A better Morning
I am happy to sleep much longer on Sunday, at least I was prepared. I love my eye mask! Quite helpful little piece. The routine is otherwise very much the same as yesterday. Easy going and the first band would open half an hour early than the previous day of the Rock & Metal Day’z .
Nearly too Late
I nearly miss Harzinfarkt entering the stage for this very same reason. Grab the camera, rush out of the tent. Thank the Highest Being making way and space in the first rows – not overcrowded early in the morning. Harzinfarkt play a genre mix between Metal, Deutschrock and Rock ‘n’ Roll with German lyrics of course. They are maybe the most local band of the festival being based just 12 km away at Schwanebeck. The could have come here by bike if they wanted to!
Frightening
We continue with the longest band name: Lower Saxony’s Cockrock Sadistic Petus Pennytration, for a change a funny word game. As you could imagine from the name they play pure Death Metal with lyrics based on Torture and Gore. And they have a man behind the mask on vocals and bass, his name is not Michael Myers but Pennytration. It is frightened enough, even at 1 pm.
The Walking Stick
From Germany’s capitol Berlin we give you Bellgrave. Another so far unknown genre, Death ‘n Thrash Roll. In fact, it sounds like an unholy mixture between Doom and Hard Rock, certainly more on the Doom side though. The vocalist carries the longest walking stick I’ve seen since Gandalf in Lord Of The Ring. Nice set, wakes appetite for more noise.
A Smell of British Steel
Lunchtime barely is over when Ironbite hit the strings. Once again a quite local band from nearby Apolda. For a change cleaner vocals, more 70ies Heavy Metal and Hard Rock orientated than the previous bands. Thirty well used minutes playing time leave a smell of NWOBHM on the stage.
Dirty Thrash
Odium Thrashmetal will blow it away anyway. It’s getting rough baby! They prove, Frankfurt/Main is not only famous for its “Eintracht”, the local soccer club, and “Äppler”, the local type of apple wine, but good and fast Metal. If you think of the Big Four of Thrash Metal bands, you know what to expect, and Odium deliver. Honest and dirty Power Thrash reigns the stage.
Into the Groove
We’re slowing down the speed a bit – really only a little bit, for Bonesetter from Annaburg. They are way more relaxed, let the audience dive into the groove for some passionate hard rock in a fancy modern costume. It is a well composed mix of speed, melodic guitars, clear vocals and rough bass lines underlined with solid, to-the-point drumming.
Keyboards and Costumes
Just after tea time, Kambrium take over. Oh, they are from Lower Saxony, no tea then. To be honest my ‘tea’ had a bit of a hop and malt ‘flavor’. For a change, they are the first – and only – band with a keyboarder. For another change, they wear real stage costumes making the look like some space travelers or fantasy knights. Two vocalists round the picture I have in my head. They are a good deal, the right band at the right time for some Melodic Death Metal of its finest! Kambrium exactly know how to entertain a demanding audience!
A Reincarnation
Let’s welcome the hellhounds from Ruhr area now, Crossplane! One could already say “We are Crossplane and we play Rock and Roll”! From the first chords on you know where they belong, where their roots are buried. The last time I’ve seen, heard and enjoyed such an outstanding performance was in late 2017 in Munich during one of Motörhead’s last shows. Andreas, head of the organizers is more than touched and enters the stage to thank them for their powerful, extraordinary show.
Spanish Metal Train
They have to leave the stage though for some guests for Spain, Crisix who flew in exclusively for this one particular show. Mosh! Mosh! Mosh pit! I’ve rarely seen a vocalist with such an outstanding technical range and delivering such a performance. The whole band goes just wild to the limit. They have a very cool self-understanding. Take things easy, nothing is serious and laugh about yourself. When they are not playing Thrash they make jokes. When they don’t make jokes they play their Thrash. When they play their songs they out of sudden swop instruments, guitarist on drums, vocalist on bass, whatever, I lost track! If they already existed in the 80ies there weren’t the “Big Four” but the “Big Five” in Trash Universe!
And when the Sun Goes Down
When the the sun slowly sets behind the horizon it is time for OHRENFEINDT – Vollgasrock!!! aus St. Pauli. Most efficient pure Rock rules for the next 75 minutes. These guys know what they are doing on stage. Well, over 25 years of playing-live experience explains a lot. The band enjoys the audience. The audience celebrates the band. Together they are party. No wonder they are forced to play an encore and could even play another hour when it is time for the final band and headliner of the festival.
About Some Metal Flowers
You wanted the best, you got the best, the smartest band of the world: The New Roses from Wiesbaden! They are sharing stage with the Hard Rock and Metal dinosaurs KISS on their End of the Road tour, European leg. Nevertheless, they made the time to squeeze in the Rock & Metal Day’z. Indeed, they will have to depart immediately after the show for a drive down to Antwerp, to open for KISS on Monday 7th June.
One Happy Band
The New Roses don’t care about the late night slot, and one hour delay but play their full set. As their vocalist and guitarist says more than once, they are indeed very happy with the festival, the location, the family atmosphere and all the surroundings. All their efforts are worth the while and of course it is for a good cause. This makes it even more worth it. Thank you The New Roses for these warm words, the organizers more than deserve them!
