Home Gigs Gig Review : Rockharz Festival 2024 – Ballenstedt, Germany – Day Two

Gig Review : Rockharz Festival 2024 – Ballenstedt, Germany – Day Two

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Review by Gary Spiller for MPM

As the sun begins to claw its way over the eastern horizon so the Devil realises he has been thwarted in his attempts to successfully stake his claim to the ore-rich Harz mountains.

Just one more stone to add to his ‘wall’ so the morning rooster has uttered his first crow upon darkness being chased from the lands and foiled his plans. His endeavours in vain ‘Teufel’ casts a destroying hand and the ‘smauer’ lies shattered.

Whichever of the cockerel or ol’ Satan was the noisier we’re not entirely sure but whoever it was can be satisfied in ensuring an early morning wakeup for us. With heads buzzing from yesterday we know that if day two hits even the halfway mark of the opening day we’re in for a cracker. As it is the general consensus over the first coffee or three of the morning that the high bar set is going to be cleared.

With a few minutes remaining of the morning we gather afront the Dark Stage for the opening salvo of Hammer King who have hotfooted their passage North-Eastwards from their Kaiserslautern hq. Ahead of the band assembling a hooded figure, in a black short-sleeved full-length cloak brings forth The Hammer and we obediently pay homage that is due to this symbolic weapon.

The nigh-on impossible task of squeezing nearly a decade’s worth of material into the set is about to be embarked upon. There’s just 30 minutes for reverence to be justly paid. It’s a rapid-fire introduction to regal speed metal that this four-piece, bedecked with warrior face paint and clad in black leather and tartan, despatch in venomously good form throughout.

Founded in 2015 and with five albums prior to this year’s release ‘König und Kaiser’ Hammer King commence their fearsome onslaught with’ Pariah is My Name’, the second cut from ‘Kingdemonium’. It’s traditional pumping fist-clenched metal, brusquely tracked into the 21st century, with the pedal pushed squarely through the floor. A supersonic Iron Maiden caramelised with an accelerated Helloween acting as the oxidant is the order of the day.

‘Hammerschlag’ ups the tempo even further, a blessed plague of contagion, with the double Flying V’s belonging to Titan Fox and Gino Wilde in full attack mode aptly delivering blow after blow. The hammer bearer returns to parade about the stage and following the Norse might of ‘Kingdom of Hammers and Kings’ is introduced to the early doors crowd. “Say good morning Doctor D!” encourages Fox.

A spot of short-lived sunshine breaks through during their latest title track ‘König und Kaiser’, even the higher powers want to have a peak at proceedings. Dr. D thrusts the hammer skywards and Gino Wilde despatches a crowd-pleasing solo as the massed ranks emphatically chant ‘Hail’ in unison. “Time is money, danke schön Rockharz” notes Fox, there’s little in the way of spare moments.

A large Red Kite circles above, Mother Nature’s ceremonial affirmation, relishing the Nordic / Celtic infusion of ‘Kingdom of the Hammer King’ that bursts out of the hallowed tombs prior to a reprise of ‘König und Kaiser’. With one final round of chanting so the half hour is up.

Fox, blue cloak draped over left shoulder, proclaims “God bless the King, may the King bless you.” All hail the King indeed! A fine band to open who have brought a slice of Scandinavian fanfare into noble Germanic metal replete with singalong choruses for the masses.

The Rockharz variance continues unrelenting and next up on the Dark Stage with Neue Deutsche Härte outfit Heldsmachine. Descendants of illustrious NDH forefathers of the ilk of Rammstein and, one of yesterday’s glorious moments, Oomph! this five-piece began life, in 2008, as Völkerball, a tribute to the former.

As time progressed so original material crept into Völkerball sets and with fans expecting sets purely of Rammstein songs so ‘misunderstandings’ began to surface. Thus, in 2013 a year following the release of ‘Weichen + Zunder’, the band elected to part the two elements. All original material, going forwards, was to be the focus of Heldsmachine whilst Völkerball continued in tribute mode.

An electronic-driven set, drawn from the latter three of Heldmachine’s six long-players, that magically somehow, in the main, keeps the threatening rain at bay. Derived from an Oomph! furrow the blackened electronic metalliferous assault of ‘Flächenbrand’, 2023 title track of the last album, leads the way.

Rammstein influences, naturally, are liberally sprinkled throughout blended with the likes of Kraftwerk and Sabaton in ‘Luxus’ or left to electrically pulse alone within ‘Springt’. The latter an industrious industrial romp that sets an enlivened Rockharz crowd jumping.

René Anlauff, a connective character, throws out paper ‘currency’ into a crowd already a little ‘richer’ from Hammer King’s earlier appreciations. The skies ominously increasingly leaden as the mood wondrously darkens. A chameleon of many guises he cuts a Gary Numan-esque figure amidst the marauding stampede ‘Bestie’ whilst switching to a Falco derived posture for ‘Tunnelblick’.

Latest single the stomping tramp ‘Karle Denke’ is a particular highlight with its massive hook. Pure NDH in its nature, Rammstein influences apparent, its central subject the Cannibal of Münsterberg – a German serial killer from the early 20th century – is certainly a notorious one.

A well attired gent appears and throws sausages, from a woven basket, into the crowd. Once a respected member of his community Denke is believed to have sold the flesh of his victims as pickled meat to unsuspecting customers.

‘Auf allen Vieren’, razor sharp in its thudding entity, menaces and bristles. We’re treated to an unexpected a ‘bonus’ track rolling the rrr’s with ®; heavy metal Scooter that ensures Rockharz’s detonation.

With their German roots sated in punked up Irish folk-rockers The O’Reilly’s and The Paddyhats must have surely been, under their collective breath, cursing the ‘luck’ of their adopted Celtic lands. As, with just moments before they’re due on stage the heavens open with a might cascade.

Whilst the rain is not unexpected the torrential nature catches many unawares. Those savvy have come prepared with ponchos and insist upon continuing to party amongst the ever-increasing puddles as the Irish tricolours are waved. Waterfalls descend from the stage roofing as stage technicians scurry about feverishly manhandling the frontline into a retreated, and much drier, environment.

Being from the Celtic lands of Cornwall I consider myself of relatively hardy descent, but the biblical proportions have me beaten after just two tracks I’m afraid to say. ‘Wake The Rebels’ and ‘Dogs on the Leash’ stir and rouse as they prove far more waterproof than this somewhat sodden writer.

Surfing in on the ocean-going white horses that crash upon the western shores of the Emerald Isle this group of seven manic punkers had been highly anticipated from my perspective, but I genuinely couldn’t compete with the unrelenting deluge and bid a hastened retreat to the sanctuary of a very crowded media tent.

We shall endeavour to redress the balance when they tour the UK in October supporting Ferocious Dog.

The intro tape greets then enquires, “Hello ladies and gents are you ready to rock?” It’s a very damp but extremely hardy contingent that reply loudly in the positive. Mercifully, the rain has eased a fair bit and the tempting rock n’ roll banquet that we know Massive Wagons will have brought along with them is more than sufficient to coax our sorry backsides out of the dry environs of the press area we have hunkered down in for the past hour or so.

This English quintet have well and truly served their time in the rock n’ roll apprenticeship emerging with honours. Proud Lancastrians they formed back in 2009 and along with a half dozen studio albums they’ve toured extensively supporting the likes of Status Quo, The Wildhearts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thunder and The Darkness.

Ahead of a much-awaited new album due for release in November their summer schedule is bulging with a serious amount of festival slots. Barcelona Rocks beckons just 24 hours after their set here at Rockharz!

Demonstrating their continuing desire, unlike some stagnating bands, to continuously push their boundaries The Wagons open up with the, as yet, unreleased ‘Sleep Forever’, a blistering punk edged rocker it’s destined to be the opening track of forthcoming album ‘Earth to Grace’. Don’t ever expect Massive Wagons to follow a script; they’ve torn up the manual and are re-writing their very own.

“Rockharz make some fucking noise!” enthuses vocalist Baz Mills. Be forewarned for what Mills outputs is the equivalent of feeding a whole pack of cute, fluffy Mogwai super-caffeinated snacks in the post-midnight hours! Circling his hair, flicking his mane, hi-kicking through an energetic set with a predilection for raising a stiff, middle digit he serves as the band’s focal point.

The ever-smiling guitarist Stevie Holl and beholder of the Flying V Adam Thistlethwaite lay down a solid barrage of six-stringing afront the stoical rhythm partnership of bassist Adam Bouskill and drummer Alex Thistlethwaite construct a steel bound low-end.

Mills enquires “What the fuck you done with the weather?” The party is going to continue no matter what happens, the rain isn’t dampening spirits in the slightest. ‘A.S.S.H.O.L.E.’ is infectious as ever and Mills, soaked by an unexpected canopy shower, raises a defiant middle finger. Constantly eyeballing the crowd, he selects a ‘target “You’re not an asshole, I think you’re alright!” he affirms.

Rockharz rejoices at the raw punked energy of ‘Pressure’, hazy sunshine breaks through battleship grey skies. Brand-new single ‘Missing on TV’ is dedicated “to all the asshole politicians out there!” Most apt as the UK is in the throes of a general election It proves to be the perfect antidote to not only the inclement weather but any political engagement too.

Ever a crowd pleaser ‘Fuck the Haters’ rouses waves of middle fingers afore ‘Please Stay Calm’ with splashes of Police-favoured reggae daubs interposed with hard-edged riffs cosies up. There’s opportunity to slip in a brief moment of respect to Bob Marley in metal/reggae Skindred-esque crossover ‘Generation Prime’ with a slice of ‘No Woman, No Cry’.

A ballsy ‘Nails’, craned in from the re-released ‘Welcome to the World’, provides a triumphant finale with its rock-solid headbanging delight which energises the Rockharz arena.

“Thanks to you lot for sticking with us!” Mills thanks the arena with sincere gratitude. Ahead of their largest UK headline tour to date Massive Wagons return to Germany supporting Kissin’ Dynamite in October.

Rolling in to Rockharz next, in their rock n’ roll bus, are Swedish metallers Bullet. Much like Massive Wagons before them this five-piece from Växjö, the self-proclaimed ‘Greenest City in Europe’, are familiar territory for us. However, it’s fully six years since we last caught them live on their ‘Dust to Gold’ tour in Genk, Belgium thus there’s much anticipation.

Amongst a sizeable crowd we eagerly await their onstage arrival as the clouds still insist, quite miserably, upon depositing their load upon us. Taking to the stage headlong to Richard Strauss’ ‘Also sprach Zarathustra’ Bullet bulldoze right into opening track ‘Speed and Attack’. It’s a ball of fire entrance much like Judas Priest surfing the resultant tsunami produced by dropping a meld of AC/DC and Accept into an unsuspecting ocean.

The rain is ignored with the hard driving ‘Ain’t Enough’ commanding complete attention. With output set to slay Hell Hofer’s raging vocals are a screaming vengeance throughout. There’s much camaraderie within no-nonsense anthem ‘Riding High’. Hofer puts his arm about the shoulders of all-action bassist Gustav Hector whilst Hofer’s co-founder Hampus Klang and his fellow guitarist, whose name eludes me, share a moment on bended knees out front.

Thundering demon ‘Rolling Home’ is fuelled by a fiery mix of those AC/DC riffs and a sizzling splash of Thin Lizzy melodics. Title tracks are beloved by these Swedes – five of their six albums to date possess such – and ‘Storm of Blades’, the first of three in this afternoon’s set, is uncompromisingly despatched with no respect given to flora or fauna. Rockharz laps it up.

Hofer challenges the ranges of luminaries such as Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson in pragmatic fashion; his four colleagues surround the tornadic vocals with a parallel fury of their own. ‘Dusk Til Dawn’ and ‘Stay Wild’ run amok with a roadie earning a hug from Klang for assisting him back up at the end of the latter.

With a squeal of tyres and sirens behind the five-piece realign for ‘Highway Pirates’ boosted with additional flashes of Saxon-esque ventures. Out to the West brighter skies bring hope. The nitro-chugging of trademark ‘Fuel the Fire’ leads into the moment awaited by all. ‘Bite the Bullet’ brings the house down and rages out of control as the crowd singalong and at track end the two guitars and bass held aloft give the title of this set-ending behemoth if, somehow, we weren’t sure.

Day two has been dissected, in meteorological terms, in two with the first half somewhat sodden and the second one a blessed return of much drier climes with the clouds responsible for the drenching now headed eastwards. Beneath blues skies, in the late afternoon sunshine, Rockharz gently steams like hearthside labradors.

Bursting onstage to the speedy synth intro tones of ‘Power of Will’ Swedish power metal quintet Dynazty seize the initiative and soon have the arena eating out of their hands. It’s immediately enthralling and there’s a familiar strain darting in and out. It’s not until much later that the penny drops with the Amaranthe connection with vocalist Nils Molin having double-duties in both outfits.

There’s much to love about this band, hailing from Sweden’s capital Stockholm, from where I’m stood, it’s contagious and instantly accessible. There’s a natural leaning towards the musical exports of their homelands with Europe, Sabaton, Ghost and even ABBA thrown gloriously into the melting pot. In amongst all this runs a synth Eurobeat lovingly employed by Molin’s other venture Amaranthe.

‘Firesign’ scintillating in its coruscant personification is one such perfect example of Dynazty’s influences that they deal in their symphonic metal offerings. Sabaton and Europe melding atop a Euro tech synth drive. The guitar work from six-stringers Love Magnusson and Mike Lavér is sublime and complements Molin’s vocal despatch so well.

110% Scandinavian symphonic metaller ‘Natural Born Killer’ is truly catchy continuing the themes of the opening brace. Heading in the direction of the realms of Ghost ‘The Grey’ sonorously poses the question is there anyone for a spot of ABBA’ed metal? During this rousing anthem Magnusson and Lavér, simultaneously, righthandedly raise beers as their other hands work their frets. Malmsteen would approve, no doubt.

The melodic hook of ‘Waterfall’ continues Dynazty’s delightful onslaught. Continuing to dry out Rockharz absorbs every moment. The crowd punch the air chanting ‘Hey!’ in mass unison. A kinetic runs through the ranks.

Seismically uplifting ‘Yours’ sees Dynazty soaring as the eagle in full flight, this is a class act make no bones about it. I’m totally enthralled, captivated in a ‘prison’ from which I don’t wish to break-out of. A growl from the depths of the pine forest and ‘Presence of Mind’ is unleashed to maintain a top gear synergy between band and arena.

“Step right into pandemonium” invites Molin during the powerful surge of ‘The Human Paradox’ that roars in right off the Northern plateaus. The snow-owl flies high during sparking guitaring – frets synchronised it’s a totally unexpected lightning bolt from the blue.

‘The Heartless Madness’ concludes a fine 50 minutes navigation, across nine tracks, through the four albums that form the latter half of the band’s recorded output. Molin masterfully ‘controls’ a very loud assembly as Dynazty storm the cathedral’s bastion in advance of sacrificial offerings. This stunning tempest knows no end.

Fuses and breakers are poised in preparation for the anticipated surge of powerage. However, with industrial metal band Pain in town it’s quite apparent that none are going to be able to cope with the levels developed by Peter Tägtgren’s side-project Pain. On the official website he comments “PAIN was just me fucking around in the studio, and it grew into becoming a project.”

For the second consecutive performance we witness a singer who will return later in the festival as Hyprocisy – who Tägtgren formed in late 1991 – take to the stage late on Saturday. Whilst Tägtgren has a couple of days between sets his bassist Jonathan Olsson has just a handful of minutes. Hotfooting it from the Dark Stage to the Rock Stage, having just played with Dynazty, and managing to slot straight is most applaudable.

A hi-energy fusion of brooding industrious heavy metal and opulent electronic techno Pain are not just an audio delight; there’s a large video screen as a backdrop and several costume changes for the band for a quality accompanying visual aspect. Nine albums and nearly three decades in the industry with Pain Tägtgren is celebrating the mid-May release of ‘I Am’ with several European festival dates including Sweden Rock, Graspop, Wacken and Summer Breeze.

This evening a spread of ten tracks, quite incredibly, covers all studio offerings bar Pain’s eponymous debut. The hair flies along the front of stage as fire licks at the base of the guardian’s cloaks with the initial push of the accelerator in the industrious romp that is ‘Push The Pusher’. Encouraged by Tägtgren hands, in the evening sunshine, wave side to side.

There’s a Rammstein undertow in the astral surge of ‘End of the Line’ whilst those NDH beats of the German behemoths are woven with a gothic Depeche Mode in ‘Go With The Flow’ where skeletal figures stalk the corridors dancing to the bewitching incantations within the darkest of shadows.

‘Call Me’ is mercilessly rapid-fire and the speed is maintained in the full pelt stallion ‘The Great Pretender’ an enthusiastic cojoining of Sabaton and Neue Deutsche Härte. Tägtgren isn’t seemingly immune in lauding his influences in song form. As the undead swarm at the perimeter ‘Zombie Slam’ snarls and snaps with a Sisters of Mercy underpinning. There’re touches of Ozzy’s ‘I Just Want You’ in ‘Same Old Song’ whilst crowd-pleaser ‘Party in My Head’ nods towards a certain Neil Young number.

Mixing it up Pain crank it up with the tubthumping stomp of fuzzed up blues rocker ‘Have A Drink on Me’ prior to the surgical strike of set-closing ‘Shut Your Mouth’ a clear favourite in which the band quite literally knock themselves out. Out in the arena a minion tops off an impressive triple-decked human pyramid. It’s been that sort of a set!

Connecticut metalcore street punks Hatebreed are taking their 30th anniversary celebrations seriously and rightly so. Having landed in Europe a month ago the influential five-piece have torn across the continent in a slew of festival dates and headline shows from Italy to Poland and a host of locations in between.

Having nearly a fortnight since their last gig at Copenhell they’ve had an opportunity to gather their senses and they storm the Rockharz stage clearly refreshed and hungry to tear up the place. The sun warmly bathes The Devil’s Wall behind the two Rockharz stages while all around storms plague the region; for some reason we’re spared.

A video of celebrity well wishes, from Anthrax to Dropkick Murphys, interspersed with live footage sets the scene before the first volley of cannons is fired. Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God) summing it up “Congratulations on 30 years! That’s quite an achievement, quite an accomplishment, for a bunch of Connecticut cavemen!”

What occurs in the next hour leaves me thrilled and shellshocked simultaneously. It’s my first taste of them live and my one abiding question is how on earth have I missed the last 30 years? It’s a privilege that I get to experience it all again at Bloodstock! It’s short and sharp in its effulgent brutality as the wrecking ball swings violently.

The badass ‘Proven’ packs a meteoric punch in its sub-three-minute burst as Hatebreed wield the axe. In true Vesuvian manner Rockharz erupts to the bleeding razor-edged hardcore of ‘A Stroke of Red’ craned in from the most recent release 2020’s ‘Weight of the False Self’.

The freneticism continues with the mighty shotgun blast of ‘Live For This’. “Fuck yeah!” raves frontman Jamey Jasta at track end continuing “What a nice welcome back!” The thrashing mayhem of ‘Last Breath’ precedes the equally chaotic and most wondrous hard bass driven ‘Destroy Everything’ gets the arena and band, alike, bouncing. The torrent of hardcore sweeps all before it, mosh pits open amidst almost anarchic scenes.

“Growing up, starting a band with Chris (Beattie – bass) and Wayne (Lozinak – lead guitar) there were two bands we wanted to tour with: Kreator and Slayer!” notes Jasta in a rare moment of quiet reflection.

Pulling the trigger ‘Looking Down the Barrel of Today’ sees a giant black inflatable ‘wrecking’ ball rolled out into the arena, it’s still bouncing around in a crazed motion towards the end of the set as are the Rockharz faithful. Homage is respectfully paid to Slayer in a raging powerhouse cover of ‘Ghosts of War’. “If she likes Slayer, she’s a keeper” muses Jasta.

‘Everyone Bleeds Now’ proudly wears a subterranean crown and the staccato battering of ‘Honor Never Dies’ resonates deeply. “Sometimes standing for what you believe, means standing alone” barks Jasta. A personal hell yes moment.

A further tightening up with the circle pit catalyst ‘Smash Your Enemies’ follows a particularly meaty ‘Seven Enemies’. Planting a king-sized boot print in the metaphorical sand Hatebreed wind up things with the full-on onslaught of ‘Perseverance’ coupled with an equally stonking ‘I Will Be Heard’. Bloodstock cannot come around soon enough; this has been a truly memorable introduction in which a spotlight has been shone by Hatebreed upon each of their eight albums. Truly monumental.

Rockharz, in musical terms, once again swerves off upon a tangent. In a heartbeat we switch from Stateside metalcore to Swedish power metal; from Hatebreed to HammerFall in less time than it takes to blink an eye. The sun continues its inevitable descent towards a beckoning horizon as the fast-dying light steps aside for hints of dusk.

Formed in 1993 these Swedes, today’s Dark Stage headliners, have proven a popular attraction at this festival with other bill-topping appearances here in 2011, 2015, and 2018. Having returned from an extensive tour of USA and South America HammerFall are gearing up for the forthcoming release of their 13th long-player ‘Avenge The Fallen’ with a series of festivals beginning with Trondheim Rocks and Sweden Rock a few weeks prior.

Bells toll and, unfurling leathery wings, the dragon roars and belches a fiery breath. Shields reflect the orangey light dimly illuminating the immediate surrounds. The scene is fastidiously set for commencement with the speed/power metal blast of ‘Brotherhood’ bringing Dragonforce / Malmsteen vibrancies. Lift-off achieved as the guitars of sole-remaining founder Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren entwine. “We are heeding the call Rockharz!” informs longstanding vocalist Joacim Cans.

Tight as you like the quintet headlong into ‘Any Means Necessary’. A warped Sabaton taken into fantastical realms, a trait employed to glorious effect later on in the Nordic stamp of ‘Hammer of Dawn’. Time for a spot of old-school HammerFall, as Cans puts it, with the crystalline hard rocking of ‘Heeding The Call’ from 1998’s ‘Legacy of Kings’ offering.

Responding to the loud chants of the band’s name Cans introduces, with tongue in cheek, “We are HammerFall, but I think you know that already!” assuredly predicting “This will be epic!”

With a repercussive rumble, motorcycles throttles pulled back, signify all are ready for the shadowlands outlaw ‘Renegade’ possessing charismatic touches of Helloween. On the basis of the last couple of days there’s much crossover between Scandinavian and German metal.

“Renegades of Germany thank you very fucking much, unbe-fucking-lievable!” effervesces Cans in a moment of intensifying tmesis. Electrifying HammerFall captivate with fist-pumping anthem ‘Hammer High’ and the rousing ‘Last Man Standing’. The Scandinavians appear to have cornered a substantial percentage of the rousing metal market.

The crowd reply with a raucous “Fall” to Cans’ “Hammer” in response to his “Let me hear why Germany is the metal country of the world!” before Judas Priest and Saxon are grabbed by the metaphoricals and taken into the Northern lands in ‘Let The Hammer Fall’.

Now pitch black the Rockharz night is a beautiful, breathless one and in the main cloudless. ‘Hail To The King’, a recent single release ahead of ‘Avenge The Fallen’ is a fire from the depths that gives absolutely everything. The scorching ‘(We Make) Sweden Rock’ is reminiscent of the furrow ploughed in Saxon’s ‘And the Bands Played On’ and ‘Denim and Leather’.

In a novel-ish way of announcing the final track Can enquires “Two choices – I do jokes and one liners for five minutes or one more track?” Rockharz, playfully, boos the former and cheers loudly for the latter. Thus, we bear witness to Europe/Sabaton/Helloween all thrown into the crucible to produce the trademark metalliferous lava in ‘Hearts on Fire’ as HammerFall burn a trail into the ever-darkening nightscape. Another one to add to an ever-expanding list of new favourites!

Widely considered to a keystone of the ‘Teutonic Four’ – aka the ‘Big Four of German Thrash’ – tonight’s Rock Stage table toppers Kreator, in their fifth Rockharz appearance,sit rightfully proud alongside their compatriots Tankard, Sodom, and Destruction. In fact, the long-awaited union of these four parts occurred towards the end of July at Gelsenkirchen’s Amphitheater.

A giant Kreator logo’d ‘front drop’ obscures any view of the stage. Out front in the arena the levels of expectation grow exponentially with each passing minute. Maiden’s ‘Run To The Hills’ blasts out of the PA. The horde awaits patiently as the hour nears. It’s over 40 since lead vocalist and guitarist Mille Petrozza, drummer Jürgen “Ventor” Reil with then-bassist Rob Fioretti joined forces in what would after a couple of years, and a number of names, become the dark force of Kreator.

One of the largest selling German thrash outfits, with over two million units generated in 15 albums, there’s a tangible reverence generated by the massed ranks for the clearly beloved speed merchants. Two thirds of those 15 long-players are dusted down receiving a right royal thrashing despatch. One for the statisticians amongst us as I’m enamoured with the fact that there’s eight title tracks within the baker’s dozen served up by Kreator.

The spaghetti western vibe of intro track ‘Sergio Corbucci Is Dead’ pays apt respect to the Italian film director who made his name in this genre. The ultra-fast uncompromising thrashing demon ‘Hate Über Alles’ follows, as per the album running order, with a touch of melody in amongst the warp speeds.

‘Phobia’ 100% blackened thrash characterised by its brutalistic metallic architecture shows a fringe of a hard-edged Anthrax; Kreator mean business and that business is to entertain at full speed. Emanating earthquaking forces in ‘Enemy of God’ Petrozza beckons a wall of death, “Now the fury is unleashed” he engages.

There’s a whole load of pyro as the wildlands are set afire by ‘666 – World Divided’ and the merciless ferocity of ‘Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)’. The natural descendant of the latter ‘Hail to the Hordes’ is as hooky as safety limits will permit, contagious to the maximum.

The aptly titled ‘Extreme Aggressions’ does precisely what the tin’s label states as the Devils herd stampedes upon a conflagrant trail. Occult domains are trampled in the doom-laden ‘Satan Is Real’. Bulldozing with extreme forces ‘Phantom Antichrist’ is heads down, no thrills and most certainly no nonsense proper old school thrash. Rockharz, entranced, goes wild.

A concoction of Maiden and Sabbath ‘Strongest of the Strong’ is driving heavy metal in the purest sense. Out westwards a solitary star flickers whilst ‘Terrible Certainty’ takes us into the final stages. The dystopian dimensions within ‘Violent Revolution’ and the assiduous thrash of ‘Pleasure to Kill’ provide a befitting conclusion to an all-conquering 75 minutes. It’s fair to conclude that these German legends have much to offer and are as keenly relevant as they’ve ever been.

In the chill post-midnight hour, with a dew beginning to descend, lies a further surprise with the Gaelic battlecry of d’Artagnan. Hailing from Nuremberg this six-piece ‘musketeering’ folk-metal outfit were the perfect way to conclude a hectic day. Blending 21st century rock with traditional centuries old folk melodies and rhythms the sextet is greeted by a most sizeable and enthusiastic crowd.

Formed just under ten years ago with a sixth album ‘Herzblut’ due for release just a few days following their Rockharz appearance this is an accomplished band who seek to entertain with high-energy and passion right from the moment they set foot on the Dark Stage.

There’s a leaning, naturally, towards the forthcoming studio offering with more than able support being craned in from ‘Felsenfest’ and ‘Feuer & Flamme’, the two preceding releases from 2022 and 2021 respectively.

‘Freiheit & Tod’ ushers in the folked up metal with mandolin, violin and, even, bagpipes making appearances prior to ‘Feuer & Flamme’ speedily blending Sabaton with folk in a stomping heady potion. ‘Spirit hands’ wave upon high in the Spanish romp ‘Mosqueteros’. Flagons of ale are readily consumed with the merry jaunt of ‘Farewell’ and the joyous salutations that ‘Westwind’ brings with itself. There’s time for some traditional folk elements in the gratuitous shape of ‘My Love’s In Germany’ and the vibrant drinking song ‘Was wollen wir trinken’.

The crowd remains energised even thirteen hours after the first band emerged. Today is now tomorrow as ‘C’est la vie’ sets fire to the night sky afore the house is brought down in a rousing finale as Avicii’s internation smash ‘Hey Brother’ (a guilty secret of mine I must confess) receives the d’Artagnan ‘treatment’ to bring the curtain down upon an amazing second day that has set another high bar.

Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM

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