We look to the year of 2004 – and that means an anniversary in Wacken. 15 years of FASTER LOUDER HARDER in the small village in Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany. I mean, to be quite honest: nobody would have heard of the place called Wacken (except for the farm animals by farmer Giles) if it wasn’t for two crazy friends called Thomas Jenssen and Holger Hübner, who in 1990 had the wacky idea of presenting their band at an open air festival. The only problem was, which festival would take them when nobody had ever heard of them!! They came to the only conclusion: We’ll organise our own festival! After a lot of trial and error in the early years, The Wacken Open air festival in it’s 15th Anniversary year has grown to be an international success. (The whole story can be read in the book „The Offical History of 15 Years Of Wacken Open Air).

The biggest pure-Metal Open-Air-Live-Party celebrated the highest point of it’s history in 2004. 40.000 fans partied day and night to support their metal heroes and those who are trying to reach the same heights. Naturally it was certain from the start that this anniversary had to be captured on a DVD.

With ca. 360 minutes, 35 bands, 50 live clips this is the material of 2004 from bands, fans, organisation and the complete atmosphere which makes Wacken Open Air so special.

Wacken Open Air means a cool mix from all the metal genres. The fractions of Black-, Death and Thrash were represented in 2004 by bands such as Destruction, Cannibal Corpse, Death Angel, Unleashed, Mayhem, Satyricon, Nocturno Culto and Anthrax. The camp of True and Power Metal fans can await the arge acts such as Doro, Motörhead, Dio, Kotipelto, Blaze Bailey who have presented live tracks for the DVD. Hot newcomer Ektomorf or the complete all-starter Children Of Bodom are respresented just as legends from Zodiac Mindwarp and Jutta Weinhold are on the anniversary DVD. The WET Stage is there to give new bands a chance to get themselves noticed. For this reason, at the 15th year of Wacken Open Air, a national and international Metal Battle took place. There’s a medley from the participating bands naturally including the winners Reckless Tide and Vanguard to be found on the DVD, just as with further newcomers from all genres such as Sufferage, Gutbucket and Hobbs Angel Of Death. The live-DVD is then rounded off with the party acts such as J.B.O and Eläkeläiset. We also can’t forget the wake up crew from Tom Angelripper with the Wacken Fire Fighters or the cult personality of Mambo Kurt on his organ. There are more bands, loads of atmosphere, backstage scenes and interviews to round the anniversary package off to make this DVD something special for everyone.

The festival is always a massive highlight for every metal fan and therefore a must for anyone who wants to party, live a great atmosphere and wants to watch loads of cool bands. So that the DVD can produce this feeling in your living room, the DVD has been given a super stereo and a 5.1 surround sound so that even the nextdoor neighbour can feel the rumble from Wacken. Packed in a high quality digipack with a thorough booklet, the other 362 days of the year without Wacken are now surviveable.

See you at Wacken – Rain or Shine – 15 year anniversary party – for ever in your home!

Text: Sabina Classen

You can buy the DVD in our online shop at www.metaltix.com (directly to the article)!

"Great live mixture of the last Wacken Open Air, which will not only appeal to Wacken fans. All in all pure Wacken live atmosphere"
Christian Albers, EMP

"A fat package which makes you want to hear more! The best way to shorten the time until the next festival is happening."
Matthias Weiner, Legacy

"The list of participating bands can be shown"
Matthias Mineur, Metal Hammer

"First class metal and a awesome band selection"
Björn Backes, Powermetal

For almost 15 years Germany’s Wacken Open Air draws countless fans of heavy music. Hard rock, true, death and black metal, Undergroundact and arena rocker, you will find them all northwest of Hamburg.

In 2003 the metal party found its peak as far as the quality of the band line-up and seize of the audience are concerned. A mere 35000 fans celebrated the sound of the likes of Twisted Sister, Vader, Running Wild or Testament. Those remarkable days in August pretty well deserved to be conserved for all time. The audio bit of the party has already been released as a double CD set “Armageddon over Wacken” via Armageddon Productions. As the Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary this year the time is right to release also the visual mayhem for the masses. This double DVD set features a decent cross section of last years festival: From beginning to end, from first to last note, from dusk till dawn, from the smallest to main stage.

Although the extended running time of about four and a half hours may seem rather short compared to the festival bill, this DVD shows almost everything. As the bands confirmed this DVD’s strength shows with its variety. Any death metal fan is going to like it as much as the ones dedicated to power metal as Vader or Nile are included as well as Rage or Saxon. The same goes with blast beat fetishist who will go crazy for Carpathian Forest.

In close cooperation with the artists the best performances and songs have been carefully picked and cutted. No difference whether a band opened on Party Stage early in the morning or hit the main stage as a final band with a bombastic show like Twisted Sister, each and every clip has been carefully edited. The same goes with the sound. This DVD is worldwide the very first Festival DVD to feature 5.1 digital stereo, so the viewer will find himself right in the middle of the audience.

As the fans are about as important as the music itself, the set features as well a lot of material such as interviews and statements from the camping round and from the audience. Of course, you will not miss backstage clips and interviews with artists.

This DVD features it all: The atmosphere, the party and last but not least the music with brilliant quality. “Armageddon over Wacken”

Playtime: 3 hours 48 minutes

www.metaltix.com - directly to the article

The W:O:A Roadshow DVD 2003 feat. Onkel Tom Angelripper, Amon Amarth, Mob Rules & special guest Lordi. This product is available since March, the 29th at www.metaltix.com (directly to the article)!

[Translate to englisch:] Der Metal Hammer schreibt über die Roadshow DVD 2003:
"Ich bin ein Flugzeug! Ich fliege hoch, ich fliege weit! An dieser Stelle ist keineswegs der Rezensent endgültig durchgeknallt, sondern jene weisen Worte werden sich jedem Betrachter der W:O:A Roadshow 2003 auf ewig ins Hirn brennen. Warum? Weil die Musik von Mob Rules, Amon Amarth, Lordi und Onkel Tom diese kryptische Melodie auf, neben und hinter der Bühne immer wieder singen. Alle Beteiligten der Aufwärm-Shows für das letztjährige Wacken-Festival hatten offenbar eine Menge Spaß, und diese Feierlaune überträgt sich unmittelbar auf den Bildschirm. Hier lassen sich authentische Eindrücke über die guten Seiten des Tourlebens gewinnen. Selten war eine Kamera derart intim dabei und wirkt dennoch nie aufdringlich. Mit einfachen Mitteln gefilmt, kommt so mehr als ein bloßer Konzertmitschnitt heraus.

Doch natürlich darf die Musik nicht fehlen. Mob Rules rocken, Amon Amarth malmen als heimlicher Headliner alles in Grund und Boden, Lordi landen wieder beim guten alten Rock und bieten einen monstösen Anblick, aber zu guter Letzt räumt dann Onkel Tom alles ab. Dieser Mann ist nicht zu stoppen. Die Fans auf der Bühne, Tom unten an der Theke - ein echter Alptraum für den Sicherheitsdienst. Im Ergebnis liegen mit der W:O:A Roadshow DVD zehn tolle Song-Clips und vor allem einmalige Bilder hinter den Kulissen vor, die man sich gerne öfter ansieht.

Ach ja: Für das mysteriöse Flugzeug-Lied zeichnen sich Amon Amarth verantwortlich, aber seht es Euch selbst an..."
Quelle: Gunnar Sauermann - www.hammer-mag.de