{"id":338,"date":"2011-03-07T17:14:26","date_gmt":"2011-03-07T16:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=338"},"modified":"2011-03-07T17:16:59","modified_gmt":"2011-03-07T16:16:59","slug":"338-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=338","title":{"rendered":"Summer Breeze 2008 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer Breeze 2008<\/strong>
\nAfter reporting about the Summer Breeze for its last five years in Abtsgm\u00fcnd the festival moved to Dinkelsb\u00fchl. Due to job-\/vacation-commitments in 2006 and the marriage of very good friends in 2007 (Any other marriage we would have canceled!
\n:-)) we were forced to send our Lower Rhein crew two years ago and our Suebe Crew last year!<\/p>\n

So finally this year we returned with our basic www.metal-festivals.com \u2013 team to the Summer Breeze and celebrated our debut on its new location! We appreciated the festival area in Dinkelsb\u00fchl! The bands still appear on the Main Stage as on the Pain Stage, added by the new Party Tent offering more running order – alternatives for the spectators. This Party Tent stretched the program opening the festival by a couple of newcomer-acts as a Metal Blade \u2013 night with six bands each on Wednesday. The regular program on all stages started on Thursday.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Summer Breeze impressed by a very variable billing with many highlights offering acts like Paradise Lost, Helloween, As I Lay Dying, Six Feet Under, H-Blockx and Cradle Of Filth, just to name a few!
\nAt this year\u2019s Summer Breeze 90 bands appeared on three stages in four days for about 25000 visitors (Sold out!)<\/p>\n

Wednesday<\/strong>
\nPartytent<\/strong>
\nBloodwork<\/strong> I watched this band from Paderborn for the third time within just three months. They won the Metal Battle West Germany as the German final and took part in the international competition in Wacken. The five guys played a pretty professional Melodic Death Metal \u2013 gig entertaining the hungry fans with \u201cSilent Revolution\u201d and \u201cDeathbox! In my opinion the definitely best band of the competition, but in the end the jury voted them on second rank.<\/p>\n

A Dead Lament <\/strong>This quartet from South West Germany was a total contrast to the other competitors being mainly related to Death Metal \/ Metalcore. They performed some kind of Alternative Music lead by the female voice of Samira Dahl. But it didn\u2019t seem the metalheads in the Partytent had been waiting for that sound. So tracks like the title track of their current output \u201cRavens Feast\u201d just found low applause.<\/p>\n

Black Thoughts Bleeding <\/strong>The quintet from Middle West Germany performed an ambitious gig being acoustically placed somewhere between Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore. It sounded well and the artists showed agility, but somehow I missed the vibe.<\/p>\n

Dargolf Metzgore <\/strong>The fivepiece started with a cool intro into an energetic Death Metal – set and won much following while entering the stage which may be the result of the band\u2019s hometown isn\u2019t that far from Dinkelsb\u00fchl. They reached a singalong with the crowd and finished by a song starting with As I Lay Dying\u2019s \u201cThrough Struggle\u201d \u2013 Riff and a wall of death on the fans\u2019 side. But somehow this show became like the one before. A good young band showing their abilities (Especially the guitarist!), but the vibe was missed again.<\/p>\n

My Elegy <\/strong>The young band from Bruchsal showed a pretty average Metalcore appearance. They should work about it as about their hairdos. But first of all they should creat music there\u2019s more to mention about to.
\nFuck Your Shadow From Behind The very young sixpack with two shouters intoning German contents finally won the competition and qualified for the regular three Summer Breeze \u2013 days with the opening slot on the Main Stage the following day. But I still don\u2019t know why. They just offered average Metalcore like the band before. This performance turned out to have the character of a school band show. Anyway they won the newcomer contest: Congratulations!<\/p>\n

Anima<\/strong> It was up to its new signing to open the Metal Blade label night. Their sound can be described somewhere between Death Metal and Metalcore. The East Germans presented the material of their debut release \u201cThe Daily Grind\u201d on a high energy level, but after a while they bored by their too monotonous tracks. The bad sound didn\u2019t support them at all.<\/p>\n

Lay Down Rotten <\/strong>The fivepiece from Siegen attracted many fans to come into the tent to celebrate their Death Metal containing well-known songs like \u201cNihil\u201d and \u201cPulling The Trigger\u201d as the new track \u201cHours Of Infinity\u201d from the forthcoming album. The most celebrated highlight of the show became the Carcass-classic \u201cHeartwork\u201d played in a very tight interpretation.<\/p>\n

The Rotted Formerly <\/strong>known as Gorerotted the guys from United Kingdom didn\u2019t really continued with their fan-motivating shows. This one didn\u2019t rock at all by its average Death Metal \u2013 sound and sucked totally in comparison to the band before.<\/p>\n

Hail Of Bullets <\/strong>Old School Death Metal presented by well-known Dutch Metal-veterans like fronter Martin van Drunen (Asphyx, Bolt Thrower, Pestilence), drummer Ed Warby (Gorefest) or bassist Theo van Eekelen (Houwitser) was supposed to become a good show, and it became by tracks like \u201cBerlin\u201d, \u201cNachthexen\u201d and \u201cStalingrad\u201d. Performing their Second World War \u2013 relating historic material they earned loud reactions by their fans.<\/p>\n

Born From Pain <\/strong>The Metalcore-quintet from the Netherlands usually know how to fascinate a crowd, but this evening somehow they didn\u2019t. Anyway they reached applause for classics like \u201cNew Hate\u201d, \u201cScorched Earth\u201d and \u201cStop At Nothing\u201d as for the new track \u201cState Of Mind\u201d from their forthcoming album.<\/p>\n

Fleshcrawl<\/strong> Scandinavian affected Death Metal from Germany was up to close the Metal Blade label night. To me this gig became too monotonous, but most of the spectators celebrated \u201cFlesh Bloody Flesh\u201d, \u201cAs Blood Rains From The Sky\u201d and \u201cDamned In Fire\u201d in the pretty filled tent.<\/p>\n

Thursday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/strong>
\nFuck Your Shadow <\/strong>From Behind The winners of the Newcomer Stage competition in the party tent the day before won the opening slot of the official open air program. And the young band with two shouters didn\u2019t convince for another time. Their sound as their stageacting was too replaceable. Bloodwork better should have made it!<\/p>\n

Emil Bulls <\/strong>The Bavarian fivepiece had evolved from the Alternative \/ Crossover \u2013 genre close to a modern Metalcore-sound. They opened by their new single \u201cThe Most Evil Spell\u201d and let follow further material from the new \u201cThe Black Path\u201d \u2013 album. And it became obvious pretty quick fronter Christoph\u2019s voice sloped. So just the first rows supported them and celebrated \u201cSmells Like Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll\u201d and the Megadeth-cover \u201cSymphony Of Destruction\u201d.<\/p>\n

Saltatio Mortis <\/strong>The following act was a horrible one! Superfluous Medieval Folk Rock from Germany reached lots of spectators singing their lyrics, just not me. Presenting their current output \u201cAus Der Asche\u201d got co-fronted by Kissin\u2019 Dynamite \u2013 singer Hannes during the track \u201cWirf Den Ersten Stein\u201d. This appearance really stuck on my nerves.<\/p>\n

Soilwork<\/strong> The Melodic Death Metal \u2013 constant from Helsingborg performed a thrilling gig causing fans\u2019 singalongs, lots of crowdsurfers, moshpits and a respactable wall of death (Although I ask myself what does a wall of death have to do with their music? Anyway!). Front-entertainer Bj\u00f6rn \u201cSpeed\u201d Strid and his companions ruled the festival area by songs from the current \u201cSworn To A Great Divide\u201d \u2013 album like its title track and \u201cExile\u201d as well-known hits like \u201cAs We Speak\u201d, \u201cBastard Chain\u201d and \u201cNerve\u201d earning much support. A convincing show, just the guitar-sound sucked.<\/p>\n

Arch Enemy <\/strong>The Swedes continued the high-class-level on the Main Stage. Lead by the excellent guitar-duo consisting of the reunited Amott-brothers and grunt-lady Angela Gossow who did a few announcements in German the fivepiece caused headbanging and pit-action by \u201cRavenous\u201d, \u201cMy Apocalypse\u201d, \u201cWe Will Rise\u201d, \u201cNemesis\u201d and \u201cBlood On Your Hands\u201d! Angela showed herself confident against idiots just wanting so see naked women. Cool convincing show!<\/p>\n

Paradise Lost <\/strong>What followed was one of the most discussed shows of this weekend. On the one hand there were fans who blamed them as being to unmotivated, on the other hand there were those ones sharing the opinion while this great music no musician has to run around on stage and who enjoyed the typical British sense of humor of fronter Nick Holmes. So these fans rocked to the well-balanced set combining old and new songs containing the opener \u201cThe Enemy\u201d, \u201cNo Celebration\u201d, \u201cI Don\u2019t Know Anyone\u201d, \u201cAs I Die\u201d, \u201cEnchantment\u201d, \u201cRequiem\u201d, \u201cNever For The Damned\u201d, \u201cOne Second\u201d, \u201cEmbers Fire\u201d and the final \u201cSay Just Words\u201d. We enjoyed the setlist, understood Nick\u2019s jokes and appreciated the great show!<\/p>\n

Helloween<\/strong> It had been a long time before I watched the German Melodic Metal \u2013 legend again. They started with their monumental epic \u201cHalloween\u201d leaving no doubts and continued playing by \u201cAs Long As I Fall\u201d the only track from the current \u201cGambling With The Devil\u201d \u2013 album. After the further classic \u201cEagle Fly Free\u201d a total unnecessary drum-solo interrupted the set which was as negatively astonishing as the Uri-Geller-outfit of singer Andi Deris. The quintet from Hamburg continued by \u201cIf I Could Fly\u201d, \u201cDr. Stein\u201d, \u201cI Can\u201d and a \u201cSomehwere Over The Rainbow\u201d \u2013 cover. After this great part it became ridiculous again when Mr. Deris animated the fans to singalong – games while the chorus of \u201cPerfect Gentleman\u201d which lasted much too long and killed time for more good music. So it became stupid to perform a medley consisting of \u201cPower\u201d and the band-hymn \u201cThe Keeper Of The Seven Keys\u201d just played until its first chorus. After this the band left the stage to return with the two encores \u201cFuture World\u201d and \u201cI Want Out\u201d. In the end it was a show between cool classic-passages and phases of pure waste of time! I need to mention the light show was very cool as the two big pumpkins flanking the band on each side.<\/p>\n

Pain Stage<\/strong>
\nAll Ends <\/strong>After the newcomer contest winner the newcomer from Sweden opened the regular program. Lead by the two fine voices of Tinna Karlsdotter and Emma Gelotte (Yes, the sister of the In Flames \u2013 guitarist!) the sixpiece showed a professional performance basing on their self-titled debut entertaining by catchy songs like \u201cWalk Away\u201d, \u201cStill Believe\u201d, \u201cPretty Words\u201d and \u201cWasting Life\u201d which found much applause. Great voices, good music, which results in an absolute convincing gig! Hope to see and hear more of them in the future!<\/p>\n

Aborted<\/strong> After this low tones with little mainstream tendencies followed a Death Metal \u2013 impact without any compromises from Belgium. Presenting their modern material from their brandnew release \u201cStrychnine.213\u201d as older tracks crashed the festival ground and they got support and a moshpit.<\/p>\n

Graveworm<\/strong> The Death Metal \u2013 sixpiece might have participated for the third or fourth time at the Summer Breeze. The appeared in front of a pretty filled festivalsite. They decided to mainly conentrate on their younger material from the current \u201cCollateral Defect\u201d \u2013 and the \u201cN(U)topia\u201d \u2013 albums without ignoring their classics like \u201cAbhorrence\u201d and animated the fans to headbang and to even create a wall of death in the end.<\/p>\n

The Wildhearts <\/strong>I remember the Punk Rock \u2013 band was supposed to play on my first personal Summer Breeze 2001, but they were forced to cancel their participation because of the tragic death of one band member. So now the four guys from Newcastle were back, but most of the spectators didn\u2019t take a notice of them. The only reason for that could just have been their low popularity because their appearance was a nice variety in the billing starting with the opener \u201cVanilla Radio\u201d and finding its highlight by the cool Helmet-cover \u201cUnsung\u201d even creating a little moshpit.
\nBehemoth Poland\u2019s Black Metal \u2013 finest invaded the festival ground by a bombastic show. With \u201cChristians To The Lions\u201d and their final \u201cThe Aspotasy\u201d \u2013 hymn \u201cAt The Left Hand Ov God\u201d Nergal and his comrades thrilled the pretty huge fan-crowd and kept them being in motion.<\/p>\n

Primordial <\/strong>The Irish fan-darlings presented another stirring performance like there are just pretty rare ones comparable to this one nowadays. From the opener \u201cEmpire Falls\u201d over \u201cGallows End\u201d, \u201cSpirit The Earth Aflame\u201d and \u201cRome Is Burning\u201d to the finishing \u201cThe Coffin Ships\u201d the charismatic frontman \u201cAlan A. Nemtheanga and his four sidekicks fascinated by their show and art!<\/p>\n

Marduk<\/strong> The Swedisch Black Metal – institution had had its best days. Anyway they reduced their newer songs to a minimum concentrating on their classics like \u201cOppozer\/Accuser\u201d or \u201cBaptism By Fire\u201d. Fronter Mortuus had seemingly improved his stageacting, while one track he got support by Primordial\u2019s vocalist Alan. But anyway their show became boring after a while.<\/p>\n

Partytent<\/strong>
\nNegura Bunget <\/strong>The secret hint from Romania fascinated Dinkelsb\u00fchl\u2019s Party Tent as they had done in Wacken\u2019s W.E.T Stage two weeks before by their sympathic performance, their exotic Folk \u2013 instruments and songs like the instrumental \u201cTesarul Lumini\u201d, \u201cCunoasterea Tacuta\u201d and their little hymn \u201cWorldless Knowledge\u201d. The guest appearance of Secrets Of The Moon \u2013 drummer Thelemnar made this appearance even more special<\/p>\n

Cult Of Luna <\/strong>What then happened was one of the most grooving thrills I have ever experienced. Supported by four guitars and the growls of Klas Rydberg the band from Umea created a groove-monster covering the tent into a total different atmosphere considering the title track of the current album \u201cEternal Kingdom\u201d as classics like \u201cLeave Me Here\u201d. Great as totally overwhelming!<\/p>\n

Friday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/strong>
\nHeidevolk<\/strong> Another Pagan-band, this time from the Netherlands, playing the same sound as the other average combos. Do we really need that? No! Anyway, the group had to appear just with one of their two vocalists mainly concentrating on their new release \u201cWalhalla Wacht\u201d. Because of the unfriendly weather conditions in the morning the festivalsite wasn\u2019t filled that much, but the little number of spectators celebrated their Folk Metal \u2013 party. By the way the sound could have been much better.<\/p>\n

3 Inches Of Blood <\/strong>The Canadian True Metal \u2013 band had also to renounce one of their two fronters, Jamie Hooper. But no matter to the left vocalist Cam Pipes. With his horrible falsetto siren he tortured many ears. The maple leafs presented material fom their current \u201cFire Up The Blades\u201d \u2013 record without ignoring older ones like \u201cDeadly Sinners\u201d known from two video-game-soundtracks.<\/p>\n

Mad Sin <\/strong>These Rockabilly \u2013 Punks rock for more than two decades now. And they definitely did in Dinkelsb\u00fchl. Armed with a contrabass besides the usual instrumentation and the agile fronter K\u00f6fte the capitals took the present spectatorship by storm. Especially their cover version\u2019s of Bob Marley\u2019s \u201cI Shot The Sherrif\u201d and Johnny Cash\u2019s \u201cRing Of Fire\u201d found much celebration.<\/p>\n

Korpiklaani<\/strong> One of the leading bands of the Pagan-Fun-Folk-Something-But-No-Metal \u2013 scene showed the dilemma about this sub-genre: Most people didn\u2019t care and walked to the food- \/ non-food-boothes or left the area. Just a crowd in front of the stage partied their own microcosm crowdsurfing or singing songs like \u201cBeer Beer\u201d. Personally I preferred those ones to drink in the meantime.<\/p>\n

Exodus<\/strong> The Bay Area Thrash \u2013 legend presented their latest strong release \u201cThe Atrocity Exhibition… Exhibit A\u201d, but knew the fans wanted to listen to classics. So they got the debut-hymn \u201cBonded By Blood\u201d just as opener, \u201cWar Is My Shepherd\u201d and \u201cStrike Of The Beast\u201d. But I have the suggestion new fronter Rob Dukes better doesn\u2019t say anything instead of talking redneck-shit against the middle east before playing \u201cChildren Of A Worthless God\u201d! That would be nice!<\/p>\n

As I Lay Dying <\/strong>The quintet from San Diego entered the stage while the intro \u201cSeparation\u201d. They didn\u2019t hesitate to begin with their complete live strength performing the new album\u2019s opener as its first published video-single \u201cNothing Left\u201d to begin with their classics from the two masterpieces before, \u201cThrough Struggle\u201d and \u201cForever\u201d, animating several crowdsurfers as moshpits. New tracks followed by \u201cWithin Destruction\u201d and \u201cForsaken\u201d which caused as much trouble on the festival area as \u201cThe Darkest Nights\u201d, \u201cDistance Is Darkness\u201d and \u201cMeaning In Tragedy\u201d. New album\u2019s compositions like its title track \u201cAn Ocean Between Us\u201c alternated with full-length-debut-classics as \u201cElegy\u201d. So after \u201cThe Sound Of Truth\u201d and \u201c94 Hours\u201d lead to the finisher \u201cConfined\u201d which closed the best performance of this year\u2019s Summer Breeze. Great individual instruments\u2019 abilities building up a strong band unity on a high live \u2013 level filled up the festival area and kept all the fans in action for nearly an hour.<\/p>\n

Six Feet Under <\/strong>You know what you get when the Florida Deathers appear on a festival: A grunting Dreadlock-banging Chris Barnes, a motionless, but tight band and lots of fans celebrating their faves by headbanging and moshpit-action. And the fivepiece gave them enough reasons to rage by \u201cRevenge Of The Zombie\u201d, \u201cVictim Of The Paranoid\u201d, \u201cNo Warning Shot\u201d, \u201cThe Enemy Inside\u201d, \u201cWar Is Coming\u201d and the AC\/DC \u2013 cover \u2013 standard \u201cT.N.T.\u201d while they reduced material from the current \u201cCommandment\u201d to a minimum. The people agreed with that strategy.<\/p>\n

Subway To Sally <\/strong>The Folk Rock \/ Metal \u2013 sevenpiece from Potsdam appeared for the fourth time on the Summer Breeze, and for the third time in a headliner position. This fact and the numerous of fans filling up the festival ground speaks for itself. Supported by a massive pyro show and a motivated band this appearance turned out to big party with singalongs to well-known tracks like \u201cSieben\u201d, \u201cHenkersbraut\u201d, \u201cAuf Kiel\u201d or the encore and fans\u2019 fave \u201cJulia Und Die R\u00e4uber\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pain Stage<\/strong>
\nDark Age <\/strong>The Melodic Death Metal \u2013 quintet was the ideal opener to spread good mood against the rainy weather. The sympathic band animated the present spectators to take part in, and a respectable bunch of people spent applause for songs from the new \u201cMinus Exitus\u201d \u2013 album (the title track, \u201cThe Dying Art Of Recreation\u201d, \u201cExit Wounds\u201d) as familiar older ones (\u201cFix The Focus\u201d, \u201cZero\u201d).<\/p>\n

Midnattsol<\/strong> The Folk Metal interpreted by three male and two female Norwegians just found a little number of spectators depending to the rain. Lead by their singer Carmen Elise Espenaes who is the sister of Liv Kristine (ex \u2013 Theatre Of Tragedy, Leaves\u2019 Eyes, Atrocity) introduced their new second output \u201cNordlys\u201d by \u201cSkogens Lengsel\u201d, \u201cLament\u201d and \u201cEn Natt I Nord\u201d without ignoring the debut-tracks. By the way the band reacted pretty cool when some weird fan suddenly entered the stage.<\/p>\n

Schelmish<\/strong> The medieval-related Folk Rock \u2013 combo from Bonn just played for a small crowd being interested in and celebrating their material like it had happened before while Korpiklaani. After Mad Sin the day before the second band of this year\u2019s Summer Breeze covered Johnny Cash\u2019s \u201cRing Of Fire\u201d, but not as felicitous as the first interpretation.<\/p>\n

Megaherz<\/strong> The Rammstein-wannabes from Munich are back! The fivepiece decided two play a well-balanced set considering tracks from their brandnew \u201cHeuchler\u201d \u2013 release (the title track, \u201cFauler Zauber\u201d) and familiar material from before the break like their biggest hits \u201c5. M\u00e4rz\u201d and \u201cMistst\u00fcck\u201d causing the most spectators\u2019 reactions.<\/p>\n

Pro-Pain <\/strong>Of course the New York City Hardcore-legend appeared again on the Pain Stage. And Gary Meskil and his companions rocked the festival again. After the German national anthem as the intro the quartet didn\u2019t leave any doubt about who\u2019s the chief in any Hardcore-affairs on the festival at all by \u201cIn For The Kill\u201d. \u201cShine\u201d, \u201cUn-American\u201d, \u201cFuck It\u201d and the finisher \u201cAll For King George\u201d. Strong!<\/p>\n

Eluveitie<\/strong> It was supposed to become a special hint from a friend after which I should reconsider our friendship. Two women and six men from Switzerland performed the material of the newest shooting stars of the Folk Rock \/ Metal \u2013 scene. The sound wasn\u2019t their friend while they were promoting their new release \u201cSlania\u201d by their hit \u201cInis Mona\u201d and \u201cSlanias Song\u201d as the debut-song \u201cTegernakA\u201d. Their fans celebrated them anyway.<\/p>\n

End Of Green <\/strong>The Gothic Rockers from G\u00f6ppingen are kind of a Summer Breeze \u2013 home-band. I probably watched them for the fourth or fifth time on my personal sixth Summer Breeze. The sympathic fivepiece opened by \u201cMotor\u201d leading into a short medley before continuing with \u201cDead End Hero\u201d, \u201cDrink Myself To Sleep\u201d and \u201cEverywhere\u201d showing their Rock-related side before Michelle Darkness & Co closed their set by the mainly Gothic-related songs \u201cDie Lover Die\u201d from the very brandnew album \u201cThe Sick\u2019s Sense\u201d and \u201cDeath In Veins\u201d. Cool!<\/p>\n

Kataklysm<\/strong> The Canadien Death Metal \u2013 kings arrived with no luggage as instruments in Germany because their chosen airline transferred it to somewhere else. So they got it borrowed by Aborted and Eluveitie. The quartet started with \u201cBlood In Heaven\u201d from their new album \u201cPrevail\u201d. The crowd went wild for the best-of-set containing \u201cAs I Slither\u201d, \u201cManipulator Of Souls\u201d, the also new \u201cTaking The World By Storm\u201d as the set-ending \u201cCrippled And Broken\u201d and \u201cIn Shadows And Dust\u201d. The stage-acting was good, the band tight, the sound as the light worked well: Best conditions for another great Kataklysm \u2013 show which the fans got!<\/p>\n

ASP<\/strong> The Gothic Rock \u2013 act from Frankfurt polarized the crowd: Some celebrated the group as a good atmospheric show while full moon, the rest just felt bored by the German as English sung songs. So did I. This performance didn\u2019t rock at all. And so the festivalsite became very empty after a few minutes. The loudest reactions happened while their little as only hit \u201cIch Will Brennen\u201d. Boring!<\/p>\n

Partytent<\/strong>
\nTextures What followed after the Main Stage program had just been finished was one of the most impressing shows of the whole high-class-billing. It was astonishing how the Dutch sixpiece was able to reproduce their complex Prog Death Metal live. Grunts as the wonderful clean vocals fit with the instruments into an ideal constitution. Compositions from the new masterpiece \u201cSilhouettes\u201d like \u201cOld Days Born Anew\u201d, \u201cStorm Warning\u201d or \u201cAwake\u201d thrilled all attendants of the full tent as songs from the first two albums as \u201cRegenesis\u201d, \u201cMillstone\u201d and \u201cSwandive\u201d. Very impressing!<\/p>\n

Hollenthon<\/strong> The second band of Pungent Stench \u2013 fronter Martin Schirenc is back, finally with a strong album! This new one seems to be owned by many fans because songs from this one like \u201cOn The Wings Of A Dove\u201d, the video-single \u201cSon Of Perdition\u201d or \u201cOnce We Were Kings\u201d achieved loud jubilations. Nevertheless the classics like \u201cWoe To The Defeated\u201d and the final hit \u201cTo Kingdom Come were celebrated massively, too! This appearance was a big success! The Austrians might have won several new fans.<\/p>\n

Saturday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/strong>
\nJapanische Kampfh\u00f6rspiele <\/strong>The Extreme Metal \u2013 band with the obscure sarcastic German lyrics from Essen attracted a respectable bunch of fans in the morning to celebrate \u201cVerrat Am Metal\u201d or \u201cWir Gehen In Den Knast\u201d. Cool day opener of the Main Stage!<\/p>\n

Autumn <\/strong>The Dutch sixpiece mainly concentrated on their current strong album \u201cMy New Time\u201d by the opener \u201cAngel Of Desire\u201d, the following \u201cSatellites\u201d, the title track and \u201cBlue Wine\u201d, and introduced by \u201cSkydancer\u201d a new song from the forthcoming album on which new singer Marjan Welman will appear for her first Autumn-studio-production. Known from Ayreon she convinced totally with her high voice abilities while her stageacting reminded me to ex \u2013 The Gathering \u2013 singer Anneke van Giersbergen. And generally the whole band had a sympathic attitude.<\/p>\n

Endstille <\/strong>The Black Metal \u2013 combo from Kiel mainly attracts teenager metalheads: Listening to their music as lyrics shows why! So happened in Dinkelsb\u00fchl. From the opener \u201cDominanz\u201d, the probably fan-hommage \u201cBastard\u201d to the finishing track as known as salvation to any fan of Metal with approach animated the kids to headbang their heads for maybe the first time while the majority found out even a Dresdner Handbrot has more variation than this average Black Metal. The sound sucked, too. Just the reaction of fronter Iblis when some stuffed animal got thrown on stage was cool naming it \u201cMama\u201d.<\/p>\n

Dismember<\/strong> The Swedish Death Metal \u2013 institution around the guitarist as band founder David Blomqist and fronter Matti K\u00e4rki started with some younger tracks before the headbangers really woke up when the quintet performed \u201cPieces\u201d, \u201cCollection By Blood\u201d and \u201cSickening Art\u201d. So they closed by \u201cUnder A Blood Red Sky\u201d a cool set celebrated by a couple of fans.<\/p>\n

Ensiferum<\/strong> The same circumstances as they had happened while Korpiklaani or comparable Pagan Folk Metal \u2013 bands: It\u2019s probably always the same bunch of people standing in front of the stage while the rest turns around. Anyway this bunch celebrated \u201cToken Of Time\u201d and \u201cAhti\u201d. The band reacted with playing a bit of Iron Maiden\u2019s \u201cThe Trooper\u201d. But fronter Petri Lindroos should renounce demands for walla of death!<\/p>\n

H-Blockx <\/strong>The most successful German Crossover \u2013 band of the 90ies is back! And it was the right billing position in the early evening with the still shining sun to entertain a pretty filled festivalsite. The band which had shrinked to a fourpiece over the years opened after the intro by \u201cHere I Go Again\u201d from their new \u201cOpen Letter To A Friend\u201d \u2013 album to continue with a greatest hits \u2013 program consisting of their interpretation of the SNAP!-hit \u201cThe Power\u201d, \u201cI Don\u2019t Want You To Like Me\u201d, \u201cLeave Me Alone\u201dand their first and biggest hit from the debut: \u201cMove\u201d which moved almost every spectator in action. After \u201cCountdown To Insanity\u201d and the debut-ballad \u201cLittle Girl\u201d vocalist Henning Wehland animated the crowd to a straw-battle before they finished their regular set by \u201cHow Do You Feel?\u201d and their second debut-hit \u201cRisin\u2019 High\u201d. But they returned with the encore and second cover (This time of Johnny Cash who had been interpreted for the third time that weekend!) \u201cRing Of Fire\u201d including with a sit-down-and-stand-up-interaction for the people. So a motivated band satisfied a motivated spectatorship, and most of them knew the lyrics of almost every choruses!<\/p>\n

Heaven Shall Burn <\/strong>After the piano-intro \u201cEchoes\u201d the quintet from Th\u00fcringen entered the stage to perform probably one of the shows of their lifetime! Suited in red shirts and black pants, flanked by light columns and supported by a great light show they looked a little bit like In Flames. After opening by the strong \u201cFinal Resistance\u201d and \u201cProfane Believers\u201d the first song from the new \u201cIconoclast\u201d – album \u201cForlorn Skies\u201d followed which motivated the crowd to jump. After some relaxing piano-instrumental they performed the hits \u201cThe Weapon They Fear\u201d and \u201cVoice Of The Voiceless\u201d causing a huge wall of death with a frontline from the stage to the sound-tower. After this shouter Marcus Bischoff animated the mob to create a circle-pit around the sound-towers of both open air \u2013 stages with the wish the towers have to fall. And the fans didn\u2019t hesitate a second to follow his demand. Well, of course with the exception they didn\u2019t pile the towers. After the excellent Edge Of Sanity \u2013 cover \u201cBlack Tears\u201d the band left the stage to return with the encore \u201cBehind A Wall Of Silence\u201d which caused another circle-pit with lots of crowdsurfers. A killer show which was recorded for a DVD-release that will be published within the next months!<\/p>\n

Cradle Of Filth <\/strong>Long time no see! This might be the right description for the British Black Metal \u2013 icon. And Dani Filth, short-haired and suited in some kind of a spike-costume, and his musicians surprised with a good show. After some microphone problems in the beginning the sound worked pretty well as the cool light show did. Besides the opener \u201cDirge Inferno\u201d from the current album \u201cThornography\u201d, \u201cGilded Gunts\u201d as \u201cNymphetamine\u201d from the so-titled release and \u201cBorn In A Burial Gown\u201d from the 2005-record \u201cBitter Suites To Succubi\u201d the band including the female backing-singer whose vocals came from tape performed the fans\u2019 biggest faves including the classics \u201cDusk And Her Embrace\u201d, \u201cThe Forest Whispers My Name\u201d, \u201cCruelty Brought The Orchids\u201d, \u201cHer Ghost In The Fog\u201d, \u201cThe Principle Of Evil Made Flesh\u201d as the encores \u201cFrom Cradle To Enslave\u201d and \u201cDark Fairytales In Phalusstein\u201d mightn\u2019t have left any wish open and took care of much headbanging on the festival area. I hope we don\u2019t have too wait that long again for them!<\/p>\n

Pain Stage<\/strong>
\nDebauchery<\/strong> The group from Stuttgart entered the stage covered with blood as they are known for. It was a little bit too early to attract the masses and win many new fans, but they showed attitude and played a respectable set with the most familiar track \u201cBlood To The Blood God\u201d in its end.<\/p>\n

The Old Dead Tree<\/strong> It had taken a long time to watch this band on a big festival in Germany! And the show began with an unconscious gimmick: The quartet from Paris went on stage without an intro and nobody recognized these were the musicians entertaining them for the following 35 minutes. But the atmosphere changed very quick: Lead by a few fellow countrymen the spectators became curious after the first song and supported this very talented as sympathic band while new compositions from their current masterpiece \u201cThe Water Fields\u201d like its opener \u201cOut Of Breath\u201d the hit \u201cIs Your Soul For Sale\u201d and \u201cDive\u201d as songs from the both albums before as \u201cUnrelenting\u201d, \u201cIt Can\u2019t Be\u201d and the finishing \u201cWe Cry As One\u201d. The talented singer Manuel Munoz impressed by his variable voice and his three comrades played very tight! And after they hadn\u2019t even been identified as the band before the show after this all spectators spent much applause and jubilation for an excellent appearance!<\/p>\n

Hackneyed <\/strong>The band consisting of sixteen-year-old boys coming from the town of Abtsgm\u00fcnd where the Summer Breeze got founded and where it raised making the nowadays size possible are obvious fans of the US-Death-Metal-sound and performed their debut-record-tracks like \u201cGut Candy\u201d pretty respectable. Hopefully they won\u2019t get hyped that much because of their age in the future!<\/p>\n

Keep Of Kalessin <\/strong>The Norwegians\u2019 set focussed on their latest two albums \u201cArmada\u201d and the new \u201cKolossus\u201d but they didn\u2019t reach their goal to reproduce their Black Metal with approach live. Somehow the vibe was missed. The musicians celebrated tracks like \u201cCrown Of The Kings\u201d wild banging, and so did the first rows\u2019 fans.<\/p>\n

Neaera<\/strong> Deathcore from M\u00fcnster was supposed to rule over Dinkelsb\u00fchl, and it did for sure! The quintet surprised in the beginning of its show by \u201cBroken Spine\u201d and \u201cSave The Drowning Child\u201d from their full-length-debut \u201cThe Rising Tide Of Oblivion\u201d before they caused by \u201cArmamentarium\u201d of their so-titled current longplayer a huge wall of death beginning from the stage up to the sound-tower to continue with the title track and \u201cParadigm Lost\u201d of their breakthrough album \u201cLet The Tempest Come\u201d causing several moshpits. After an intense circle-pit around the sound-tower the band around the agile shouter Benny finished with the final \u201cArmamentarium\u201d-smasher \u201cSinergy\u201d. Great performance!<\/p>\n

Primal Fear <\/strong>For ten years the German True Metal \u2013 band around Mat Sinner and ex \u2013 Gamma Ray \u2013 siren Ralf Scheepers had been fighting for their sound. On this year\u2019s Summer Breeze which was mainly dominated by darker as harder bands an astonishable number of visitors was interested in this gig. So they watch a motivated band performing \u201cAngels And Demons\u201d, the ballad \u201cFighting The Darkness\u201d from the current output \u201cNew Religion\u201d and of course well-known classics like \u201cNuclear Fire\u201d, \u201cRunning In The Dust\u201d and the unavoidable \u201cMetal Is Forever\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sonic Syndicate <\/strong>After their pretty much hyped breaktrough last year when the Swedish sixpiece played absolutely convincing shows on German Open Airs they fulfilled their appearance-list of important German open airs in 2008 with the Summer Breeze. In the beginning while their new video-single \u201cJack Of Diamonds\u201d the guitar-sound didn\u2019t work at all, but with the following \u201cFlashback\u201d the problems had been solved. The next half-ballad \u201cEnclave\u201d caught all attraction of the festivalsite population. In common I had the impression the \u201cOnly Inhuman\u201d \u2013 songs achieved more support than the tracks from their very new \u201cLove And Other Disasters\u201d \u2013 longplayer. So its forthcoming second video-single \u201cMy Scape\u201d sounding pretty mainstream reached lower applause. The band around the two male shouters offered an exclusive track: The Japan-bonus of the new CD \u201cMy Soul In Black\u201d. So the show ended by \u201cBlue Eyed Fiend\u201d with catchy chorus melodies animated numerous fans to take part in, but somehow the whole show, especially the stageacting, looked pretty made. Make yourself an opinion when the DVD will be released on which they recorded the Summer Breeze- appearance.<\/p>\n

Destruction<\/strong> The German Thrash Metal \u2013 icon celebrated their jubileum with a show full of pyros and special effects.The trio around Schmier also offered other gimmicks like a few naked ladies and while \u201cMad Butcher\u201d the butcher himself alias his actor. They got celebrated for their classics like \u201cThrash Til\u2019 Death\u201d, \u201cNailed To The Cross\u201d and \u201cBestial Invasion\u201d. But in spite of all those ideas and gimmicks the pure appearance became pretty boring after a while.<\/p>\n

Anathema<\/strong> Anybody present on the festival area was curious about if the British band would find back to old quality or not. And they did for sure! They started with the undying \u201cAlternative 4\u201d \u2013 milestones \u201cFragile Dreams\u201d and \u201cEmpty\u201d earning much support by the surprised as thrilled fans before the quintet fronted by the three Cavanagh-brothers played the newer songs \u201cCloser\u201d and \u201cA Natural Desaster\u201d, the last named supported by the wonderful female voice of Lee Douglas. After the \u201cJudgment\u201d-hit-single \u201cDeep\u201d the classics \u201cSleepless\u201d and \u201cA Dying Wish\u201d followed as overwhelming as the epic \u201cLost Control\u201d. With the Pink Floyd \u2013 cover \u201cComfortably Numb\u201d and the Butcher-actor from the Destruction \u2013 show the band returned on stage and finished a fantastic gig excelling all our expectations. The definitely best band to bid farewell an open air festival program. A memorable intense gig we won\u2019t forget!<\/p>\n

Partytent<\/strong>
\nHacride<\/strong> Another French band \u2013 sensation appeared on the tent stage. The quartet mainly focused their song choice on their latest masterpiece \u201cAmoeba\u201d performing \u201cFate\u201d, the hammer composition \u201cPerturbed\u201d and the exotic \u201cZambra (Ojos De Brujo Cover)\u201d, but they also considered the debut-longplayer \u201cDeviant Current Signal\u201d by \u201cThis Place\u201d. The tent wasn\u2019t really filled, but the attendant crowd celebrated and supported this inconvenient band a lot. The confident vocalist Samuel Bourreau flanked by his banging side-stringers and by the tight drummer building an unbeatable unity. I hope as I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll hear more from this impressing geniuses!<\/p>\n

Mustasch<\/strong> Swedish Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll at its best invaded the Party Tent for half an hour. Opening by \u201cDown In Black\u201d the band convinced almost every present spectator by their catchy riffs and choruses. Besides that fronter Ralf Gyllenhammer entertained very well by pointing out on his German classes in school and tried different funny language experiments. The fourpiece rocked performing their current album \u201cLatest Version Of The Truth\u201d by \u201cBring Me Everyone\u201d and the hit \u201cDouble Nature\u201d as encore. Those got celebrated as older songs like \u201cDogwash\u201d or \u201cBlack City\u201d. This band rocks!<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong>
\nSo it was the first time for the basic crew of the www.metal-festivals.com \u2013 team getting our own impression about the new location of the Summer Breeze. And it\u2019s a more than a dignified one offering enough place for the raised visitors\u2019 request! The Summer Breeze 2008 had been sold out weeks before it began!
\nBut most of them wanted to arrive on Wednesday which caused big problems in conjunction with the rainy weather the days before melting the ground at the entrance which caused a big traffic holdup the whole street to the Autobahn exit. So people had to wait for a very long time till they had the opportunity to drive on the campsite. This will be the main defiance for the Summer Breeze 2009.<\/p>\n

The organization at the area worked pretty well. The visitor had short ways between the stages, the little hill got ballasted and the area offered enough place to sit down without getting bulldozed. The concept with the much more involved Party Tent \u2013 stage worked very well and found high acceptance as advice by the spectators. And the billing spoke for itself! I haven\u2019t experienced many festivals offering that many great as unique appearances!
\nSo we appreciated our time at the Summer Breeze in Dinkelsb\u00fchl and we will return in 2010 for sure! So see you there!
\nSpecial thanks go out to David Gregori and the Summer Breeze-team!!!!!
\nAt the Summer Breeze rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Lotte, Yvi and Nic!!!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summer Breeze 2008 After reporting about the Summer Breeze for its last five years in Abtsgm\u00fcnd the festival moved to Dinkelsb\u00fchl. Due to job-\/vacation-commitments in 2006 and the marriage of very good friends in 2007 (Any other marriage we would have canceled! :-)) we were forced to send our Lower Rhein crew two years ago … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Summer Breeze 2008 Review”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":26,"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\/338"}],"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=338"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":340,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/338\/revisions\/340"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}