Saturday

Heavysaurus

Saturday dawns with a slight but noticeable drop in temperature, offering a much-needed reprieve from the punishing heat of the week. The final day of the festival is upon us, promising a lineup of diverse sounds and unforgettable performances.

The day’s first major draw is a sight to behold: the German band Heavysaurus, with their full-body dinosaur costumes. It is a uniquely family-friendly spectacle at a festival known for its intensity. The band delivers a set of fun, heavy metal covers of famous songs, but with alternative, kid-friendly lyrics. The sight of a dinosaur band on stage singing about milk and school is pure joy, and the crowd – a mix of parents and their headbanging children – is completely captivated.

Dominum

The mood takes a turn for the theatrical with Dominum, a band that fully embraces undead, zombie-themed personas. Their costumes are a highlight, both visually stunning and slightly terrifying, a perfect fit for their high-powered metal. The singer’s appearance is particularly captivating; even without a mask, his scarred makeup and eerie contact lenses create an unsettling presence. His stage presence and powerful voice draw everyone in, solidifying their place as one of the most compelling visual and aural experiences of the day.

Annisokay

The German metalcore band Annisokay follows, proving once again why they are a must-see act at every festival. Their performance is luminous in modern metalcore, with every riff and breakdown perfectly executed. The stage is filled with captivating visuals, with their LED backdrop displaying almost hypnotic messages and patterns that complement the music’s emotional and aggressive tone. It is a consistently good show from a band that always delivers.

Stellvris

Next up is Stellvris, a band that radiates a fantastically positive energy from the moment they step on stage. Their black and yellow costumes, contrasting with the singer’s bright red hair, make for a striking visual. The frontwoman’s incredible crowd interaction is the highlight of the set. She excitedly jumps into a circle pit and commands a wall of death, creating an electric connection with the audience. The chemistry on stage is undeniable, and their powerful music, combined with their engaging performance, makes them a definite standout.

Wind Rose

Wind Rose make all the dwarves come out of their mines and away from their furnaces to sing at the stage. They take over the stage, delivering a set of fun, fantasy-themed power metal. The Italian band’s impressive costumes, especially the singer’s elaborate shoulder armor and belt, create a compelling visual world for their music. Their songs, while humorous at times, are backed by a reliably powerful performance that has the crowd shouting along to every chorus.

Fiddler’s Green

A tough schedule overlap meant we unfortunately missed a portion of Fiddlers Green’s set, but we thankfully made it in time to catch the tail end of their legendary party. Despite a last-minute lineup change due to an injury, the band performs flawlessly. Their usual guitarist only takes over second vocals today, while an additional one jumps in for that duty. As always, the Fiddlers lead a wild party both on and off stage, and the crowd responds with a passion and heat that has become synonymous with their live shows.

Vianova

A true hidden gem of the day was Vianova, a rising star from Berlin with a unique and stylish look. Dressed in white with the singer wearing a fur cap, their retro aesthetic is both unique and captivating. The singer is a vocal powerhouse, capable of an insanely broad stylistic range with high precision and quality. But the same goes for the entire band’s musical landscape. One moment, they deliver the harshest deathcore, the next, they perform over groovy, danceable beats. Their genre-bending sound is a testament to their talent and is a band worth keeping an eye on.

Tarja feat. Marko Hietala

From the smallest stage back to the biggest, we make our way to the legendary Tarja and her magnificent and powerful voice. The stage is eventually shared with fellow Finnish icon Marko Hietala. The two have a playful and experimental nature, their voices blending seamlessly in a perfect collaboration. It is impressive to hear Tarja’s vocal range, as a few times I think, “Oh, I hear Marko now,” only to realize it is her. The set includes a few fan favorites from their shared time with Nightwish, such as “Wish I Had an Angel” and “Phantom of the Opera”, as well as tracks from their joint solo ventures. Only downside worth mentioning could be that only after thirty of the sixty minutes of the show are over, we see Marko for the first time join the performance. Considering the way the show was announced, at this point, you can clearly spot his fans by their disappointed expression.

Beast in Black

As the first headliner of the day, we have Beast in Black with a powerful, high-energy performance. Their music, defined by super-high vocals and soaring, “singing” guitar melodies, has a unique blend of heavy metal and 80s synth-pop. This distinct sound has propelled them to a headlining slot in just a few short years, a testament to their massive appeal and consistently great live shows. Their performance is a wall of sound and energy that has the entire crowd in a frenzy.

Machine Head

The final headliner of the festival are the one and only Machine Head. This is a particularly special moment, as it was their first time back at Summer Breeze since their headliner show here in 2014. For many, including myself, it is a moment of pure nostalgia. A full-circle experience. The infield is absolutely packed for their set, a clear sign of their well-deserved status as one of the biggest bands in the metal scene. They deliver an uncompromisingly brutal performance, showing exactly why they are the festival headliner.

End of the festival

The festival’s final hours are filled with a diverse lineup of post-headliner acts for the most die-hard fans. Be it the pagan black metal of Primordial or the high-speed party with Kissin’ Dynamite. Gaerea deliver a mesmerizing set of atmospheric black metal, and Die Apokalyptischen Reiter bring their celebratory brand of folk-infused metal. The festival finally concludes with the cyber-metal assault of Cypecore, a fittingly futuristic and brutal end to an incredible weekend.