RockHard Festival

 
- RockHard 2004
 
- May 2004 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2006
 
- May 2006 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2007
 
- May 2007 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2008
 
- May 2008 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2009
 
- May 2009 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2010
 
- May 2010 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2011
 
- June 2011 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2012
 
- May 2012 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -


 
- RockHard 2013
 
- May 2013 -
 
Gelsenkirchen (D) -

Rock Hard Festival 2013 
May 17th-19th 2013 - Gelsenkirchen (D), Amphitheater


Denial Of God, Audrey Horne, Ashes Of Ares, U.D.O.


Horisont, Mustasch, Desaster, Naglfar, Ensiferum, D.A.D., Queensrÿche


Orchid, Tank, Threshold, Sepultura, King Diamond





 

  


  












































































































































  
  






This year the weather wasn't as nice as most of the times when Rock Hard festival took place, it was too cold for this time of the year. Most of the days it was cloudy, but we got a bit sunshine as well.



Unfortunately my colleague Lars couldn't make it and I had a sick foster cat which made me miss the first band or two every festival day. But well...







Friday, May 17th 2013





After picking up my photo pass I made it in time to the stage to line in with the other photographers for the next band. On my schedule it was still Nachtmystium, but Götz Kühnemund explained that they disbanded a few days ago and that they were happy to get a suitable substitute from Denmark... Denial Of God! To be honest I welcomed this change, coz Denial Of God is one of the few bands of the black metal genre I like, even if I'm not too familiar with their songs. The Danish opened up with Funeral, one of the 6 songs they played. With their atmospheric black metal they caught the attention of a larger audience than Nachtmystium would have. Ustumallagam and his mates offered black metal with tempi changes, clean vocal parts and shrieks. The stage acting showed that Denial Of God isn't frequently playing live, and so it was a nice to see them on stage as it was something special. They presented songs like Behind The Coffin's Lid, Robbing The Grave Of The Priest and Black Dethe live.





When Norwegian rockers Audrey Horne returned to Rock Hard festival more rock and metal fans were waiting for them to enter the stage. In 2009 they were an insider's tip, but soon they became bigger. They kicked off with Redemption Blues, the opener of their 4th studio album which is called Youngblood and was released earlier this year. It seemed that everybody in front of the stage knew every single line of their songs and so Audrey Horne were the first highlight of the festival. No matter what song they offered, the crowd welcomed it. Yougblood was followed by some tunes of the same named album before they traveled back in time with Threshold and Blaze Of Ashes. Later Toschie talked to the fans: "In this band we have a tradition, we take a photo of you guys! Hands in the air!" and after taking photos he continued "We are a rock'n'roll band, we are touring. That's like a pirate's life... We steal, murder, reap... All things have to come to an end. This Ends Here!" Then it was time for them to say good-bye and they closed their set with Straight Into Your Graves.





It seems that ex-Iced Earth singer Matt Barlow is missing the stage too much, but as he won't be on tour most of the year - like Iced Earth do -, he decided to start his own band. He hooked up with Freddie Vidales (ex-Iced Earth) and former Nevermore drummer Van Williams. Vidales is playing guitars on stage while in the studio he also plays bass. On stage Dean Sternberg (Pure Sweet Hell, ex-Into Eternity) is playing bass and the second guitar is played by Gio Geraca (Malevolent Creation). The band was signed by Nuclear Blast and their album should be out late summer, so nobody knew their songs which isn't helping at all when you have to convince an audience. Anyway, as expected the music was a mix of Iced Earth and Nevermore, but more complex and without Schaffer's signature riffing. Unfortunately the band had to battle technical problems, so Matt Barlow wasn't heard during the opening track The Messenger. It would have been smart to add an Iced Earth tune early in the set, but Ashes Of Ares didn't played one. It was their first show ever, so you can't expect them to click like clockwork and so Matt talked a lot between the songs. After Punishment Matt stated "I know this is all new to you, guys. Can you do me a favor?" he asked and waited for the crowds reaction before he continued "I want to tell you about a friend, he is 7 yrs old and he has a tumor in his brain. Can you give him a salute?" He asked the fans to shout the boys name, guess the boy got a recording of the show, coz Matt thanked the audience and said "You made him a rock star!" Not everybody liked the pathos the Americans showed... More technical problems and a lost bass string didn't help and so many were disappointed by Ashes Of Ares. I think it would have been wise to play one or two Iced Earth tunes and to have at least one song released as a single prior to the world premier - and to play a club show as a kind of rehearsal. They closed this set with What I Am and One-Eyed King. Now it's all wait and see, if the debut album can give a better impression. But if you have too high expectations than the chances to get disappointed are high, too.





Friday night's headliner is a legend, it's Udo Dirkschneider with his band U.D.O.! No surprises when U.D.O. is playing. Udo has two new members in the band, guitarists Andrey Smirnov and Kasperi Heikkinen, and they got the chance to show their talent with solos. Fresh blood is always good to give a long time running band some new energy. The quintet opened up with Steelhammer and Rev Raptor, both title tracks of their latest albums. Traveling back in time with They Want War showed that the old ones have a little more to offer. Luckily they also played Animalhouse and Mean Machine, songs from the 80's. While Matt Barlow decided not to add some Iced Earth tracks to the set, U.D.O. had some Accept tunes on the set list - and with Screaming For A Love Bit they had a little surprise for the metal fans. Mr. Dirkschneider put together a kind of best-of set and animated the crowd to sing along. Like everybody else Udo Dirkschneider is getting older and so his stage acting is a bit more static than years ago, but he still knows how to nail a tune. Especially the old tunes were welcome and they finished their set with Metal Heart, Balls To The Wall and Fast As A Shark! And that's what the fans were waiting for!



After sunset it got quite cold, but U.D.O. invited the crowd to party and so the attending forgot about the cold. Even little rain during the set couldn't cool down the atmosphere. Time for me to go home while others were continue to party.







Saturday, May 18th 2013





As expected I arrived at the end of the Horisont set and only got a glimpse of them from the distance. The guys offered some 70's rock with a dash of prog. During the last song Second Assault singer Axel Söderberg seemed to miss some notes, but as I don't know their songs, I can't tell much about the few minutes I saw them on stage. Just that the band left the audience with mixed feelings.





Next in line were Swedish rockers Mustasch. They kicked off with Black City. During the 2nd song, Mine, singer and guitarist Ralf Gyllenhammar brought a photographer from the pit onto stage and it seems he loves to be photographed... "I want photos of me! Photographers don't leave! Come on stage and take photos!" The security wasn't too happy with it. Obviously the foursome had a lot of fun on stage and so they delivered songs like I Don't Hate You, Down In Black, Tritonus / Heresy Blasphemy and Bring Me Everyone - it was fun to watch them play. Ralf Gyllenhammar spoken German with the crowd and with his cool acting he won the favor of the metal heads. During Tritonus / Heresy Blasphemy Mr. Mustasch jumped into the pit to make contact with the ones in first row. Mustasch made a lot new friends today. When they walked off stage Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You came out of the speakers, not everyone loves this song, but it was the message Mustasch want to give.





Time for some blackened thrash, time for Desaster! The guys celebrate their 25th anniversary this year and so the setlist was offering songs from their debut til now - Devil's Sword, Phantom Funeral, Teutonic Steel, Satan's Soldiers Syndicate among them. As a tribute to Jeff Hanneman who passed away on May 2nd they added Black Magic to their set. The guys also had to fight sound problems, but they didn't care and while they were on stage the sun came out for a few moments.





It was still sunny when Swedish black metal outfit Naglfar entered the stage. The metal fans gave them a warm welcome, coz many waited for a long time to see them - they played RHF in 2004. In 2007 Naglfar was scheduled for RHF, but they couldn't make it due to an airline strike.


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The melodic black metal outfit presented songs from their 1995 released debut Vittra to their latest release Téras (2012) - only Diabolical wasn't represented with a song. Singer Kristoffer Olivius' glare and his facial expression was frightening, but would have been even more frightening in a club than in a sunshine-bathed amphitheater. Naglfar delivered and showed once more that they are underrated.





Another band from the North should enter the stage, this time it's the Finnish Viking metal band Ensiferum. Mainman Petri Lindros and his mates came out in their leather outfit and started their show with In My Sword I Trust. It party time with Viking hymns! Fans swayed with a beer in one hand or started a circle pit, depending on the music. Bassist Sami Hinkka added some slapping which also make Ensiferum differ, but mainly shows the talent of Sami and his interest in other genres where slapping is more popular. From Afar was one of the highlights for the fans, but it was a solid set. Petri Lindroos didn't speak much... "From Afar album and this is not right today as the sun is shining... Stone Cold Metal!" Another song the fans were waiting for and bassist Sami got into the pit to get closer to the fans. After Twilight Tavern Lindroos spoke again. "One more song. Thanks to the sun for warming up!" and they headed into Iron.





Day 2 and another band from Denmark - D.A.D.! Yesterday Denial Of God, today D.A.D. and on day 3 King Diamond should close the event. Guess, there never been more Danish bands at a Rock Hard festival....



Danish rockers D.A.D. are known for their happy hard rock and they kicked off with Isn't That Wild. And it should be a wild show, coz D.A.D. had promised to bring the full show! Bassist Stig Pedersen celebrated his birthday in a big way, who else has about 7,000 guests? Singer Jesper Binzer picked songs from their early days and added some new ones. While Jesper Binzer, his brother Jacob and drummer Laust Sonne seemed to live in the 21st century, Stig Pederson seem to stuck in the 80's - and so he brought his rocket bass and the pyro-spiced helmet. Drummer Laust's kit was moved up front and was tilted in an 90° angle while most of the time was placed below the big glowing bulls head. Stig Pedersen sang the opening part of Riding With Sue, but then Jesper took over. It was no surprise that Jesper spoke German, but it wasn't his accent, it was what he said which made the crowd laugh. The Danish closed their set with their hymn Sleeping My Day Away, like in 2009 they played an extended version with jam parts and so it became a 10+ minute long tune.



Fans wanted more, but they ran out of time. The hard rockers can be satisfied, coz beside technical problems (Jacob's guitar was partly inaudible) the only criticism was that the set was too short. Well done.





After a change over it was time for the headliners, it was time for Queensr&yunl;che to close the second day. If a band like Queensryche is presenting a new vocalist, many have doubts. A friend of mine from the States had already saw them with Todd La Torre and wrote about the show, so I was looking forward to see the 'new' Queensr&yunl;che.



Opening up with their classic Queen Of The Reich they took the audience by storm. Flashing lights made it difficult to get a good look at La Torre, but he sounded a lot like Geoff Tate. I guess it's the only way it works, coz Queensr&yunl;che have such a unique sound which includes the vocals that only a vocalist who sounds a lit like Mr. Tate can deliver. After Speak it was time for Walk In The Shadows, actually they played a lot old material, especially from The Warning, and the fans were happy to hear the Seattleites travel back in time. And so it was good news that they recorded the show for a DVD! At En Force La Torre was a bit unstable, but it was the only time I noticed it. The rest of the guys was playing like clockwork which is no surprise as drummer Scott Rockenfield, bassist Eddie Jackson and guitarist Michael Wilton play together for more then 3 decades, even playing together prior to the founding of Queensr&yunl;che! Guitarist Parker Lundgren joined the band in 2009 and played a lot of shows with them. Redemption was one of the songs of the upcoming self-titled album, but was already known from the net while Fallout was played live for the very first time. More classics should follow, but with such a back catalogue there are always songs missing. The regular set was closed with Eyes Of A Stranger, but they returned for two more songs - Take Hold Of The Flame and Empire.



Personally I loved to hear so many tracks of The Warning as I saw them live for the first time in 1984 when they were promoting The Warning as a support of Dio. But I also hoped for more songs off Empire... A new album, the first with La Torre, will be out soon and a tour should follow. Queensr&yunl;che is still alive'n kicking!







Sunday, May 19th 2013





Attic and Gospel Of The Horns I missed completely and when I arrived the photographers were leaving in the pit, it was the end of the 3rd song from Orden Ogan - The Lords Of The Flies. Seeb Levermann and his band played Rock Hard festival in 2010, but only Tobi and Seeb are still in the band. They choose to play a lot new tunes off To The End and spiced up the set with some classics. I heard that they kicked off with We Are Pirates... A decent show and a wake-up call for power metal fans.





Orchid from California took the audience back to the 70's with their doomy rock. The opener was the title track of their latest album The Mouths Of Madness. For the doomsters it was the first time to play such a big crowd and to play in front of a metal audience and so they were a bit nervous. The sun was shining for the Californians and the audience was in a good mood. Orchid mixed songs off their debut Capricorn with songs of their 2013 release. Even if Orchid were nobodies to most of the attendees they made a good impression with their Black Sabbath-ish sound.





Now it was time for an 80's NWoBHM legend, it was time for Tank. Unfortunately Tank is now Algy Ward's Tank and Mick Tucker / Cliff Evans' Tank. I saw Tank in 1983 for the first time (opening for Metallica) and even if I knew about the two Tanks, I was looking forward. Tucker / Evans did hire ZP Theart (ex-DragonForce) who give Tank a different sound / stage appearance. Songs like Honour And Blood or This Means War didn't sound right to me. Sure, Tank delivered a decent set, but ZP's performance is too polished compared to original singer Algy Ward. Another thing which was annoying me is that ZP is always splashing water at the audience - and it wasn't a hot day! And as a photographer I hate it any day. At their albums War Nation and War Machine Doogie White was singing and even if he isn't Algy Ward, it worked - and made them sound more like a hard rock band than a NWoBHM outfit. They mixed old and new songs, but even the classics can't hook up the majority.





With Threshold a progressive metal band made it onto the billing, usually prog metal bands have a tough time at festivals which aren't offering a lot prog. Threshold is a different story, coz the songs are complex, melodic and catchy. For Threshold it was the 3rd time at Rock Hard festival, in 2003 they were the band who had suffered from the storm and in 2005 they had perfect weather, but this was their first time with Damian Wilson. Wilson was the original singer, but outside the prog metal genre Threshold made themselves known with Andrew 'Mac' McDermott who passed away in 2011.



Karl Groom & co. kicked off with Mission Profile. Compared to the club show about 2 years ago Damian Wilson did a lot better, his vocal performance was impeccable as always, but his acting wasn't as strong as this time. Whatever, the sextet picked Don't Look Down, Ashes, The Rubicon, Light And Space before they closed with Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams and Slipstream. Not everybody enjoyed their set, and an opus like Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams won't please everybody, but for me Pilots and Slipstream were the highlights.





The surprise act wasn't a surprise, coz Rock Hard had to put them on the billing before the festival. All politics. And so everybody knew that Sepultura will play that spot. If somebody didn't the intro gave it away, coz they used the intro of Arise for entering the stage. With Troops Of Doom they stormed off. Another classic followed with Refuse/Resist before they offered the title track of Kairos. Within the first tracks the security got a lot to do, it was crowd surfing time! Sepultura also got the biggest circle pits of the weekend. Derrick Green was in a splendid mood and partly joined Eloy Casagrande doing some tribal drumming. A few newer tracks cooled down the crowd a little before Biotech Is Godzilla and the Titãs cover Polícia made the crowd go wild. Bassist Paulo Jr. was obviously enjoyed playing, he was smiling all the time while Andreas Kisser was handling guitar duties and wild head banging. With Territory and Arise they came to an end, but no Sepultura show without Ratamahatta and Roots Bloody Roots!





The change over seemed to take forever, everybody was waiting for the master of horror metal, waiting for King Diamond to begin. The black curtain blocking the view at the stage raised expectations. It came down when the intro of Fatal Portrait was played, the band and their master King Diamond entered the stage. A huge fence was at the edge of the stage, behind it the a scenery of an old mansion with massive staircases. The Candle, Welcome Home and At The Graves were opened up an extra-ordinary show. No surprise he brought grandma in her wheel chair for Welcome Home, but that was just one element of the show. At Voodoo Lula, the dancer came on stage. Next in line was the instrumental Let It Be Done, time to dismount the fence. Afterwards King Diamond was in a chatty mood, he thanked everybody for welcoming him and the band. Drummer Matt Thompson got time for a solo after Sleepless Nights. With Come To The Sabbath and Evil he had two Mercyful Fate tunes on the setlist, especially Evil was welcomed by the fans as he rarely plays it live. Personally I always preferred Mercyful Fate, like many others, and so would have welcomes more MF tunes...



The band delivered an impeccable performance, especially guitarists Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead, but bassist Hal Patino didn't give reason to complain. With Eye Of The Witch the regular set was closed, but they returned 3 times! The last encore was Black Horsemen and that's it. Rock Hard festival 2013 ended with an excellent show. King Diamond isn't playing frequently live and so it was really a highlight. Even if the Mercyful Fate / King Diamond tour will always be an unique experience. But one can dream of another Mercyful Fate / King Diamond event, not necessarily at the same day.





Resume: Once again Rock Hard organized a great festival with bands of different genres. Some played for the first time at RHF, others returned for the 2nd or 3rd time. It was a bit too cold, but at least almost no rain - weather is something the best organizers can't change. The security did a fantastic job - as usual. It was a big party and I bet that at least 95% of the attendees will return in 2014! See you in Gelsenkichen!

  
  







Claudia Ehrhardt



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RockHard Festival 
May 25th-27th 2012 - Gelsenkirchen (D), Amphitheater


Deathfist, Jex Thoth, RAM, Krisiun, Kvelertak, Turbonegro

Dr. Living Death, Motorjesus, Portrait, Hell, 
Unleashed, Tankard, Psychotic Waltz, Bolt Thrower

Alpha Tiger, 77, High Spirits, Graveyard, Girlschool,
Magnum, Unisonic, W.A.S.P.




 

  


  









































































































































































































































































































  
  

When RockHard planned a festival in 2003 it should be a one-off event to celebrate their anniversary. They continued only because the fans wanted them to continue. Now it's the 10th time that RockHard festival takes place and it's still located at the beautiful amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen. And so at Friday afternoon many metal fans had already gathered to see Deathfist to kick off the festival.





Friday, May 25th 2012




Deathfist

It's almost a tradition by now that RockHard festival is opened up by a thrash metal band. Opening acts the past years have been Witchburner, Ketzer and Contradiction, this year the first band on Friday was Deathfist from Solingen / Wuppertal. They were chosen to open up the 10th installment of RockHard festival. Götz Kühnemund announced the band as one of the best German thrash metal bands these days. The youngsters kicked off with Too Hot To Burn! And the title fit well, coz it was hot and sunny. Front girl Corinna Becker and her mates offered some old school thrash á la Exodus, Destruction, Kreator and last but not least Slayer. And with their song Slay Her they honored the Americans. Thrash fans got everything they are longing for and especially singer Corinna did a great job. With songs like Demons, Hell Is Here, World Of Darkness and Booze Brigade they fired a broadside into the arena which was already crowded and so many raised their fist to show their support. Okay, their performance wasn't perfect, but they did a great job getting things started. Last but not least they played a cover version, Fallen Saint by Exumer was covered - and welcome by thrash metal fans.

(CB)



My bus was late, picking up my photo pass took a little while and so I missed the opening words and missed the first songs of Deathfist. But as I knew that Carsten was already inside watching, it only meant that there are no photos of Deathfist. Sorry.

I confess that I'm not familiar with Deathfist, but after a few minutes I knew I should check them out. Singer Corinna Becker announced "Enough with ballads! Hell Is Here!" But they also had a brand-new song on their setlist, something right from the rehearsal room.... Splendour Of Death, but I'm not sure, if I got the title right... Anyway, the quartet did a good job and they obviously enjoyed being on stage.

(CE)



Jex Thoth



The American band Jex Thoth is dividing the metal fans, coz psychedelic doom rock isn't everybody's darling. And more than a few were wondering why they played, but some really enjoyed their heavy sound. I'm among the first, I don't get their slow 70's sound which is spiced up with prog elements. The sound was muddy and so it was difficult to get into the bands compositions. Front lady Jex delivered theatrical performance and obviously was completely absorbed by the music. Fans of The Devils Blood and Ghost will dig the Americans, but I think their sound is made for smoke filled clubs, not for a bright sunny festival stage!

(CB)



Singer Jex and Jex Thoth were next in line and for many it was time for a refreshment, coz the doomy, 70's psychedelic rock wasn't welcome by everybody. The theatric performance of Jex and the band's sound is made for small club and smoke-filled bars. Some songs are a bit bulky and the muddy sound didn't help at all. Jex Thoth have a full-length album and 2 EPs out, the last released was the 2010 EP Witness. The quintet focused on their self-titled full-length debut which was released in 2008. Sometimes Jex moves on stage seemed to be in slow motion - which fit the music -, but to be honest it wasn't very entertaining. Sure, the mystic appearance of Jex and her mates is perfect for their sound, but seems to be misplaced at a sunny festival day. Anyway, fans of The Devils Blood and similar bands should give them another chance, try to catch them at a club show - and I guess, it's a totally different experience!

(CE)



RAM



Swedish band RAM brought back traditional metal and meanwhile more metal heads had arrived. RAM kicked off with Defiant which made the fans bang their heads and raise their fists. The Swedish enjoyed playing and their enthusiasm infected the fans in front of the stage and so they joint in shouting In Victory. It was party time! The guys delivered a good show and so nobody cared about technical problems. Songs like Flame Of The Tyrants, Forced Entry, Machine Invaders and the closer Infuriator were too good to care about technical problems! RAM got celebrated by young and old metal fans, it's great to see a young band presenting traditional heavy metal authentically.
(CB)



Time for some traditional heavy metal, time for Swedish outfit RAM. Oscar Carlquist and his mates kicked off with Flame Of The Tyrants a track off their latest release Death. After Awakening The Chimaera Carlquist stated: "Germany, we are honored to play for you! This song is from our previous album Lightbringer!" And they headed into In Victory. The fivesome had a lot of fun on stage and the fans enjoyed the 45 min. of traditional heavy metal. A firework of RAM songs was fired at the auditorium. By the time RAM rocked the stage more metal fans had arrived and the sound of the Swedish youngsters united the fans - young and old. RAM is authentic and you believe that they love what they do - and that's why their fans love them. Sure, the show wasn't perfect - due to technical problems -, but hell, it's live! Well done!

(CE)



Krisiun



For the fans of technical, brutal death metal the next band was just what they were longing for, next on stage was Brazilian power trio Krisiun! The threesome presented themselves very likeable and everybody believed singer / bassist Alex Camargo when he thanked the fans and stated that they are honored to play for their fans. Every time he tried to cheer up the fans and asked them to make some noise, the fans loudly answered his request. Krisiun choose 2 songs of their current album The Great Execution which also showed them more groove-based, not just high speed attacks - without loosing intensity. Actually the new tracks offer some variety which is doing their shows good. Beside the new tracks they had a best-off set prepared for RockHard Festival - and I bet no fan was disappointed by their set. To give you an idea about their set... Combostino Inferno, Vicious Wrath, Slain Fate, Bloodcraft and off their second album Apocalyptic Revelation they choose Vengeance's Revelation and Kings Of Killing closed this chapter. As usual Krisiun were going full force and they can stand their ground again every brutal death metal act... And might thrash them! Only their stage acting was a bit... Well, as a trio you don't have many chances to put on a show, so they only propeller-like head banging... But well, you can't have it all. I won't complain, coz Krisiun is one of the few bands I get well entertained, even without stage acting. Great show!

(CB)



It's been years since I saw Krisiun the last time, not that they haven't been around, it's just not my cup of tea. I know that they are delivering and lately their sound varies a bit, but still.... As I knew that Carsten won't miss a second of their set, I left for a coffee.

(CE)



Kvelertak



The Norwegian band Kvelertak is known for their live shows, that they set the stage on fire - and with their energetic live performance they gave some headliners a tough time. And they showed their live power at the RockHard Festival stage, too. No static performance, the three guitarists and the singer used every inch of the stage and were always in action. It was pure fun to watch the Nordic band on stage! And in front of the stage was a lot of action / chaos, too. The fans went crazy and the friendly and cool-headed security was busy taking care of all the crowd surfers, no easy money for the security guys inside the photo pit. At the semicircle the fans were headbanging, raised their fists and sang along the Norwegian lyrics! It was a lot fun and even if I have to admit that I'm no fan of Kvelertak's music, they were doing great as co-headliners. It's quite amazing when you consider that they have only one full-length album out and their mix of black metal, thrash, raw'n'roll is perfect for the stage. And so it was no surprise that they played every track of the album - and presented a new track called Spring. What a party! Great live act!

(CB)



Norwegian Kvelertak was founded back in 2007, their self-titled debut was released in 2010 and is so far their only full-length. So one might wonder why they are co-headlining, but right from the start it was obvious that the Norwegian punk'n'rollers had infected the masses with their sound. It was amazing to see how many people were singing along the Norwegian lyrics! The guys on stage were always in action and singer Erlend Hjelvik took a stage dive while we photographers were still in the pit! And it seems that this was a signal for the fans to do some crowd surfing as stage diving was no option. The band played every track of their album and surprised their followers with a new track. But due to the fact that the band has only one album they have a limited amount of songs to play and so they left the stage before their time was up. The fans would surely loved to hear more, some might have been disappointed that they cut the set, but the majority enjoyed the show and I guess we will soon hear / see more of Kvelertak!

(CE)





Turbonegro



When the Norwegian death punks Turbonegro kicked off everybody was checking out the new singer Tony Sylvester who took over from legendary fronter Hank von Helvete. The former leader of London's Turbojugend couldn't convince everybody right from the start, but he did very well. His smokey voice fit well to Turbonegro's mix of punk and rock - and hymnic sounds. they delivered a very professional and ambitious show and so could infect everybody at the amphitheater which was packed. The atmosphere was great, but not as great as when Kvelertak rocked the stage. Perhaps Turbonegro lost a bit of their cult status lately... They played a lot new songs like Shake Your Shite Maschine, Mister, Sister and You Give Me Worms off their soon to be released album. But they didn't forgot to play their hits, the songs which made them famous like All My Friends Are Dead, Denim Demon and during the encore Prince Of Rodeo as well as their party hit I Got Erection. I think most loved their show, personally I think it was okay... good. It's not about the new singer, it's just that in the past it was more party-like... And so the first day ended - at least on stage. At the party tent the metal fans could party til the wee hours!

(CB)



Time for the last band of the day, time for Turbonegro! The Norwegian band has many fans among the RockHard crew and so it surely was a highlight for Götz & co to have them at their 10th anniversary. Not everybody's darling, but they entertained the attending with songs like Age Of Pamparius and I Got Erection. Perhaps the fans need time to get used to their new singer... Tony Sylvester replaced Hank von Helvete, but I'm not that familiar with Turbonegro to compare them, even if I saw them on stage before, but it's been years. Tony Sylvester and his mates delivered a death punk party which moved the people in front of the stage as well as in the semicircle. The ones who didn't get infected probably were on their way home or entered the party tent and had a head start.

(CE)



Saturday, May 26th 2012





Dr. Living Death



The weather on Friday way quite good, but Saturday was even better with more sunshine - and so the chance to get sun burnt was pretty high and there were a lot red faces / arms to see. Including me! Early that day the Swedish Dr. Living Death entered the stage and more than just a few metal heads gathered in front of the stage for a real wake-up call. Impossible not to get infected by their straight-in-your-face crossover with an 80's touch. Their mix of early Suicidal Tendencies, Anthrax and Gang Green spiced with a dash of D.R.I. caused the first circle pit of the day! Good stage acting by the masked men! Fun show, hope they'll make it!

(CB)





Motorjesus



Via internet voting Motorjesus made it onto the festival and so the crowd was pretty big for early afternoon. More than usual at that time of the day - perhaps it was due to the fact that Bolt Thrower merchandise was finally on sale... The early birds got an entertaining sound check where singer Chris Brix sang David Hasselhoff's Looking For Freedom. He showed his kind of humor several times during the set and even had a plastic bag (from discounter Aldi) filled with beet and a bottle of Jägermeister for the fans. But did Motorjesus need to bribe anybody? I don't think so! They can convince with their dirty, groovy rock - peppered up with a bit classic rock. They had the crowd singing along in no time, even if lyrically they are focused on manly themes (songs like: Motor Discipline, Fuel The Warmaschine, King Of The Dead End Road), the girls enjoyed them as much - even if they were less metal than most other bands this weekend. Anyway, this show was a great success for the German rockers.

(CB)



When I arrived Motorjesus were already on stage and a big crowd had gathered in front of it. It was obviously party time! Their dirty rock had a catchy edge and their fans enjoyed every second, but I bet they made a lot new friends this time. Singer Chris Brix stated that usually he was in front of the stage, too. And that they had a blast of a time playing Rock Hard Festival. Songs like Motor Discipline is about big cars. "This song is about karate... It's about the guys who influenced me when I was a kid... it's about Bud Spencer, Terence Hill, Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, it's Fist Of The Dragon!"  Then he grabbed a plastic bag and handed some beer cans to the fans front row. Bribing the fans. ;) And I think it won't be the last time we see Motorjesus playing RockHard Festival...

(CE)





Portrait



The young Swedish band Portrait weren't able to keep the party atmosphere, unfortunately. I was a bit surprised, coz I thought that Portrait's mix of traditional heavy metal which reminds me a lot of Mercyful Fate / King Diamond would be right up the alley of the RockHard festival audience. Especially as the originals don't make it to Gelsenkirchen... With original singer Per Karlsson the band gave their best to entertain the crowd - and even if he was out of tune here and there, the did a good job. His mates were a little stiff, they have to work on their stage acting to make the show more entertaining. Additionally the band decided to play only songs from their last album Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae which disappointed their die-hard fans. Anyway, the people close to the stage enjoyed it and on could see a lot of head banging. A decent show, but not what one expected from the Swedish.

(CB)



Portrait seem to divide the fans, some love their Mercyful Fate-influenced heavy metal, others can't stand the vocals of Portrait. The Swedish had a tough time going on stage after Motorjesus. And it didn't help at all that the stage acting was stiff to non-existing. Musically the Swedish did good, but singer Per Karlsson looked pale compared to Motorjesus fronter Chris Brix... But they were happy to play... "It's the first time for Portrait at RockHard Festival! Thanks for having us!" Mr. Karlsson stated before they headed into Bloodbath and Darkness Forever. They focused on their latest album which was a bit disappointing and so they closed with The Nightcomers. Hopefully next time they play some older tunes... After touring with Evile earlier I expected a stronger performance... Perhaps next time...

(CE)





Hell



The audience was divided when it came to Hell. The oldsters were celebrated by a part of the audience for their great songs and theatric show while the others thought that it was an embarrassing show - I'm among the later. But let's talk about the positive things first! The guys play perfectly together, clockwork like as you can expect from seasoned musicians. Singer / actor David Bower has a multifaceted voice and surely knows how to use it best. A lot of youngsters could take a leaf out of his book! Even if their music isn't my cup of tea, the songs are catchy. So far so good, the majority was wrapped around the little finger - so to speak - of Hell. The semicircle was crowded, coz everybody knew that Hell isn't just a concert, it's a real show. And now let's talk about what was negative according to my book... The stage acting seemed to be choreographed and so it was a bit static. And to me it's essential that you can feel spontaneity. Singer David is doing a great job, but his appearance was too theatric and with all the pathos they made Manowar look pale. It was embarrassing. Their outfits looked like the leftovers of some black metal fancy-dress ball - okay, not really important, but it looked funny... in a wrong way. Last but not least, Hell delivered a really entertaining show - no matter if you love or hate them!

(CB)



Hell's show was anticipated by many metal heads, even if most will only be familiar with the album Human Remains. Only some older metal fans who are well-informed about the early 80's metal scene will know their demos and singles. The driving force behind Hell these days is producer Andy Sneap who brought back the band and joined them on guitar. Singer David Bower aka David Beckford is an actor who appeared in British TV sequels, but now is fronting Hell. After the Overture (Themes From 'Deathsquad') they entered the stage for Let Battle Commence. The guys were dressed like some symphonic metal bands do with dresses inspired by old times, additionally they had some kind of corpse paint - and they had it back in the early 80's! - and singer David Bower (who used a head mic) wore a crown of thorns and blood red contacts. Unfortunately the light show couldn't shine in bright daylight... At the beginning the theatric show of Mr. David Bower looked a bit awkward, but actually it fits well to their music, it's just something metal fans aren't used to. ;) This is metal theater! They brought Human Remains to life. And as expected they delivered a perfect show! And so David Bower used his acting skills, he walked the stage as a monk for Plague And Fyre and flagellated himself for Blasphemy And The Master.

I think the show would have been more impressing in the dark... And some who didn't like the theatric show, should give the CD a try - perhaps they can hook you up...

(CE)





Unleashed



Swedish death metal veterans Unleashed were next in line and so you got a band which musically and visually was down-to-Earth. Seems that they draw even more people, coz the amphi theater seemed to be even more crowded. Now it was time for purity, just four guys who were going full force and bang their heads. They kicked off with This Is Our World Now followed by Fimbulwinter off their new album Odalheim - they were unleashed! Time for some shout-along! Time to join in at Victims Of War and the furious Wir kapitulieren niemals. More neckbreakers should follow, like Long Live The Beast which today was changed to Long Live Rock Hard, Hammer Battalion, The Immortals - which was dedicated to Bolt Thrower - and In The Name Of God! No matter what songs Unleashed played, the fans celebrated them all - and it was a busy time for the security in the pit. With Destruction (Of The Race Of Man) the end was near and they closed this chapter with Death Metal Victory! If you would asked the fans then they would stated the show was too short, but at the end everybody was happy with this death metal broadside. It's always a great pleasure to see Unleashed!

(CB)



Johnny Hedlund and his Unleashed mates started in 1989 and were one - if not the first band - who used Viking and Nordic mythology in their lyrics, but it took them awhile to reach a certain quality level. After being on hold for a few years they returned in 2002 with Hell's Unleashed. Now they came to Gelsenkirchen to put the place to ashes with their uncompromising death metal. The Swedish quartet fired songs like Hammer Battalion and Victims Of War at the crowd who appreciated their attitude, they are rooted to the soil. No-frills death metal is their métier. No gimmicks, just four guys on stage, a lot of smoke and head banging - that's all you get and all their fans want. And so there was a lot of action in front of the stage. In two words: simply awesome.

(CE)





Tankard



Not just RockHard Festival has an anniversary to celebrate, also Frankfurt's alcoholic thrashers Tankard had something to celebrate, they celebrated their 30th anniversary! Perfect match! It's no secret that Gerre is a friend of RockHard magazine, coz at every Rock Guerillia TV DVD he and Bobby host the show. Tankard prepared a best-of to celebrate their 30th anniversary, the guys like their drinks and so do their fans - it was party time! Fist were raised, headbanger all over the place, many crows surfers and a circle pit documented the great atmosphere at the Tankard show. The house was on fire! Gerre was cheering up the masses, used every inch of the stage and even invaded the photo pit! Spiced up with his awkward dance. This was pure fun! Take a look at the set list and you know it was special, you can imagine that!



Time Warp

Zombie Attack

The Morning After

Rules For Fools

Slipping From Reality

Stay Thirsty!

Minds On The Moon

Chemical Invasion

The Beauty And The Beast

Rectifier

Freibier

Die With A Beer In Your Hand

(Empty) Tankard



Tankard had an hour on stage and didn't waste a second of it! Happy faces all around - on stage and off stage! Absolutely everybody enjoyed their show and so we can only hope that they will keep going on this level for ever. With their own hymn Empty Tankard they closed the set. The fans showed their love with thunderous applause, so let's hope for many more years with Tankard!
(CB)



Tankard also has something to celebrate, their 30th anniversary! The Frankfurt thrashers like their drinks and most of the lyrics are somehow alcohol-tinged - and perhaps their love for beer is what so many of their fans like about Tankard... While some bands who are around for more than 2 decades take it easy on stage, it seemed that frontman Gerre was going for the non-existing award of 'most stage mileage'! He was always in action and the other guys - even if not running around as much as their fronter - had a lot of fun on stage. Songs like Zombie Attack, The Morning After and Stay Thirsty! were exactly what the fans were longing for. Later in the show a throne of beer crates with the 'King of Beer' was pushed on stage - accompanied by a dancer. Well, to me it looked like she didn't really knew the songs or was more into pole dancing.... Anyway, the band was focusing on playing, entertaining the masses.

Side note: While Tankard played Freibier für alle a ship was passing by (there is a canal right behind the stage) and they had a big party on that one... drink beer... perhaps even free beer. ;)
(CE)




Psychotic Waltz



I'm not always in the mood for Psychotic Waltz, but today I happy to see them. Carsten and I had agreed on me reviewing Psychotic Waltz - a band he can't stand - and he takes over Bolt Thrower - not my cup of tea -, so I only did photos of the headliners and left. For Saturday this was 'my' headliner.

Devon Graves and Psychotic Waltzfrom 1986 to 1996 and they released 4 studio albums, their last one was Bleeding. A long hiatus followed and 2010 they reunited, toured and announced that they will record another album. They kicked off with Ashes, the opener of Into The Everflow. With Out Of Mind Psychotic Waltz choose a tune which didn't make it any easier for people to get hooked up, but they never been an easy-listening band. The guys are all very skilled, but I think most impressive is Dan Rock's performance as he's in a wheel chair after a near-fatal accident. But it's great to see him on stage and it's always cool when a band returns with the original line-up. Even if they focused on the first two albums they had some more on their set list, e.g. the title track of their 3rd album Mosquito. The Californians know how to create complex soundscapes which sound light. It took awhile til singer Devon Graves addressed the people, he thanked RockHard for asking them to play RHF 2012 and added "It's so good to be back!" With acoustic guitars they headed into the next song I Remember, unfortunately Devon Graves picked up the German flute late in the set, but I Remember was a true highlight! "I don't have words. That's a song I wrote 25 years ago and it's remembered! That's mind-blowing! Thank you so much!" said an overwhelmed Devon Graves. Next in line was Morbid. Afterwards they took their fans on a journey back in time... "Something from our very first album... Some of this stuff was written even before we called Psychotic Waltz! It's Halo Of Thorns!" Only Nothing should follow and it was over. Let's hope that Psychotic Waltz will stay active - recording and touring -, coz this band is outstanding. Thanks for a great show!

(CE)



Bolt Thrower



The tension is mounting, everybody was waiting for British death metal veterans Bolt Thrower. Almost everybody - at least everybody I talked to - was looking forward to see the British. Actually they are the favorite band at every festival they play, coz first they don't play live that often and the fans love their fan-friendly attitude. Their merch is sold for little money and show their fans that they don't want to rip them off. Latest proof is their own anniversary festival in England - BoltFest - where the tickets were cheap and all revenues were donated to a children's cancer aid. Do you know any other establish band doing this? Even if their last album was released in 2005, their following was getting stronger all the time, they live for their music and their fans! They only play at festivals when they are allowed to sell their merch on their own merch both at fan-friendly prices. But there are still some parasites which try to make money with Bolt Thrower and who rip off the fans. When their merch both opened it was like a clearance sale. Everybody tried to get in and a long queue built up soon and it didn't take long and they were sold out! I wanted a shirt too, but I didn't want to get into the frenzy, so I thought I wait a bit. You could see people who bought as much shirts as they could carry, just to sell them overpriced on Ebay! I'm really pissed about these bastards who rip me off the chance to buy a shirt. They only want to make big bucks, so they sell the shirts with 300-400% margin at the internet. I don't want to support this demeanor and nobody should! The merch shall rot in stock of these parasites. Unfortunately the shirts sell on Ebay like hotcake's, just days after the festival you could find everything on the net - and these con artists make a lot money with the merch. I would hope that every Bolt Thrower fan would boycott these parasites - and next time they wouldn't buy all the merch and rip off the real fans from buying. We have the power! We can make the change! Okay, rant over! Let's talk about the concert!

When the intro announced the Bolt Thrower show it seemed like everybody who bought a ticket was attending. You could feel the tension, that everybody was waiting for the British. The band kicked off with Contact Wait Out and Rebirth Of Humanity and hell broke loose. An ocean of raised fists and flying hair - goose bump alert. Unfortunately the sound wasn't perfect, but nobody seem to care... The fans welcomed every tune the British played, and with Mercenary they headed into a best-of part which set the 'house' on fire. No break for head banger. Neckbreackers like IV Crusade led over to the divine World Eater, just to continue with Cenotaph and Warmaster. Karl Willets was smiling all the time and mumbled something between the songs, but no clue I only got one or the other word. No matter, he had everybody in his grip and so cheered up the fans all the time. In quick succession songs like Salvo and Where Next To Conquer followed and the atmosphere reached fever pitch. The killer groover Killchain pushed everybody to the limit, next in line Forever Fallen and ...For Victory. The 'Bolt Thrower' shouts get louder and louder. Towards the end of the show Mr. Karl got floored, literally, he stumble over some cables and fall face-down. Well, alcohol might let to that... The encores At First Light, No Guts, No Glory and a grinding version of When Cannons Fade closed the chapter, the brilliant show made one forget the so-so sound . It would have been a perfect show, if the sound would have been better... Anyway, the band proofed that they deserve to be headlining. Best band of the festival for almost everybody, definitely for me! Thanks for kicking ass and the pleasurably neck pain!

(CB)





Sunday, May 27th 2012





Alpha Tiger



Alpha Tiger were the chosen one to open up the last day of the festival. No easy task, but the quintet from Saxony entered the stage in a splendid mood and infected the attending with their enormous joy of playing and their party sound. I have to confess that the high pitched vocals of their singer is making me suffer, but as I'm up early and already at the amphitheater it have to get over it. Not really my cup of tea, but as more than just a few gathered in front of the stage to enjoy Alpha Tiger and their 80's power metal tinged with Helloween and early Queensr¨y;che it seems it was just me. Alpha Tiger have the reputation to be a hot live act and they proofed it with their energetic stage acting, the fan reaction also showed that as well as the 'Alpha Tiger' shouts when they left the stage. Anyway, I need to recover from the vocals! ;)
(CB)





77



The Spanish outfit 77 has the reputation to be a party band - and nobody should dare to say something different after seeing them rock the stage that early Sunday afternoon. Sure, their sound and appearance is 100% AC/DC - in their early days - which isn't innovative, but fun. The dirty rock and their wild stage acting were infectious. Especially their lead guitarist delivered all the stuff Angus Young did when he was young incl. throwing himself on the ground for a solo, wild head banging and a walk through the semicircle which led him to the podest where a Rockpalast camera was placed to cover the action where the guy fired a furious solo at the attending bangers. What a show! It seems that the news traveled fast and so more and more metalheads came to watch a bit of 77. The first highlight of the day and even if I don't care at all about AC/DC copycats it was fun.

(CB)



When I arrived 77 were already on stage, but I think it was early in their set... They were playing Your Game Is Over. One more and Armand Valeta addressed the audience: "Thank you Germany! How do you do? We are 77, we are from Spain... Less talk, more rock!" And they headed into Less Talk (Let's Rock). Even if the guys look a bit like an AC/DC cover band - and they sound like early AC/DC - it was fun to see them rock the stage. Usually I'm not into bands who sound like a copycat, but at least live they kick ass. With Things You Can't Talk About they continued and guitarist LG Valeta took a trip through the semicircle and scared the Rockpalast cameraman on the camera platform when surprisingly getting into his frame. After the solo LG Valeta continued his run through the amphitheater, entered the photo pit and climbed on stage. World of mouth travels fast and so more and more metal fans showed up to see at least the end of this run. With Give Me A Dollar they continued the party and soon it was over, but due to LG Valeta's guitar walk everybody talked about the Spanish!

(CE)





High Spirits



RockHard praised High Spirits and they were next in line. The band is offering traditional metal from the 70s/80s spiced up with a lot New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. This mix is always welcomed by the RockHard festival audience and so the band was celebrated - at least the Americans had a lot fans in front of the stage who sang along loudly. Actually I'm not among the ones who praise the band... Okay, musically they do good and they don't sound old-fashioned, but their outfits (white pants & black shirts) and their stiff stage acting are a bit boring - at least I got bored. Somehow they didn't get me... It was hot and sunny, the best conditions for a party - and at least the people in the front rows had a lot of fun.

(CB)



Götz Kühnemund entered the stage to announce the next band - High Spirits. "We had nothing left of our budget when we got High Spirits offered and thanks to their label High Roller Records - thanks Stefan - we could make it happen that they play at RockHard Festival! Please welcome High Spirits!" The Americans kicked off with Torture, a song off their self-titled compilation which they released in 2009 on their own. Perhaps it would have been a good move to start off with something of their debut album Another Night... The Chi-Town boys celebrate 70s/80s metal and the people liked it. Especially the catchy Another Night In The City was welcome by the fans and the atmosphere was at it's peak - at least when we talk about High Spirits. "This is the B-side of our single..." announced singer Chris Black and they headed into Running Home. Two more songs and it was over. Their sound shows similarities to Tygers Of Pan Tang and Praying Mantis, so nothing really new. The guys know how to handle their instruments, but need more stage experience, the show was a bit lame... Anyway, great they got the chance to play RockHard Festival.
(CE)





Graveyard



I guess, my review of Swedish band Graveyard won't please everybody - again. The four guys are quite successful at the moment and just did a sold-out tour. Their 2nd album Hisingen Blues got raving reviews and in their home country it entered the charts! At RockHard they were drawing the masses and were treated like gods by the fans. While their fans were ecstatic and banging songs like Bying Truth and Ain't Fit To Live Here just bored me. I admit that Graveyard's sound is massive and they are passionate about their music - and the sound had the right punch. They rocked the 'house', but personally all this retro rock stuff with doom elements and a dash Led Zeppelin just don't get me. Many parts sounded to me like a long jam session which isn't my cup of tea, but to keep the facts straight, I was one of a very few who felt that way! Someone called me a Philistine, but well... The crowds reaction showed that the Swedish were the first highlight of the day! Sometimes it's nice not to follow the trend! ;)

(CB)



Next in line the shooting stars of retro rock... Graveyard! The Swedish took the scene by storm with their album Hisingen Blues and a sold out tour followed. Well, so it's no surprise that the amphitheater was packed when they entered the stage. The psychedelic yellow backdrop gave it a touch of Woodstock. The band delivered and showed that they are one of the hottest bands in the retro rock scene. Personally I'm not a fan of jam sessions and their songs combine catchy melodies with jam parts, so their songs Ungrateful Are The Dead and Ain't Fit To Live Here didn't really get me. But who knows in a smoke-filled club they might have hooked me up.... The title track of their current release Hisingen Blues got the best reaction by the crows, but some were disappointed that they left the stage early. Other bands use their stage time and keep pushing to play longer, so it was quite a surprise that they didn't use the whole stage time of 45 minutes... But well...

(CE)





Girlschool



The ladies from Great Britain had some technical problems at the beginning of their set, but Girlschool are professionals and so they did their best. First their bass player was missing, then singer / guitarist Kim was called on stage and next her amp fucked up and she needed a replacement. The sound guy wasn't aware that the other guitarist was singing, too and so it took 3 songs til her vocals were audible. But well, they had a laugh and so do we. Girlschool presented a special set to celebrate their Hit And Run album, an album which was released more than 30 years ago. So you can guess it, they aren't girls any more, but the ladies can rock! They had a lot of fun playing and it was party time with their classics Demolition Boys / C'mon Let's Go, The Hunter, Emergency, Kick It Down and Yeah Right. Sure, they don't run around on stage like back in the days, but they are heart and soul. Great job, ladies!

(CB)



When the intro announced the beginning of the Girlschool set bass player Enid Williams was missing. Finally she entered the stage and they kicked off with Demolition Boys / C'mon Let's Go. Then Jackie Chambers' amp blow up and additionally the sound guy needed 3 songs to realize that they have more then one lead singer! While the stage crew replaced the amp Kim McAuliffe commented "No show where she isn't blowing up an amp!" Jackie answered with a big grin: "Amps aren't save around me! Now Denise, the 'drum slayer' has to slay the drums!" And so they took it easy. When the crew had fixed it Enid was gone again... "Enid, would you stop disappearing!" Kim asked her and finally they head into the next song. They focused on the songs off Hit And Run, a late anniversary set as the album was released in 1981. Songs like The Hunter and I Spy were pure fun. And again Enid was gone... And returned for Never Say Never. Afterwards Enid announced "Before we start playing this song, I'll check the sound again as we start singing it in 2 different keys." And she was gone. Kim McAuliffe: "And off she is again. We have a problem with a disappearing bass player today!" she said laughing. Time for Future Flash and Kick It Down. Not a perfect set, but it was fun to see the ladies rock the stage. They even played something from Legacy, their 2008 album. One of the highlights was Yeah Right and with Emergency they finished their set after almost an hour. I'm looking forward to see them again live and let's hope the ladies keep rocking!

(CE)





Magnum



Carsten took a break - and he deserved it. British hard rockers Magnum are active even longer than Girlschool. They started 40 years ago! While other bands play it safe and kick off with one of their hits, Magnum started with an unreleased song! All The Dreamers will be on their upcoming album - as Götz explained before the band entered the stage. As usual it was Bob Catley's job to cheer up the fans and the reaction of the fans in the first rows showed that the new track is right up their alley. Due to some technical problems - or the sound guy was asleep - Bob Catley's voice was kinda drowning while they played When We Were Younger and Wild Angels. Luckily it was back up-front when they headed into Brand New Morning which their fans loudly sang along. They presented some classics like All England's Eyes and Vigilante. Okay, songs like Kingdom Of Madness and On A Storyteller's Night were missing, but in September their new album will get in stores and they will tour to support the album. I bet that on tour the classics will be played! See you on tour!

(CE





Time for a little anniversary special! Rumors said that Tobias Sammet has been seen and so some expected a short Avantasia set... But the fans got something totally different... Tankard singer Gerre and former Sodom drummer Bobby Schottkowski presented Die Zwei von der Tanke, a song they gave to Rock Hard to celebrate the 300th issue. But then a real surprise Bullet's Hampus Klang and Dag Hell Hofer entered the stage and joined in for Accept's Balls To The Wall and AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. It was party time! And it seems everybody showed up to witness the surprise show.

(CE)





Unisonic



Many wanted to witness the first European show of Unisonic - after Kai Hansen joined them -, some might saw Michael Kiske perform some songs with Gamma Ray awhile ago and had an idea what to expect. Everybody was waiting for some old Helloween classics, but they started their set with King For A Day and My Sanctuary. You can say this was a statement, coz they are Unisonic, even if they are aware of the fans expectations. Right from the start it was crystal clear that this band rock! Michael Kiske is one of the best metal singers and with guitarist Kai Hansen at his side it brought back memories of the glory days. In a ways the rest of the guys looked like a backing band, but guitarist Mandy Meyer (ex-Krokus, ex-Asia, ex-Gotthard) and Pink Cream 69 rhythm section David Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums). The first highlight and a travel back in time was March Of Time! It's amazing to see how much fun the guys had on stage and to hear the fans sing along. And time for a solo by Kai Hansen. Back to Unisonic songs and it was obvious that quite a few who attended the show know their self-titled debut album when they played songs like Star Rider and Never Change Me. Especially the later got a lot reaction my the fans. The closer they got to the end of the set the more you could feel the tension - everybody was waiting for some Helloween classics! And they delivered! And so they closed this chapter with Future World and an extended version of I Want Out. For me and for many others this was the absolute highlight of the day. And it was definitely a special moment.

(CE)





W.A.S.P.



Last but not least the headliner of day 3 - W.A.S.P.! It is their 30th anniversary, but their glory days where the 80's. Nowadays there are a lot of if's when it comes to a W.A.S.P. show. Blackie Lawless is sticking to his 80's outfit and to be honest it looks a bit ridiculous... Anyway, the Americans came over with a set full of classics (some medley's to fit the stage time) and a pyro show. And so the show started with a big bang and On Your Knees / The Real Me. The stage was pretty dark... L.O.V.E. Machine should follow before they presented a song off their latest studio album Babylon - Crazy. The quartet headed into Wild Child followed by a medley of Hellion, I Don't Need No Doctor and Scream Until You Like It. After Babylon and The Crimson Idol they offered I Wanna Be Somebody. This was the end of the normal set, as usual Mr. Lawless took his time and left the fans waiting for more. When they returned it was obvious what's the first encore, coz the sound of a chainsaw announced their return and Chainsaw Charlie. For some it was a surprise that they presented Heaven's Hung In Black, a song they quite frequently play during the encore - and it sounds really good live. Sure, Blackie Lawless isn't the best singer in the world, but W.A.S.P. always been special in a way. They closed the chapter with Blind In Texas. Not a perfect show, but quite a good one from the American rockers.

(CE)





And so the 10th installment of RockHard Festival came to an end. During the weekend we talked to quite a few metal heads and most mentioned that they missed something really special for the anniversary. We also heard a lot that the running order should have been different, more mixed. And I have to agree. Anyway, I think it was a success for RockHard and I think this time they choose the bands they wanted to see at their anniversary. Let's see what a package they book for 2013! See you next year!!!

  
  





Carsten Bahr (CB) &
Claudia Ehrhardt

(CE // plus photos / translation of Carsten's review)



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RockHard Festival 2011
- June 10th - 12th 2011 - Gelsenkirchen (D)


Contradiction, Procession, Postmortem, Primordial, Enslaved
 Triptykon

Dreamshade, In Solitude, Disbelief, Epica, Bullet, Morgoth, Amorphis
Iced Earth

Vanderbuyst, Enforcer, Atlantean Kodex, Metal Inquisitor, Anacrusis, Vicious Rumors
Overkill, Down





 

  


  























































































































































































































  
  

Initially it started as a one-off anniversary event to celebrate 20 years of RockHard and now fans and bands came to Gelsenkirchen for the 9th time. Luckily RockHard reacted to the positive feedback by continuing and made it an annual event at Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen. Again the billing offered a variety of metal genres - like the bands RockHard presents in their magazine. It's not necessary to invite only the big ones, again they got renown bands who don't play many festivals as well as some cool newcomers. As usual some fans want more black metal, progressive rock, death metal or hard rock while others want more thrash, grind or whatever. At the end of the day the fans come back every Whitsuntide to celebrate their favorite music genre - metal. And so you see familiar faces everywhere, some you met at the first installment - and then every year at Pentecost. It's like a family meeting and so it doesn't really matter who's playing, it's an event you have to be part of. Unfortunately this year they raised the price for soft drinks which now cost as much as beer! Even if you are allowed to bring non-alcoholic drinks in Tetra Pak mineral water should be less expensive than beer! (CB)



As usually we arrived on Thursday and tried to get set up our tent at the camp site as quick as we can, coz we wanted to get in mood with BBQ, some drinks and later party at the party tent with DJs from Dortmund's Die Burg, a legendary club. (CB)



Friday, June 10th 2011




Contradiction



The sun was still shining when German thrash veterans Contradiction kicked off the festival. But before Contradiction could storm the stage RockHard editor Frank Albrecht spoke to the crowd and then the Wuppertal boys delivered a set full of old school thrash metal á la Kreator and Exodus. A quite decent crowd had gathered and was ready to thrash the place. Tracks like Straight In Your Face invited the fans to raise their fists and bang their heads. And so the band which was founded in 1989 fulfilled the expectations, they are known for their energetic live performances. (CB)


Procession



Next in line Chilean doomsters Procession, it seemed that their dark lava-ish doom draw dark clouds to Gelsenkirchen and the massive thunderous riffs hit the fans. Music for the end of the world. The fans enjoyed the sound of the Chilean, the heavy riffs and thunderous drums - and then hell broke loose and a heavy shower came down. Everybody who didn't get cover within seconds, was soaked to the skin. I wasn't quick enough. Within no time the semicircle was deserted, just in front of the stage some fans stayed - under cover - to watch the show of Procession. But doom fans enjoyed tracks like Raven Of Disease in the pouring rain. Kudos for the trio from Chile! I guess soon they won't be an insider's tip any more! (CB)



Knowing that Carsten was already at the festival site we didn't rush things and were on our way from the bus stop to the main entrance when it started pouring. No chance to take shelter we got soaked. No long queue at the press point, but it seems to take forever. Finally we entered the festival site when Postmortem were playing their 3rd track. No need for me to hurry down the stairs, I was too late to get into the photo pit and so just did a few shots from the distance. (CE)



When Postmortem from Berlin entered the stage it had stopped raining. The guys offered old school death metal, time to enjoy some brutal but catchy death metal spiced up with some thrashy riffs and a mean groove. Not much action in front of the stage, but the fans applauded and the raised fists showed that the fans appreciated their show. (CB)



After the initial soaking the first band I saw as I entered the arena was Postmortem, a death metal band from Berlin. I'd not heard of this band before but I was impressed by the output of the quintet. Good death metal with an underlying death'n'roll edge in some songs and a singer who utilized his voice in many different ways to create a diverse sound. For me this was a good start to the festival! It was also great to hear the sound of the stage so strong with all instruments balanced to perfection. (MT)




Primordial



Irish outfit Primordial might have hoped for the kind of weather Procession had, just without rain. But when the band entered the stage - the singer was spattered with artificial blood - the sun was shining, not that it had any influence on their intensive, emotional show. The guys were headbanging all the time, great to see. The Celtic doom black metal they were celebrating worked well, even when the sun is shining - thanks to their devotion for their music. Frontman Alan has a unique voice and delivered an impressive performance. They are active in the metal underground for 20 years and their fan base is growing stronger. Songs like As Rome Burns, The Coffin Ships, Death Of Gods and the closer Empires Falls are dark hymns which demanded the attention of everybody in the amphitheater. Primordial was the first highlight of the day!!! The only negative thing to mention... the band had to some sound problems. (CB)



When Primordial entered the stage the sun was shining, but singer Alan with his corpsepaint and splattered blood was demanding the attention of the metal fans. With their Celtic doom / black metal they presented a different sound and obviously they were pleased by the response they got, especially when Alan stated "We are Nero and Rome is burning!" Time for the fans to sing. "Sing to the slaves" - and they did.

I'm not familiar with Primordial, but a few times it seems that Alan was slightly out of tune... The Primordial fans didn't care. (CE)



Next up one of the bands I came to see; Primordial. Arguably the Republic of Ireland's greatest musical export are currently supporting their latest opus Redemption At The Puritan's Hand and I was eager to finally see them live after missing them so often in the past. I'm happy to report that they exceeded my expectations in every way! Playing a set heavy with songs from the last two albums Primordial had the crowd in their grasp from the outset with their unique mix of epic black metal and Celtic influenced folk. Frontman Alan Averill gave a magnetic performance that just held my eyes and ears throughout as he cavorted around adorned in corpse paint and blood with his powerful voice sending chills down the spine. The RockHard audience lapped it up as they heard classics like Gallows Hymn and As Rome Burns! The remaining bands would have to bring out something special to beat this set! (MT)




Enslaved



Enslaved were as motivated as Primordial, singer / guitarist Ivar Bjornsib and his fellows stormed off and delivered a mix of black metal, epic, classic and progressive metal. Even at a warm, sunny day they brought some Nordic darkness and cold to Gelsenkirchen - and the fans appreciated it. Hell broke loose in front of the stage when they played tunes like Raidho, Return To Yggdrasil and the mighty Immigrant Song. The wild action in front of them gave the band an extra push. Enslaved obviously enjoyed being on stage and to make it an even better show then 2008. After a fierce performance the guys left the stage while the exhausted fans were shouting 'Enslave' and demanding more. (CB)



Enslaved were the penultimate Friday band. I'm not a fan of Enslaved on disc and the previous times I have seen them I have been, well, bored to be honest. I wasn't looking forward to this set, but I decided to give them a watch anyway. I'm so glad I did! I don't know what it was but this time around Enslaved captivated me from the outset, the chunky riffage of the songs arresting my ears and giving me a new appreciation of a band that I had long before written off. Maybe time to revisit the albums? (MT)




Triptykon



Celtic Frost had to cancel twice, even if everybody understood why Tom 'Warrior' Fischer had to do it. Finally he should play RockHard, but with his new band Triptykon, a band which combines his musical vision with the legacy of his former band. The Celtic Frost sound developed into a darker, heavier and more emotional sound. The band managed to bring darkness and despair onto stage, so monolith riffs and Tom's ailing vocals dragged you into his world - and Fischer only emerged from the depth of his world when he talked to the fans. The crunching songs were presented in a hypnotic way and to please the fans Triptykon played songs of 'Warrior's former bands Hellhammer and Celtic Frost at the beginning of the set. And so the first highlight of the set were some very slow versions of Procreation (Of The Wicked)  and a little later Circle Of The Tyrants. The real highlights were Hellhammer's Messiah and Triumph Of Death - which were presented in a different way! By now it was dark and so the lightshow supported the atmosphere of the songs. Taking a look around me it became obvious that a lot of people don't really got into the Triptykon sound and so the crowd got smaller. Later I talked to some people and that showed that the people were divided. Triptykon's music will never be something for the masses and it's not made to party. (CB)



The heavens opened once again, as if on cue to add a depressing, gloomy atmosphere to the set of the final band of the day; Triptykon. This is another band I've never been able to understand, much like the original Celtic Frost. Unfortunately unlike Enslaved, Triptykon just didn't grab me at all. I found the music dull and the stage presence non-existent. The gathered throng enjoyed it though with a good crowd gathered on the amphitheater floor to watch them. Friday, however, belonged to Primordial. (MT)





The atmosphere was great and so the first day of the festival was coming to an end. Anyway, more then enough time to party - at the camp site or in the party tent. (CB)



Saturday



Friday's program started at 3 PM, but now the first band entered the stage at 1 PM and it was a long night at the party tent and the camp site it was too early. At least it was sunny, but during the day we got rain... More about that later on! (CB)


Dreamshade



The first band to enter the stage were the Swiss Dreamshade. Fans of melodic death metal á la early In Flames, Soilwork and Children Of Bodom enjoyed their show. Even if there was only a small crowd at the amphitheater they put on quite a show. At their debut What Silence Hide they used a lot keyboard, but at RockHard they had none and so the songs sounded raw and more aggressive - a sound I prefer. Keys are overrated and Dreamshade sounded a lot better without. A good choice to start the day with. A few fans really went crazy, but it might have been family and friends of the band... (CB)


In Solitude



Next in line In Solitude from Sweden, musically the Swedish are based in traditional metal and even their outfits matched this impression. Fantastic that so many young bands honor the musical legacy of their parents generation and play 'old-fashioned' metal. A mix of old Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate they presented, only vocally a bit too extreme and sometimes a bit out of tune. By now more fans had arrived and so the youngsters got a lot applause from the attendees. Okay, the Sweds can improve, they should work on the vocals and solos, but they sounded authentic and it was obvious they are really into it. (CB)



Disbelif



Disbelief had to face some technical problems when they kicked off with A Place To Hide, not to talk about the intro which was foozled. Luckily this was solved soon and they sounded really brutal. I would call it emotional doom death metal, just to give you an idea about their sound. The band delivered an energetic performance and frontman Jagger added his expressive, deep vocals. Songs like Sick, Navigator and Room 39 steamrolled everything, but importunely the people weren't too enthusiastic. The peoples reaction was okay, but not as good as I expected. Anyway, this is one of the most intensive doom death metal bands from Germany! (CB)



Epica



The Dutch band Epica was the only female-fronted band of the festival and the band delivered a lesson in epic symphonic metal. The band scored with they enthusiasm they showed on stage and Simone Simons put on top a great performance. Sorry, I can't tell you more, coz usually this kind of music make me take a flight. Bombastic keyboards mixed with catchy melodies I never been into. At the end of the set the Epica fans were happy. Some fans asked Simone to strip which she simply turned down with a 'no thanks'. (CB)



I saw Epica a dozen times since 2005 and so I knew what to expect. Actually Epica were one of the bands I was looking forward to see at RockHard Festival. The intro Samadhi announced the beginning of the show. The guys entered the stage and headed into Resign To Surrender and Mark Jansen added some growls, then Simone Simons joined them. Right from the start Simone demonstrated her talent, even if some people don't care about her voice and were just there because of her looks. With Sensorium they traveled back in time and offered one of the best tunes off their debut The Phantom Agony. With The Last Crusade from Consign To Oblivion they continued. That they didn't had the biggest crowd wasn't a surprise, there wasn't really another band on the bill which could draw a big number of their fans. As usual the band was putting on a good show and obviously enjoyed being on stage. So Simone mostly stayed on stage when Mark was growling and she was mouthing the words too or at instrumental passages joined in head banging. The guys switched sides and were always in motion. Keyboarder Coen Jansen also was in action, banging, singing along and turning around his keyboard on the special keyboard stand. With Unleashed they got back to Design You Universe, their current album. With Martyr Of The Free World they had another DYU song for their fans, but the closer was Cry For The Moon! This one is a must-play at Epica shows, their fans would be very disappointed if they wouldn't play it. And so the Epica fans who were attending were singing along loudly. It's always a pleasure to see them live! (CE)



Saturday began very much like Friday – blazing sunshine followed by a huge downpour. We arrived late again but were in time to see the mighty Epica! One of my favorite bands of the female-fronted symphonic style Epica have a reputation for always putting on a good show and in this they did not disappoint the RockHard crowd. A hugely entertaining show with both Simone Simons and guitarist Mark Jansen inspiring the crowd to show their appreciation! The set covered a fair bit of the latest album, Design Your Universe, with a few fan favorites, like Cry For The Moon, that allowed the buoyant RockHard crowd to sing along. My one complaint was that Epica's set wasn't long enough! (MT)



I decided to spend a little time taking in the other amenities that RockHard had to offer. First off I had a quality beer in the shape of Warsteiner, one of my favorite German brews, and then I hit the Metal Market. As is usual you had to pay a nominal fee to enter the main metal market tent. Usually its worth it though as there are numerous stalls inside that have stocks of rare and limited edition albums, shirts, box sets etc. The Metal Market at RockHard wasn't quite as big as those I've been to before so the selection wasn't as extensive, particularly on the T-shirt front. However, there were some gems and a good amount of bargains to be snapped up! Put it this way; I left considerably poorer than I entered! (MT)



Bullet



Party time! It wasn't the first time for Bullet at RHF and with their mix of AC/DC and Accept they convinced the rockers easily and so it got more crowded in front of the stage. The 'mad' rockers kicked off with Highways Pirates - and hell broke loose. They fired their party rockers Turn It Up Loud, Stay Wild, Roadking and Bite The Bullet at their fans who loudly sang along. The Swedish kicked up a notch when the fans went wild and used every inch of the stage. This is the soundtrack to party, the guys enjoyed playing and the fans were head banging and raising their fists. Happy faces everywhere. A very energetic show and one of the highlights of the day. (CB)



Morgoth



As a death metal maniac I was looking forward to see Morgoth. Their first 4 albums are highlights of German death metal and in the early 90's there weren't many bands with such a unique sound. Usually I'm quite skeptical when it comes to reunion shows, but two songs - Body Count and Exit To Temptation - into the set they had won me over. Okay, the hair is shorter and it wasn't everybody of the original line-up on stage - but they sounded tight and the songs sounded killer. Singer Marc Grewe clearly enjoyed being on stage. Every band member gave everything to make it a great experience. Songs like Suffer Life, Pits Of Utumno, Sold Baptism, Under The Surface - a masterpiece - and Isolated made one shiver. Damn good show! Marc Grewe was singing a bit higher than on the albums, but the screams were really mean. So the live reunion was a success, so let's hope they do as good as at RockHard at the other festivals. Towards the end of the set it started pouring again and I was soaked when they kicked off the closer White Gallery. (CB)



Amorphis



Due to the heavy rain and wind Amorphis entered the stage with only a small crowd gathering in front of the stage. Professionals they are the Finnish delivered a strong performance and made a few fans coming back. Singer Tomi was getting most attention, not just as he's the singer, also due to his long dreadlocks which he swirled air-screw-like. He managed the growls and the melodic clean vocals without effort. The rest of the guys kinda stepped back a bit and gave Tomi the space to entertain the people. They had a lot old songs on the set list and spiced it up with a few newer ones. I don't listen to Amorphis albums, but live the band is heavier and more aggressive and so I enjoy them live - at least since Tomi is their singer. (CB)



When Amorphis entered the stage it was pouring, but the guys gave 110% right from the start. At the end of the 2nd song the sun came out, but it was still raining - even if more lightly. As soon as it stopped raining the crowd in front of the stage got bigger. "Looks like you have a good time..." Tomi commented the audience reaction. New songs like Battle For Light and My Enemy worked well in combination with oldsters like Against Widows, but they focused on the stuff they recorded with Tomi Joutsen. "Alright, I'm pretty sure you know the next one! It's Silver..." Tomi started introducing the song and the fans finished it with "Bride". But Against Widows, House Of Sleep - from Eclipse the first album with Tomi Joutsen - and Crack In A Stone were some of the highlights. (CE)



So, the next band I saw was Amorphis. This band I've never really been able to get into on CD, with the exception of the landmark classic Tales From The Thousand Lakes. I usually hang around in the vicinity to hear Black Winter Day and then head for a beer. This time around I didn't feel like a beer so I paid more attention to the band's set. Wow. Seriously, just wow! I didn't know any of the songs played except Castaway but the stage presence of the band meant that this didn't matter. The dreadlocked form of Tomi Joutsen and his insane microphone was quite simply mesmerizing...and his voice! I began to wonder what I'd been missing out on all these years! The rest of the RockHard crowd seemed to agree as the rain died off and the amphitheater filled up with metal fans eager to dance and sing along with Amorphis! (MT)



Iced Earth



In 2008 Matt Barlow returned and played an emotional show at RockHard festival, now it way time to say goodbye to one of the best and most sympathetic metal singers. The Americans presented a best-of show and like 3 years ago it was an emotional moment. The fans loudly celebrated Matt and between the songs the fans shouting was louder than the band. Especially during the ballads Watching Over Me, I Died For You and Melancholy the fans sang along fervently. The guys delivered an energetic show and Matt's performance was just amazing. It seemed that even heaven cried about Matt leaving Iced Earth, coz it started raining again when they played Jack and The Hunter. An awesome set list they presented and one could only wish for Matt to call off his leave and stay... The emotional fan reaction will make it tough for him to take his leave. They opened up with 1776 and headed into Burning Time, Declaration Day, Vengeance Is Mine and Violate before they presented the semi-ballad Watching Over Me. They sped up for Last December and Travel In Stygian. Time for I Died For You - and pouring rain. The rain got lighter when they played Melancholy (Holy Martyr). The last part of the set included Prophecy, Birth Of The Wicked, The Coming Curse, Colors, My Own Savior and the closer was Iced Earth.

Then it was over. You could celebrate this special night by partying or going back to the camp site for a melancholy moment. I decided to enter the party tent! Good night! (CB)



For me this was another special Iced Earth show, coz I saw them many times and have a lot of great memories from the Iced Earth shows. In 2008 it was special for sure, coz it was Matt's return, now it was one of his good-bye shows. Like in Athens when they recorded the live album they started with Burning Times - 1776 was used as an intro today when the band entered the stage. And during the emotional set they presented quite a few of the band's classics, put also added some new songs. So they offered Declaration Day from 2004 release The Glorious Burden, but focused on the stuff they recorded while Matt was in the band. First some fast tracks, then they slowed down for Watching Over Me. A very emotional moment and it seemed that everyone attending was singing along. For me not as emotional as the Athens performance, but very close. Unfortunately it started raining again... Even if it seems to support the emotional experience, I could have done without it. Songs like I Died For You, Travel In Stygian and Melancholy (Holy Martyr) were the highlights of the middle part of the set. Luckily the rain got lighter again and then it stopped completely, so Jon Schaffer and his mates finished their performance with the band's hymn Iced Earth. As usual drummer Brent Smedley delivered the basis for Iced Earth together with bassist Freddie Vidales. After playing together for a few years the band's performance is clockwork-like. And so they presented a perfect show - just more emotional. It was good to see Matt perform with Iced Earth one more time. And I'm glad that they finally have the DVD Festivals For The Wicked on the way which show the 2008 RockHard performance. It would be great to get some pro footage from the farewell shows... Soon Stu Block will take over and he has big shoes to fill, but I'm confident that he'll manage. Don't get me wrong, Tim 'Ripper' Owens is a great singer, but at least for me he never fit to Iced Earth. Anyway, another chapter in Iced Earth history is coming to an end soon. Goodbye Matt! (CE)



The moment had come. This is what I had traveled from the UK to see. Iced Earth. Iced Fucking Earth in action with the one and only Matt Barlow. It was always going to be a special show seeing Barlow, one of the best metal vocalists of all time, give one of his last performances with one of the greatest metal bands in the world today and the RockHard crowd made sure they sent him off with tremendous acclaim. Burning Times opened proceedings followed by the Owen's era Declaration Day. This gave way to the Dark Saga as Vengeance Is Mine and Violate were met with rapture by the huge crowd. The rendition of the poignant Watching Over Me brought a lump to my throat as it seemed every voice in the amphitheater was raised in union, singing the words. Burnt Offerings was returned to with the fantastic Last December getting an airing to the delight of the crowd before we were taken on a heavenly journey with The Hunter. During every song the awesome RockHard security guys at the front of the arena were kept busy by a massive amount of crowd surfers being hurled to the front and in between every song the chant, that normally would have been "Iced Earth! Iced Earth!", there reverberated around the arena a unanimous cry of "Barlow! Barlow!". The crowd took every opportunity to let the man know how much he would be missed and how much they appreciated everything he had done with Iced Earth. The magnificent show continued with I Died For You. By this time the crowd were singing to everything and I could not tear my eyes from the stage. Jack followed, then Melancholy (Holy Martyr) before Iced Earth raised the bar still further with a glorious return to the Something Wicked Trilogy. This was just immense! Afterwards we got a bot of a shock as the band gave us a seldom played song from the debut album; Colors. This song included Schaffer and Barlow doing a little kick at the end of the riff. It was clear the guys were having a lot of fun and it was really heart-warming to see what could have been a sad occasion lifted by something like this. The band finished in the usual style with the signature song Iced Earth.

If the universe had ended right there I would have left this mortal coil with no regrets. For me this show was one of the greatest spectacles I have witnessed and even now whilst writing this I really cannot do it justice with words. If you didn't get the chance to see Iced Earth with Matt on this farewell tour know that you missed out. Big-time. (MT)







Sunday



It's always the same, you get out of your tent Sunday morning and wonder that it's already the last day of the festival. Anyway, time to get back to the semi-circle of the Amphitheater to see a few more bands on stage. And finally the weather improved, no rain today. (CB)



Vanderbuyst



First in line the Dutch youngsters Vanderbuyst. Actually 70's / 80's hard rock isn't the right treat for me at this time of the day, but these guys rock! For a band playing noon-ish they draw a lot people and the atmosphere got better with every single song. It's there energetic and reckless stage acting was infectious and so the fans started to party. Okay, in my opinion their stage acting was wilder than their music, but fans of catchy hard rock got a real treat to start the day. (CB)



So the highlight of the festival had already happened. Nothing, but nothing, could top Saturday's headline performance but there was still a full day of bands to go! For once, it actually didn't rain when we got to the festival site! (MT)



 Enforcer



Swedish outfit Enforcer could keep up with the Dutch, they are also based on 80's sounds, but they are more into speed metal / heavy metal. The youngsters stormed the stage and presented songs with a lot Iron Maiden in it, but sounding fresh. The guys were always in action and I'm pretty sure that both bands made a lot new friends and that we will hear more from them soon. (CB)



First band up for me was Enforcer. I'd seen these guys at Bloodstock Open Air last year and been impressed but I must admit the retro-sound, look and attitude was beginning to wear a bit thin. It seemed that Enforcer weren't too bothered by the short set time either as a good portion of the set was eaten up by an over-long intro! Performance-wise they were on form but it just didn't interest me as much as it did last year. One of the festival's non-events for me I'm afraid although the crowd that had gathered to watch them showed their appreciation. (MT)



Atlantean Kodex



Atlantean Kodex from Southern Germany were another surprise. By now more people arrived and watched them play epic traditional heavy metal á la Manowar and Bathory. I think their stage acting was a bit stiff, but their music isn't made for wild headbanging. They don't play live too often, so that might be a reason and the RockHard festival was the first big one for them. Anyway, the epic hymns of Atlantean Kodex was welcome and so the band got good feedback from the attendees. (CB)



Atlantean Kodex, another band I was looking forward to immensely! The debut album The Golden Bough has brought this band much critical acclaim and I was eager to see whether that was carried through to the live performance. They began with From Shores Forsaken, the popular opener from the 2007 release The Pnakotic Demos. It was unusual to hear an opener like this which is, essentially, a drawn out vocal line over a couple of softly played guitar triplets. Whenever I think of this set now this is always the moment that sticks in my mind! Vocalist Markus Becker is outstanding and definitely one of the best singers I've heard and his voice was captivating. Unfortunately it seemed like the rest of the band were not on the same level. Musically it was spot-on but the band just didn't seem to know how to utilize the large festival stage. Id love to see them in a small club venue though where they wouldn't seem drowned by space. (MT)



Metal Inquisitor



Metal Inquisitor played twice at RockHard festival, so most of the metal heads already knew them and their entertaining live performance. The fivesome is playing old school metal - pure and authentic. You can feel their love for metal in every note they play. Their show is fun, especially El Rojo's announcements make one smile. This is 100% metal from fans for fans. Great show and see you soon Metal Inquisitor! (CB)



Next up was the nicest surprise of the festival. Metal Inquisitor is a band I'd never heard before and my expectations weren't much higher than them being a run-of-the-mill heavy metal band. Well, musically I probably wasn't far wrong but performance-wise Metal Inquisitor was absolutely tremendous! One of those bands that just makes every moment you watch them an absolute joy, Metal Inquisitor's singer was the undoubted star of the show. Numerous times he ran down to the photo pit to high five fans and pour beer into open mouth and waiting cups. He had a brilliant rapport with the crowd and even those sitting towards the back of the amphitheater could be seen throwing the horns and singing along. Definitely want to see this band again! (MT)



Anacrusis



American outfit Anacrusis is a band I never really got into, even if I'm a huge thrash metal fan, but the 2 albums they released in the early 90's were just to technical for me. I never saw them live, so this Anacrusis show after an 20 years hiatus was my first Anacrusis live experience. They played songs from the last 3 releases - Reason (1990), Manic Impressions (1991) and Screams And Whispers (1993) - additional they presented a new song which sounds like it's been taken from one of their old albums. The four guys played tight and their technical thrash metal was well received. Singer and guitarist Ken Nardi's guitar play was inspiring and his varying vocals were well executed. This guy can do it all - melodic clean vocals, mean shrieks, deep growls and high-pitched screams. Most people liked what they saw, even if I still have problems with their technical thrash. Don't get me wrong, they delivered! And the crowd in front of the stage went wild! Anacrusis' live set showed that even after such a long stage absence they could rock. Perhaps I'm just a Philistine... (CB)



Anacrusis is an American prog / thrash band formed in 1986 who have recently reformed and released two compilations and a DVD. One of my friend's is a huge fan and despite me never having listened to the band I was swept along by his enthusiasm and vowed to watch their set whatever happened. Well, ok, first off this really wasn't my thing at all, however, they got a really good reaction from the RockHard crowd. Unfortunately it seemed that Anacrusis were the one of the only bands I saw that suffered any real sound problems and this affected the show somewhat although credit to the band for soldiering on! Throughout the set I gained the most joy from watching drummer Mike Owen who has a really aggressive style that is excellent to watch. (MT)



Vicious Rumors



Vicious Rumors are known as one of the most authentic and energetic power metal bands - and they delivered. For me they are the American counterpart to Judas Priest and the put the place on fire! With their powerful performance and joyful play they infected everybody. Geoff Thorpe and his band delivered a best-of set and so the fans were going crazy. The first notes of Digital Dictator sparked the fire and the fans celebrated songs like Murderball, Razorback Blade, Out Of The Shadows, Worlds And Machines, Hellraiser and Soldiers Of The Night. Singer Brian Allen did very well and can fill the shoes of legendary singer Carl Albert (RIP) and predecessor James Rivera. Some high screams were a bit too high for me, but he delivered a wild performance which made up for it. Okay, it was a bit strange to see him rolling on the floor, but I guess the great fan feedback was overwhelming. And he even stage dived! Mainman Geoff Thorpe talked to the audience and didn't grow tired to say that Vicious Rumors will keep the metal spirit alive, even if bands like Scorpions and - in a way - Judas Priest call it a day. At the end of the set the guitarist throw his guitar into the crowd and a great show was over. Kudos! (CB)



Overkill



No doubt that Overkill would be able to keep up! Another band on the bill and I would have doubts, but the New Jerseyans are one of the best live bands on this planet! A special set was announced, but it was a classic set - not criticism at all - spiced up with 2 new tracks - Ironbound and Bring Me The Night. But there was something special, Bobby, D.D. and the rest of the gang played two songs off their first demo Power In Black. They hardly ever played like Deathrider and Within The Beast and so it was special! Killer tunes like Evil Never Dies, Rotten To The Core, Hello From The Gutter and Skullcrusher - a song they haven't played live lately - rocked the 'house'. The amphitheater was packed and everybody was joining in for the Overkill hymns In Union We Stand, Old School and Fuck You. Elimination is a real neckbreaker and so all's right with the metal world. The band delivered a powerful show and once more Bobby Ellsworth was in the focus with his unique voice and wild stage acting. Okay, he left the stage for a moment during some instrumental parts, but after more then 20 years he's still delivering a hot show, remember he is in his mid-50's! Some yougsters look old compared to this powerhouse. Fantastic show! Overkill were the winner of the day, even if Vicious Rumors are very close to the East Coast thrashers! (CB)



I gave Vicious Rumors a miss and got acquainted with some lovely German folk at the bar before returning to the fray for Overkill! I was looking forward to seeing these US thrash legends again and took up a position quite close to the front to watch them. The New Yorkers got one of the biggest crowds of the weekend and a huge amount of crowd surfers. This was billed as a special show and Overkill certainly lived up to that with some rare gems taken out of the closet and given an airing, including two songs from the first demo, Power In Black, circa 1983 - Death Rider and Beast Within which turned out to be two of the best songs of an outstanding set! Dave Linsk unfortunately had a few sound problems but nobody seemed to care! Overkill destroyed the RockHard crowd with a selection of old classics including Rotten To The Core and the set closer Fuck You with Bobby Blitz always the archetypal thrash frontman. The general consensus; Overkill should have headlined. (MT)



As usual before the headliner entered the stage it was time to present the winner of the karaoke competition. I confess, I never been into it, even if the competition is quite popular. Anyway, I have to pay respect for the 11-year-old who won the contest with Iron Maiden's Fear Of The Dark!!! Well done and hopefully new blood for the metal scene. (CB)



Down



Personally I would have preferred Down on stage before Overkill, but it's not in my hand. And it seemed that I wasn't the only one, coz quite a few people left before the headliner entered the stage. It was time to slow down... For Down. On disk I don't get into them, but live they are a bit more dynamic and raw. The super group of singer Phil Anselmo (ex-Pantera) and guitarists Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) and Pepper Kean (C.O.C.) presented a heavy and tight set based on monolithic riffs, but the atmosphere wasn't as good as before. Right in front of the stage many raised their fists and banged their heads, but in the back it was different. Bassist Rex Brown (ex-Pantera) couldn't make it and so he was replaced by Crowbar's bassist. So far so good, but between the songs Phil Anselmo was ranting a lot which was quite annoying. Sometimes he kept talking for minutes and one wished someone would pull the plug. Down could have played a few more songs, if Phil wouldn't have talk that much. The Down crew finished the last song, so that the band could say goodbye to the audience. (CB)



And so onto the final band of RockHard Fest. Phil Anselmo's post-Pantera groove metal band Down were a bit of an anomaly as top billing of the festival. No-one understood it, no-one even seemed to be there for Down. However, they drew a good crowd and despite sound problems and Anselmo suffering with a bad throat the set seemed to be enjoyed by those who watched. (MT)





And this was it! RockHard 2011 was over and many were on their way back home while others entered the party tent one more time.

This years edition of RockHard was recorded by German TV for Rockpalast, the show will be aired late July.

We are looking forward for the 10th anniversary of the festival in 2012 and can't wait to learn what the RockHard crew will present us! (CB)



My first foray to RockHard 2011 was certainly a great experience. The size and family friendly atmosphere of the festival was fantastic, the band choice varied enough to delight most metal fans without having too much of any one genre. Most of the bands I watched delivered excellent performances that were aided by the almost faultless sound. Overall a great festival that I can recommend to any and all metal fans that actually want to see a band rather than stand behind 60,000 other metalheads and see specks on the horizon. I hope to return. (MT)

  
  







Carsten Bahr (CB)

Claudia Ehrhardt (CE // plus photos / translation of Carsten's review)

& Mike Thompson (MT)



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RockHard Festival 2010
- May 21st - 23rd 2010 - Gelsenkirchen (D)


Ketzer, Necros Christos, Katatonia, Sabaton, Bloodbath, The Devil's Blood

Orden Ogan, Evile, Bulldozer, Artillery, Raven, Exhorder, Accept, Kreator

Sacred Steel, Keep Of Kalessin, Crashdïet, Orphand Land, Virgin Steele,
Nevermore, Sonata Arctica, Rage & Lingua Mortis Orchestra





 

  


  













































































































































































  
  

For the 8th time Rock Hard Magazine organized this festival and as usual Götz Kühnemund and his crew offered an interesting billing. Not just the bands, also the great location and the fantastic atmosphere made fans get their tickets early and so Rock Hard Festival 2010 was sold out!

Only a few times in the past years it was raining, but never for long and so it seems that the weather gods like Rock Hard Festival, coz again it was warm and sunny. Something everybody was hoping for, even as it didn't look like til Thursday.



Friday, May 21st 2010




Ketzer



Friday started with sunshine and high temperatures - sunburns included - and the young thrashers Ketzer were opening the festival. The youngsters delivered a true 80's feeling with their music and outfit. They played tight and offered a wild and aggressive performance. The guys were always in motion and fired razor-sharp riffs at the fans. Thrash fans - young and old - united for a thrash party. I think it won't take long til we see Ketzer again - and not as openers! (CB)



Doom death metal outfit Necros Christos eased off a bit. They focus on dark, atmospheric sounds and don't care about hyperspeed passages. Their heavy and intense sound isn't everybody's darling, but if you like to be steam rolled by heavy sounds, then Necros Christos is delivering food for your ears. The band is rarely playing live and so their show was something special. No party music, but soundscapes to get lost in! (CB)



Katatonia



The Swedish Katatonia are also deliver dark sounds, but more melodic and progressive. They combine some death metal influences with epic progressive sounds. Once in awhile they fire heavy riffs and push down the accelerator, especially fans of Opeth will love them, and quite a few Opeth fans attend Rock Hard Festival and enjoyed the dark sounds Katatonia offered. In my opinion this kind of music is more suitable for clubs, but the Swedish are able to deliver goose bumps in daylight! (CB)



After I picked up my photo pass I entered the festival site when Katatonia kicked off. Just before they headed into My Twin Jonas Renske asked "Do you have a good time?&" He was satisfied with the response and continued "It's good to be back at Rock Hard Festival! This is a song off The Great Cold Distance! My Twin!" But they also offered some new songs like the single Day And Then The Shade and The Longest Day off their new album. Guitarists Anders 'Blakkheim' Nyström and his mate Per 'Sodomizer' Eriksson work together well, even of Eriksson is only part of the live band, but later during the Bloodbath show they should show that even better. Singer Jonas Renske thanked the fans for their support again and continued "Let's see, if you recognize this one!" and they closed their set with Leaders.



Sabaton



More Swedish metal! Sabaton entered the stage next and the space in front of the stage was packed with power metal fans who came to party with Sabaton. Their new album Coat Of Arms just hit the stores and so the fans were hoping to hear some new songs - and singer Joakim Bróden and his mates delivered. The fivesome presented a kind of best-of set spiced up with some new tracks, so they played very early in their set Panzer Battalion and the place was on fire! Joakim Bróden ordered "Ein Bier bitte!" which the fans repeated, but his roadie didn't get and so he asked Emil again for a beer. The fans were still demanding a beer and Bróden answered "Sorry, I have no beer. I know I suck..." which made the Sabatonians laugh. "Today our new album comes out! Do you mind we play a song off it?" Time for the title track Coat Of Arms. As usually the guys were always in action, using every inch of the stage and cheered up the fans. Songs like Attero Dominatus, The Art Of War and Primo Victoria were welcome by the fans, but also new ones. "e;Rarely a new song get such a great reaction. I think you pirate buy it... We don't mind as long as you come to our shows and buy a shirt!" Bróden said after Saboteurs. I doubt their label like this comment... Another new one should follow - Uprising. The guys were happy with the fan reaction, smiling all the time and ended their set with Metal Machine. Looks like nothing can stop Sabaton... This fall they will kick off their world tour and soon they will start headlining festivals!



Bloodbath



Bloodbath are another band which rarely plays live, it's an all star band incl. members of Opeth (Mikael Åkerfeld, Martin Axenrot), Katatonia (Andres Nyström, Jonas Renkse) and 21 Lucifers (Per Eriksson). Bloodbath is their home to celebrate their love for raw Swedish death metal. They deliver straight brutal death metal and so their performance isn't that important. Mikael was hiding behind some 80's sunglasses, seems he's a bit shy, but his slightly sarcastic comments made up for that. Old school death metal is their business, and the fans were enjoying every single moment. Every single song they played was celebrated by their fans, my personal highlights were Mock The Cross and the closer Eaten which seem to pulverize my brains... Bloodbath rule! (CB)



For Anders 'Blakkheim' Nyström, Jonas Renske and Per 'Sodomizer' Eriksson it was the second time to hit the stage today. The Katatonia musicians - incl. tour guitarist Eriksson - already played and now it was time for their Bloodbath show. Singer Mikael Åkerfeldt explained "We don't play much live, this is our 4th show ever! We play a song of our latest CD The Fathomless Mastery... Process of Disillumination!" The show was a bit static, but songs like Breeding Death, Mass Strangulation or Like Fire don't need a lot stage action! After Blood Vortex Åkerfeldt asked the fans to participate. "Can we see everybody in this place headbanging? At least for 5 seconds?"e; And they headed into Outnumbering The Day. "Everybody in this band has a cool stage name - beside me." Åkerfeldt explained and introduced the band. "My name is Lars. We did a video for this one, we were covered in blood and I remember it tasted sweet..." Time for Hades Rising. With Eaten they finished their set and I'm pretty sure that every fan who attended this show hopes for a Bloodbath tour. Well done!



The Devil's Blood



When Friday's headliner was announced the discussions began. The Devil's Blood is the brainchild of guitarist Selim 'SL' Lemouchi and his sister, singer Farida 'The Mouth'. Musically they are based in 60's / 70's occult rock spiced up with psychedelic elements and live this means lengthy jams. They are introducing this kind of music to the next generation.

Before they entered the stage Götz Kühnemund asked everybody to join in for a minute of silence to honor the just deceased Ronnie James Dio and Pete Steele - and the amphitheater went silent. Then he announced The Devil's Blood and the band entered the stage covered in blood. They were bloodbathed! Their set featured songs of their latest release The Time Of No Time Evermore like Evermore and Angel's Prayer. Farida was taking the center stage, barely moving, but her voice was moving the fans of occult rock while the guitarists were banging. During the lengthy jams Farida was standing at the back of the stage facing the drummer, statue-like. 'The Mouth' didn't move for minutes, keeping her theatric pose.

Musically The Devil's Blood divided the audience, some enjoyed the vintage rock while others were pissed by the lame act. Personally I enjoyed the show, even if I expected a bit more then a blood covered band. Some show elements like projections - not just some flames - would have been cool...

No doubt that The Devil's Blood is a great band, but I think they aren't a good headliner for a festival like this. More then just a few fans left annoyed and headed to join the metal party.

And so the first day ended... Over and out!





Saturday, May 22nd 2010



Orden Ogan



Saturday's opener were Orden Ogan with their bombastic metal. And even if not too many were gathered in front of the stage, it changed immediately when the band started. Their mix on speed metal with progressive elements, a lot pathos and grand choirs draw a lot attention. Right away the band convinced the audience no matter how long they partied last night. Soon the fans started headbanging and singing along. The songs are complex, but catchy. Just their comments like their welcome the fans with "Hello audience, hello pussy!" was quite shallow. Anyway, musically Orden Ogan delivered the real deal and so the crowd went wild. (CB)



Evile



English thrashers Evile just got through some tough times, coz last fall their bassist Mike Alexander passed away on tour. Alexander had a pulmonary embolism. The band decided to continue and so it didn't take long til they were back on stage with a new bassist. The youngsters delivered a thrash metal attack and the fans started a circle pit - today's first. Headbanging, fists in the air, crowd surfers... The place was on fire! The guys pushed it to the limit with their songs - some fast thrashers, others based on a fat groove. Now Demolition was a highlight, but the other songs are equal. (CB)



Bulldozer



The Rock Hard crew one more time unearthed a legend, this time they made 80's thrash legend Bulldozer return to Germany. And so the Italian thrashers played their second show in Germany. And so there was a huge interest in Bulldozer and gave A.C. Wild and his mates a warm welcome. Okay, their performance was a bit stiff, but you could see their happiness. A.C. Wild stayed behind his silvery speaker's desk and acted like a priest, showing a solemn expression. The fans loved the straight thrash metal which shows similarities to Venom, Motörhead and Tank - and honored their effort. The band - at least today - were fans of Bayern München, coz they are AC Milan fanatcis and so they wished Inter Milan just the worst. The supported this with the song The Derby off their album IX - Circle Of Hell (back then the album got 0 points at Metal Hammer) and Whiskey Time off their debut Day Of Warth which were celebrated by the fans. Anyway, everybody who wanted to see Bulldozer was just there to enjoy the show and to party. Hopefully they will be back... (CB)



Artillery



The Danish thrasher's of Artillery were the first band for me on this sunny Saturday. The oldsters entered the stage and kicked off with Raise Above It All and it was obvious they gave a 110%. The Stützer brothers, bassist Peter Thorslund and singer Søren Nico Adamsen thrashed the place with songs like When Death Come and Into The Universe. So introduced Adamsen Into The Universe like this... "The next one is 25 years old" and with the first notes the crowd went wild. But Artillery had more to offer! Crowd surfers kept the security in the photo pit busy, kinda warmed them up for the headliner. The highlights of the Artillery set surely been Khomaniac and Terror Squad. No surprise they presented a kind of best-of set, coz the show not just been recorded for German TV classic Rockpalast, Artillery plan to release a live-DVD.



Raven



Now it was time for the band which 'gave' Rock Hard magazine its name. Raven also influenced tons of bands like Kreator, Rage and Sodom - to name just a few. Even Metallica state that the Newcastle-based band influenced them. Raven never made it big, but the underground scene loves them since the early 80's. The trio is known for their sweaty shows and they proofed it. Sure, it's obvious that they are no youngsters, but they were always in motion. Classic tracks were fired at the audience and singer / bassist John asked the fans to sing along. They also presented the title track of their new album Walk Through Fire which fit well to classics like All For One and Mind Over Matter. Resume: A rolling stone gathers no moss - or steel might get rusty, but stays strong. (CB)



As usual the space in front of the stage emptied during the change over for a drink, even if there were several guys with steel kegs on their back selling beer. But in time for the NWoBHM legend Raven rock fans were back in place. The trio opened up with Taking Control and that's exactly what they did. Within seconds they controlled the fans and offered a firework of classics incl. Live At The Inferno which showed the Gallagher's in a duel. After All For One John Gallagher commented on the short solo he played at the end of the song This was 'Bullshit in E-minor'!", then it was time for some tracks off their latest album Walk Through Fire - the title track and Breaking You Down were chosen. The fans started chanting 'Raven' which made the band happy, but didn't stop the Gallagher's from running around on stage. Next in line classics like Speed Of The Reflex and Mind Over Matter. "We love you guys for your on-going support! In '82 we were in Germany..." John Gallagher announced and added all tours they played before telling that they will pay tribute to the recently deceased Ronnie James Dio and so played a passage of Man On The Silver Mountain. With Break The Chain they finished off their set and fans of the trio infernale and the band were exhausted. Okay, the British couldn't convince everybody, especially younger metalheads where wondering about this trio and their Spinal Tap-like outfit, but for older metal fans they offer songs from the glory days of NWoBHM.

 

 Exhorder



There aren't many bands who just released 2 albums, then disbanded frustrated in 1992, and are still synonyms for aggressive, grooving thrash metal. Pantera and Machine Head became successful after Slaughter In The Vatikan (the cover artwork is cult!) and The Law been released. Exhorder were just unlucky, wrong management, no label support and some fights among the band members. If the circumstances would have been different, who knows... They are back together and it's not for financial reasons, so they have no backdrop or merchandise! Many fans were looking for Exhorder shirts, but there were no official shirts. And everybody who asked about shirts got told that they don't even have a manager. Musically Exhorder offered a brutal trash attack, even if the band has to work on their stage performance. Only singer Kyle Thomas was in action, but it was great to hear the old tunes, especially The Law. Their set made one aware of the brutal music Exhorder created back then, let's hope they continue and deliver some new killer tracks! (CB)

 

NOLA's Exhorder should deliver another thrash attack. After 18 years they returned to Germany and as the band only recorded 2 album in the early 90's the set would be a trip down memory lane for their fans. Singer Kyle Thomas and his mates presented songs of Slaughter In The Vatican and The Law, their brutal riffs are combined with a dash of death metal, but for someone who don't know the songs the songs are too similar and as they aren't very melodic they can't hook you up live. Fans of the band from Crescent City it was a feast, a huge most pit opened up. Even as the band is working on new songs, they haven't had something new to offer.



Accept



Aceept without Udo Dirkschneider... that raise speculations. The German metal legend was founded more then 40 years ago. And in the late 80's they gave it a try with David Reece, but the fans didn't really accept the new Aceept singer. This time TT Quick's Mark Tornillo is fronting the band. The German-American outfit chose Metal Heart to open their set. Right from the start it was obvious that the guys enjoyed being back on stage and songs like Living For Tonight, Son Of A Bitch and London Leatherboys sounded fresh. "It's from our new album, it's called The Abyss!" announced Tornillo the first new song. And after Losers & Winners they presented another new one - Teutonic Terror. Time for some more classics... Breaker, I'm A Rebel and Balls To The Wall made the fans go crazy. Everybody in the band was smiling, happy with the fan reaction. After Balls To The Wall the band left the stage and the fans loudly demanded more. And they returned to finish their set with Princess Of The Dark and Fast As A Shark. Guitarists Wolf Hoffmann and Herman Frank as well as bassist Peter Baltes were always in action and posing like in the good ol' days. Singer Mark Tornillo sound very good and was close to the original, but he isn't copying Mr. Dirkschneider - which he also showed in his outfit which was more Bon Scott-like, even if he was dressed in leather. 

With this show Aceept showed that they alive and kickin'! And with Mark Tornillo they found a singer who can replace Udo Dirkschneider and who will be accepted by their fans. The new songs fit well to the old classics and so the future looks bright for band.



Kreator



Kreator are the local heroes and headlining such a festival is just right for them. Mille and the other Kreators seemed to explode on stage. Their powerful, brutal sound was steam rolling everything. I heard that the volume reached 96 decibel, but that's hearsay. But I can confirm that while I was in the photo pit it was incredibly loud - tinnitus guaranteed. And the thrash attack continued with Endless Pain followed by Pleasure To Kill. From their current release they played Hordes Of Chaos and they showed the video clip on some screens. Circle pit, crow surfer, wall of death and headbanging - all this accompanying songs like Phobia, Violent Revolution and Extreme Aggression. The crowd went wild! Every song a knockdown blow. Kreator were out to thrash the place! A brutal Flag Of Hate got them straight into Tormentor and Kreator left the stage. The audience was enthusiastic and exhausted at a time. A killer show!!! (CB)



Then it was time for the headliner! Kreator are from Essen-Altenessen which is just a stone's throw from the amphitheater. The foursome entered the stage while their intro Choir Of The Damned was played, and they headed into The Pestilence. They continued with Hordes Of Chaos and Phobia before Mille welcomed the fans and announced that they dedicate this show to Ronnie James Dio, Pete Steele and Debbie Abono. Next in live: Enemy Of God and Impossible Brutality. And they presented a brutal firework of Kreator classics incl. Endless Pain, Pleasure To Kill, Terrible Certainty and Extreme Aggression. The stage was flooded in read light, but unfortunately the projects didn't work most of the time... "Show me the biggest mosh pit Rock Hard festival has ever seen!" demanded Mille - and they stormed off for Coma Of Souls. Like a well-oiled machine Kreator kept going, even guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö is part of the German thrashers for almost a decade - and it looks like they will go on forever! Amok Run, Violent Revolution and Demon Prince should follow. The security in the pit was working hard to get all the crowd surfers safe back on their feet. A huge mosh pit / wall of death documented that Kreator are the masters of German thrash. The final thrash attack was delivered in form of Flag Of Hate / Tormentor. The amphitheater was all but smoldering ashes... Time to go home... at least for me. Others were out to party or were heading for the camp site. Back tomorrow!





Sunday, May 23rd 2010



Another hot, sunny day and chances were good to get sun burnt. But I won't complain, I prefer the heat to the cold and rainy days we just been through.



Sacred Steel



The last day was kicked off by Sacred Steel. I have no idea what they have ingested the previous day, coz their singer Gerrit Mutz seemed slightly drunk... He forgot parts of the lyrics and one of the guitarists helped out. And then he drop dead, but his cinematic stunt made him even more likeable. The amphitheater soon was filled with fans. Power metal hymns like Wargods Of Metal, Heavy Metal To The End and The Power Of Speed were presented and so the fans started to party. The energetic stage acting was contagious. The sympaticos paid tribute to Dio like so many other bands and so they decorated one of the monitors with a 'Tribute to Dio' shirt. (CB)



Keep Of Kalessin



Next in line the only black metal band of the whole festival: Keep Of Kalessin. The Norwegians are crossing boundaries musically. In interviews they always point out that they aren't limited to one genre. They spiced up their blast parts with epic arrangements and sometimes even exotic sounds and a dash of folk. The refrains are catchy and so you can easily sing along new tracks like Judgement and The Dragontower. With brutal blast parts they attacked the audience which was welcome by their fans. Thumbs up for their musical performance and stage acting.



Crashdïet



The Swedish glam metal band Crashdïet entered the stage next. In Sweden glam metal already is quite successful and now the Swedish guys target Germany. They are the first glam metal band playing Rock Hard festival and the crowd gave them a warm welcome. CrashdïetCrashdïet rocked the stage with fervor. They were always in action and the fans sang along.

I confess, I'm no fan of glam, but as Götz Kühnemund said, the Sweds are much better then Poison. Crashdïet have a raw sound and aren't as much fake as many other glam bands. In a nutshell, Crashdïet rock!

For singer Simon Cruz it was the first show which he managed very well. Beside watching the band on stage one could spot some sexy dressed fans. If it all were girls, I don't know. Anyway, even a glam dispraiser like me enjoyed the show. (CB)



Orphaned Land



Just yesterday Orphaned Land played in Tel Aviv as support of Metallica and now in Gelsenkirchen at Rock Hard festival. The Israeli band isn't playing frequently in Germany, but they are the band who made Oriental metal popular. With their music they help to close the gap between cultures and countries. They add progressive elements and Oriental influences to death / doom metal and due to the vocals and Oriental-sounding choirs the songs are catchy and live a lot more fun. Even if the fans weren't going crazy, the band got a lot attention. After the first track singer Kobi Farhi announced "No, I'm not Jesus!" But he would win a look-alike contest, especially when he's dressed in his white robe. The guys enjoyed being on stage and delivered a good show. At some songs a belly dancer joined them and so give the songs a touch of Israeli folklore. Orphaned Land presented themselves very well, the friendly band is one of the most important bands from the Middle East. And I think they made a lot friends here at Rock Hard festival. (CB)



I'm not a huge fan of Orphaned Land, but live the Israeli band is always fun. Charismatic singer Kobi Farhi was barefoot and dressed in a white robe - looking a bit like Jesus Christ. Their Oriental metal is dark, progressive and combines heavy guitars with traditional sounds. For Norra el Norra Kobi Farhi asked the fans to jump - and they followed his orders. The guys took it easy, even when they had to fight some technical problems... "Technology and mythology - don't work together well... sometimes." The Jesus look-alike commented with a smile. Orphaned Land united people, but also divide music lovers. Some like them for their unique sound while others are just bored. Personally I hope that they will do a club tour later this year.



Virgin Steele



Fans of traditional metal were waiting for Virgin Steele and their 'classic metal set'. The band entered the stage and the first obvious thing was, that there was no bass player! Bass player and rhythm guitarist Josh Block supported guitarist Ed Pusino on the guitar, why they didn't bring a bassist, I don't know. For a couple of years the keyboards are playback, but that wasn't the only complain about the sound. David DeFeis did his best to entertain the fans - and partly succeeded. Unfortunately is wasn't the classic set, even if they played Noble Savage - only the title track and no more songs of this classic or Age Of Consent and Life Among The Ruins. To me it seemed that David DeFeis was singing a bit too high... Anyway, the sympatico was always in action and with Crown Of Glory and A Symphony Of Steel offered at least 2 songs off The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell Part II. David DeFeis announced a new album for later this year - by now the word was spread that Virgin Steele signed a worldwide deal with Steamhammer / SPV.

The fans of the New Yorkers were happy to see them live, but hopefully they will tour with the new album and bring a bass player. ;)



Nevermore



Rain City power metal flagship Nevermore should be on stage next. And during the break a lot fans gathered in front of the stage, waiting for the Seattleites. Their new album The Obsidian Conspiracy wasn't released, but the band already had some songs on the set list and a new backdrop with the artwork was shown. They kicked off with Beyond Within and right from the start Warrel Dane & co. showed that they can still rock. With their powerful sound they steam rolled all and everything. Some bands had to suffer a weak guitar sound, but luckily this wasn't the case when Nevermore played. Drummer Van Williams was forcing them ahead while guitarists Jeff Loomis and Attila Voros (touring member) fired precise riffs at the audience. They were out to take down the place with songs like The River Dragon Has Come and Enemies Of Reality. Early in their set they presented the first new song - Your Poison Throne! Afterwards Warrel told the fans "I will slam a Red Bull, and I will slam it because we have to go faster!" Time to speed up for Born. The fans were chanting 'Nevermore' and Warrel did a photo of the audience. "Thank you, right now we do another new song. Some of you might know the words..." Dane stated and they headed into Emptiness Unobstructed. The new songs showed that Nevermore are back to their 'classic' sound and so the new tracks fit well to tracks like Inside Four Walls or The Heart Collector. But before they played the more balladesque The Heart Collector they had with The Godless Endeavor a long track on the set list. Then Dane told the audience that they will play the title track of the new album. "Sorry, fucked up again. I always do that." After The Heart Collector they presented The Obsidian Conspiracy. Time was flying and they were running out of time, but Nevermore wanted to play one more song. "In the words of my good friend Chuck Billy, I want you to come over the wall, coz we are the Enemies Of Reality!" While the band played their last track the crew brought down the backdrop. Nevermore ignoring them. During the closer Warrel pulled out his iPhone again to photograph the people celebrating Seattle's finest. Nevermore is back! And everybody who saw this performance won't think twice about getting a ticket for the upcoming tour!



Sonata Arctica



Another break. Sonata Arctica, the Finnish melodic metal outfit, entered the stage. Tony Kakko & co. were on tour late last year to promote their latest album The Days Of Grays and it could be expected that they will play a stripped down version of that set. Many didn't understand why Nevermore played after Nevermore - and so the crowd in front of the stage was smaller. Sure, songs like Fullmoon and Don't Say A Word are welcomed by their fans, but it seemed that the majority was a bit bored... Other decided to pack up their stuff, loading the car to leave right after Rage & Lingua Mortis Orchestra. Fans of the more extreme sounds left immediately.

Anyway, the small crowd wasn't motivating the band, they didn't even try to convince some metal fans live and so they even cut down their set and left earlier! Other bands would have taken this as a challenge and give 150% - not Sonata Arctica. But well, after a powerhouse like Nevermore most bands will have a tough time...



Like in previous years the winner of the karaoke contest entered the stage to do Iron Maiden's Aces High. To set everything up for Rage and the small-sized orchestra would take more time and so additionally Mambo Kurt was booked to entertain the people. The entertainer played a couple of songs and during Paradise City some fans were doing a polonaise. At the end he asked the audience, if they want to hear Highway To Hell played on organ or Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice played on a ancient C64. The fans voted for Ice Ice Baby and so for the first time a hip hop song was played at RockHard.



Rage



Finally everything was set up and the orchestra musicians took their places, but before the conductor could start the show Götz Kühnemund entered the stage to thank everybody for a great weekend and especially the CCS Security team for doing a great job.

The conductor gave the signal to start and the Lingua Mortis Orchestra set in. Peavy and Victor Smolski joined in. They kicked off with the Rage classic Turn The Page. Tonight they had just a small-sized orchestra with them, but they were limited by the size of the stage. The fans sang along from the first song and it didn't take long til the first crowd surfers appeared. Even if it's a bit strange to have crowd surfers at a show like this. Anyway, songs like Cradle To The Grave and Alive But Dead sounded great in the orchestrated version and Rage even played a metalized piece of Beethoven. A medley of Rage classics offered Black In Mind and Sent By The Devil. No surprise that Empty Hollow found it's way onto the set list. The symphonic tune off Strings To A Web made Peavy & co. consider to do more shows with the Lingua Mortis Orchestra in future. Unfortunately the volume was a bit low, but I guess it was necessary to take down the volume to give the orchestra more space... And with Higher Than The Sky they closed this chapter, RockHard 2010 is history.

To get an impression of Rage & Lingua Mortis live, visit the Rockpalast page now!



The ones who stayed one more night were heading for the party tent while the majority was on their way home. Thanks again for a well-organized festival with fantastic bands, a friendly security and everybody attending. The atmosphere was awesome and I bet that next year the festival will be sold out even earlier then this year! So don't wait too long to get your ticket for the best metal party in the 'Ruhrpott'! See you next year!



Additional note: German TV channel WDR recorded this years installment of RockHard Festival and a 2-hrs. long special will be aired July 25th to 26th as part of their Rockpalast series.



  
  







Claudia Ehrhardt

Carsten Bahr (CB)



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RockHard Festival 2009
- May 29th - 31st 2009 - Gelsenkirchen (D)
 

Angel Witch, Prong, Jag Panzer, Opeth, Grand Magus, Hail Of Bullets, DragonForce, Forbidden, Jon Oliva's Pain, Children Of Bodom, Firewind, D-A-D, Heathen, UFO, Sacred Reich, Saxon 



When RockHard magazine celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2003 the festival should have been a one-time event and now 6 years later they are still alive and kicking! The location in Gelsenkirchen is great and the weather was good, best conditions for a festival! It's a pleasure to be at RockHard Festival due to the excellent organization and friendly security.



Friday, May 29th 2009



The first band of the festival was Witchburner which I missed due to delayed trains... But at least I was there in time for Angel Witch!



Angel Witch



The NWoBHM legend wanted to play at the RockHard Festival and contacted the organization, looks like Kevin Heybourne & co. hear nothing but good things about it. Anyway, Angel Witch who broke up and reformed frequently started again in 2008 and were out to present a set of their classics. Usually expectations are high when a legendary band is on the billing and so they might have disappointed some fans. On the other hand you have to take in account that the band isn't playing live frequently - and that showed in their performance. They kicked off with Sweet Danger. At that time not too many fans were in front of the stage, but during the set more came to watch the NWoBHM heroes. Songs like Confused, Gorgon and White Witch were welcome and fans started chanting 'Angel Witch'. One of the highlights was Angel Of Death, but the crowd in front of the stage got real loud when Heybourne announced Angel Witch! The fans were loudly singing along and in the photo pit stood Götz Kühnemund enjoying the band and singing along, too.

With Deströyer 666 one of the heaviest bands were next in line. The Australian band entered the stage to conquer the audience with their blackend thrash metal. I'm not too familiar with K.K. Warslut and his mates, but they fired tracks like I Am The Wargod and Black City, Black Fire at the audience. Time for some head banging!



Prong



I was curious to see Prong, I really liked their albums Beg To Differ, Cleansing and Rude Awakening, but somehow haven't seen them live before. Mainman Tommy Victor and his pales kicked off with For Dear Life, the opener of Beg To Differ. And with the following Lost & Found they had the fans on their side! Just awesome! I missed to take notes, but remember that they played Third From The Sun and their classic Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck and ended their set with Power Of The Damager. Prong delivered a powerful set. And a massive mosh pit in front of the stage showed that they set the house in fire! Great show!



Jag Panzer



Co-headliner of the first day were Jag Panzer, a band I saw several times and it always been a blast! The Colorado-based band is around since the early 80's and never been a band which had to overcome frequent line-up changes. When Chris Broderick left the band to join Megadeth they brought back Chris Lasegue who was in the band in the late 80's and recorded with them Chain Of Command - and with the title track of this album they headed into their set. With Harry 'The Tyrant' Conklin they have an extraordinary singer fronting and after the first song he asked the audience "Are we heavy metal tonight?" - and the fans answered loudly. Time for Future Shock and Tyranny! "You guys sing good!" commented The Tyrant and they played Black, Fate's Triumph and The Mission. At the beginning of The Mission the P.A. dropped out for a moment, but that fans didn't care. With songs like Iron Eagle and Take To The Sky they fired some more killer songs into the amphitheater. For the opening of Viper guitarists Mark Briody and Chris Lasegue teamed up at the center of the stage and showed their skills and a bit later their classic Licensed To Kill was presented. Too soon they ended their set with Generally Hostile. Another great show and I hope Jag Panzer come back soon!



Opeth



I missed the first half of the Opeth set while chit-chating with Prong's Tommy Victor, but I heard that the first song they played was Heir Apparent, followed by Ghost Of Perdition and Hessian Peel. The Swedish band presented their atmospheric metal accompanied by video projections. Mikael Akerfeldt and his mates presented a good set, but somehow their music isn't made for festivals. Sure, their fans enjoyed the show, but they could hardly convince other metal heads. And so the first day ended.





Saturday, May 30th 2009



I had an interview arranged with Jag Panzer at their hotel and so it didn't made sense to go to the amphitheater first. Thanks Mieze for taking over!



Grand Magus



Okay, I didn't made it in time for Evocation, but hell a festival should be fun, right? Not that I know Grand Magus very well, but it would be interested to see Spiritual Beggars' Janne 'JB' Christoffersson and his mates live. Actually the stoner sound was a bit too slow for me - at least at this time of the day. To open up they chose Like The Oar Strikes The Water which was followed by Blood Oath and Wolf's Return. Between the doomy tunes the master took a sip from the bottle. The threesome was out to promote their last album Iron Will live and so they played the title track and The Shadow Knows, just to finish with King Slayer. (Thanks to the guy next to me for helping me with the song titles! :) )

I know Twin Peaks, but who the hell is Audrey Horne? I learnt that the Norwegian band is a side-project of Enslaved and Sahg members. The quartet play some kind of dark hard rock with a progressive edge. Quite interesting, I should check out their CDs!



Hail Of Bullets



Dutch metal force Hail Of Bullets entered the stage next. Martin van Drunen and his pals steamrolled everything with their brutal metal attack! They weren't out to make no prisoners! They only have the debut album ...Of Frost And War and the EP Warsaw Rising out and so their fans knew what to expect - 45 min. of metal! They crowned their set with Berlin and I think they made a lot of new fans! Hail Of Bullets can't be stopped! (Mieze)

Dragon Force



When I arrived DragonForce were already on stage - and they hadn't a good sound. Actually I liked their debut Valley Of The Damned and saw them live before, but after awhile I grew a bit tired of their hyperfast tunes, even if they are always melodic. The DragonForce guys are always in action, running around and posing. Singer ZP Theart had time to kill while Herman Li and Sam Totman fired their leads and so throw bottles of water into the audience and entertained the fans in the first rows. DragonForce deliver a professional set, but to me the songs sound too much the same. Sorry.



Forbidden



Time for some San Francisco thrash attack! Forbidden came to present their Twisted Into Form and Forbidden Evil albums live. After almost 20 years the songs still sound fresh and Russ Anderson & co. kicked ass! A huge circle pit opened up with the first notes - and lasted til they finished their set with Chalice Of Blood! Guitarist Craig Locicero is now accompanied by Steve Smyth and together they fired some deadly riffs. Forbidden Evil, Off The Edge, March Into The Fire and Through Eyes Of Glass showed their class and make one wonder why they never made it into the premier league of thrash metal... Russ Anderson's high screams were piercing. The band was on fire! Nothing could stop them, but even Forbidden had to keep the schedule and so had to leave the stage after an hour. Hopefully they come back on tour and thrash European stages! 

For Jon Oliva's Pain it wasn't the first time they performed at RockHard Festival. Jon Oliva is a living legend and for metal fans who never saw Savatage live this is the closest they can get. JOP has now 3 albums out, but as the fans want to hear the Savatage classics the band only added 2 JOP songs. The stage was dominated by the piano of the Mountain King.  They kicked off with City Beneath The Surface and afterwards Jon Oliva welcomed the fans. After Sirens they presented Through The Eyes Of The King. One of my favorites still is Chance, but they shouldn't do this one, coz they don't have enough singers in the band. Sorry. Jon Oliva introduced his Pain while something at his piano got fixed and they headed into Maniacal Renderings. With the first notes of Gutter Ballet Götz stormed down the stairs and headed into the pit to head bang and sing along. A few more Savatage classics followed incl. Believe, Jesus Saves and Hall Of The Mountain King. And the fans seemed to love it... I guess, I saw Savatage too often and I still miss the magic Savatage had on stage. Beside that Jon's voice wasn't in a good shape... For many JOP might have been one of the highlights at RHF 2009, but not for me.



Children Of Bodom



Children Of Bodom also returned to the amphitheater, but due to a broken shoulder of mainman Alexi Laiho they had cancelled the last part of their US tour and I doubted that he would be fit for the festival. But the Finnish didn't cancel! A huge backdrop announced COBHC and the five Finns entered the stage. As usual every other word of Alexi Laiho was 'fuckin'  and it seems that the pain made him even more pissed... Due to the double duty as a singer and guitarist Laiho can't move around much, but this time his show was a bit static - but to go on stage and perform with a broken shoulder has to be honored! Songs like Hellhounds On My Trail, Smile Pretty For The Devil, Needled 24/7 and Bodom Beach Terror satisfied their fans. But it seemed that only the people in front of the stage and the crowd surfers really enjoyed the Hate Crew... Not the best performance of the Finnish, but due to the circumstance it was okay. Alexi, get well soon!





Sunday, May 31st, 2009



I knew that I would be home late as I was invited to join some friends at the hotel bar - and so it was time for Mietze to tell about the first bands!

Shame on me, again I missed the first band and again I was there in time for today's number 2 - Firewind.



Firewind



Last November Firewind toured in Europe and delivered a good performance, but singer Apollo wasn't at his best... They opened up with Head Up High and like last year they played Angels Forgive Me, Mercenary Man and the Michael Sembello cover Maniac. It was interesting to hear Losing Faith, a tune of their coming album and even if everybody in the band is very skilled, today they were just average... But every band can have a dog's day.

Day #3 and way too early for me, I skipped Bullet for some coffee.



D-A-D



It's party time! The Danish rockers D-A-D are so much fun live! They deliver a crazy show - incl. 2-string bass player Stig Pederson changing his instrument, one was a monster, another was a rocket... And at Sleepin My Day Away, their smash hit, Stig wore a sparking helmet! Songs like Jihad, Rim Of Hell, Riskin' It All and Everything Glows made the people dance. Good time rock and great show - that's what you get from D-A-D! (Mietze)



Heathen



Another thrash attack should follow - Heathen. Guitarist Lee Altus has just toured Europe with Exodus and is now back with his band Heathen. Even as the band was founded in 1984 they will release this year their 3rd full-length album The Evolution Of Chaos. The opener was Mercy Is No Virtue and they headed on with Goblin's Blade. With Dying Season they gave a first impression of the coming album, but it were the classics like Hypnotized, Opiate Of The Masses, Open the Grave and Death by Hanging which thrashed the place!



U.F.O.



Thrash fans got a break to recover for Sacred Reich when U.F.O. took over. The British kicked off with Mother Mary. Phil Mogg's voice is still strong, but during the show it got obvious that he aged, but for a man of 61 yrs. he's still doing good! The legendary band played two more tunes (Long Gone and Daylight Goes To Town) before they presented Saving Me, the opener of the coming album The Visitor. Classics like Too Hot To Handle and Love To Love were the highlights, but I missed Lights Out and Doctor, Doctor... Especially as they would have had time, if they wouldn't have played a more then 10 min. long version of Rock Bottom. This was definitely not one of their best shows, but it was fun. Only Rock Bottom was tiring in the extended version. I think U.F.O. do better in clubs where the light show is supporting the atmosphere of the songs. But well... 



Sacred Reich


>
And from Phoenix (Arizona, USA) came Sacred Reich, the thrash outfit of bassist and singer Phil Rind. The foursome kicked off with One Nation and Independent - a circle pit was already in full motion - when they delivered Administrative Decisions off their debut Ignorance. And they played Sacred Reich - what a blast! The show was a bit static, but perhaps Phil Rind & co. were just floored by the response and the action in front of the stage... The songs didn't flow into another, but the short breaks didn't slow down the thrashing crowd. They played a kind of best-of off their 4 albums and the place was on fire when they covered War Pigs! After The American Way and Death Squad they left the stage, but they didn't disappointed their fans and returned for Surf Nicaragua! I guess the security was happy when Sacred Reich finally left the stage, coz the crowd surfers kept them quite busy.

A longer break gave everybody the chance to recover, get some food & drinks while the crew was busy preparing the stage for Saxon and their special classics set incl. the eagle! But first it was time for the winners of the metal karaoke contest to jam.



Saxon



As on the tour with Iced Earth Saxon opened up their set with Battalions Of Steel, Heavy Metal Thunder and Demon Sweeney Todd. So far no surprises. Biff Byford and his mates offered a set full of their classics, but after playing this songs a thousand times they switched songs and changed the set list more then once. But every metal fan knows songs like Strong Arm Of The Law, Motorcycle Man, Power And The Glory, Dallas 1 PM, but they also had some new songs in their set like Valley Of The Kings. Saxon never disappoint their fans, but kicking Crusader off the set might not please everybody... After Wheels Of Steel they left the stage - and soon the dinosaurs of NWoBHM returned for 3 more songs. With Princess Of The Night they ended their set and RockHard Festival 2009 was history.

This year we had no photo pass, so a few photos were made with a small digi-cam, others were taken on tour or other occations. Try to work something out for the next time.

Thanks to Götz and his crew for another great festival! Every year they listen to the readers and try to improve and so this time there were loggers available. A good idea, so now people who camp there and have no car, can store their valuables.

RockHard Festival 2009 is over and soon the first speculations about next years bands will start. This year some thrash bands showed up, what Götz will get for the next instalment can't be answered yet. Personally I hope they get Megadeth to headline one night... But it's all wait & see...

 





Claudia Ehrhardt & Mietze
 
Up 





 

 
RockHard Festival 2008
- May 9th - 11th 2008 - Gelsenkirchen (D) -
 

Y&T, Testament, Helstar, Exciter, Amorphis, Exodus, Immortal, Jørn, Volbeat, Paradise Lost, Iced Earth





Friday, May 9th



RockHard festival is still so popular that chief editor Götz Kühnemund and his crew keep going. Again we planned to arrive early, but due to the heavy traffic for the long weekend and the fact that Kiss played in Oberhausen - which we had to pass - we arrived in time to see American hard rockers Y&T.



Y & T



 Californian sunnyboy Dave Meniketti and his pales started almost 35 years ago and they are still alive and kicking. Sure, some of the original members left, but Phil Kennemore and mainman Dave Meniketti keep going. They kicked off with Hurricane! And even as the amphitheater wasn't filled yet the atmosphere was quite good from the first note. Y&T had their high time in the early / mid-80's and so they played a lot songs from their early albums like Mean Streak - with a short solo of Dave Meniketti - or later in the set Midnight In Tokyo. It's been awhile since they played Midnight In Tokyo while songs like Dirty Girl and Rescue Me are always played. Before Rescue Me Mr. Meniketti talked a bit with the fans... "We are sandwiched between this heavier bands, but it's okay. Music is music, when it's good. And it looks like there are some Y&T fans here?! Next we will play a special song which means a lot to all who are into Y&T!" and with the first notes of Rescue Me their fans went crazy and sung along loudly. After introducing the band Dave said "We did a couple of CDs in the 90's which get under the radar... Here is a song from one of them - Pretty Prison!" The song taken from Musically Incorrect get a short drum solo part added and they head to Black Tiger which they always play, not like Looks Like Trouble. Afterwards bassist Phil Kennemore took over the mike and asked everybody to help him out as he's a weak singer - which he proofed at Squeeze. Last, but not least it was time for Forever! Unfortunately they ran out of time, even if many of the people in front of the stage wanted more. Hope they come back soon!

Change over for Die Apokalyptischen Reiter. To be honest we left for some food after the 3 song, coz we were hungry and they couldn't catch our interest. The fans celebrated the metal party they offered and it seems that with Riders Of The Storm they set the place on fire..



Testament




Then is was time for the headliner! Bay Area legend Testament was chosen for Friday night. As intro they used The Boys Are Back In Town and then they entered the stage and kicked off with Over The Wall! But the first surprise was that guitarist Alex Skolnick wasn't with them! Many fans had desperately waited to see Chuck Billy and the boys again and the set list was what fans were longing for, but.... The sound was extremely bad and so for non-die hard fans it sounded like they played one song again and again. Sure, it's not just the bands fault, but as a headliner they have more chances to take influence then bands playing earlier the day. And so tracks like Raging Waters, The Preacher, Reign In Terror or Souls Of Black couldn't shine - partly because Eric Peterson couldn't make up for the missing Skolnick. A pity, but so far the first time a band at RockHard failed big time!



Saturday, May 10th



Helstar



Again we arrived past noon, but as we wanted to see Helstar we were at the festival earlier then the previous day. James Rivera and Helstar are back in the Remnants Of War line-up and announced a special show for the RockHard festival. But who expected they play most of Remnants Of War, was proven wrong! The Texans played songs from all their mid-80's albums and opened up with The King Is Dead off Distant Thunder. Between the songs sympathico James Rivera talked a little, but as they didn't had much time they rocked on with songs like Possession and Suicidal Nightmare before they played a new song - Tormentor. The new track was on their last years best-of Sins Of The Past and was an appetizer for the coming album. The track showed that they still have the spirit and so the tune fit into the mix of old tracks. After Harker's Tale they played their hit - Run With The Pack! And the guys were really impressed about the fans loudly singing along! Unfortunately they only had time for one more and had to leave after Baptized In Black. But James Rivera had announced that there will be a new album and a tour, so something to look forward to for US metal fans!

Next in line some black metal-ish viking rockers from Norway - Enslaved. The crowd in front of the stage had changed and to see what was announced as 'black metal meets Rush and Pink Floyd'. Well, the complex arrangements and the technically well played songs make the Norwegians differ from the majority of black metal acts, but I can't really detect the named influences... And so decided it's time for a coffee break!



Exciter



Back for Exciter! Another 'old' band came to rock. The Canadian outfit had just released a new album called Thrash Speed Burn in February - and so they concentrated on the new stuff. It was the first show for their new singer Kenny Winter who was always in action and running from one side of the stage to the other. With Violator they went back in time to Blood Of Tyrants to be followed by another new one - In Mortal Fear. But even as the Canadians did their best, they couldn't spark the fire. Only their hymn Heavy Metal Maniacs made the fans going crazy. The sound wasn't powerful enough for Exciter and perhaps the set list wasn't chosen well... A decent show, but that's it.



Amorphis



Last year Amorphis been one of the highlights at Bang-Your-Head festival and so I knew what to expect. Singer Tomi Joutsen and his friends had fun on stage, that was obvious. And they played a mixed set incl. songs from almost all albums, not just the latest releases Eclipse and Silent Waters. During their one hour long set they play e.g. I Of Crimson Blood, Better Unborn, Alone and Black Winter Day. The Finnish quintet could satisfy long time fans as well as younger ones. Especially singer Tomi Joutsen managed to get the attention of everyone in the amphitheater. Too soon their stage time was over and the five-some left the stage. Hope they soon will present some new songs, a new album and hit the road again!



Exodus



Time for some more thrash metal! Exodus! The Californians just toured and played a sold-out show in Essen which is just around the corner from Gelsenkirchen and so it was to expect that they set the place on fire! Openin up with the title track of their debut Bonded By Blood they showed what thrash is about! And the security got a lot of work with crowd surfers. Kudos to the security for doing such a damn good job! Guitarists Lee Altus and Gary Holt built a wall of guitars while singer Rob Dukes animated the fans to built a circle pit and a wall of death! Fans welcomes the old stuff most, but newer songs like Funeral Hymn, Children Of A Worthless God and War Is My Shepard fitted in as well. Even if their classics like A Lesson In Violence and Bonded By Blood were the highlights.

For some fans the next band was the reason to come to RockHard festival, for others it was the one they wouldn't have missed... Immortal always been a band dividing people. But what makes Immortal one of the top black metal bands is their sound - and that they don't take themselves too serious. Abbath welcomed the fans with "Hello ladies and motherfuckers!" and they kicked off with The Sun No Longer Rises. The trio steamrolled the fans in front of the stage and delivered an impressive show to the ones on the steps of the circular amphitheater. Sorry, but I can't tell much about the songs as I'm not familiar with the band. I think they played Tyrants and Sons Of Northern Darkness... Immortal were the band which made people compare black metal musicians with corpse paint with panda bears and so some fans up-front had some plush panda bears for the guys. Abbath commented with a smile "Oh, cool! Panda bears!" - looks like he takes it easy... Also that he initiated a La Ola, something you won't expect from a black metal outfit. Some fire spitting and pyro effects later they left the stage after Unsilent Storm - at least my neighbor told me that's the title of the song... But the three-some returned for 3 more songs and Immortal fans left happily after a best-of-set of their heroes. And so day #2 was over. 



Sunday, May 11th



We didn't make it in time for Sieges Even, but saw the last 10 minutes of their set. I saw the German progsters last October at ProgPower Europe and was curious who they would do at this festival. For a prog band festivals like RockHard are always a challenge, coz most of the audience isn't into prog rock / metal. The Germans and their Dutch singer took it easily and played a professional set, even if not many people gathered in front of the stage. Unfortunately we only saw The Weight... Hope to catch them again live...

With death metal veterans Asphyx the musical genre changed from one extreme to the other. Not my cup of tea... Time for some coffee! ;-)


Jørn



And then it was time for Jørn! One of the highlights for me at this weekend! But I know that this isn't his audience, coz this year the focus was more on thrash metal. It was one of the rare shows of Jørn Lande since he left Masterplan. Unfortunately he had only a short stage time and so he concentrated on his own songs. The band did a decent show, but even if Jørn Lande is an extraordinary singer, he isn't a great entertainer. Anyway, it was great to hear songs like Fire Soul, The Duke Of Love and Stormcrow. And as a little appetizer he played 2 songs of the coming album Lonely Are The Brave, the title track and War Of The World. The songs fit perfectly into the set and too soon it was over, but not before they played Tungur Knivur and the only cover version today - Are You Ready of Thin Lizzy. I guess if he have had more time a few Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy tunes - as he does at headliner shows. Can't wait to see Jørn again on stage this fall!

With Napalm Death a death metal / grindcore band was next on the schedule - time for another coffee! Be back for Danish Volbeat!


Volbeat



Two years ago Volbeat opened up Sunday morning the RockHard festival and only a few hundred people were there. Meanwhile they released a successful albums and toured a lot - and it seemed that everybody at the festival was waiting for the Danish! Elvis-Fan Michael Poulsen and his mates kicked off with The Human Instrument. And the crowd went crazy! People were dancing, head banging... It was party time! Volbeat played a kind of best-of off their last 2 albums. After Radio Girl Poulsen started talking to the fans.... "Are you feeling great?" he asked. And the crowd responded. He asked again and tried to cheer up the fans... Then he tricked them and asked "Are you feeling gay?" And they answered with a loud "Yeah!" Poulsen burst into laughter - like the rest of the band - and made a few more jokes before they continued with Sad Man's Tongue. Time is flying when you having fun, and so it was over too soon. Looks like the future is bright for the Danish dynamite!


Paradise Lost



I had my doubts when I heard that Paradise Lost would play, coz they aren't a festival band! And it gets worse when they have to play in day light! So I usually go to see them in a club and it's fun, but festival performances are... well, better forget about it. Even if they did quite good for a festival performance and after such an energetic band like Volbeat... Singer Nick Holmes was obviously in a bad mood and even if guitarist Greg Mackintosh and bassist Steve Edmondson were moving around, the stage presents of Paradise Lost never been their strong point. Why they played slower - most obvious with their classics e.g. As I Die, Enchantment, Say Just Words, Ember's Fire and Gothic - I have no clue. And so most people were soon bored, others left disappointed. My advice, if you like their music, go and see them playing in a club! Forget the festival show, coz Paradise Lost in a club or at a festival are two different worlds! Sorry guys!

Time for the all star karaoke jam... and the last chance to get some food before Iced Earth's show. I never liked karaoke, so I skipped that.



Iced Earth



Last band of the festival: Iced Earth! And as Matt Barlow is back, everybody was curious to see the Americans and so the amphitheater was packed. It was just the 3rd show for Iced Earth with the new line-up. But everybody who saw Iced Earth with Matt Barlow had high expectations - and they wouldn't disappoint them! They kicked off with The Dark Saga and right away the 'house' was on fire! A good light show supported the atmosphere of the different songs, so they flooded the stage in red light for Pure Evil. The focus was on songs of the Barlow-era, but with Declaration Day and 10,000 Strong they also played songs which originally been sung by 'Ripper' Owens. In my opinion these songs been more intense now as Matt Barlow is singing them. In the beginning Troy Seele's lead guitar was a little too loud while Matt's vocals could have been more up front, but it only took their sound engineer one song to balance the sound. After Pure Evil Matt talked to the people "The next song is a quite personal story for Jon... and for me... and for you, the fans!" Time for Watching Over Me! A special track and a very special atmosphere. Definitely one of the highlights of the set! Unfortunately there is a strict curfew and so they had only time for one encore with 3 songs - Melancholy, My Own Savior and Iced Earth. A kind of best-of set and even if I missed one or the other song, it was awes to see Iced Earth again. They are back!

During the show you could see that Jon Schaffer and Matt Barlow really been moved by the fan reaction, but not just the band, also the fans were moved. When Iced Earth come back for headliner shows in fall, they will play packed clubs, so get your ticket in time!

And so RockHard festival 2008 was over... Thanks to Götz and the RockHard crew, but also to the security who was extremely friendly and everybody else who made this festival a highlight of the whole festival season. I have no doubt that Götz & co. will work hard to top this years experience with RockHard festival 2009!


 





Claudia Ehrhardt
All photos by Rytah








 

 
RockHard Festival 2007
- May 25th - 27th 2007 - Gelsenkirchen (D) -
 

Heaven Shall Burn, Grave Digger, HammerFall, Turisas, Korpiklaani, Ross The Boss, Armored Saint, Death Angel, Amon Amarth, Paul DiAnno, Spock's Beard, Axel Rudi Pell, Thin Lizzy



When they did the festival in 2003 it should be only to celebrate their anniversary, but fans and musicians love it and so Götz Kühnemund decided to do it again -  as long as the fans want it. And they still want it! This it the 5th festival and it looks like it won’t be the last...

In the past on Friday night there just been some 'small' bands on a smaller stage at the upper part of the festival area, but this year all bands played at the big stage.



Friday, 25th May 2007


Heaven Shall Burn



When I arrived the Swiss band Cataract played their last notes... I was a bit too late... Next came Heaven Shall Burn, another band which tries to leave the MetalCore label behind. These days they are more a death / thrash band... The highlights of their set were Unleash Enlightenment and Behind The Wall Of Silence - I was told, coz to be honest I don't know the band at all. But I will check them out!

With German true metal legend Grave Digger the festival continued - and it many came to see them. The band of singer Chris Boltendahl presented in their ca. 70 minutes long set a lot of highlights. With Scotland United they had a good start into their set and onto a journey through their history. One of the highlights was Heavy Metal Breakdown - a real treat for fans of their early days! And with tracks like Excalibur, The Dark Of The Sun, The Grave Digger and Rebellion they gave their fans what they were longing for. Shouter Chris Boltendahl was always in action and a real entertainer. Guitarist Manni Schmidt added some fat riffs, but the stage acting of the other Diggers was a bit lame... Anyway, it was fun.



HammerFall



The change over took a little longer, coz drummer Anders had 10 bass drums on stage! They showed the band's name HammerFall on the bass drums- nice idea. The band presented their new, old bassist Fredrik Larsson who seems to feel more comfortable on stage with HammerFall then he did with Evergrey... The band of singer Joacim Cans offered mainly mid-tempo tunes, even if the fans waited for some faster ones. Songs like Threshold, Templars Of Steel, Let The Hammer Fall and Riders Of The Storm are fun, but a few more tracks like Heeding The Call would have been nice... With Glory To The Brave they also played the ballad of their debut - a song many still love. The quintet did a good, professional show with pyro effects and a huge light show, but I missed the certain something which makes it special. And so the first day ended and not much later a thunder storm started...



Saturday, 26th May 2007


Turisas



Saturday started cloudy - and we all hoped that it won't rain. Again I missed the first bands and arrived when Turisas entered the stage. The Finnish sextet - live they have additionally an accordion player - come to conquer the metal fans in Gelsenkirchen with their battle metal. Musically they include humppa elements like Finntroll do. Most of the songs are from Battle Metal - I guess - as the 2004 album is still their latest release. But soon their will be a new one - The Varangian Way. In the beginning not many people were gathered in front of the stage, but til the end of their set many more enjoyed their battle metal.


Korpiklaani



It was time for some more Finnish metal - Korpiklaani! The humppa folk metal band Korpiklaani are already known in the scene and within a few minutes the fans started a party! They banged, they danced, they sang! With Korpiklaani, Journey Man, Happy Little Boozer and Beer, Beer they made time fly. Highlight of their set was Hunting Song where they showed a little Black Sabbath... Cool!


Ross The Boss



Manowar did play only a few shows this spring and I don't think they will play RockHard festival soon, but with Ross The Boss they had a Manowar legend on stage! The former Manowar guitarist was joined by the German band Ivory Night as his 'backing band' and delivered old Manowar hymns which many fans missed at Manowar shows. And even if singer Patrick Fuchs can't keep up with Eric Adams, so he did very well. Songs like Shell Shock, Gloves Of Metal and Fighting The World made the fans go crazy. This is what many still want to hear and not the long speeches of the Metal Kings. And next time someone should take care that Bruder Cle (editor of RockHard) won't enter the stage... To be honest, this set was fun and I don't think that Manowar will be more fun...


Armored Saint



The Polish band Vader was next. Not my cup of tea... Time to get some food! And to be back in time for Armored Saint! The Bay Area band already played at the RockHard festival in 2003 - like Death Angel. The band of singer John Bush and bassist Joey Vera are rarely play live and so the fans were happy to see the Californians again. With songs like Symbol Of Salvation, Lesson Well Learned and March Of The Saint they rocked the 'house'! Its a pity that they don't tour more often, but on the other hand their rare gigs are always something special. I hope I don't have to wait another 5 years to see the guys again...


Death Angel



Bay Area thrashers Death Angel returned to Gelsenkirchen to thrash the place. They don't tour much here and so the fans were hot to see Mike Osegueda and his mates. The highlight was Seemingly Endless Time, but time was flying. And with the thunderous guitar riffs of Ted Aguilar and Rob Cavestany rocked the fans - and then some thunder and heavy rain came over the place. And many fans looked for shelter... Hopefully the guys will return to tour again in Europe.


Amon Amarth



Last, but not least... Amon Amarth! The Swedish vikings didn't care about the rain - and so did their fans. It seems they play wherever they can... Valhalla Awaits Me kicked off their show and seems to chase the clouds away. The death metal quintet presented a kind of 'best of' set including Masters Of War and Fate Of Norns. And so the second day of Rock Hard Festival 2007 was over.



Sunday, 27th May 2007


DiAnno



As it was still a bit too cold and rainy, I decided to skip the first bands and just get there in time to see Paul DiAnno. Former Iron Maiden singer Paul DiAnno came back to Germany and - as far as I know - didn't play much here, but a lot in Latin America... Well, actually I think that his time is over... long gone. These days Mr. DiAnno plays old Iron Maiden tracks like Murders In The Rue Morgue, Killers and Wrathchild in a punk style and The Ramones cover Blitzkrieg Bop couldn't change the impression. When Götz Kühnemund joined them on stage for Running Free it get very obvious that Paul's voice is ruined - Götz did the song better then the British. Sorry, but hopefully next time a 'real' band will get the chance to play and not a hero of the old days... I loved Iron Maiden with Paul DiAnno, but this was embarrassing!


Spock's Beard



Next in line was the prog metal band Spock's Beard. Here we don't have to talk about musicianship, but their complex songs aren't made for a festival where the metal fans want to party. The fans don't want 10 minute long improvised parts... They want songs to bang, to sing along and to rock. Even if they finished their set with the Led Zeppelin cover Whole Lotta Love, they don't fit onto the billing of a festival like Rock Hard....

For Axel Rudi Pell it's like playing at home... For years Mr. Pell is presenting CDs on a high level and with drummer Mike Terrana and singer Johnny Gioeli he has high-class musicians in the band - to name just these 2 guys. Johnny Gioeli was always in action - singing and entertaining the fans. But also keyboarder Ferdy Doernberg and bassist Volker Krawczak did a good show. Songs like Masquerade Ball and Fool, Fool are classics and are part of the live set for awhile. And as usual the blond guitarist played Cashbah, but usually he seems to be in his own world... This time he was using the whole stage, was running around and was more present then in the past. Melodic metal is still alive!


Thin Lizzy



Time for another legend - Thin Lizzy! But the fans had to wait for the Irish... More then 30 minutes late they entered the stage and so they had to cut down the set! They opened up with Jailbreak and in honor to Phil Lynott they played Bad Reputation Rosalie, Waiting For An Alibi and The Boys Are Back In Town. Scott Gorham and John Sykes presented a firework of Thin Lizzy classics, but they had only 60 minutes left due to the delay. And so I don't understand why Tommy Aldridge did a drum solo. Okay, he is doing good, especially for a 57-year old guy, but another track would have been more welcome.... Still a great band, but hopefully next time they play a long set!


And so it was over.... Götz and his crew did an amazing job and so there is no doubt that I'll be back in 2008. They had to deal with last-minute cancellations... bad weather and some other things, but well... Some things you can't control, but I hope that next year the billing will be a bit stronger again... Thanks again and see you in 2008!


 





MetalMieze (guest writer)








 

 
Rock Hard Festival 2006

- June, 2nd - 4th 2006 - Gelsenkirchen (D), Amphitheater -
 

Engel, Custard, Mercenary, Morgana Lefay, Mystic Prophecy, Caliban, Brainstorm, Nevermore, Sodom, Randalica, Volbeat, Beyond Fear, Evergrey, Finntroll, Fates Warning, Edguy, Dio



Again it was time to go to Gelsenkirchen, time for RockHard open-air. In 2003 they took place first and it was planned as a one-time event, but bands and fans rated it as the best German festival and so they continued. And they are still one of the best! Everybody can book such a billing, but RockHard chief Götz and his crew make this festival special, coz everything is well planned. The security is fantastic, very friendly and they always try to help. First-aid guys and girls were always visible and took care about everyone or at least checked, if someone needs help. And you don't spend a fortune on food and drinks. The atmosphere at Amphitheater was axcellent as always. Götz and his colleagues always informed the audience about changes, etc. Thanks again for the great work!




Friday, 2nd June 2006



Engel



The opening band was from Sweden and calls themselves Engel. They were voted by the readers of RockHard for 'demo of the month'. The guitarists aren't nobodies - Marcus Sunesson (ex-The Crown) and Niclas Engelin (Passenger, ex-Gardenian) and so nobody was surprise to hear modern metal which can be compared with In Flames and Raunchy. I don't know their demo, but they did a good job. Til the end of the set it became obvious that singer Magnus had some problems with his vocals. I think he just needs more experience. It won't take long and we'll see these guys on tour.



Custard



Then it was time for Custard. The power metaller are locals and as it was a special show - one of the 3 guitarists played his last show with Custard - and their friends came to see this special show. At the end they presented a cover version - Overkill's In Union We Stand. Good show.



Mercenary



Next were the Danish power metallers of Mercenary and I was really looking forward to see them. Their current album 11 Dreams was released in 2004 - a new one to come soon - and so the majority of songs were taken from that album. A while ago bassist Kral left and was replaced by René. During the first songs it became obvious that René add less growls, but backed-up Mikkel with his powerful voice. Songs like World Hate Center, 11 Dreams and Firesoul sounded powerful and less thrashy. Now as singer Mikkel got support from René - and probably to be prepared for the shows with King Diamond - he sang a notch higher then usual. Due to sound problems the great guitar work of Martin and Jacob kinda drowned. Anyway, they did a good show, even if I saw them in better shape before. The new album shall come in August - as far as I know - and so they presented one new track which seems to top 11 Dreams... And that one was 'album of the month' in several magazines!



Morgana Lefay



Last, but not least Morgana Lefay entered the small stage on Friday night. I saw them several times as Morgana Lefay and as Lefay - always been a good live band. But very soon it became clear that they also had to face major sound problems. Professionals they are, they gave their best. Singer Charles Rykönen sounded good and was always in motion. The fans in the first rows celebrated them and some stage divers been seen. The Swedish played a kind of 'best-of'-set including songs like The Seventh Seal, The Boon He Gives, Save Our Souls and Maleficium. The quintet will be back in September and I hope that then they won't have sound problems....




Saturday, 3rd June 2006



Mystic Prophecy



The change of the running order was on the RockHard festival website, but still many were surprised when Mystic Prophecy entered the stage instead of Crucified Barbara - the Swedish girls were now scheduled as opening band on Sunday. That the songs of their Savage Souls album are working well live they showed earlier this year at some shows. But now the band of singer R.D. Liapakis  came to play their Savage Soul tracks for a bigger audience. Songs like Shadows Beyond My Soul and Evil Empires were for some a wake-up call, while others enjoyed a few neckbreakers. Live Mystic Prophecy are on the way to the premier German power metal league.

For the ones who are still asleep Legion Of The Damned came to thrash the place. The Dutch presented teutonic thrash metal, but they need more stage experience.

I missed the Irish black metallers Primordeal, coz I needed some coffee - and black metal aren't my cup of tea. But fans of harder sounds said they did a great show...


Caliban



For metalcore band Caliban it was like playing at home, coz they are from Essen. They toured in 2004 successfully with In Flames. As they were the only metalcore band they had to convince the more traditional audience and they did. Sure, not everybody liked them, but at least they left a good impression. 

Brainstorm were next to enter the stage. It's been more then a year since the power metalheads been on tour and this year mainly festival shows been scheduled. And so fans been hot to see them. As far as I remember they played more or less the tour setlist and just cutted it down a bit. It's no secret that singer Andy B. Franck is one of the best power metal singer and a fantastic frontman. The band did a good show and again it was fun to see them!



Nevermore



Last year Nevermore toured Europe successfully and should have been back with The Disturbed, but the tour got cancelled. With this festival appearance Nevermore shortened the period of waiting for their fans. Seattle's finest had a little handicap, coz second guitarist Steve Smyth got hospitalized days before they had to fly in to Germany. But Warrel and his mates decided to play, they don't cancelled shows - only if it's absolutely impossible. But I can't tell much about their show, coz I was meeting Finntroll for an interview. I can't wait to see Nevermore in fall!!!



Sodom / Randalica



Actually the next two acts I wasn't interested in. About Sodom I can only say that they played some classics like Ausgebombt and Napalm In The Morning. And they used a lot of pyros and it was definitely a special show for their fans. As a kind of bonus at the end Randalica played 3 songs - including Tote Auffe Tanzfläche -, as the band were built by 2 Sodom members and RockHard members. As it was always a fun-thing that what it was - fun.

Next were the British Bolt Thrower, but please for give me, I needed food. And even if I would have stayed, I couldn't have said much about them. And if Celtic Frost wouldn't have been the headliners, I would have already left to the hotel. Sorry.

But instead of Celtic Frost only bassist Martin Ain entered the stage to tell the audience some bad news. Tom Warrior had some serious kidney trouble which was very painful, he got morphine and got to hospital by ambulence. Only a few boohed, but that can only be drunks, coz everybody should understand this. Sure, everybody was disappointed, but the party shouldn't end like this and so Nevermore, Sodom and Soilwork - who had already arrived - entered the stage to play a few songs. It was too late to arrange something else, but thanks to the bands who tried to fill the spot. Early back to the hotel and early back to the hotel bar.




Sunday, 4th June 2006



Sunday morning's first act was Crucified Barbara which I missed, coz I just saw them 3 times during the last month. But I guess that many metal fans were still asleep when they entered the stage...



Volbeat



Anyway, more and more metalheads showed up when the Danish Volbeat played. I haven't came across them before, but well... The quartet was a positive surprise. Their mixture of rock and metal with a slight punk attitude was fun. Singer Michael Poulsen was making jokes and tried to animate the audience - and more fans gathered in front of the stage. Okay, his Elvis-shirt was a little out of place. I think that was Danish humor. Next time they will play in the area I'll go to see them again!

Time for another coffee, coz the French Gojira and their progressive death metal is not what I'm really into. And I don't want to do a bad critic, just because of the type of music they play, so no critic is the best way - in my opinion. Sorry guys, but I think that's the most fair thing I can do.



Beyond Fear



I couldn't miss Ripper Owens and Beyond Fear, coz I heard a lot positive things about Beyond Fear from Chris Caffery after they toured together in the US. It made me curious. Many fans were waiting in front of the stage for Ripper Owens and Beyond Fear. The album was out for about a month and so some fans knew what to expect. Well, it was no surprise that Beyond Fear play US power metal. Tim Ripper Owens is an incredible singer, no doubt, but with a new band it's a new start. And doing a show with borrowed equipment isn't the best start at all. Their equipment got lost somewhere on the way... But no reason for them to give up! It took Ripper and his pales a while to warm up the fans, but when they started playing a Judas Priest medley of Burn In Hell and Bloodstained and later the Iced Earth song Red Baron / Blue Max the fans went wild. A good show which was crowned by their cover of Judas Priest's Green Manalishi. Looks like they need a bit more time, that fans need to know their songs and perhaps grow together as a band a bit more... Anyway, well done!



Evergrey



Next on stage the Swedish Evergrey - and one of the highlights of the day! Their latest album Monday Morning Apocalypse was released late March, but the quintet decided to play the best of the previous albums and some new songs. And so mainman Tom Englund presented songs like Mark Of The Triangle, Blinded, She Speaks To The Dead and the touching cover I'm Sorry as well as Monday Morning Apocalypse, Unspeakable and Still In The Water. The new songs fitted in well and showed the Swedish a bit heavier and with a modern touch. Again Evergrey played a tight show, no complains. Well, the sound wasn't the best, but that's a problem at festivals almost every band has to face. Too soon the show was over and I hope that when they come to tour more fans will come to see them! Can't wait for Monday Morning Apocalypse live! Thanks again!


Finntroll



Actually I thought that Finntroll are a band which is doing better at club shows, but the Finnish trolls rocked the house with their humppa metal. The party really started when some fans started a polonaise while the band played Jaktens Tid, Nattföd and Trollhammaren. They came with their new singer and he did a good job here. Especially a change on the microphone is always risky, but as Katla had to leave due to health problems, they had no choice. But were lucky to find Vreth, even if he needs some more stage experience.... As the guys told me the day before that a few shows are planned for winter, it seems that some new fans will show up...



Soilwork



I only saw the first songs of Soilwork, coz then I had an interview with their label mates Edguy. Actually the sound was very bad and so I didn't regret that I was scheduled for an interview. Singer Björn Speed Strid and bassist Ola Flink tried to animate the fans and the fans in front of the stage didn't cared about the sound, they wanted to party! Even if some might have been surprised about a new face behind the drums, Dirk had some health problems and so Darkane drummer Peter Wildör jumped in for some festivals. Hopefully next time they will have a better sound. And perhaps I'll get the chance to see them... 



Fates Warning



Luckily I was back for Fates Warning. I haven't seen the band for years, so it was something special. No need to talk about the skills of Nick D'Virgilio, Joey Vera or Jim Matheos. Even if many fans hoped for some old classics, the band didn't played any song from the John Arch-era. Ray Alder is in the band for years and so they have more then enough songs to choose from. But their die-hard fans were happy to hear songs like One - set opener - and Point Of View, even if they would have died to hear some really old tunes. Crowdsurfing isn't very common in the prog metal scene, but today the security didn't get a break! With Finntroll started the crowdsurfing and continued during the Soilwork set, but that Fates Warning had crowd surfers?!? It was something special in many ways and there is hope that they come back to Germany after such a great show. A show they ended with a Scorpions cover version of He's A Woman, She's A Man. Thank you and come back!



Edguy



The co-headliner spot was taken by Edguy who toured successfully throughout Europe in February and March. And so they mainly stick to that set, so it didn't have any surprises. Opening up with Out Of Control they came to party. They posted and partied, Tobi was making jokes - and like always not everybody shared his sense of humour. Songs like Vain Glory Opera, Tears Of A Mandrake, Lavatory Love Machine and King Of Fools were the highlights, but also new songs got a good response by the fans. No doubt, Tobias Sammet is a great entertainer, but perhaps I got too old for them now.    ;)

At the end of their show fans were shouting for Trinidad, but the band didn't play it. Some more festivals to come...



Dio



The change over for Dio seemed to take for ever, but the master wants to present the best possible show. And surprisingly he started with Children Of The Sea followed by I Speed At Night and One Night In The City. Wow, what a start! And soon you could watch many of the bands which played standing in the audience having fun watching Ronnie James Dio. With Stand Up And Shout, Holy Diver, Gypsy, Don't Talk To Strangers and Rainbow In The Dark they played the essentials of Holy Diver. To give Mr. Dio a break Simon Wright did a drum solo and guitarist Craig Goldy came next. Well, solos are always a walk on the edge, coz pretty often only musicians are really interested in it. But who could blame them for doing a solo, they get the space to show their skills. Then Ronnie came back with I of Dehumanizer. A few more songs and it was over, too fast and too soon. No encores and some classics missing... Perhaps they were running out of time... Perhaps he felt like he couldn't keep the high level of his performance... Anyway, a great show with a fantastic light show made me want more. Please come back to Germany! Meanwhile I can just recommend to see him when he's in town. And so it was over again, RockHard festival 2006 is over and now we can count the days til 2007! Or is there anybody doubting that RockHard will be back? For me and for many metal fans RockHard festival is the best we have in Germany and Götz promised to continue as long as the fans are satisfied! See you next year!

 





Claudia Ehrhardt








 

 
Rock Hard Festival 2004

- 29. & 30. Mai 2004 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany -
 

Thunderstone, Dead Soul Tribe, Naglfar, Gluecifer, Destruction, Krokus, Exodus, Gamma Ray, In Extremo, Into Eternity, Illdisposed, Pink Cream 69, Metal Church, Dark Tranquillity, Rage, Stratovarius, Machine Head



Last year Germany's RockHard decided to organize a festival to celebrate their 20th anniversary. It should be something special and it should be just this one time, but the fans, bands and everybody involved was happy and everyone was asking to go on and do a festival in 2004 as well. The response during the festival made chief-editor Götz and his colleagues change their minds and they announced that there will be a RockHard Festival in 2004. The initial concept was to do a festival from fans for fans - and that's what they did. Many fans said after the festival season that RockHard festival was the best festival 2003. But there are always things which can be improved and so the RockHard crew worked hard on doing it even better.



Thunderstone



Many festival visitors arrived on Friday and so they decided to offer a small program, but the real event started on Saturday.


Saturday, May 29th 2004



The first band to play at the amphitheater stage was Thunderstone. That was for some a surprise, coz actually the Italian Doomsword should play, but their guitarist had an arm injury and so their fellow countrymen Thunderstone took over the job. But both bands offer more or less the same mixture - epic doom metal and power metal. The trio of singer Fabio 'Thunder' Bellan doesn't offer a big show, they let the music do the talking. The powerful drumming, the pounding bass were delivering the basis for the Black Sabbath-like guitar riffing. With songs like Witchhunter Tales and Sad Symphony they gave the metal fans the first potion of metal including a cover version - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. Guess nobody expected that.



Dead Soul Tribe



The next band - Dead Soul Tribe - is more progressive. The Austrian band with the former Psychotic Waltz singer Devon Graves played songs like The Messenger, Something's You Can't Return as well as the Psychotic Waltz tune I Remember. For fans of Psychotic Waltz it's still strange to see Graves playing guitar. Partly they sounded quite psychedelic and were less metal. Sound problems they had to face, but they kept on rocking.



Naglfar



Something totally different came next - Naglfar! The Swedish band is on their way to take over the now vacant position Immortal left when they broke up. But the first 5 minutes were a disaster, not that the band fucked up, but the sound tech seemed to be on a different planet! Almost every black metal demo has a better sound than Naglfar had on stage! Luckily that was just temporarily and after about 5 minutes they got the real black metal sound. Now it was obvious that the band can keep up with what they present on disk. Frontman Jens Ryden is charismatic and in a way unique. Mr. Ryden impersonated the ultimate black metal singer and even if Abbath of Immortal won't be forgotten, but here is someone who's taking over the throne. Horncrowned Majesty, I Am Vengeance and Black God Aftermath showed that they are premier league black metal. I don't think that any black metal head who came to Gelsenkirchen just to see this band got disappointed. Well done!



Gluecifer



Black metallers got a break or had to be open-minded to enjoy the next act - Gluecifer. The Norwegian band probably seems not to fit into the billing, coz punk'n'roll is not really metal... But the guys from Oslo came to kick ass and they wanted to show the metalheads that they can kick ass. With songs like Get The Horn, I Got War and Shotgun Seat they heat up the fans and the crowd went wild. That make Gluecifer release some extra power and let them leave happy and exhausted after an hour of rock. It was great to see that this band attracted all kinds of metal fans. And I think that Gluecifer will never forget their show at RockHard festival.



Destruction



Another band which wasn't on the original billing. Götz had explained that not just Doomsword had to be replaced and so the fans were already aware that Marduk were replaced by German thrashers Destruction. For black metal fans this was probably no adequate substitute, but they were here to have a great weekend. Other fans were more then happy with this change, coz many power and thrash metal fans were at the festival ground. But bassist / singer Schmier doesn't want to put anything at stake and so the thrashers started with Total Desaster. The fans were going nuts and were shouting "Destruction, Destruction". Unnecessary to tell the metal fans that they are Destruction. They know the trio. And they know their songs, especially when the setlist contains so many old classics. Old-school thrash was what they wanted to hear and that's what they got, even if the three-some played newer tunes like The Butcher Strikes Back and Thrash Til Death. Luckily Schmier, Mike and Marc enjoy playing the old tunes like Mad Butcher. And I guess that they will present more classics at Wacken open-air where they have more stage time. Seems that Thrash Til Death is their life time motto.



Krokus



Now it was party time! The Swiss oldsters Krokus came to show that they can still rock. I saw them last September at Bang-Your-Head Revisited and it was amazing. So I was looking forward to see them again. Krokus are these days singer Marc Storace and guitarist Fernando van Arb, but the new men fit in great. A hard rock classic after another they fired at the fans. And it seemed that everybody who saw Gluecifer came back to the stage to party. Songs like Eat The Rich, Rock City, Bedside Radio and Long Stick Goes Boom or the new Rock The Block made the crowd party. Good time rock'n'roll is what they play and it seems that everybody had a good time. Always a pleasure to see the Swiss on stage again.



Exodus



Thrash metal fans had time to recover for Exodus while Krokus played, coz now it was time to open up a major mosh pit. Last year during the festival tour with Agent Steel and Nuclear Assault - and some black / extreme metal bands - it was obvious that the fans wanted Exodus to come back. They were the hidden headliner of that tour and they are the hidden headliner - at least for the thrashers - of the first day. The Americans presented themselves very tight. It was smart to play many classics from their glorious debut Bonded By Blood to level the number of new ones from their current album Tempo Of The Damned. But they also remembered songs like Toxic Waltz and Strike Of The Beast. Too soon their hour was over, but they left the fans satisfied and I think everybody hoped that they will come back to play Europe's clubs.



Gamma Ray



Co-headliner on Saturday were the Hanseatic Gamma Ray. Kai Hansen and his mates haven't played since the Skeletons In The Closet tour and they had no album to promote, so this should be a best-of show. They opened up with Garden Of The Sinner - one of the tracks they played on that tour - which was a good idea. New World Order followed. As many others they had some sound problems to face, but after awhile their sound tech got it under control. Okay, this wasn't their best show ever, but a very good one, even is Kai seemed to have some voice problems... Gamma Ray are one of the few bands who are still successful with their 'happy' metal. And Kai Hansen has already written metal history. Some might complain that the real highlights of their musical history were missing, but wouldn't it be boring to hear only their hits? I think it was good to hear songs like Rebellion In Dreamland, Land Of The Free, Armageddon, HM Universe and One With The World again. And they didn't forgot to play I Want Out. With Send Me A Sign they finished their set. The great light show added the right atmosphere. The sympathetic guys got the best response so far and really fit into the (co-)headliner role. But personally I would have liked to hear more of their happy metal!



In Extremo



Last, but not least came In Extremo. Time for some mediaeval metal. The septet opened with Küss mich. Many fans stayed to watch the masters of mediaeval metal, but others had enough metal for a day and decided to have a few more beers before they called it a day. The set contains many new songs which wasn't everybody's cup of tea. But songs like Merseburger Zaubersprüche II and Herr Mannelig was what the fans waited for. A great light show supported the atmosphere they created. The pyro effects during Spielmannsfluch and Vollmond seemed to set the stage on fire. Villeman Og Magnhild was the last track, but they returned for Madre Deus and Mein Kind. A huge spectacle for eyes and ears. Even interesting for metal fans who usually wouldn't listen to mediaeval metal. Seems that In Extremo and Subway To Sally are the masters of mediaeval metal these days.

Almost midnight and day no. 1 was over. Everybody was happy. Already many fans had told the RockHard crew that they want to come back next year and so Götz & co. had to think it over. If there would be another RockHard festival? Perhaps we'll know tomorrow...



Sunday, May 30th 2004



Sunday was opened up by the German band Desaster. Well, too early for us. But we've been there in time for Into Eternity. The Canadians are part of the extreme metal scene, and even there they are something special, coz they play progressive death metal. Their latest album Buried In Oblivion make them the new hope of the extreme metal scene. Actually I have to confess that they aren't my cup of tea. Perhaps I just need time to get into the quintets music. But the fans who came to see them really seemed to like it, so...



Illdisposed



Next should be Malevolent Creation, but they canceled and so the Danish Illdisposed took over their slot. Today they had to start without their intro, coz the CD player at the sound board couldn't play the CD. But they took it easily and started with the title track of Submit. Their heavy, brutal sound and the fun the band had made more and more fans come down to get a little closer to the stage. Singer Bo talked to the audience in German and made funny comments. So he introduced the band and told the fans that they are from Denmark and that they have small balls. Later he told the fans that they lost their roadie in Vienna the day ago. Near The Gates he introduced with "We can also do Swedish", coz the track is influenced by Swedish deathers At The Gates. Their version of Megadeth's Wake Up Dead could be hardly recognized, but sounded cool. I think they haven't played a song from Kokaiinum... Well, I didn't thought that Illdisposed live are interesting for me, but they convinced me and next time they come on tour I'll go to see them. And I think they convinced many of the watchers.



Pink Cream 69



Now it was time for some melodic metal - Pink Cream 69. After a break - guitarist Alfred 'Koffl' Koffler had health problems - they are back with Thunderdome. And they opened up their set with the title track of the current album. Followed my Do You Like It Like That - a track of the Deris-era - and Hells Got Crazy. The quartet hired for their live shows guitarist Uwe Reitenauer. The 60 min. long show included all the classics and only 2 new tracks. Surely they can't play all the songs the fans wanted to hear, but they did their best. Frontman David Readman is in a the band for a couple of years and learnt German while working with PC69, so he spoke German with their mainly female fans. They soon had get the people into party mood. As usual a great show!



Metal Church



What to expect from Metal Church in 2004? I think many metalheads were curious to see them. In the mid-80's they conquered the metal world and even the change on the microphone - David Wayne left, Mike Howe came in - didn't do them any harm. In 1994 they toured twice in Europe, then they broke up. A reunion with David Wayne - but without Kurdt Vanderhoof - at the end of the 90's wasn't that successful... Only drummer Kirk Arrington and guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof are left from the original line-up, but with former Malice guitarist Jay Reynolds, bassist Steve Unger and singer Ronny Munroe they found the right people. The power metal quintet played classics like Ton Of Bricks, Start The Fire, The Dark, Watch The Children Pray, Beyond The Black and Metal Church plus 3 tracks of their new album The Weight Of The World. It's the band 20th anniversary and they came to rock! They wanted to have fun! And it was fun watching them and listen to this superb line-up. Singer Ronny Munroe managed to find his musical way between his predecessors. Hope they come back soon to tour here in Europe! For me one of the highlights of this festival!



Dark Tranquillity



The melodic deather of Dark Tranquillity entered the stage after a short break. Mikael Stanne and his companions are part of the Gothenborg scene. They presented songs from their last albums like Damage Done and Punish My Heaven. Singer Mikael Stanne was always in motion, shaking hands and never hit a wrong note. They also played a song from their coming album. A kind of appetizer. The energy they produce on stage was the best promotion for the DVD they will release later this year. Only their dark atmospheric music isn't made for sunlight. But well, some have to play during the day....



Rage



The multinational trio Rage came next. The power metaller played a kind of best-of set incl. 2 tracks from Soundchaser - their current album. But the fans came to hear the classics and many fans were standing in front of the stage and didn't care about the light rain. Especially when they played songs like From The Cradle To The Grave, Black In Mind and Don't Fear The Winter the fans were going mad. During Higher Then The Sky it seems that everybody was singing along. A triumph for the threesome. Only negative aspect - in my opinion - were the solos of drum legend Mike Terrana and guitarist Victor Smolski. Not that I don't like solos at all, but they had only 60 min. and they should have played a song or 2 more instead...



Stratovarius



Another performance which many fans waited for was the show of Stratovarius. Is this the last show of this line-up? Will they be able to work professional on stage? Or will there be more trouble? The quintet played professionally, but it seems that they had no fun and just doing their job. Songs like Hunting High And Low, Father Time, Kiss Of Judas and Forever sounded as good as ever, but the sparkle didn't flash over, perhaps it was the cold atmosphere between the band members... Very professional, but...



Machine Head



The last act to enter the stage at RockHard festival 2004 were the American Machine Head. A very heavy and dark atmospheric intro called the fans to the stage. Imperium showed what to expect - metal! The Oakland thrashers came over the fans like a thunderstorm with songs like Davidian, Left Unfinished, Ten Ton Hammer and The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears. Singer Rob Flynn and his rat pack made the fans mosh. No one cared about the rain. The last album Through The Ashes Of Empires and the following club tour were really successful for the band. And this festival show seems to crown their return to Europe - and this festival. Great show!


And what many fans hoped for happened, Götz announced that there will be a RockHard festival in 2005! Good news to the fans and hopefully more fans will find their way to Gelsenkirchen next year. Thanks to Götz and all the RockHard crew members who did their best to make this festival happen. The organization was good, the atmosphere great and it was fun for everybody. That's the way it should be. See you next year!

 





Claudia Ehrhardt



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