{"id":1772,"date":"2014-09-18T20:35:02","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T19:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=1772"},"modified":"2015-06-18T20:42:03","modified_gmt":"2015-06-18T19:42:03","slug":"dong-2014-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=1772","title":{"rendered":"Dong 2014 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dong Open Air 2014<\/strong>
\nFor another time we pilgrimaged to the Dong hill in the middle of July to visit as celebrate the most familiar underground festival with the coolest landscape. This year’s edition got entitled \u201eMount Moshmore\u201c where we arrived on thursday afternoon. But underground festival doesn’t mean a small wannabe elite with horrible sounding average combos. For another time the organizers confirmed an attractive billing from several countries \/ continents lead by the headliners Annihilator, Arch Enemy and Grave Digger. But even the earlier positions offered secret hints from all different sunbgenres of Metal and Rock. After two weeks of rain and pessimistic weather forecasts the climatic conditions turned out completely vice versa: The whole three days became a very hot experience causing in the search for some shadow instead of trying to stay dry. So we got wet anyway. The organisation ran well, the relaxed atmosphere was guaranteed as usual and the prices were fair as they had been all the years before. On the Dong hill 28 bands appeared in three days for about 2000 visitors. <\/p>\n

Thursday<\/strong>
\nDystopera <\/strong>The winner of the UnBaCo band contest had the honor to open this year’s DOA-edition. Lead by their female vocalist Lisa and her strong voice the quartet convinced by \u201eNew Face\u201c, \u201eFalling Behind\u201c and \u201eCrush\u201c reminding me on Die Happy, Guano Apes or the Dong-familiars from Cheeno.
\nTexas In July<\/strong> The first act after this year’s opening band contest winner was the Metalcore fourpiece from Pennsylvania which will release their fifth longplayer \u201eBloodwork\u201c in september. Besides introducing material from this shouter JT Cavey and his three comrades showed a best of program as an energetic show what’s remarkable while these hot conditions.
\nParagon <\/strong>And it didn’t get colder. No matter to the older band today. They attracted an astonishing number of spectators in the tent. The five guys from Hamburg had the choice between ten albums of their entire history. Anyway, the newer \u201eTornado\u201c, the ballad \u201eAcross The Wastelands\u201c or the final classic \u201eImpaler\u201c: They all earned jubilation.
\nScarab <\/strong>After female-fronted Rock, US-Metalcore and Melodic Metal then time’s up for Death Metal from Egypt: Even these first four bands of this year’s DOA-edition showed the variety of the festival. After appearing at With Full Force 2009 this was their second performance in Germany. They divided their set into two halves playing five tracks from their latest release \u201eBlinding the Masses\u201c and presenting three ones from their forthcoming record \u201eSerpents Of The Nile\u201c.
\nMotorjesus <\/strong>For another time the DOA fan faves rocked the hill. From the beginning marked by \u201eMotor Discipline\u201c and \u201eWest Of Hell\u201c the venue turned out to a party tent. Many fans knew the lyrics even of \u201eTrouble In Motor City\u201c, \u201eSpeed Of The Beast\u201c, \u201eBack In The Action Car\u201c and \u201eThe Run\u201c from the new album \u201eElectric Revelation\u201c. Between their songs they intoned AC\/DC’s \u201eTNT\u201c, Scorpions’ \u201eRock You Like A Hurricane\u201c and Grave Digger’s \u201eRebellion\u201c, the last named one of today’s headliner for several times. Lead by sympathic as humorous fronter Chris Birx the band from the close M\u00f6nchengladbach succeeded from the first tone on until the finishing classics \u201eThe Howling\u201c and \u201eA New War\u201c.
\nIwrestledabearonce <\/strong>This some kind of Experimental Progressive Metalcore quintet might have been one of the craziest acts which have ever appeared at Dong Open Air. The fivepiece from Louisiana presented a sound integrating so many elements, it was impressing. To several spectators it was too much, they left the tent. Others brought leek throwing it on stage. The band reacted with humor showing themselves generally crazy as their sound. Especially vocalist Courtney LaPlante convinced by her comments as by her variable voice switching between clean melody hooks and darkest grunts. Besides that the band showed catchiness as well by \u201eBoat Paddle\u201c, \u201eThunder Chunky\u201c and \u201eTastes Like Kevin Bacon\u201c.
\nGrave Digger<\/strong> The headliner of the first day was no less than a German Metal legend. Just two days before they released their brand new output \u201eReturn Of The Reaper\u201c of which they introduced by its title track as the opener, \u201eHell Funeral\u201c, \u201eGrave Desecrator\u201c and \u201eTattooed Rider\u201c even four tracks. Most reactions of course got the classics like \u201eKnights Of The Cross\u201c, \u201eThe Dark Of The Sun\u201c, \u201eExcalibur\u201c and the regular set closing band hymn \u201eRebellion (The Clans Are Marching)\u201c. To my surprise they started their encore part with the ballad \u201eYesterday\u201c showing a cleaner side of Chris Boltendahl’s voice. Together with Chris Birx from Motorjesus they finished by the classic \u201eHeavy Metal Breakdown\u201c.<\/p>\n

Friday<\/strong>
\nDisquiet <\/strong>The wake-up-call in the early noon got done by the Thrash Metal formation from Amsterdam. Tracks like \u201eKilling Silence\u201c, \u201eFaces Of The Fallen\u201c and \u201eTrenches Of Blood\u201c convinced, but just attracted a few rubbernecks while the sun was shining hot.
\nScarnival <\/strong>The same conditions took place while the following act from Hannover: Their Melodic Death Metal tracks as the opener \u201eThe Easy Solution\u201c, \u201eGod Given\u201c and \u201eOne Morning Left\u201c animated to headbanging as circle-pits and raised the air humidity in the tent.
\nSkiltron <\/strong>Folk Metal from Buenos Aires: Not too bad! In collaboration with British musicians they created a cultural as musical mix resulting in a sound being hard as party-compatible. And so the meanwhile well-filled tent turned out to a party tent again. Just the bagpipes shouldn’t have been sampled live.
\nThe Scalding<\/strong> The next Dutch band entered the stage to rock it by their Death Metal. But the sound sucked and \u201eThe Perversion Of Insanity\u201c, \u201eBleeding\u201c as the finisher \u201eThe Disernment Fails\u201c didn’t really convince, so the tent got emptier.
\nTorian <\/strong>The quintet from Paderborn returned to the Dong hill for the second time. As in 2008 they took care of a good mood in the tent by their Power Metal, and by \u201eStormbringer\u201c as the self-named \u201eTorian\u201c they can call two band hymns their own. The musical abilities of the sixstringers and the entertainment factor of the vocalist were two advantages to hold the crowd in the tent what worked well.
\nHarasai <\/strong>For the second time as well appeared the following formation from the close town of Essen. And it turned out to a home match. The fans celebrated the Melodic Death Metal like the opener \u201eHeretic Souls\u201c, \u201eThree Kings\u201c and \u201eDying Race Domain\u201c.
\nKatalepsy <\/strong>Right from Moscow this fivepiece showed Russian culture stands for more than Balalaika or Kasatschok. Somewhere between Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore they took care of an appropriate atmosphere with several disguised fans and circle-pits to \u201ePostapokalyptic Segregation\u201c, \u201eTaedium Vitae\u201c and \u201eEvidence Of Near Death (E.N.D.)\u201c.
\nGrailknights <\/strong>In 2006 this band filled the tent completely when playing on first position in the noon. This time the tent wasn’t as packed due to the heat, but still populated by motivated fans supporting the quintet on their search for the holy grail and their fight against Dr Skull. The band itself still performing in Power Rangers costumes had all sympathies from the opener \u201eGrailquest Gladiators\u201c to the final \u201eReturn To Castle Grailskull\u201c.
\nMilking The Goatmachine<\/strong> The Grindcore-goats had to deal with the heat in combination with their masks. Anyway, as I had thought about all the years before there’s no better place for \u201eDing Dong\u201c than on the Dong hill. Besides this cover versions like \u201eMa Baker\u201c of Boney M animated the crowd to take part in at the (Ding) Dong Open Air.
\nAnnihilator <\/strong>The time had come for the Speed \/ Thrash Metal legend from Canada. In the beginning of their set they integrated by the opener \u201eSmear Campaign\u201c, \u201eNo Way Out\u201c and \u201eDeadlock\u201c three songs from the current masterpiece \u201eFeast\u201c. Besides that they might have satisfied most fans’ wishes by classics as \u201eKing Of The Kill\u201c, \u201eSet The World On Fire\u201c, \u201eNo Zone\u201c and the fantastic \u201eBrain Dance\u201c as older classics like \u201eReduced To Ash\u201c, the band hymn \u201eAlison Hell\u201c, \u201eW.T.Y.D. (Welcome To Your Death)\u201c, \u201eUltraparanoia\u201c, \u201eRoad To Ruin\u201c and \u201ePhantasmagoria\u201c. Problems with the drum sound disturbed the gig in its beginning a bit, but not Jeff Waters, his sidekick Dave Padden & Co, the motivated fans and the atmosphere. \u201eI Am In Command\u201c marked the end of a much jubilated show before the quartet returned on stage to perform the encore \u201eHuman Insecticide\u201c.
\nPappe Of Destiny<\/strong> The aftershow late night slot was held by Pappe Of Destiny who covered Rammstein songs supported by several pyro effects. The playback show was nothing special to me, so time for another beer.<\/p>\n

Saturday<\/strong>
\nAshes Of A Lifetime<\/strong> It was up to the Bavarian band to wake-up and recharge the reserves of the spectatorship in the last day’s noon while the mentioned still hot conditions which lead their with a leg injury performing fronter Nils to the comparison with a sauna. Their Melodic Death Metal as \u201eThere Are No Two Ways\u201c, \u201eYou Reap What You Sow\u201c and \u201eNemesis\u201c convinced the little number of present spectators.
\nCrimson Ghosts<\/strong> The Horror Punk fourpiece from the close city of Cologne didn’t attract more people. They performed a well-balanced set between their four longplayer records by the opener \u201eInvade!\u201c, \u201eSons Of The Zodiac\u201c, \u201eDein Nachtmahr\u201c as \u201eShadows and especially vocalist Vlad didn’t let miss the communication with the audience, but somehow there didn’t happen any vibe-transfer.
\nGloryful <\/strong>This True Metal formation around ex – Night In Gales . guitarist Jens Basten had a short way to the festival. But that didn’t really help to fill the tent. Besides classics like \u201eEvil Oath\u201c and \u201eThe Warrior’s Code\u201c they considered \u201eHiring The Dead\u201c as the finisher \u201eAll Men To The Arms\u201c material from the new output \u201eOcean Blade\u201c as well.
\nMaat <\/strong>The following fivepiece from Berlin offered pure Death Metal. And somehow they could count on a mentionable grown audience supporting them by headbanging. Of course they mainly concentrated on their debut longsplayer \u201eAs We Create The Hope From Above\u201c by \u201eShards Of Osiris\u201c, \u201ePreservation Of My Immortal\u201c and \u201eDuat …After My Last Breath\u201c.
\nVulture Industries<\/strong> The Norwegian quintet enthused as fascinated by their Avantgarde Industrial Black Metal in 2011 at the DOA. And so they did three years later by their unique experimental as progressive sound mainly concentrating on the recent masterpiece by its title track \u201eThe Tower\u201c, \u201eDivine-Appalling\u201c, \u201eThe Hound\u201c and \u201eLost Among Liars\u201c besides \u201eThe Bolted Door\u201c and \u201eOf Branded Blood\u201c from the second one \u201eThe Malefactor’s Bloody Register\u201c while the great debut \u201eThe Dystopia Journals\u201c didn’t get considered. The main entertainment accent got set by fronter Bjornar Erevik Nilsen who went into the crowd starting a polonaise with his typical positive madness mimic and left with the announcement: \u201eIf you think Vulture Industries suck, you can still buy a shirt and send it to someone you hate!\u201c
\nContradiction <\/strong>To my own surprise even the fan darlings from the close town of Wuppertal didn’t fill the tent during their second Dong-appearance. Anyway, the four guys convinced by their powerful Thrash Metal causing headbanging as moshpit action in front of the stage.
\nNegator <\/strong>The Black Metal act from Hamburg raised speed as brutality. Besides \u201eFeuersturm\u201c, \u201ePanzer Metal\u201c and the classic \u201eEisen Wider Siechtum\u201c they set the main accent on material frm the currend record \u201eGates To The Pantheon\u201c. They struggled for a good show, but because of the heated tent the reactions were still passive in the majority of the crowd.
\nSatan <\/strong>25 years after founding this NWOBHM-band they played one of their rare shows at the DOA. Musically supported by the two Skyclad-members Steve Ramsey and Graeme English they combined new material (\u201eTime To Die\u201c, \u201eTwenty Twenty Five\u201c, \u201eIncantations\u201c, \u201eTestimony\u201c) with classics (\u201eTrial By Fire\u201c, \u201eBlades Of Steel\u201c, \u201eBreak Free\u201c, \u201eKiss Of Death\u201c). Singer Brian Ross irritated a bit by suiting a leather jacket as gloves, but anyway: The band satisfied old as new fans and is allowed to tour more.
\nHail Of Bullets<\/strong> Co-headliner was the Death Metal fivepiece around the sympathic fronter Martin van Drunen who first had to congratulate for Germany’s soccer world championship. After this their Death Metal rolled through the tent causing massive headbanging. The first three songs of the current album \u201eIII The Rommel Chronicles\u201c got considered by the opener \u201eSwoop Of The Falcon\u201c, \u201eDG-7\u201c and \u201ePour Le M\u00e9rite\u201c as tracks from the two releases before like \u201eOn Coral Shores\u201c or \u201eBerlin\u201c. Finally Martin van Drunen dealt with the issue of 200 Dutch victims of a passenger flight got shot down over the Ukrainian civil war and left with \u201eTokyo Napalm Holocaust\u201c.
\nArch Enemy<\/strong> This was one of the first live appearances of the Swedisch Melodic Death Metal icon with their new Canadien vocalist Alissa White-Gluz formerly known from The Agonist replacing Angela Gossow, and so the tent was pretty packed according to this. And of course they introduced the just one month old release \u201eWar Eternal\u201c by the opener \u201eTempore Nihil Sanat (Prelude in F-minor)\u201c, its title track, the new hit \u201eYou Will Know My Name\u201c and \u201eAs The Pages Burn\u201c. The rest of the set was a best-of-program lead by \u201eRavenous\u201c, \u201eMy Apocalypse\u201c and the regular set finishing \u201eWe Will Rise\u201c. The new fronter convinced musically as by her performance, and so did the band as usual. The crowd freaked out in headbanging as moshpit action and got three encores by \u201eYesterday Is Dead And Gone\u201c, \u201eSnow Blind\u201c and \u201eNemesis\u201c besides intro as outro.<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong>
\nIn comparison to the muddy 2012-edition I still prefer this year’s sauna. But a few degrees colder would be nice in 2014. But anyway, this can’t be influenced by the organization. Everything else worked very well on the Dong hill as it had done all the years before. All anounced bands arrived and played. The very fair prices for drinks and food are still remarkable, and its variety is satisfying. Thanks go out to Benjamin \u201cColamann\u201d Munsch and the DOA team!!!!! At the Dong Open Air 2012 rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, The Svenheit and Primal Dirk!!!!! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dong Open Air 2014 For another time we pilgrimaged to the Dong hill in the middle of July to visit as celebrate the most familiar underground festival with the coolest landscape. This year’s edition got entitled \u201eMount Moshmore\u201c where we arrived on thursday afternoon. But underground festival doesn’t mean a small wannabe elite with horrible … <\/p>\n

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