Triptykon - Enslaved - Primordial - Postmortem - Procession - Contradiction

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[Psycho] Despite separate traveling the NH crew arrives on time. Wow. So let’s enter the festival pleasure ;) And it can’t get kicked off any better than with Thrash Metal! Being around for more than 20 years and without the support of known labels :: CONTRADICTION :: are still alive and kicking. These guys played with so much energy and enthusiasm that already an encore was demanded and eventually granted, even if the change-over-music already started. Great show. Those are still not in party/festival mood… go and die!
Setlist: Voice Of Hatred, The Warchitect, Your God, Spectator, The Essence Of Anger, Hate Patrol, Old Demon, Break The Oath

[Psycho] A black canvas the guys of :: PROCESSION :: did not span over the audience (as it was promised in advance), but a pitch black rain front. Almost without premonition a heavy shower set in completely soaking cats and fans. That’s the way to get the (roofed) area filled ;)
[Dajana] Above all singer Felipe was waxing oracular that the fourth track is about rain… *grrr* Am I allowed to… um… drown him in of these puddles around?
[Psycho] Anyways, musically the show was ok, but being that highly recommended I expected more.
Setlist: Hyperion (Intro), Destroyers Of The Faith, Raven Of Disease, Like A Plague Upon The Earth, Chants Of The Nameless, The Road To The Gravegarden/Funeral Of An Age

[Psycho] With the next break rain stopped and many ran back to the camp ground to catch sight and save tents and stuff :: POSTMORTEM :: at first were left out to dry. But it didn’t take long time and the Berlin-based guys filled the area again. They played such an asskicking and straight old school death metal show that not only I was blown away, even more since singer Matthias started joking around when the sun came out again and told the crowd it happened due to the lovely lyrics…
[Dajana] Hahahaha… yes, he was right, wasn’t he? As for me I would like to add the Brutz & Brakel factor. Metal heads who attend the Party San Open Air know what I mean. Also much hilarious the site blow towards fans from Dortmund (it’s a soccer thing between the clubs of Dortmund and Schalke 04; the Amphitheater is located in the city where Schalke 04 belong to). POSTMORTEM scored by getting the laughs ;)
[Wiebke] Just to add for the ones who never attended the Party San… Brutz & Brakel is a legendary cocktail bar with the POSTMORTEM guys involved, where you can blow yourself away with hellish but cheap cocktails.
Setlist: Suffer, 25, Give Us Hate, Ghost Of The Warship, Lobotomy, Way Of The Knive, Are You Dead, Totmacher, Meatballs, Hate Kill Destroy, Revolution

[Psycho] With all these band shirts around one might state that :: PRIMORDIAL :: was something like the secret co-headliner. By way of precaution Rock Hard chief editor Götz pointed out that the Irish guys, despite of their popularity, are still deeply rooted in the underground. Well, as for me first the music counts, regardless of how many CD a band sells. No doubt PRIMORDIAL is a great band with strong albums and songs up their sleeve but the spark didn’t want to jump over. Maybe it was due to the sun? Or the bad sound that destroyed all atmosphere? Maybe the band’s music works much better in your own four walls? No idea. I anyway was far away from the gooseflesh PRIMORDIAL causes when listening to them back home. Looking around I was seemingly the only one feeling that way, the crowd was in high spirits…
[Wiebke] I don’t mind, the show was great! No matter if with sun or without. Concerning his voice Alan had a run hitting almost every note and tone during the clean sung passages. At Gods To The Godless I for sure had gooseflesh!
Setlist: No Grave Deep Enough, Gallows Hymn, Lain With The Wolf, As Rome Burns, Bloodied Yet Unbowed, The Coffin Ships, Death Of The Gods, Empire Falls

[Psycho] Metal paradox. Although :: ENSLAVED :: played the much better show the band had the more difficult position. The sound was much better now, the band brimming over for energy and delight in playing, going wild on stage. Especially heart-throb Ice Dale was posing like a warrior at his entry to Asgard… ;)
[Dajana] *agrees* Never have seen Grutle in such great mood and action on stage. And the band’s musicianship is beyond all questions anyway.
[Psycho] Maybe it was just a mistake to have such intensive and atmospheric bands playing right after another. As for me ENSLAVED was ahead by a nose and also offered surprising moments with Allfadr Odinn from the very first (split) EP Hordanes Land and the final track Immigrant Song, where ENSLAVED impressively proved how to reprocess a cover version (Led Zeppelin) and make it sound like an own composition. Awesome show. Unfortunately time run out too fast to play Isa at the end.
Setlist: Ethica Odini, Raidho, Fusion Of Sense And Earth, Return To Yggdrasil, Giants, Lightening, Ruun, Allfadr Odhinn, Immigrant Song

[Psycho] Finally. Time has come. After a series of mishaps, missteps, and misfortune Thomas Gabriel Warrior now got his show at ROCK HARD FESTIVAL. Not with Celtic Frost of course, but with :: TRIPTYKON :: And it definitely was a memorable show!
Kicking off with the nasty Procreation Of The Wicked TRIPTYKON made clear that they would draw a full circle around the entire work of Tom Warrior. Sound was much louder and actually reached the (agreeable) limit but it perfectly suited their celebrated orgy of destruction. TRIPTYKON showed no mercy, are on the peak of their charisma and assiduously atomized everything in their way. Pure nihilism that is, as our colleague BRT would have stated here (who was conspicuous by his absence). The specialty of the show got even more underlined by the fact that also three HELLHAMMER songs were played. Here I’m sure we experienced unique moments. And the show’s finale saw the ultimate trio infernal with Triumph Of Death, Synagoga Satanae and The Prolonging played in one piece. A musical dystopia of darkness and dissolution I never ever experienced before and surely will not anymore. A triptykon from Tom’s outset till the youngest day. Amazing! Outstanding!
[Dajana] Not that much to add actually. This show was downright breathtaking. A headliner show that offers unequaled opportunities. Pure gooseflesh!
[Wiebke] I have only three words: precise, impressive, dark. That’s the way to get blown away these days.
Setlist: Crucifixus, Procreation (Of The Wicked), Goetia, Circle Of The Tyrants, Babylon Fell (Jade Serpent), Abyss Within My Soul, Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation), Messiah, Triumph Of Death, Synagoga Satanae, The Prolonging // Winter

[Psycho] All in all a successful day, even if the rain showers went on nerves. I’m not sure but I think there have been less people than on a Friday the years before.
[Dajana] Successful… does not describe this first festival day properly. TRIPTYKON delivered a hell of a show; that was fucking insanity. Same goes for ENSLAVED. Enough said, party time ;)

story © Psycho, Terry, Wiebke, Dajana • pics © Dajana