[Psycho] Introduced as one of Germany’s best Death Metal bands, the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018 got opened by local metallers :: DAWN OF DISEASE :: . I had my difficulties with them. As for my taste, their material is too average to convince fully. There show was ok and brought us properly into the festival mode.
[Dajana] Well, the announcement was surely a bit too full-bodied (and other ones later were completely bollocks). But I like DAWN OF DISEASE, I like their music and, the most important thing, the festival got opened by a Death Metal band! The guys anyway were in high spirits and enjoyed to play there for the very first time. Inflowing fans got quickly infected and already responded enthusiastically. As the first band of a festival the guys were not left untroubled with some technical issues, but bridged those moments with some serious “animations”, and scored ;)
[Sui] The last beats of DAWN OF DISEASE, made me adumbrate it was not my cup of music anyway. I know, it does not say anything about the quality of the band…
[BRT] I somehow missed them…
Setlist: Perimortal, Enter The Gates, The Unrotten, Akephalos, Leprous Thoughts, Knife vs. Flesh, Ashes, Catacombs
[Psycho] Especially my wife will never ever forget her first :: ATTIC :: show. In contrast to previous shows, ATTIC acted much more professional and also the singing has improved. But, the main problem is still that the band is not able to bring the atmosphere they have on CD to the stage and the audience. To use old fences stolen from the hood do not help either ;)
[BRT] ATTIC most of all fail due to their own demands. As more I was surprised to witness a great sound and singing, and also an improved stage acting. It even was not too bad that the band had to perform at brightest sunshine.
[Sui] ATTIC offer a strong reminiscence of Mercyful Fate, which is also their shortcoming. Because singer Master Cagliostro is not King Diamond. At a normal pitch, he sings really good and powerful, but as soon as he gets higher, he loses power and safety, Sorry, but some vocal tunes were appropriate to pull the stopping. Too bad, because the band has potential and the music itself is great.
Setlist: Iudicium Dei (Intro), Sanctimonious, Sinless, Join The Coven, The Hound Of Heaven, Dark Hosanna, Funeral In The Woods, The Headless Horseman
[Dajana] Dutch band :: DOOL :: became iconic in no time. Rightly. Their debut album is brilliant and their live shows just breathtaking, a pure outburst of energy, intensity and spirit. It is a must to see them playing live.
[Psycho] I agree. The Dutchmen and –woman are a guarantor for highly energetic Rock shows, on a high level of quality. At RHF they played almost all tracks from their stunning debut Here Now, There Then, a set to enjoy excellent musicianship and beauty. Without bright daylight and in a crowded club the show surely would have been even greater and more intensive. However, their show on this early festival time made DOOL the highlight of the day.
[BRT] DOOL? Band of the day. No ifs, ands or buts! Charisma, song material, stage acting, it is all excellent. And this awesome voice of Ryanne van Dorst. Again and again. DOOL live is just a force. Even the trveness inquisition had to acknowledge.
[Sui] I already could experience a DOOL at last year’s Stoned From The Underground and was enthused. It was a bit wasted to let the band play on a Friday early afternoon. The band deserves a better position. But the great atmosphere the band creates also works fine in broad daylight and the singing of Ryanne van Dorst caused goose bumps.
[Dajana] I can only agree. Since I had to miss the Sunday, DOOL were the highlight of the entire festival to me! The last song of the set, Oweynagat, DOOL dedicated to Bidi van Drongelen, who so suddenly passed away at last year’s ROCK HARD FESTIVAL.
Setlist: The Alpha, Golden Serpents, She Goat, In Her Darkest Hour, Vantablack, Oweynagat
[Sui] These days, :: DIAMOND HEAD :: are especially known for their songs Metallica have covered. Helpless, The Prince and most of all Am I Evil were the ones that were highly celebrated by the crowd. Brian Tatler & Co. proved that they back then were rightly one of the best of NWOBHM bands out there. Even if the lead guitarist is the only founding member, it doesn’t narrow the legend. The Brits offered a cool old school set and got the frenetic response they deserved.
Setlist: Play It Loud, Borrowed Time, Bones, Helpless, In The Heat Of The Night, Lightning To The Nations, Set My Soul On Fire, Shoot Out The Lights, It's Electric, The Prince, Am I Evil?
[Psycho] The expectations towards the :: TIAMAT :: show were high and the show itself left the NH crew discussing. Let me list the plus in my opinion: the backing group consisted of experienced musicians and did technically a really great job. Master Edlund himself sang better than he did in the past. Let’s now talk about the negative aspects: because his motivation for the show Edlund left in his dressing room. Have rarely seen a frontman looking so bored. I did not expect that the Clouds material sounds so… frumpy these days. All the more the Wildhoney tracks appeared to be timeless. As for that, it was incomprehensible to me why the band finished their set 10 minutes too early without having played all Wildhoney songs. Did they ultimately lose interest in playing live?
[BRT] TIAMAT playing a Clouds/Wildhoney set… This announcement should have made many moths watering. The execution was… debatable. Sure, sound and skills of the session musicians was beyond doubt. Though, the spark didn’t want to jump over. There seemed to be no motivation within the whole band. Hardly any movement, no interaction. Edlund shuffled over the stage quite lethargic. Well, our crew is sometimes too critical; I have heard many positive voices about the show. Though, I think, in this constellation TIAMAT have no future.
[Sui] I have to admit, TIAMAT did not really cross my musical horizon in the past. So I had no expectations. What I got was perfectly played, atmospheric dense top-notch Dark Metal. Ok, the musicians around Johan Edlund might be rented so that you actually can’t speak of a band, but what they did was excellent. Regarding motivation, I did not found it that bad as Psycho judged. I have already experienced more unmotivated band at RHF. So, I’d say Psycho’s disappointment happens on a high level.
[Psycho] No wonder! Otherwise I would have been still satisfied so low under my expectations.
[Dajana] Indeed, technically and regarding sound the show was great. But that’s all. Yes, I had likewise high expectations and I was likewise disappointed about the show, which was loveless and uninspiring. Bummer!
Setlist: In A Dream, Clouds, Smell Of Incense, A Caress Of Stars, The Sleeping Beauty, Forever Burning Flames, The Scapegoat, Undressed, Wildhoney, Whatever That Hurts, The Ar, Do You Dream Of Me?, Visionaire, 25th Floor, Gaia
[Dajana] What a clash! Tumults and a flood of rumors circulated everywhere, when Tom Angelripper announced his sudden departure from guitarist Bernd "Bernemann" Kost and drummer Markus "Makka" Freiwald (or did he fire them?). Two weeks later he returned with a new line-up consisting of Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik, Stefan "Husky" Hüskens and Yorck Segatz, “fresh and hungry musicians to start from the scratch”. And here we are: :: SODOM :: playing the first show with new line-up and headlining the first day of ROCK HARD FESTIVAL.
[Psycho] High expectations part 2 and again with an awkward result for the protagonists. It was not due to the song material. If you like their early stuff or not (till early 90s) is a matter of taste. What was indeed questionable was the fact that the band wasn’t rehearsed and didn’t act as a band. Guitarist York looked like a lost soul that went astray and fell onto this stage by coincidence. Also technically there were shortcomings to notice, which unpleasantly remembered of the old times. The theater drained quickly. Tom Angelripper might have gambled away the re-direction and re-formation of the band but managed one thing: SODOM does polarize again.
[BRT] I was never a SODOM fan in the past and surely will not become one in the future. Here and there some nice songs and a few solid records are not enough to me. But yes, I was curious after the spring-battle in social medias. Long story short and to say it with Tom Angelrippers words (why he parted ways with Bernemann und Makka): it felt like “work-to-rule”. Very old material played dreadfully rumbling, as in 1986, with a shitty sound. All bands on this day had a good sound, except for SODOM, their guitars sounded like pap. Perhaps, only one rehearsal wasn’t enough? Grumble modus off. SODOM must have done something right, because fans in the arena were freaking out and returned with happy faces. So, don’t take us too serious ;)
[Sui] Luckily, I don’t have expectations when it comes to a SODOM show. So, my disappointment was kept within a limit. But I expected more delight in playing. The band was not only not rehearsed; they also seemed to be unmotivated. What counts for Tiamat also counts for SODOM: this is not a band anymore but a solo show of the frontman, underlined by the fact that he was the only one with a spotlight on stage.
[Dajana] I admit I have a soft spot for SODOM but here I had to laugh first. Seriously Tom? I still have his words in mind: „I would like to start all over again with fresh and hungry musicians“, “Two guitarists allow us much more possibilities live…”, “I can promise that we will really let it rip in future.", etc., etc. Erm… Fresh? Hahahaha. New song(s) to at least give us a hint how the “new band” might sound in the future were not played. Everything else about the show is said…
Setlist: My Atonement, The Conqueror, Sodomy And Lust, Nuclear Winter, Outbreak Of Evil, Christ Passion, The Saw Is The Law, City Of God, Blasphemer, One Step Over The Line, Agent Orange, Strange Lost World, Tired And Red, Lifeline (Sacrilege cover), Remember The Fallen, Silence Is Consent, Ausgebombt, Bombenhagel
[Psycho] That’s that. First day of ROCK HARD FESTIVAL done, which offered - except for the highlight DOOL - most of all many topics to discuss. Not necessarily what I expect from a music festival.
[Sui] DOOL - high-class, TIAMAT - high-class, DIAMOND HEAD - high-class, ATTIC – ambivalent, SODOM – is just SODOM. Sound was great; there have been no major problems with the equipment. Here the RHF crew improved significantly. Altogether, no bad start into this festival weekend. Summary of the day by Andy: Friday is always the worst month. |
