The first American band of the festival was Benedictum. It was quite impressive by what power the valkyre Veronica Freeman swirled across the stage. But not only the woman itself had an incredible power, but her voice, too.
Just like Kivimetsän Druidi also the German band Deadlock was guest on this festival two years ago for the last time. Unfortunately singer Johannes Prem was not able to join and so bassist John Gahlert took over the growl parts.
We stay Scandinavik after the Finns of Kivimetsän Druidi as it was up to the Danes / Swedes of Amaranthe. As I was able to see them as support act of Kamelot in spring at Cologne I was quite curious to their gig but in the end there was the same feeling as after the former one.
After they were guests two years ago already on Metal Female Voices Fest VII the Finnish folk metaller of Kivimetsän Druidi were able to rock the Oktoberhallen again this year.
Coma Divine is a side-project of the L'Ame Immortelle front woman Sonja Kraushofer. That entered just like her band members the stage in some kind of skimpy dress outfit and directly started with songs of their debut album "Dead End Circle".
After Hanging Doll had left the stage it was continued British. With the band Nemhain more rocky sounds entered the venue and could cause first movements of the crowd.
After a quite cold night (it had really been cold) I went over to the Oktoberhallen to warm up a little bit. There the British gothic metal band Hanging Doll should fire us up. Up to now they only released one EP and an album but the second is currently at work. So they only played stuff of the 2008 released CD "Reason & Madness".
At 22:00 the Finnish band Battlelore entered as mainact of the evening the stage. I did not know the seven musicians around front woman Kaisa Jouhki and Tomi Mykkänen beforehand. Never mind, really! The band recalled their 12 years lasting band history with meanwhile five studio albums.
After trudging through the traffic jams around Brussels and finally put up my tent in the dark it was unfortunately already too late for Bare Infinity. But finally I was on time for Xandria at the Oktoberhallen.
After the tour originally planned for the beginning of the year had to be delayed due to Sharon den Adels pregnancy you could now look forward to the Within Temptation so called "First Challenge" on this years Huntenpop festival at Ulft (to be precise it was already the second gig as they played two days earlier on Sziget festival at Budapest). The show should additionally be something very special.