\u201d playing right in the audience.
\nAcyl<\/strong> To whom the band before had been too monotonous had the opportunity to discover by the quintet from France an interesting as rare till unique mixture between Metal, Folk Rock, World Music and other different influences. It was easy to see as hear the roots of the percussion-based sound are African. And after a long intro \u201cGnaoua\u201d and \u201cObduracy\u201d showed how hard this exotic music sound like.
\nRavian<\/strong> The German band who won a band contest to appear at Dong Open Air played Melodic Metal. Especially their singer’s voice reminded me on Sonata Arctica. And propably fans of this band might have enjoyed \u201cThe King Is Dead\u201d, \u201cBack To My Land\u201d or \u201cVictoriously\u201d.
\nSuperbutt<\/strong> It was the final show of the fivepiece from Budapest under this name. Obviously they signed a contract, and the new label had other band name ideas than Superbutt. Anyway, the Hungarians showed their massive stage experience musically as by their performance. Even vocalist Andr\u00e1s V\u00f6r\u00f6s seemed trying to break Mikael Stanne’s kilometre record of thursday. Just the audience wasn’t that massive. But those ones who had stayed had fun with the Crossover Rock of a band that seemingly had brought many family member to the Dong hill.
\nAny Given Day<\/strong> So-called one-hit-wonders always have the difficullt perspective to fall even faster than they have raised before, especially when their hit is a cover version of a popular song. But this experience doesn’t fit to the quintet from Gelsenkirchen at all. Their brutal version of Rihanna’s \u201cDiamonds\u201d is a rocking one, but shouldn’t hide the band’s songwriting abilities which became clear while their energetic performance by the opener \u201cDarkness Within\u201d, \u201cMy Own Sweet Hell\u201d and the finisher \u201cThe Beginning Of The End\u201d. Of course \u201cDiamonds\u201d as the only well-known song attracted the most reactions from the fans, but the band convinced by their diversified sound as the varied voice of shouter Dennis Diehl in general.
\nThe Other<\/strong> The most well-known Horror Punk band besides the Misfits had the advantage of a filled tent. The majority stayed celebrating a best-of-set from the opener \u201cMy Home Is My Casket\u201d over \u201cBack To The Cemetary\u201d, \u201cPuppet On A String\u201d, \u201cLovers Lane\u201d until the final \u201cEnd Of Our Time\u201d. Fronter Rod Usher took care of the communication with the audience, and so nobody could worry about this concert.
\nSkyclad<\/strong> The Folk Metal institution from Newcastle can be called as the steadiest member of the Dong-family. This was now their sixth appearance on the hill. And whatever the personal flavor was, nearly nobody in the tent was able to elude the positive attitude of the band. So everybody took part in the party celebrating \u201cInequality Street\u201d, \u201cGreat Blow For A Day Job\u201d, \u201cThe Well-Travelled Man\u201d, \u201cAnotherdrinkingsong\u201d, \u201cThe Widdershins Jig\u201d, \u201cPenny Dreadful\u201d and the final cover \u201cSwords Of A Thousand Men\u201d. Sympathic as always!
\nBorn From Pain The contrast couldn’t have been more drastic between the melodic Folk Rock band before and the brutal Metalcore from the Netherlands. The quintet performed a well-balanced set between their albums by \u201cThe New Future\u201d, \u201cState Of Mind\u201d, \u201cSons Of A Dying World\u201d, \u201cStop At Nothing\u201d, \u201cRise Or Die\u201d and \u201cThe New Hate\u201d which motivated to the most active circle-pits of the weekend. Of course they didn’t attract as much fans as the Dong-darlings Skyclad, but the intensity of the Dutch gig happened on as in front of the stage. Also mentionable is the comment of shouter Rob Franssen about Edward Snowden and how the irresponsible politicians handling this case showed they are brutal, but with brains.
\nSoulfly<\/strong> Nearly the whole Dong-community awaited Max Cavalera and his band. They opened by the hits \u201cProphecy\u201d and \u201cBack To The Primitive\u201d, and the tent started for the last 90 minutes of action this night. The most celebration of course earned the Sepultura classics \u201cRefuse\/Resist\u201d, \u201cTerritory\u201d, \u201cArise\u201d \/ \u201cDead Embryonic Cells\u201d (medley) and \u201cRoots Bloody Roots\u201d after which they left the stage. But \u201cSeek ‘n’ Strike\u201d, the new track \u201cBloodshed\u201d from the forthcoming release and the encore-medley consisting of \u201cJumpdafuckup\u201d and \u201cEye For An Eye\u201d caused headbanging and moshpit action as well. Mr Cavalera didn’t just stuck on my nerves again by integrating his family members in the show. Whatever, there wasn’t much more to worry about the show.<\/p>\n

Conclusion:
\nAfter the notorious rain in 2012 this year the weather was nearly perfect: No rain, always sunshine, but not too hot.
\nThese conditions turned over on the festival atmosphere and the fans’ mood which generally can be described as very relaxed.
\nThe organisation worked well. Just one band change had to be done when Despise & Conquer replaced the short-term-cancelation of Rotting Empire. The food as the drinks offered for another time in a big variety for fair prices. The toilet situation got improved by the mentioned running water toilets added to the known mobile Dixi-toilets getting both cleaned continuously.
\nThanks go out to Benjamin \u201cColamann\u201d Munsch and the DOA team!!!!! At the Dong Open Air 2012 rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Julia and Dumbo!!!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DONG OPEN AIR 2013 The 2013-edition of the Dong Open Air was a special one for us: It was our tenth participation and our own ten-years-anniversary as well after pausing in 2005 due to familiar reasons. And it also was the ten-years-jubileum for the organizers taking place at this unique festival location. After the mud … <\/p>\n

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