Location: Rieden – Kreuth / Germany
Date: 08/27/2009
A whiff of the traditional Wacken Open Air festival, which has been going for 19 years now in the far north of Germany, finally reached us in a slightly scaled-down version, a bit closer to our corner of the sunny side of the Alps. The organizer, who is clearly doing better and better, decided this year to run three additional (sub)festivals under the umbrella of the main Wacken Open Air (which sold out this year). The first of the three was called Wacken Rocks Berlin and already took place at the end of May. The other two followed one right after the other at the end of August: first the one by the sea, called Wacken Rocks Seaside, and then the one in the Bavarian countryside, toward the eastern border with the Czech Republic, called Wacken Rocks South, held near the idyllic German village of Kreuth, known for one of the biggest horse stables in Europe. Both of the latter festivals had a similar lineup, and the most attractive act at both was without a doubt thrash metal giants Slayer!
The three-day party at Wacken Rocks South took place on two stages: the main stage, set up out in the open air, and a smaller stage inside a hall, where the lesser-known acts lined up. The organizer made sure when putting together the schedule that no two sets on different stages overlapped. On the first day only the main stage came alive, with six bands. As we arrived at the venue, we were greeted by the German AC/DC tribute band AM/FM, who kicked off their set with the opening track of the new AC/DC album “Black Ice”, Rock N’ Roll Train. While we were fighting our way through the press desks, ticket booths and all the security “pat-down guys” to the campsite, T.N.T., Hell’s Bells, Thunderstruck, Highway To Hell and, once again, the new War Machine were lining up too… AM/FM delivered an incredibly decent approximation of the real AC/DC, so they’re worth keeping an eye on in the future.
After adjusting to the new climate, we found ourselves in front of the stage for the Germans Freiwild. These party rockers, who radiate the energy of something like Slovenia’s The Drinkers, ground out scorching, riff-driven punk rock led by a screamy, piercing, lower-pitched vocal. That naturally stole the attention from the otherwise simple, cliché lead motifs. The solos were trivially minimalist, what few there were, but they played full throttle, as you’d expect from a band that’s been around for a good decade. Nothing special, nothing memorable, but a convincing enough warm-up for the final heads and pits.
The festival only really got going with the first day’s headliner. With the Germans In Extremo! This renowned name, firmly established on the international scene, guarantees an interesting experience when you meet them face to face in front of the stage. They’re known for spectacular stage shows, with no shortage of pyrotechnics and even acrobatic stunts, even somersaults. Let’s not forget, we’re in Germany, some 50 km east of Regensburg, still in Bavaria! In Extremo enjoy great respect in Germany, and there was no small amount of excitement in front of the stage before the start. True, the crowd area wasn’t packed to the brim, and you could stroll off during the show to get a beer from the second row and come back to the very same spot, but the German pumpkins (heads) were breathing hard and following the band word for word. Is there anything nicer than “gurgling” along in German? Okay, let’s get on with the show. In Extremo released a new live album, “In Goldenen Ring”, in May, and they more or less follow the setlist it offers. The stage is taken by seven tribally dressed musicians who blast you back into the golden Celtic times of genuine paganism. In their hands they carry handmade instruments that are exact copies of ancient ones, from some primeval past that still flows through the blood of modern Germanic folk. Wooden flutes, harp, hurdy-gurdy, lute, zither, bagpipes, of course the obligatory rhythm section and a sharpened guitar “in the undercarriage”. Add keyboards in the style of some dulcimer and the thing is pretty much done. Of course, the “last unicorn” has to appear on stage too, as the singer and extremely charismatic stage figure is known, “Das Letzte Einhorn”, without whom In Extremo are impossible to imagine, not on stage, let alone in the studio and in shaping the musical development of this band, unique in every respect. His sharp, colorful approach is an important part of the voice and stature of In Extremo.
“Sängerkrieg” is their current studio album and we got a generous helping of songs from it (seven in total). Through lively, witty stagecraft, with plenty of interesting combinations of individual instruments carrying the main motifs, and with the guys quickly showing off their musical versatility by mastering all sorts of instruments, In Extremo led us into their unique magical world. The men use not only German in their poetry, but also Icelandic, Latin, Old Swedish and so on… The concert, an hour and twenty minutes long, offered the songs Sieben Köche, Frei zu sein, Hiemali Tempore, Sängerkrieg , Ave Maria , Spielmannsfluch, Poc Vecem, Vollmond, En Esta Noche, Ai Vis Lo Lop, Zauberspruch, In diesem Licht, Flaschenpost, Rasend Herz, Omnia Sol Temperat, Auf’s Leben, Küss mich, Krummavísur, Wind. Totally self-assured, with a unique atmosphere and a chemistry fanned even more by the pyrotechnic effects and some daredevil acrobatics from Flex.
In Extremo confirmed their great experience, bulletproof confidence and maturity. A genuine figure in the folk metal genre, even today they find no worthy competition on European soil. They’re the originators, and all the face-painting and dressing up in animal skins that came after can’t hide the simple fact of In Extremo’s bold, exploratory pioneering.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
