The night was quite short to some of us. Carsten, Rene and Frank had a night shift at their desktops on the festival ground. So it was no sleep.

The others from the team arrived at 10.30 a.m. when a Viking fight at the camping area was presented. Some appetizer for the night already? Yes it was. It was the dress rehearsals for the Amon Amarth gig.

When Friday in Wacken starts three bands climb three stages at the same time. While MONSTER JOE is playing his Blues on W.E.T. Stage, MYSTIC CIRCLE summons evil powers on Black Stage and END OF GREEN support this even.

While the sun shines bright some Metal fans need a cool-down but no way with the Fins WINTERSUN. The enthusiasm is on high level already. But this does not apply to the Fins REPULSE. They offer one of the weakest shows.

The Dutch bands LEGIONS OF THE DAMNED and BORN FROM PAIN profit from the happiness of the audience. On W.E.T. Stage two more Metal Battle contest winners present their material. WÜRM from France and CADAVERIC CREMATORIUM from Italy.

DANKO JONES talks big and offers hard rock songs as usual. But the Canadian native has charisma and genius and so you cant get enough of him. DANKO rocks the house. DANKO rocks the festival.

On W.E.T. Stage Scorpions drummer is rocking like hell with his new band KOTTAK, but much to less fans in front of the stage. But the musicians performs as they would play to a thousand maniacs. An real eye-candy is the female drummer – its Tommy Lee’s sister!

Is EKTOMORF the new, the better or the other Soulfly? Discussions about that was done before their gig in Hungary already but without result. Its doubtless that this kind of groovy Nu Metal made a lot of people jump and dance and lose weight.

Chris Barnes and his SIX FEET UNDER sidekicks has an easy job to move the masses. Death Metal fans are banging from to first row to the sound tower. Closer is a very cool ‘TNT’ version from AC/DC.

NIKKI PUPPET plays on W.E.T. Stage, later on NEVERMORE let the long hair of the fans rotate. Some distance away editor Andreas Schöwe (German Metal Hammer) is doing self-advertisement for his new book.

GORILLA MONSOON played Wacken last year already and so they do it again this year. Very strong sound for the people!

Sweden natives OPETH isn’t a real festival band but the audience have a good time nevertheless.

SOILWORK is SOILWORK is SOILWORK. That means that there are no weak songs only full power. Some elements are similar but they deliver a strong show.

FLESHGORE are from Kiev/Ukraine and shows that Death Metal with many breaks and blast-beats can be done very well in the East as well. That kind of sound is animating some drunken fans obviously. First they want to surf on the crowd but it fails, then they compare their male identifying marks and finally one of them was pissing in the glass by another and as he wants to drink he dropps his glass. Lucky man…

Maybe the biggest audience in front of True Stage when middle ages rockers IN EXTREMO climb it. The cool stage scenery (a ship) gives some extra plus from the fans.

VREID from Norway is a quite ethnic band and this shown on W.E.T. Stage insistently. During the show the temperature on the festival ground drops some degrees. Was it really necessary?

Hard to believe but its true. Years ago CARNIVORE with singer Peter Steele was discussed very controversial and now they’re back. Nobody ever could image listening to songs like ‚Carnivore’, ‚Male Supremacy’ and ‚Race War’ live. WACKEN OPEN AIR made it happen.

The Fins KORPIKLAANI are celebrating an interesting mixture of Metal- and folk elements, similar to Finntroll and Turisas a bit.

KRYPTERIA can offer the most attractive female singer of the festival. Beautiful Ji-In isn’t a eye-candy only she can sing fantastic with her educated soprano voice. The melodic and epic songs can satisfy the audience a lot. After the show the female singer and the guitar player are ready to do an interview.

One hour before show time a lot of maniacs is crowding in front of True Stage so they can watch their heroes CHILDREN OF BODOM very intense. The sound isn’t perfect at all and so a fat bass-pressure is missing but the fans don’t mind and have party like hell.

On W.E.T. Stage beautiful Alex is rocking with his DESPERADOZ in a packed tent. The Western and Metal cocktail seems to be more successful since the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.

CELTIC FROST at night is much more intensely than at daylight (Sweden Rock, Tuska). Precise like a Swiss clockwork the Black Stage is broken into pieces.

D’ESPAIRS RAY from Japan serves a plate of gloomy Metal on Party Stage.

Sweden natives and highfliers HELLFUELED with singer Andy Alkman reminds of Ozzy Osbourne and offers cool old school rock that just makes fun.

METAL INQUISITOR from Koblenz/Germany makes midnight loud and rocks W.E.T. Stage down. The sound from Ministry is quite loud but the people don’t mind and have a furious Thrash party.

Al Jourgensen and his MINISTRY is hiding in the stage fog and low light. Long time no see in Germany!

BATTLELORE enter W.E.T. Stage and the audience is singing some kind of special.

Its very late (or very early) when PRIMAL FEAR at 2 a.m. requires last man power by the fans. Mighty Power Metal you can listen to some kilometres away even.

Sweden natives AMON AMARTH make the final shot at Friday with a superb show and a lot of fire and pyro elements. A Viking fight is one highlight and frontman Johan Hegg is highlight all the time.

Text: Oliver Vollmer und Tom Klaner
Foto: Matthias 'mattness' Bauer
www.brighteyes.de