{"id":524,"date":"2011-03-09T20:51:50","date_gmt":"2011-03-09T19:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=524"},"modified":"2011-03-09T20:51:50","modified_gmt":"2011-03-09T19:51:50","slug":"rock-hard-festival-2004-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/new.metal-festivals.com\/?page_id=524","title":{"rendered":"Rock Hard Festival 2004 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rock Hard Festival 2004<\/strong>
\nThis festival was planned as a unique one to the 20th anniversary of the german metal-print-magazine Rock Hard. After celebrating its big success which had never been expected on this level their editors decided to organize the festival again. Returning to the beautiful location of the \u201cAmphitheater” in Gelsenkirchen the organizers offered the same comfort and nice atmosphere as they had done last year. This year they were able to add the opportunity to camp close to the festival area. At the Open Air played 22 bands (each band 45 minutes mimum) on one stage (on Friday on a different one) in three days for about 4500 visitors.<\/p>\n

Friday<\/strong>
\nSide Stage<\/em>
\nMetal Inquisitor<\/strong> Supposed to be the festival opener the boys from Koblenz showed their main influence which is clearly NWOBHM. Nothing special, but good enough to motivate a piece of the hungry crowd to party.
\nDelirious<\/strong> The following appearance turned out a little bit better. The group from the near city of Dortmund played a style from the other side of the ocean. We talk about bay-area-thrash. I still prefer the originals, but this gig which ended by the Iron Butterfly-cover \u201cIn-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” made fun anyway.
\nElectric Eel Shock<\/strong> The showcase of the evening was definitely brought by the crazy threepiece from Japan. Their set consisted of 100 % Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll. I bet most spectators didn\u2019t know even one song, but who cares? Right, nobody! So while the set about 50 (new?) fans entered the stage and partied with the combo.
\nHonigdieb<\/strong> The second artists coming from Dortmund around the well-known as sympathic fronter Sir Hannes known from Idiots and Phantoms Of Future had a difficult job after this Japanese Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll-invasion. And their folk rock just reached half of the audience by \u201cMadame” (the best known song), \u201cLuder”, \u201cTelefonsex” or \u201cPornostar”. Not enough for the headliner of the evening.<\/p>\n

Saturday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/em>
\nThunderstorm <\/strong>Instead of Doomsword who had cancelled because of an injury of their guitarist the German trio offered a similar style like the Italians do. But while playing \u201cTime”, \u201cSad Symphony”, etc. the actors didn\u2019t act too much. So with no action on stage the \u201cshow” became boring.
\nDead Soul Tribe<\/strong> The Austrian fourpiece around the ex-fronter of the Prog Metal-icon Psychotic Waltz Buddy Lackey (or now cold Devon Graves) presented their second album \u201cA Murder Of Crows”. The band\u2019s sound is a mixture between the old progressive Psychotic Waltz-style and some psychedelic elements rememberring of Tool. With the new \u201cSome Things You Can\u2019t Return”, the debut-album songs \u201cComing Down” and \u201cInto The Spiral Cathedral” and especially the Psychotic Waltz-hymns \u201cI Remember” and the final \u201cSkeleton” they became the highlight of the day.
\nNaglfar <\/strong>By their song titles (\u201cI Am Vengeance”, \u201cHorncrowned Majesty”) it\u2019s easy for everybody to guess which style Erik Ryd\u00e9n and his Swedish comrades prefer: Of course Black Metal. But most of the visitors took much more notice of a beer than of a middling Black Metal-show while the sun was shining hot in the early afternoon.
\nGluecifer <\/strong>Does Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll fit to a metal-billing? Yes, it does. With \u201cI Got War”, \u201cEasy Living”, \u201cAutomatic Thrill”, etc. they started a punkrock party in which many metalheads took part in who now combined drinking beer and attending the show. I need to mention I had enjoyed Biff Malibu, Captain Poon and Co. more five on a show years ago. But anyway: Cool party!
\nDestruction <\/strong>After the jubilated appearances of Kreator and Sodom last year, now it was time for the third well-known German thrash-act. The threepiece replacing the blackies from Marduk opened with \u201cTotal Desaster”, of course brought \u201cThrash Till Death” as \u201cThe Butcher Strikes Back” and found acceptance by most of the Marduk-fans. But Schmier should think about his announcements between the songs, especially about that one he took about \u201cdiscriminated long-haired metal-fans” (Huhu!) before playing \u201cMetal Discharge\u201c, for which I can find just one word: Ridiculous!
\nKrokus <\/strong>The Swiss Hardrock-legend around Fernando Van Arb and singer Marc Storace introduced their new release \u201cRock The Block” which found as much crowd\u2019s consent as the classics (\u201cLong Stick Goes Boom”, \u201cEat The Rich”) did. Normally not my cup of tea, but this turned out to a nice rock party.
\nExodus <\/strong>By the first reactions of the spectatorship I realized the Bay Area-Thrash-institution was expected by many headbangers. The riff-walls of the guitarists Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt caused a lot of flying hair on the spectatorside and the reactivated fronter Steve \u201cZetro” Souza knew how to play with the fans. Their set was dominated by their new praised output \u201cTempo Of The Damned” (\u201cBlacklist”, \u201cThe War Is My Shepherd”, the title track), but of course their thrash-classics (\u201cPiranha”, \u201cToxic Waltz”, \u201cBonded By Blood”) found enough consideration.
\nGamma Ray<\/strong> Teutonic Singalong Metal was supposed to entertain the visitors for the next 75 minutes. Everyone knows the fourpiece around the German Metal-personality Kai Hansen calls a big song-background their own. They started with the newer \u201cGardens Of The Sinner” and \u201cNew World Order”, streaked the middle ages of Gamma Ray (\u201cRebellion In Dreamland”, \u201cLand Of The Free”, \u201cSomewhere Out In Space”) and reached Gamma Ray- (\u201cOne With The World”) and Helloween-classics (\u201cI Want Out”). The tracklist should have fullfilled most wishes, but not the bad sound and the moveless acting on stage.
\nIn Extremo<\/strong> The rise of the Folk Metal-kings hasn\u2019t ended yet.The seven musicians from Berlin opened with \u201cK\u00fcss Mich”, \u201cHiemali Tempore” and \u201cWind” and offered a well-balanced combination between classics (\u201cMerseburger Zauberspr\u00fcche II”, \u201cHerr Mannelig”, \u201cSpielmannsfluch”) and material from the new album \u201c7″ (\u201cErdbeermund”, the opener). For \u201cAi Vis Lo Lop” the band invited a few fans on stage to sing the classic with them. After 120 minutes vocalist \u201cEinhorn” finished their set with \u201cVilleman Og Magnhild” and left the fans satisfied. But never expected they returned on stage pointing out they still had 15 minutes till the two o\u2019 clock curfew set by the city of Gelsenkirchen and added \u201cMadre Deus” and \u201cMein Kind” to their set. Respect to this measure which shows how close to the fans the band feels itself. Great gig!<\/p>\n

Sunday<\/strong>
\nMain Stage<\/em>
\nDesaster <\/strong>It was up to the underground-icon from Koblenz to wake up the sleeping metal-village with their infernal Black Metal. And they fullfilled their mission, with classics like \u201cMetalized Blood” no matter to them.
\nInto Eternity<\/strong> Full of expectations a little community awaited the new Prog\/Death Metal-hope from Canada. The five music geniuses started with the debut-album track \u201cElysium Dream” before turning their focus on their new praised album \u201cBuried In Oblivion” and from now on the little community grew bigger and bigger song by song. The permanent changes between clean and grunt voices in the lead (by great singer Chris Krall) and all (!) backing vocals as the many musical variations in new (\u201cEmbraced By Desolation”, \u201cSplintered Visions”) like old (\u201cAbsolution Of The Soul”, the final \u201cSelling God” from the \u201cDead Or Dreaming”-album) songs didn\u2019t only fascinate the progheads, but the hole auditorium. The band around Tim Roth seems to have a great future. To me the band of the festival.
\nIlldisposed <\/strong>It was up to the Danish Death Metal \/ Thrashcore-fivepeace to replace Malevolent Creation who hadn\u2019t been able to finance the trip. Most Metalheads knew the band\u2019s name because of many releases, but not the music. In Gelsenkirchen the time had come to change this aspect. One big reason: Fronter Bo started the performance with the comment: \u201cWe have no intro, we have no money and we have small balls.” With his ironic as sympathic comments which were all held in German between the songs he caught the attention of the audience easily always pointing out they are dull Danes. By this unusual way they won a lot of listeners to listen to their smashing music and to get convinced by it like I got.
\nPink Cream 69<\/strong> Strengthened by a second guitarist the multi-national band from Karlsruhe presented a great best-of-program of their first-class-hardrock. With singalong-hits like \u201cThunderdome” from the so titled brandnew album over \u201cSeas Of Madness”, \u201cShame”, \u201cKeep Your Eye On The Twisted”, \u201cDo You Like It”, \u201cTalk To The Moon” and the finishing \u201cWelcome The Night” they proofed of their reputation as an ideal party-rock-group in the sunny afternoon. With \u201cOne Step Into Paradise” we would have wished another hit, but to a band with so many outstanding albums, it\u2019s difficult enough to choose the \u201cright” songs and to kick lots of other ones to fill one hour. Cool show recited by the fabulous singer David Readman and a tight band.
\nMetal Church<\/strong> The next fivepack had been a long anounced as the big reunion. It was a disappoining one because of less original characters (guitarist Kirk Vanderhoof and drummer Kirk Arrington) and the same incomplete represantation of the Metal Church-background. Where were the hits from the US Power Metal cult-albums \u201cBlessing In Disguise”, \u201cThe Human Factor” and \u201cHanging In The Balance”? Sure this appearance was a much better one than those spiritless shows of the first reunion in 1999, classics like \u201cStart The Fire” (\u2018Bring Down The Hammer\u2019, yes) became celebrated by the crowd, \u201cWatch The Children Pray”, \u201cBeyond The Black” or the undying \u201cGods Of Wrath”, the band was tight and the new vocalist Ronny Munroe (known from Rottweiler) did his job much better than David Wayne five years ago. Technically he seemed to be the right man, but he didn\u2019t reach the charisma of ex-singer Mike Howe. It could have been a fantastic show, but why didn\u2019t classics like \u201cAnthem To The Estranged”, \u201cBadlands” \u201cFake Healer”, \u201cAgent Green”, \u201cLosers In The Game” or \u201cA Subtle War” find their consideration?
\nDark Tranquillity <\/strong>The six Gothenburg-guys had never offered a middling or worse show. Especially marathon man Mikael Stanne impressed by his agility without missing one tone. Supported by his tight playing comrades they celebrated new stuff rom the current album \u201cDamage Done” (\u201cWhite Noise \/ Black Silence”, \u201cMonochromatic Stains”, the title track, \u201cFinal Resistance”) as older material (\u201cPunish My Heaven”, \u201cHedon”, \u201cThereIn”, \u201cThe Wonders At Your Feet”, \u201cZodijackyl Light”) with their numerous fans. A great gig which showed the Swedes still play in the Death Metal-Champions League.
\nRage <\/strong>The multinational band around mastermind \u201cPeavy” Wagner, guitar-genius Victor Smolski and drum-animal Mike Terrana from the neighbour city Herne has always been a constant companion to the Rock Hard over the last two decades. Besides presenting a few songs from the new more complex album \u201cSoundchaser” (\u201cWar Of Worlds”, the title track) the band concentrated on their classics (Medley, \u201cSolitary Man”, \u201cBlack In Mind”, the singalong \u201cDon\u2019t You Fear The Winter”, \u201cFrom The Cradle To The Grave”, \u201cHigher Than The Sky”). Right decision by which the threepeace won most spectators! But please: While an one hour lasting festival gig nobody needs any guitar or drum solos like Smolski and Terrana did!
\nStratovarius <\/strong>This was probably the most discussed and awaited appearance in Gelsenkirchen over the weekend because of the massive internal tension between individual band members, especially between bandleader Timo Tolkki wearing a T-shirt with the front-print \u201cWe” (Did that meaning anything or was that just a wish? Who knows!) and Timo Kotipelto who was going to quit the band after a few booked gigs like this one. But the quintett didn\u2019t fulfill any suspicion of a scandalous show. No, they completed an absolute professional gig. No more, no less. With a best of-program (\u201cI Walk To My Own Song”, \u201cSpeed Of Light”, \u201cFather Time”, \u201cForever Free”, \u201cKiss Of Judas”, \u201cHunting High And Low”) they probably satisfied the spectatorship even if there was no special or surprising effect while the appearance. So it was a pleasant goodbye between the musicians Tolkki, Kotipelto, Kainulainen, Johansson and Michael on the one and the fans on the other hand after the finishing \u201cBlack Diamond”.
\nMachine Head<\/strong> With the (neo-)Thrash band from the east bay area the Rock Hard engaged a big number of the metal-scene with radio- and TV-airplay as their headliner. Robb Flynn and his \u201cOakland-gang” introduced a new sixstringer (Phil Demmel) as the new output \u201cThrough The Ashes Of Empire”. With the album opener and new single release \u201cImperium” they started in a massive, furious and celebrated gig which mobilized the last spared reserves of the crowd. By the best of their five high quality albums bandfounder Robb Flynn and his three comrades excited the auditorium by the debut classics \u201cDavidian” or \u201cOld” as well as by \u201cTen Ton Hammer”, \u201cTake My Scars” (from \u201cThe More Things Change…”) \u201cThe Blood, The Sweat, The Tears”, (from \u201cThe Burning Red”), \u201cTrephination” (from \u201cSupercharger”) or the current \u201cLeft Unfinished” and \u201cDescent The Shades Of Night” which closed the show together with the classic \u201cBlock”. The moshpit raged to all songs through the little rain. As every Machine Head-show fronter Robb praised the audience as one of the best of their career. Nevertheless the enthusiastic crowd were fantastic as the excellent show deserved it. It would have been even cooler if Machine Head had played 15 minutes longer until the curfew like In Extremo had done the night before, but who of the outpowered fans thought about that. Great gig which closed a great fetival!<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong>
\nYes, they did it again!!!!! An important decision because of its special festival atmosphere guaranteed by the nice \u201cAmphitheater”-area, the relaxed visitors and the well-organized conditions. The toilets were still clean as for free and the prices for drinks were also okay (e.g. 2 Euro for a 0,33l beer or softdrinks). Rock Hard chief editor announced on Sunday the organizers decided to make the festival to a steady open air institution. There\u2019s nothing to comment about than just another big: YES!!!!!<\/p>\n

A special thanks to G\u00f6tz K\u00fchnemund, Manni Glamowski and the Rock Hard-team!!!!!<\/p>\n

At the Rock Hard Festival rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Lotte, Melli and Yvonne!!!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rock Hard Festival 2004 This festival was planned as a unique one to the 20th anniversary of the german metal-print-magazine Rock Hard. After celebrating its big success which had never been expected on this level their editors decided to organize the festival again. Returning to the beautiful location of the \u201cAmphitheater” in Gelsenkirchen the organizers … <\/p>\n

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