The German power metal band Winterstorm got via the Metal Masters election to their gig at Wacken and were now able to prove their skills.
What entered the stage that early in the afternoon was a somehow unusual septet. The Danish band Kellermensch was on the one hand an ordinary rock band line-up which was added by a contrabass, violin and organ. With their progressive rock the very charismatic singer Christian Sindermann and his co-singer Sebastian Wolff were able within minutes to cast a spell over the people in front of the stage.
Traditionally of course together with my Belgium friends we went to their Metal Battle participant. This year it was the death metal band Exuviated. Normally not fully that what I like and also in front of the stage there were not so much people (that was the day before and also during the directly before playing Dead By April completely different). Anyhow on and in front of the stage everybody was giving everything one's got.
Dead By April are coming from Sweden and served fare that is not to every metal fan's liking made out of metal core with pop hooklines. Nevertheless the tent was very good filled during the afternoon and the mainly younger female audience was heating up the atmosphere just as much as the guys on stage.
Whilst Zandro Santiago was responsible for the growl and scream parts, Jimmie Strimmel could score with his extremely good clean voice.
As Norwegian representant the men of Faanefjell entered the stage on Thursday noon. It was a somehow bizarre view: The guys on strings wearing Norwegian sweaters and the singer only dressed with medieval trousers but instead veeeryyy maascuuline :-).
Actually I did not plan to watch the Flensburg shanty choir but as nearly all of my group did want to go there I also stayed there on my way from Bullhead tent back to the camping ground. First it did not seem like the band being able to play as in the beginning the technics crapped out. With a delay of 15 minutes Santiano finally began and quickly really gathered pace.
On Wednesday evening to a late hour (at least it was already 21:30) I opened for me the Wacken Open Air 2012. Traditionally on the first inofficial day only the Metal Battle bands as well as some medieval bands on Wackinger Stage are playing but this year due to the huge number of newcomer contest competitors they already started around noon.
The day before the Dutch band Delain finally released after long worries their new album and now a not very small amount of people were waiting for them at the Atak Enschede to also hear these songs. Unfortunately the venue was not sold out but that did not do any harm to the atmosphere. Unfortunately this was realted to a happening right to the beginning of the show which brought sweat to the artists brows.
Already for a longer period of time I was taking a look whether the Dutch band Nemesea would have a gig around and now finally it was the day. At the quite well filled Atak there was first an unusual picture presented related to a rock band: with regards to the stage setting there would be not less than 3 keyboarder on stage. The music situated at the rock area is making use of many sythie effects but that was somehow strange to me.
Already at last years Wacken edition I was able to watch the South Tyrolean on the large Black Metal Stage but what happened on 31.03. at the Grugahalle Essen was outclassing that gig by far. It was the final concert of their short "Alleine Nach Vorne" tour and formed the culmination. Originally that concert should take place at Hamm but then it was moved to the Grugahalle at Essen. Additionally the tour was planned as club tour but that was somehow interpreted in a different way at the large venue in front of roughly 4500 visitors.