22.05.2025 Heaven Shall Burn

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

Heaven Shall Burn are always a sure bet at any festival, so they were naturally a fixed part of my running order for the day. I had read with regret that vocalist Marcus Bischoff had been forced to end his Rock am Ring performance after just one song and, on medical advice, wasn’t allowed to sing for the time being. Fortunately, the band found an excellent stand‑in with Britta Görtz from Hiraes, who filled in for the rest of the festival and concert season remarkably well.
That was also the case on this day. It was clear that Britta wasn’t 100% secure with every lyric yet, so a teleprompter helped her through the set. It was well integrated, though, barely noticeable, and she didn’t make it obvious that she relied on it from time to time. The stage setup once again resembled a war‑torn cityscape. Already with “Übermacht” from their current album (even if it dates back to 2020), it became instantly clear that the Hiraes frontwoman was more than an adequate replacement. Just like Marcus normally would, she fired up the crowd, calling for circle pits and walls of death, which the audience followed without hesitation. From that moment on, there wasn’t a single second on or in front of the stage to catch your breath. Supported by the rest of Heaven Shall Burn, the band delivered their usual strong musical performance, forming a well‑crafted set as always. With the Edge Of Sanity cover “Black Tears,” they once again showed how they can give even already great songs a completely different drive. Afterwards, they offered a first glimpse of their new album "Heimat", which would be released just a few days later, by playing “My Revocation Of Compliance.” It definitely left you wanting more. Despite the still quite warm temperatures, the string section didn’t hesitate to whirl across the stage just as relentlessly as Görtz. Everything on the field in Dessel seemed to be in constant motion. On one hand, it was a shame that after “only” 60 minutes, the final song “Thoughts And Prayers” already marked the end. On the other hand, after such a storm‑like performance, it was also nice to finally catch your breath again.
I’ve seen Heaven Shall Burn live many times, and they’re among my absolute favorite live bands. So I was initially a bit skeptical when it became clear that Molle wouldn’t be back at the microphone for Graspop. But hats off to Britta! Jumping into full concert and festival shows with lyrics you don’t fully command takes courage. Sure, a teleprompter is necessary, but it was so well integrated into the stage design, and Britta glanced at it so subtly, that you barely noticed. On top of that, she gave the familiar songs her own unique touch. I won’t say I didn’t miss Marcus, but only in the sense that I wish he hadn’t been ill. Britta never once made me feel like I’d rather have Marcus on stage instead. Fortunately, Molle was able to return to the mic just a few weeks later, and I’m sure my path and Heaven Shall Burn’s will cross many more times in the future.

Setlist:

Übermacht
Voice Of The Voiceless
Combat
Black Tears (Edge Of Sanity Cover)
My Revocation Of Compliance
Godiva
Trespassing The Shores Of Your World
Corium
Awoken
Endzeit
Hunters Will Be Hunted
March Of Retribution
Thoughts And Prayers

Weblinks:

	Heaven Shall Burn Homepage of the German band Heaven Shall Burn.
	Graspop Metal Meeting Homepage of the Graspop Metal Meeting Festival at Dessel (Belgium).