For the thirtieth time, the Easter Cross Festival in Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany, offers all the heathens out there a fantastic alternative to spend their easter weekend. While others search for easter eggs, this anniversary Metal party leaves nothing to be desired. With headliners Benediction, Annisokay, Mantar, Callejon, Decapitated, and Born Of Osiris, the Easter Cross once again offers a versatile top-notch lineup.
Last year, I called this festival a hidden gem to appreciate, that it feels relatively unknown on the national or even international festival landscape despite the exceptional lineup offered in the Neckarhalle Oberndorf. Yet considering the big names on the billing and the hordes of people once again visiting, I might have to revise the “hidden” part of that statement.
Let’s look into the location first. With the Neckarhalle presumably having an approximate capacity of 2000-2500 people, the local venue can easily handle a bigger crowd without feeling confined inside. Unfortunately, the festival once again wasn’t fully sold out, despite the amazing lineup.
The setup of the venue once again got a few substantial upgrades since last year, including a different stage construction and temporary floor mats to increase safety in the occasional moshpit. Where spilled drinks might’ve let some slip in the past years, mayhem can ensue now without risk. Outside the hall, three food trucks allow visitors to replenish their energy between bands. Here the organizers also took fan feedback into account and where last year’s excitement was a bit limited by long queues and eventually sold-out menus, those appear to be issues of the past now.
Crekko
Quickly changing into this year’s festival merch, depicting an iconic Easter Cross bunny skull, we are now ready to party. And opening up this party on Saturday afternoon are Crekko. Similar to previous years, Saturday’s lineup is a more versatile blend, whereas Sunday focuses on different flavors of Metalcore. Therefore, regional band Crekko from Freudenstadt greet us with a fantastic rock show. With a modern, almost progressive twist on classical rock vibes and a charming, gritty voice the opener turns the heat up already. A comparison with bands like Threshold or in some moments even Dream Theater feels justified.
Fateful Finality
Next up are Fateful Finality. And while I have not heard their name before, I seem to be the exception today. Considering that they are a well-known name in the Thrash Metal scene and a regional band from nearby city Stuttgart as well, that seems fair though. They strongly remind me of Kreator and the local crowd definitely celebrates them like the big leagues as well. Having won the 2012 Wacken Metal Battle in Germany, they already had the opportunity to perform on big stages since over a decade ago. And also this year you can find them on the big Summer Breeze stage again.
Nervosa
With Nervosa we are leaving the familiarity of regional bands as the Thrash Metal heavyweights from São Paulo, Brazil enter the stage. I hadn’t seen them live yet since their reformation around frontwoman Prika Amaral in 2023. With a mixture of hesitation and curiosity, I approach the show of one of my favorite bands. Impressed and excited I am left after their fantastic performance though. With Prika taking over the vocals and the style inevitably shifting a bit due to the new constellation, the reinvented sound and performance of “new Nervosa” can definitely consider me a fan still and again.
Incantation
Traveling north, we land in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, hometown of US American Death Metal institution Incantation. With a sound akin to bands like Venom or Cannibal Corpse, the PA seems to be dripping blood. Occasionally they shift to a slower, Doom-y sound almost resembling a darker, more evil version of Candlemass. We asked for a vile Death Metal massacre and we definitely got our fair share.
Dust Bolt
Back to Germany. Back to Thrash. And back to a brightly lit, white stage design. Wait, what? Gotta check that again. Oh, yeah. Where most of the previous bands clad their dark soundscapes in a similarly grim appearance, Dust Bolt present themselves in an almost clinically white stage design, making them stand out for that alone. But make no mistake, that’s not the only thing that makes them memorable. While we are technically still in Thrash Metal, this one is more of a modern twist on the likes of Metallica. With layered vocals and an upbeat, almost catchy energy, their slot is enchanting and ends way too soon.
Decapitated
While I heard the name several times before, I never had the chance to see them live nor did I listen to any of Decapitated’s tunes before. Turns out, that was a mistake. The Polish band absolutely hit my taste, both visually and musically. Describing themselves as Technical Death Metal, I can definitely hear an almost groovy side to them. With fast, progressive rhythms, and extensive, goosebumps-inducing guitar soli they quickly become my Saturday surprise favorite. With singer Rafał Piotrowski‘s voice almost reminding me of another one of my favorite bands, Mushroomhead, I am definitely in heaven right now.
Mantar
And then Mantar happens. I would prefer not to talk about the levels of confusion this band triggered in me. Paralyzing yet – for the people around me – very entertaining confusion. But out of respect for the band and all their fans, let me try to revisit their performance anyway. I didn’t know Mantar before. I had read their name on several billings throughout the years. But never heard nor seen them. When I saw a stage setup consisting of about a billion guitar pedals, a mic stand, and a drumset turned 90 degrees to the side, I thought the stagehands had gone home too early for some reason.
But on stage came singer/guitarist Hanno Klänhardt and drummer Erinç Sakarya. Instead of playing towards the crowd, they faced each other throughout the whole performance. With fog, strobe lights, and some uniquely shaped, rather dim light sources on stage, the entire setup seemed theatrical, innovative, and a little rebellious yet deeply mysterious and intriguing. Similar words can be applied to their soundscape, although one comparison that comes to mind is Combichrist.
Now to revisit my confusion. I have never seen a band like this before. Their level of defiance toward the norm definitely makes them a “you either love them or you hate them” band. I am not sure on which side I am yet, but I think bands falling into that category are the most daring and unique artists in the world. I can only recommend everyone to get a taste of their live show.
Benediction
Final act of the day are British Death Metal legends Benediction. Although they’ve been around for over three decades now, I had never seen them before with their original singer, neither before he left the band (since I was 4 years old back then) nor since he rejoined in 2019. So this was a fantastic opportunity to catch up. Suffice it to say since they’re a renowned name in their genre, they once again proved to be a safe bet and didn’t disappoint at all.
Avralize
As previously mentioned, Sunday has a more homogeneous lineup compared to Saturday. And with one band more it also starts a little bit earlier.
First up on this day are Avralize and while the Sunday lineup makes it extremely hard for me to pick a single favorite band, they are definitely way up there. With a lot of technical, modern elements in their core mixture the relatively young, local band from Rottweil already has an international following under their belt and some big gigs ahead of them, including a booking for this year’s Summer Breeze. A comparison to bands like Bring Me The Horizon or Architects comes to mind. In some moments the stylistic jumps almost remind me of Capture The Crown. Ultimately, they have their debut album already holds a very unique sound. I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing more of them.
Selfish Hate
We stay in the relative proximity of the Black Forrest, with Freiburg’s Selfish Hate. Balancing the fine line between Punk and Hardcore, they get the growing crowd quite agitated early on today. Only downside of their performance is the average song length of considerably less than two minutes. And so while the performance is faceted and entertaining, it is also over faster than I can comprehend.
Crown Magnetar
Finally, we are entering my favorite subgenre of the Metalcore scene. And we are led into the vile, brutal depths of Deathcore by Crown Magnetar from Colorado, USA. Having been around for seven years now, I only heard of them here for the first time. Feels like I missed out though. With a voice akin to Will Ramos or the late Mitch Lucker, Dan Tucker drills into your ears. Accompanied by blasting fast drums and unsettling riffs, this sound shakes the listener to their core.
Aviana
Whenever the origin place Göteborg, Sweden is associated with a band, most Metal fans already drop whatever they’re doing to see what’s happening. While the city could easily be considered the capital of modern Metal, especially (Melodic) Death Metal, Aviana was also founded. Yet with big names come big expectations. And those they didn’t disappoint at all. With everyone but the singer wearing a black mask, the band members create a sense of mystique and intimidation on stage. On top of that, they perform their music with their full body. None of them stand still for a single second and while the singer is relatively still, the instrumentalists seem to be all over the place the entire time. With that level of enjoyment and dedication to their own music, Aviana captivate the crowd immediately. And before we could even so much as blink twice to process what was happening, this extraordinary and versatile Metalcore performance is already over. I will definitely see those folks live again!
Attila
I have to admit, that the name of the band made me think of Powerwolf frontman Attila Dorn at first. Although I was aware that the band has been around for quite some time (almost 20 years to be precise), I had never seen them before. I think the best way of describing them is that they have everything Metalcore needs and has to offer. A mixture of all kinds of iconic elements of the big umbrella genre. With some tunes resembling Deathcore tunes close to the likes of Thy Art Is Murder, others are more catchy and easier to digest, reminding of bands like Parkway Drive. So try that for “bandwidth”. It is very apparent, that Attila have a lot of experience under their belt and had the opportunity to explore several different sides of their sound. Thus making their performance versatile and offering something for everyone.
Ignite
Considering their 30-year-old band history, Ignite should definitely ring a bell. For everyone who isn’t familiar yet with the band from Orange County, California, USA, they make sure, you remember their name. First of all by writing their name on the stage backdrop several times in bold font. But more importantly, they drill themselves into your memory by delivering an amazing performance.
Where previous bands mostly brought a rougher, more modern sound to the table, Ignite perform a softer, almost classical Punk sound. While they officially describe themselves as Melodic Hardcore, a wave of nostalgia regarding late 90s / early 2000s Punk bands goes through the crowd. This makes Ignite stand out in more ways than one today and makes their performance both memorable and emotional.
Born Of Osiris
And we stay in the US with Born of Osiris. Another well-known band in the metalcore scene and one of the earliest djentcore / deathcore influencers. Yet even today they can’t deny their roots in the Progressive Metal scene, with unusual rhythms and unique melodies.
While their sound was exceptional, unfortunately, the stage show was relatively hard to watch or rather hard to see. With constant strobe light and lots of fog and darkness, Born Of Osiris overshot it a bit in regards to the theatrical elements, for my personal taste.
Callejon
Next up is my personal headliner of the entire festival. It’s been years since I saw Callejon live and the moment I heard they’d be part of the lineup, nothing could stop me from being at the festival anymore.
With a disturbing yet colorful stage setup, the band already catches the crowd’s attention before they enter the stage. With a fantastic blend of classics like “Porn From Spain 2” and more recent songs including “Tor des Todes” and “Mary Shelley”, they got something for everyone. Not to mention their iconic cover of Die Ärzte‘s “Schrei nach Liebe” with a strong statement against right-wing politics and neo nazis made the crowd sing along in powerfully unified agreement.
I could’ve easily watched a second set of Callejon without getting tired of the amazing energy on stage and in front of it.
Annisokay
Despite the fact, that Annisokay are a genre heavyweight as well, I seem to have lived under a rock for the last seventeen years. But where I would’ve sacrificed their timeslot minutes ago for another set of Callejon, I would’ve definitely regretted that and am incredibly thankful I got the opportunity to finally see them.
Where other bands worked with elements of mystique by incorporating darkness, costumes, and fog on stage, Annisokay went the other way. With loads of LED screens and a stage setup consisting of more light than any band before this weekend, they ended the festival with a bright blast.
And that blast was musically impressive as well. Heavily infused with electronic elements and a great mix of clean and harsh vocals, Annisokay showed great bandwidth from catchy, almost poppy songs all the way to rough breakdowns. They definitely found a new fan in me.
Successfully dodged Easter again
And with that, another Easter Cross unfortunately already ends. But as every year, the next day is a holiday and therefore the afterparty allows us to slowly let go instead of being thrown into the cold water too soon.
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Visit the official homepages of the Easter Cross Festival.
Photography and Article by Cat Maverick