The time-honoured adage “All good things must come to an end” never rings truer this morning
After three days of maelstromic metal mayhem at Rockharz we have awoken
Once again ol’ Beelzebub has failed in his constructive efforts in the race with the morning’s cockerel
until the curtain rises on next year’s edition here at Ballenstedt Airfield
For an overwhelming percentage of the 21st century Nickelback have been pondering upon those five words “Are we having fun yet?”; evidently
Over the course of the previous three days
we’ve been royally treated to performances from 43 bands split across the two well-appointed and managed Rockharz stages
then a loosening of belts is thoroughly recommended
a further 16 hard-rocking outfits beckon with the mammoth legends that are Lordi and Judas Priest sit atop the billing’s summit
As we filter through the gates onto the arena little do we realise that meteorological events will have an adverse effect in a few hours’ time
A slender finger of cloud punctuates the late-morning blue skies above the Rockharz arena as homegrown melodic death metallers Parasite Inc assemble upon the Dark Stage having headed northwards
Drummer Benjamin Stezler raises his sticks aloft and with Kai Bigler’s whispered introductory vocals this Swabian quartet are on the offensive from the off
Greeted by a long-way-from-home Scottish saltire
Parasite Inc strike the initial blows with dissonant leads and sky-filling screams of opening track ‘First Born’
Craned in from 2022’s ‘Cyan Night Dreams’ – the band’s third long-player
an offering which pierced the top 20 of the German album charts – it’s an eye-catching opener that ensures attention
Shifting through the gears bolt from the blue ‘Headfuck Rollercoaster’ provides
The warped melodics of ‘Sunset Overdrive’ press the accelerator even harder
A request more than happily despatched from all four quarters in this hookiest of thrashers
In the wake of that pair of demons extracted from sophomore album ‘Dead and Alive’ the door is opened even further for title-track ‘Cyan Night Dreams’ to screech through
It’s still just in the ‘am’ and a mosh pit opens up in embryonic evolution
Bigler notices and further encourages whipping up matters
It’s not just the frontman that gets in on the fun of crowd interaction as bassist Lucien Moseku
for the intrusively welcome ‘Once and For All’
splits the arena to unleash the controlled fury of a wall of death
Whatever is in the beer should be attracting the attentions of NASA
tracking back to debut album ‘Time Tears Down’
The massed ranks clap in unison and a man-size chicken surfs the crowd; it’s all in a day’s work here at Ballenstedt
contrast neatly in the tidal flow of ‘When All Is Said’
the closing number of ‘Cyan Night Dreams’ provides an atmospheric bone-cruncher of a set finale
In a lot of ways our first band of the day is Rockharz encapsulated to a tee
This festival is simply the gift that just keeps on giving
the majority completely unknown to us have not only impressed and embraced but have well and truly succeeded in broadening our musical boundaries
It’s safe to say that we will return to the UK with a greatly deepened appreciation of all things metal
The Rockharz hunting wolves continue to burst out of the festival’s conflagrant tornado delivering yet another twist in the course of the lineup with the pirate-folk-metal of Düsseldorfers Storm Seeker
It’s to the eternal credit of continental festivals that this enthralling genre
by and large shamefully overlooked back in the UK
is given deserved stage-time to bare its teeth
During the course of a compelling 40 plus minutes we discover that Storm Seeker lies at a mid-point between the comical mayhem of Alestorm and the Celtic war cry of d’Artagnan
There’s room on the seven seas for one and all
leans towards this year’s ‘Nautic Force’ with a triple broadside despatched with early-set gusto before a course is set to hardtack through their previous studio offerings
Lanterns swing as the tolling of a ship’s bell brings the crew up on deck
even in the bright lunchtime sunshine the atmosphere ascends as the quintet strike with the shanty jig of ‘Nine Ships By Night’ following up with the speedier ‘Across The Seven Seas’
with the chopping riffs laid down by Paulie ‘Docs’ Martens and the gravelly lines offered by Timo Bornfleth rocking hard and sure
The recently released treble is completed with ‘Heavaway’
a hearty flagon full o’ folk-metal; it’s more Alestorm than Alestorm themselves
by other inflatable colleagues including a banana along with red dragons and unicorns
It’s full-on party-time as we grab the powder
Darkened from the depths of Davy Jones’s locker and hard-edged its lyrics mock those unfortunates “We are sailing you are not” implores Timo
it’s onboard for a rollickingly playful ‘Naval Hitchhike’
Infectious this is and you’d have to be the most cold-hearted of landlocked landlubbers not to be swept along
A tempest blows up in the Celtic lament of ‘Destined Course’ and its earthquake rumblings afore we receive instruction from the endless seas upon ‘How To Be A Pirate’
With the profound hurdy gurdy and recorder of Fabienne “Fabi Tunes” Kirschke to the fore ‘Row Row Row’ takes on a folky nautical life in a warped parallel to Amon Amarth’s utilitarian Viking longshipping ‘Put Your Back Into The Oar’
Rockharz is transformed into a seething mass of movement by the jaunty ‘Drag O Below’ afore the ethereal intro of ‘The Longing’
lays the foundation for a rapid-fire cannon-roar salvo to bring down the metaphorical house
The skull and crossed-bones flies upon high; the storm that has been sought will materialise
If there is ever a wilder swing in festival running orders
then I’ve not experienced one as feral and untamed as what is about to be encountered
we lurch heedlessly into the utterly madcap universe created by the ‘insanity’ of the six components that comprise Coppelius
The sextet hailing from Berlin is about as far removed as one can be from realms metallic
There are precisely zero guitars or bass on offer with the formally Victorian-garbed ensemble generating their wondrous fusion from two clarinets
a cello along with a double bass and a regulation set of drums
Think 2Cellos crossed with Royal Blood and you’re getting somewhere in the region of a comparison for what unfolds
There’s white face paint and top-hats aplenty as the six-piece emerge to thunderous ruminations
lifted in from their seventh and most recent album ‘Abwärts’
serves as yet another prophetic hint of the weather to come
Taking their name from one of the main characters of Ernst Hoffman’s short story ‘Der Sandmann’ the band’s sense of Steampunk theatrics and artistic presentation seem well suited
It’s fun yet owning a serious undercurrent and although some is lost upon me through language the visual aspect is strong enough alone to leave a marked impression
Vocalist Bastille Butler is ever a livewire
into the pit and then back onstage to re-arrange the furniture whilst all the while the twin clarinets (there’s a phrase I never thought likely to write) of Max Coppella and Comte Caspar writhe and entwine like a snake pit
Like 2Cellos on performance enhancing chemicals ‘To My Creator’ is an Alice in [Metal] Wonderland creation
Galloping hookah smoking caterpillars anyone
With a clear passion for literature burning bright there’s no surprise when the band slam in a wondrously machine-gun rat-a-tat version of Maiden’s ‘Murders In The Rue Morgue’
Looking back through their discography it would seem with Iron Maiden covers nestling upon five of their albums their lies a penchant for matters of Harris et al
Likewise there’s an angling towards System Of A Down with a heavy dark version of ‘Chop Suey!’ along with a pounding punchy ‘Radio/Video’ both receiving the Coppelius treatment all served with a huge dollop of aplomb
It’s all rather beautifully manic and there’s even room for some industrial tonage in ‘Kryptoxenoarchäologie’ veering into Neue Deutsche Härte territory
The mad scientist within has truly cooked up a hooking potion
there is no escape though none is requested as Coppelius provide a bridge between classical and heavy metal
Yet another mind-broadening discovery worthy of much further inquest
and sirens wail across the afternoon skies at Ballenstedt
heralding the arrival of German power metallers Mystic Prophecy
They don’t arrive alone however as behind the stages
to the south-west across the Harz National Park
Mystic Prophecy have been booting about in one form or another for a couple of decades
focused upon the long-standing nucleus of founding vocalist R.D
Liapakis and guitarist Markus Pohl who joined in 2005
is the most stable of all that have preceded
MP are right into the thick of things with the metalliferous richness of the high-grade ‘Metal Division’
one of four title tracks in this afternoon’s set
Strident and proud ‘Burning Out’ tears through the afternoon airs with touches of Dio and Sabbath
With the running order providing many shades of metal it’s also good to return the ‘middle ground’ with some no-nonsense bulldozing
The bone-crushing of ‘Killhammer’ sprints out of the darkness wreaking destruction in readiness for the advance of ‘War Panzer’
The band’s self-confessed penchant for laying down an old-school vibe comes right to the fore with the blistering titular track of latest album ‘Hellriot’
the number of the beast” declares Liapakis reverently
The blood lusting ‘Dracula’ sears across the blackening mid-afternoon skies ahead of the darkened metal of ‘We Kill You Die’
a glorious broiling broth of Saxon’s ‘Crusader’ and Ozzy’s ‘I Just Want You’
encourages the storm closer surfing in the waves afront the maelstrom
By the time set closing ‘Metal Brigade’ has marched across the arena so the rain begins to pour amidst a strengthening wind
“The hellfire in metal we made” declares the lyrics
a prequel to ‘Hellriot’ both ploughing the furrow first struck by Saxon in ‘Denim and Leather’
Just minutes after Mystic Prophecy had taken the deserved appreciation of the Rockharzers the inevitable call
was made by the festival organisers with an announcement of the temporary suspension of matters of a musical nature
With the first rumblings of encroaching thunder so an orderly and highly efficient evacuation of the arena was undertaken
concise instruction ensure that the safety and well-being of what amounts to the populous of a decent sized town is maintained successfully
disappointing on all fronts from the crowd right through to the organisers via band and crew it’s
Avatarium and Draconian – have seen their sets fall to the wayside but with the stated promise of playing in 2025 as a given
Rockharz gently steams as the thunderstorm continues to mooch off further north-eastwards leaving an ever so slight misty haze hanging in the air
Expectancy crackles as the evening sunshine pierces through
coated head to tail in a uniform black save for a red gas mask
immortal through deception his desire is to seek an overthrow for this curse
The ancient order of fear otherwise known as Orden Ogan
an absolute storm from the moment they stride forth
Harnessing the primal forces of Carl Orff’s ‘O Fortuna’
the eager assembled are whipped up with the opening harmonies delivered by guitarists Niels Löffler and Patrick Sperling
Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann it paves a grandiose path for the symphonic climes of ‘F.E.V.E.R.’ to further thunderingly raise levels
Orden Ogan have ensured that Rockharz is reborn in fine
The powering surge of ‘Conquest’ raises those little hairs on the back of the neck whilst simultaneously sending shivers down the spine
This is goosebump territory no doubt of it
It’s the first of a trio of tracks aired from the brand spanking new album ‘Order of Fear’ released just the previous day
With a delicious tonage in the guitaring reminiscent of Florence Black’s ‘Sun & Moon’ especially in the quieter
atmospheric segments it captivates instantly
Once again Rockharz is serving up yet another fine discovery with the spiritual uplift delivered by this effervescent quintet
The crowd is well prepped for the lunar conflagrant nature of ‘Moon Fire’
With a Celtic touch it’s strongarm yet gentle in its grasp with daubs of Maiden’s ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ flitting in and out
With a continuance of doffing a collective cap towards the nobility of Iron Maiden ‘Come With Me To The Other Side’ can be
The track’s gentle intro accelerates hard and fast stirring up a feisty furore
The crepuscular salutations of ‘The Order of Fear’ are majestic
Cowled and cloaked the skeletal crow swings its scythe
The way is pathed for the grandeur of ‘Gunman’ with its delicate touches of Thin Lizzy within
The bringer of salvation offers but a tombstone path as a furious solo pays homage to the likes of Malmsteen and Vai
A most flavourful slice of melodious power metal ‘Let The Fire Rain’
is a flash of white lightening across the skies
Levermann leads the crowd in a Bruce Dickinson-like sing-along
the track’s lyrics enwrap feeling so familiar yet being so new to myself
Rockharz is loving it as the enigmatic vocalist offers a “Slainthe” at track end
Before Orden Ogan gallop headlong into closing number ‘The Things We Believe In’ it is proven
that this enthusiastic crowd are really good at singing about cold beer
At the really competitive prices that the beer is sold at (this isn’t a rip-off UK festival tariff) a good number of steins have been sunk over the course of the four days
Careering over mythical plains the cadaverous riders strive upon a purpose only the undead know of
Beneath the overcast so they issue their rallying call with lyrical imagery steamrollering
Order Ogan depart to their outro ‘Fields of Sorrow’ having firmly planted themselves firmly within the upper echelons of my favourite discoveries of the year thus far
Following directly on from a German hard rocking outfit harnessing a Scandinavian symphonic tone we’re catapulted right into the world of Soilwork
a Swedish melodic death metal troupe engaging in Stateside nu-core elements
Hailing from Helsinborg this six-piece have
is hard and uncompromising in its pressures
The pain in the thunder with an ebb and flow between rage and angst
Vocalist Björn Strid (also The Night Flight Orchestra) surveys the scene and enquires “Rockharz are you with me?” furthering “Get ready to circle!”
Ahead of a massive Autumn tour with In Flames and Arch Enemy this is well and truly a shaking off of the shackles of being at rest
doom-fringed thrashers like the VTOL of ‘Valleys of Gloam’
Linkin Park and Rage Against The Machine are demonstrated as amongst the influences for the beating heart within
title track from their twelfth and most recent long-playing offering
ascends to delight afore the slowing down and deepening of tempo in the heavy melodies of ‘Death Diviner’
The melodiousness initially continues into ‘The Ride Majestic’ before the switch marked ‘trampling bloodthirstiness’ is flicked into the ‘on’ position
Cruising altitude is reached in Soilwork’s signature track ‘Stålfågel’
the juxtaposition between the industriousness of steel and the freedom flight of the bird
soars in untethered glory reminiscent of Audioslave a befitting ending to a stately
Having caught Judas Priest in fiery action
most ably supported by the might of Saxon and Uriah Heep
back in March on the south coast of England at Bournemouth’s International Centre we precisely knew the high level of quality that in store for 25,000 metal mad Rockharzers in the coming hour and a half
Utterly imperious and without compare Priest are rightfully riding high atop a lofty pinnacle in the wake of their 19th studio album ‘Invincible Shield’ hitting number 2 in the Official UK Album Chart – outstripping ‘British Steel’ in becoming their highest charting long-player – and it’s atop the crest of this wave that the quintet surf into Ballenstedt
With the utmost respect to all the other bands upon the four days of Rockharz Priest’s set is the one the overwhelming majority of attendees have inked in as unmissable since the announcement of their Saturday headline slot
A band that has inspired numerous other bands throughout the course of their half century plus career they are most correctly labelled as iconic
Although clouds surround the airfield Rockharz shines magnanimously as the sun begins to set in a blaze of reds and oranges out to the west
It makes for a striking setting as the opening chords of Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’
grabs the attention and ensures 100% reverence throughout
which has been waiting patiently above for several hours
lights up as the Invincible Shield Tour Anthem heralds a strident introduction
The drums of Scott Travis – Priest’s longest serving drummer – pound and guitars roar ahead of Richie Faulkner
and legendary longest serving member bassist Ian Hill emerging
Pandemonium ensues as illustrious frontman Rob Halford takes to the stage clad in a knee-length metallised leather jacket
The ‘terror’ of ‘Panic Attack’ is unleashed with the twinned guitars of Faulkner and Sneap setting fire to the skies
Hill’s bass pulses stoically matched by Travis’ percussive energies whilst all the while Halford energetically defies
Whilst a touch scaled back from the full touring production Priest have brought a show to Rockharz
With a familiar rasping roar the evergreen ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’ – the first of four tracks from 1982’s ‘Screaming For Vengeance’ – is unshackled with full force
The cogs of industry whir in time-honoured Midlands fashion as black and white imagery flash on the video screens
I’m teleported back to my teenage years and 87’s ‘Priest…Live!’ double album
the boards ‘tween tracks regally waving to the gathered horde before probing “Are you ready for some that Judas Priest heavy metal?” You bet we are
Choice cut ‘Rapid Fire’ living up to the label description leaves a trail of destruction behind it as the wrecking ball continues to arc
rioting and civil unrest the five components of Priest despatch
creating a visual spectacle to match the audio dynamics
we’re treated to the autobahn metal of ‘Riding On The Wind’ and the NWOBHM finery that is ‘Devil’s Child’ both numbers being craned in from ‘Screaming For Vengeance’ for the occasion
Spots focus upon Faulkner for the searing intro of ‘Sinner’
With several months out on the road the Priest is a well-oiled machine in stupendous form
‘Turbo Lover’ pulls back the throttle untethering the feral horsepower
Giving an appreciated horned salute Halford
signals his approval as Rockharz sings the title line
With the setting sun illuminating the dusktime clouds Hill’s ever-stoical bass reverberates about the festival site and across the surrounding fields bringing in the showstopping properties of ‘Invincible Shield’
thinking they’re a spent force should think again
This is an outfit as relevant nowadays as they have ever been
The mammothlike heavy metal of ‘Victim of Changes’ sees Halford salute the flamboyance of Faulkner’s conflagrant fretwork
The metal general is in genial mood leading the assembled ranks into the cavernous spaces of ‘The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)’
Priest quake the Devil’s Wall leaving it a bit more unstable than previously in the process and handicapping Satan’s nocturnal quest that bit more
Most appropriately Hell’s fury is vented in the banshee shriek from upon high that is ‘Painkiller’
are lost in an astounding moment of heavy metal ferocity as the main set is brought to a climatic ‘finale’
As the band retreat off-stage the trident lowers in readiness for their retracing of steps a couple of minutes later
The end of the fuse wire is met upon the band’s re-emergence with the rapidly detonative ‘Electric Eye’ explodes
Its early 80s foresight of a state of surveillance is so close to the bone looking back retrospectively
With the smoking bullet ‘Hell Bent For Leather’ and Halford riding his beloved Harley the classics persist with the six
minutes of ‘Living After Midnight’ bringing down the curtain upon a set of unrivalled metallic perfection
Halford concludes “Thanks Rockharz for keeping the heavy metal faith
We are Judas fucking Priest and we’ll be back!”
follow impressively in the wake of Judas Priest
The penultimate band of this year’s festival they are our final selection for review; following four days of scribbling and photographing we’re dead on our feet and with sincere apologies to closing band Faun a much-needed beer is calling very loudly
Twenty minutes prior to the striking of midnight subterranean bells toll
hideous stone gargoyles watch from atop the castle ramparts
Mr Lordi’s band take their stage positions – first drummer Mana
ahead of keyboardist Hella and then bassist Hiisi and guitarist Kone
greeting the crowd “Guten abend Rockharz!”
Getting the crowd energised from the off with the triumphant ‘Dead Again Jayne’ and its supreme monster symphonic metallings Lordi and his cohorts are as mesmeric as ever
Rolling directly into the dungeon rattling ‘Get Heavy’ the still very sizeable gathering is in the palm of their hand
Mr Lordi gets to enthusiastically demonstrate his increasing grasp of the German language
there’s a major difference in replying with a single yes as opposed to two
The latter referring to licking of the anus according to his lordship which he prefers by his account
‘Hug You Hardcore’ is a thumper in Marilyn Manson fashion that gets fists pumping skywards
Its infectious plague is a hooky as heck with the interchange between Lordi and guitarist Kone a touch reminiscent of Dave Lee Roth and Steve Vai
The theatrics of ‘Blood Red Sandman’ ensure contagion levels are maintained stoked to the max
Ascendant from the underworld – “It’s from the newest album
not new anymore but the newest” informs Mr
With a powerful AOR undertow ‘It Snows In Hell’ sees the likes of Toto and Boston squared by to the power of symphonic metal in a most intriguing melding of contrasts
they do reciprocate clapping along to guarantee their master’s delight
revving life ‘Wake The Snake’ chases away the still chill night airs with a high-speed slithering and writhing
The arockalypse is well and truly upon us with the thumping
glammish metal of ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ building the set up neatly into its final chapters
Hella’s strengthy punching keys are matched by her counterparts in ‘The Riff’ prior to the informative and bewitching ‘Devil Is A Loser’ ramps matters upwards further
The closing brace of ‘Would You Love A Monsterman?’ and Eurovision Song Contest winning ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ are guaranteed fireworks
A pyromaniac pairing that would have Kiss themselves drooling
Gloriously over the top and bombastically proud of it Lordi have produced a stunning set as only they can
So Rockharz has reached its finale and over a beer enjoying the pagan/medieval folk metal of Faun we reflect upon four days rammed full of variety and discovery
The over-riding factor is the friendliness of everyone; the person next to you in the crowd is your next friend with a shared moment of enjoyment
There is much to applaud and nothing to raise critical comment
Well organised there are many initiatives UK festivals can learn from
Ranging from the greener recycling efforts to a large programme of inclusivity for those less able Rockharz is a shining light
Of the UK festivals we’ve experienced only Bloodstock comes close to the wide variance of genres on offer here
Full of Hell will release their new EP Broken Sword
Rotten Shield on May 16th [pre-order]…
Twixt the twin stages the antlered skull of Hirschbert
proudly adorns the fifty-plus pipes of the Rockharz organ
in the very soil of the Harz two cowled guardians oversee the protection of its precious structure
are also at one with the land harnessing an intrinsic energy
It’s been a herculean effort of sorts to arrive here in this particular corner of Germany in the Harz district of Saxony-Anhalt
Following two solid days of travelling and nearly 1300 kilometres under the wheels Kelly and I are under no illusion of the vastness of mainland Europe by the time we park up and apply the handbrake for the last time for four days
This is the most literal journey of musical discovery we have embarked upon thus far
At the beginning of the year our boss here at MPM Towers
‘challenged’ us to look outside of our rock n’ roll comfort zone by assigning us the likes of Dragonforce
A realisation began to dawn that there was far
the door to another dimension was opened and we stepped through the beckoning threshold
Celebrating its 30th incarnation Rockharz has
since its inception and inaugural edition in 1993
fledged metalliferous warrior that it currently manifests as
single stage entity to one that now runs rammed pack
this is an event that had us licking our lips and grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat from the moment of our initial invitation
Since switching base from Förste – on the opposite side of the Harz – in 2009 this is an event that has evolved and grown under the kinetics of its incredibly unique brand of dynamics
This year nearly 25,000 metalheads will descend upon Ballenstedt’s airfield for a scheduled record-equalling 59 bands across two stages and four days of utter mayhem
puts pay to three bands’ performances thus 2023’s total remains a festival record
Under the watchful shadow of The Devil’s Wall (its native name Teufelsmauer is as equally image invoking) – a delineation
dividing the fertile plains and ore-bearing mountains
of which the Devil came so close to completing afore the crow of the morning cockerel (if you believe such yarns) – the Ballenstedt airfield was selected for not just its relatively remote location but also for its room to expand
This is one of the largest multi-day festivals we’ve ‘covered’ as media – by virtue of the number of attendees – somehow Rockharz retains a family and small community vibrancy
It’s immediately striking the large-scale intimacy and diverse nature of proceedings
Rockarz’s 14th instalment at the airfield is its 6th and
It’s the most magical of places where lustrously tinted unicorns and gaudy rainbows nestle harmoniously amidst marauding Vikings and toilet-brush wielding grindcore aficionados all the awhile in a sea of denim and leather
Pink is the new black by some accounts and quite rightly so
of opening up the festivities is handed into the surefire grip of Icelandic power metallers Power Paladin
Making a triumphant entrance to ‘A Cup Of Liber-Tea’ – Wilbert Roget II’s theme tune to the recently released video game Helldivers 2 – the sextet rapidly set about seizing the initiative
we’re on a grand quest to bring you Icelandic metal
Do you wanna get rocked?” enquires singer Atli Guðlaugsson
It’s just after half three in the afternoon and there’s a decent sized crowd who most certainly do
which preceded the release of debut album ‘With the Magic of Windfyre Steel’
The furious and frenetic ‘Righteous Fury’ taking the starter’s signal and the cracking melodic speed metal of ‘Kraven the Hunter’ closing the party with keyboardist Bjarni Egill Ögmundsson getting in amongst the action amongst fulltime guitarists Ingi Þórisson and Bjarni Þór Jóhannsson with his six-string charge albeit an inflatable one
PP’s set is a surefire speed metal romp through Hi-fantasy and with my literary leanings towards Tolkien and Terry Pratchett I’m soon hooked with the band’s penchant for all things of legend and lore
“Alright Rockharz the next grand song is about elves and woodland and stuff like that!” Guðlaugsson informs of ‘Dark Crystal’
At their most pacy it’s Helloween raised to the power of Dragonforce harnessing a channelled focus of Iron Maiden
Chuck in the Sabaton infusion of ‘Ride The Distant Storm’ that hollers right out of the Northern volcanic wildlands
and a daubing of Kiss within the bounds of ‘Creatures Of The Night’ and the portrait from the chill waters of the Northern Atlantic is complete
The accolade of the festival’s first crowd surfer – ‘stretchered’ aloft to the front by a willing crowd – is bestowed upon the Icelanders
Suited in a white disposable overall and proudly wielding a toilet brush he grins from ear to ear; Rockharz’s ‘crazy’ is well and truly underway
On an opening day chock full of quality and with offerings
diverse enough for to ensure something for everyone
spread upon the broad metalliferous Rockharz altar the eight warrior elements that comprise Swedish power metal outfit Brothers Of Metal stride forth to a fanfare of the Norse gods
With a steely intent in their eyes and a silent swagger respect is paid to Baldur son of Odin and Frigg
From their homebase of Falun this merry horde have travelled from one UNESCO World Heritage Site to another at Quedlinburg just a handful of kilometres to the north-west
with three guitarists and an equal number of vocalists
it’s most certainly a case of that more is more with Brothers of Metal
Shy and retiring they are not; growling vocalist Mats ‘Tongue of The Gods’ Nilsson introduces “We are Brothers of Metal” adding the unashamed self-proclamation “We are the best metal band in the world!”
in support of Beast in Black and Gloryhammer
has been followed by festival appearances at the likes of Finland’s Metal at Tuska and Graspop in Belgium
Activity that stands the octet in good stead not only for today but for their eagerly awaited third long-player ‘Fimbulvinter’ in early November
‘The Other Son of Odin’ – which is due to be included upon ‘Fimbulvinter’ – their set is drawn from their two albums
2017’s ‘Prophecy of Ragnarök’ and ‘Emblas Saga’ from 2020
There’s a predilection to take fellow Falunians Sabaton and inject that into a folky arena clearly demonstrated none more so than in the bare-chested war-cry of opening track ‘The Death of the God of Light’ and ‘Njord’
The former a sodality from the grand summits
 An underworldly spirit rises in the tribal metal of ‘Prophecy of Ragnarök’ whilst ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ serves up rapid magniloquent pagan metal
followed the summoning powers of the Pied Piper’s magical instrument
so the surfers respond in waves to the Maiden-esque funerial march of ‘Powersnake’
rallies as launches an empty plastic glass crowdwards “This is the last beer we have on stage
so let’s give you one more song!” Rockharz engage full-on with the Celtic folkisms
the touches of Dropkick Murphys whipping up a fury
Brothers of Metal have conquered in the name of their gods
With a live show total rapidly nearing the 300 mark since their live debut just three years ago industrious is a definition that can readily be applied to American rockers Mammoth WVH.This evening
under a grey sky with some precious blue flecks breaking through
Wolfgang Van Halen and his tight-as-heck band – all dressed uniformly in black – are coming towards the tail-end of a month-long mixture of shows on this side of The Atlantic
Prestigious dates supporting Metallica and Black Stone Cherry as well as festival appearances and headline gigs
All this prior to returning Stateside for further slots with Foo Fighters
and Creed with even more headline shows thrown in for good measure
there’s the undeniable leg-up from being the son of a rather famous guitarist but let’s ensure that credit is applied where credit is meritoriously due
This is one gent who stands firmly upon his own two feet independent of the Van Halen legacy
There is no mention of his late father nor any of his music aired; this is an individual keen on letting his own endeavours speak for themselves
Like opening gambit ‘I’m Alright’ three quarters of the set is derived from last year’s ‘II’ album
don’t get bogged down” advises WVH amongst the nitrous-injected Foo Fighter aspects
After powering headlong into the succulent squealing ‘You’re To Blame’ and prior to despatching the searing stampede of ‘Right?’ Van Halen greets the massed ranks after offering his guitar to the Rockharz gods from aloft
we’re Mammoth and we play loud music!”Not a dissenting voice to be heard
alongside penultimate number ‘Don’t Back Down’ and its rally-call chorus
are the sole forays into the well-received eponymous debut of 2021
During the lightning strike rock of ‘Like A Pastime’ a yellow helicopter
WVH hauntingly good vocals during ‘Optimist’ ensure darkening tones swirl about
whilst simultaneously stabbing and searing
tracks upwards and constitutes as a further sideways introspection of the Foo Fighters in quarters
Mammoth WVH are pre-occupied with being the very first Mammoth WVH and not evolving into a carbon-copy on what has preceded
Savouring every moment of the torrent of hard rocking that comprises ‘Another Celebration At The End Of The World’ this is epitomises what rock is about
Stood shoulder to shoulder amongst the massed ranks of Rockharz
the jagged sandstone outcrops of the Teufelsmauer maintaining a vigilant eye
there are no strangers just friends to be made
The allotted forty minutes is over too quickly – Einstein stated time is relative
here lies the evidence I feel – as the last blisteringly incendiary notes radiate across the surrounding landscapes and I feel a warming sensation deep inside
A mighty eleven albums over nineteen years since their formation in Ruppichteroth back in 2003 Kärbholz are
the first home nation outfit to tread upon 2024’s Rockharz stage
Singing in their native German proved challenging in the realm of track identification but thanks to the kindness of guitarist Adrian Kühn the setlist was pinned down post-show
Even though my German is utterly non-existent Kärbholz
proved that music transcends borders and languages
Stefan Wirths’ bass growls menacingly before Kühn and vocalist Torben Höffgen assemble
2017’s studio long-player ‘Überdosis Leben’ is well represented in Kärbholz’s timetabled 45 minutes with five numbers craned in
IT’s clearly an offering held in affection by the band; in neat symmetry
opens up and the roaring bounce of the Iron Maiden fringed ‘Feuerräder’ administers the final polish
Between these first and last exchanges the further explorations into this 2017 album further whet the appetite
‘Ich kann es nicht ändern’ is inferno-like
an energised Höffgen bellowing a mighty impassioned “Rockhaaaaarrrrrz!”
with touches somewhat reminiscent of Girlschool’s ‘Emergency’ darting in and out
Leading towards the halfway point a pairing of the bounce-along ‘Perfekt Unperfekt’ with its dapper ska ‘chops’ right in the mix and the surprising bluesgrass-ish acoustic fundaments of ‘Kind aus Hinterwald’ are lapped up in a fervent crowd singalong
It is the despatch metallic punk or punk metal
the set swing one way then the other and come the end there is no definitive answer other than it’s all rather wholesomely good
There’s the surging power of ‘Ewig Leben’ and the ebbing and flowing hi-kinetic passions of ‘Das Hier Ist Ewig’ lobbed into the broiling cauldron
A heated cast-iron container that overflows with a triple-pronged cavalcade of the unmuzzled thrashy punk of ‘Raubtier’
and the powered glory of ‘Mutmacher’ all leading to the moment leading into ‘Feuerräder’ when Höffgen
gently evokes the crowd’s adulation both hands stretched out by his waist
The metallic genre divergency continues unabated as we switch over to the pioneering industrious sounds of Oomph
Oft cited as an influence upon a certain Rammstein this outfit are considered one of the initial establishers of the Neue Deutsche Härte subgenre
One in which components including alt-metal
groove metal are thrown into the melting crucible with electro-industrial and techno
are as fresh and relevant as they were in their formative years
A ‘hiatus’ of a couple of years from the live arena followed the announcement
that co-founding vocalist Dero was parting ways with the band
alongside original guitarists CR4P and FLUX Oomph
released their 14th studio album ‘Richter und Henker’ amidst much fanfare
For many the chatter was how would Schulz sound and how he would step into the void left in the wake of Dero
For myself I was plain excited to see one of the bands that had leapt out from the playlists pre-festival and ‘demanded’ my attentions
Surely sweltering in sumptuous long fur coats Der Schulz
CR4P and FLUX take the frontline accompanied by their touring band members on drums
Smoke billows and sirens roll before the introductory poundings of ‘Soll das Liebe sein?’ resonate deeply
The forefathers of Rammstein instantly command attentive qualities with their metalliferous electronica
The compelling enchantment of ‘Träumst Du’ with its huge nod towards Gary Numan within the twisted buzzsawing riffage and concussive electronics is a wondrous industrial expunging
The brief lush airs of ‘Richter und Henker’ explode violently; herein this earthquaking industrial metal the Rammstein connections are seemingly two-way
Replete with the crowd clapping to the drummer’s lead of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ the aptly subterranean dwelling meaty tech-metal of ‘Labyrinth’ gets Rockharz bouncing
‘Nur ein Mensch’ lies somewhere in the wasteland plains between Rammstien and Sisters of Mercy with its thumping gothic-tinged industrious metal
taken well out of my musical comfort zone and feel that bit more complete for it
I conclude I require more of this in my life in order to break away from an increasingly staid middle ground that I seem to have slipped into
‘Sandmann’ is purely machinery in motion prior to returning to the judge and executioner for further gothic entwinements within ‘Wem die Stunde schlägt’
The weighty mechanised strongarm of the flavoursome ‘Gott ist ein Popstar’ lays waste to Rockharz as the crowd erupts prior to the showstopping contagion that is ‘Augen auf!’ Above an ever-nearing hot-air balloon surveys the wild scenes as what is considered to be Oomph!’s most commercially successful single blazes wildly
Not for the first time today we are delighted to have a new-to-us band and subgenre to explore further
Temporarily side-stepping his duties in the ranks of the legendary Iron Maiden the ever-youthful Bruce Dickinson has spent the last couple of months zigzagging across Europe with his current solo project The Mandrake Project
and now a mid-week date with the Rockharz masses
In mischievous mood he is clearly enamoured with the selection of food options surrounding the arena quipping “Stop playing with your pulled pork at the back
It’s well over three decades since the one and only time I met Dickinson post-show outside Leicester’s De Montfort Hall on Maiden’s 1990 ‘No Prayer on the Road’ tour
a tiny baby which cross-referencing dates is quite likely to have been their oldest son Austin
Dickinson in the 21st century as he edges into his mid-sixties
given the ever-athletic physique and timeless twinkle in his eyes
Whatever anti-aging process that has been undertaken I sure as hell want a ‘taste’ of it
I mean was it really 40 plus years since Dickinson took his first career steps joining Samson
Just one track in and he’s hastening hither and tither roaring “Let’s get this place destroyed!”
their target Earth!” so begins the introductory scene-setting commentary
As the spinning coin decides the planetary fate so the dam bursts
Alongside him Dickinson has assembled a fine quintet of international musicians
guitarists from Sweden and Switzerland (Philip ‘The Viking’ Naslund and Chris Declerq respectively)
an Italian maestro of keys and keytar (Mistheria) and a California-born drummer (David Moreno) it’s truly of league of nations – a parallel of sorts to the double figure tally of nations represented upon Rockharz billing
In a set dealt from five of Dickinson’s solo albums the first card put into play is the titular track of 1997’s ‘Accident of Birth’ which with its rich duelling twin guitars elicits a thunderous reception
right out of the hard rocking arid dustbowl
and it’s Rockharz’s turn for the trademark Dickinson “Scream for me [insert place/festival name]”
For that moment it’s 1985 and ‘Live After Death’
‘Laughing in the Hiding Bush’ bristles with dabs of ‘Murders In Rue Morgue’; NWOBHM well and truly alive in the 21st century
jagged flashes of Iron Maiden across the obsidian sky
it’s inescapable with the voice of 36 years and a baker’s dozen of studio long-players
especially during the pagan enchantments of ‘The Tower’
Civilisation lies ablaze in the wake of the eruption of ‘Afterglow of Ragnorok’ the first selection from ‘The Mandrake Project’
A chuckling Dickinson enquires “Did I hear something about getting married?” prior to ‘Chemical Wedding’; above the cloud
begins to break with patches of blue appearing in some kind of meteorological deference
Never once is the Maiden trump card played
Talking about their recent Hellfest appearance Dickinson notes they’ve got longer this evening – 80 minutes as opposed to an hour in France – clearly relishing the additional time
The masterful slice of balladic prog metal that constitutes ‘Tears of the Dragon’ one of number of tracks not included at Hellfest is despatched
is coupled with ‘Rain on the Graves’ replete with its flashes of a brusque Rammstein
A meandering version of Edgar Winter Group’s million selling instrumental single ‘Frankenstein’ witnesses Dickinson
stepping back to strike a stand-up drum kit before exhorting a theremin into life
The opus ‘Book of Thel’ and the melodic ‘The Alchemist’ pave the way for ‘The Tower’ a hat-trick from ‘Chemical Wedding’ to close matters on a high
It’s been a truly warping conjuration one of which has Rockharz smiling
German metal legend Udo Dirkschneider is held within lofty acclaim in his home nation
an acknowledged part of the development of speed and thrash metal
Since being fired by the band in 1987 he has garnered further successes with U.D.O
Brief reunions under the Accept flag have come and gone and nowadays the 72-year-old vocalist is content to tour the Accept material he is synonymous utilising his surname
Beneath blue lighting Dirkschneider ignites the Rockharz stage
hellbent on unleashing a considerable amount of devilment
The spotlight is shone upon the four albums released in the 1981 to 1985 period
considered by many to be Accept’s ‘golden age’
Amongst the eleven tracks firmly delivered inside of 70 minutes are
each of the title tracks from this quartet of much-revered releases
Four tracks in the Judas Priest fringed juggernaut autobahn metaller ‘Breaker’ is not long followed by the howling banshees of ‘Restless and Wild’
As the voltmeter is ratchetted up beyond safe levels ‘Metal Heart’ is tubthumping yet brooding in equal measures; the iconic ‘Balls To The Wall’ closes the set in rumbustious fashion
Afront the Marshall ‘Wall of Death’ Udo and his charges demonstrate as to why Accept are a vital cog in Germany’s rock annals
with Udo’s branded rasping scream atop of the inferno
The Devil’s Wall is shaken to its foundations during the resounding ‘Living For Tonight’ whilst the classic NWOBHM vibrancies of ‘Midnight Mover’ attempt to shift time itself
There’s immense Rockharz reverence that builds up as the set progresses
Soaking it all in Udo prowls stage front conducting and surveying the scene as the crowd loudly sing
The entire arena erupts for ‘Princess of the Dawn’ and its obvious Saxon comparisons
‘Restless and Wild’ locks arms with ‘Son of a Bitch’ its brother from another mother ahead of the traditional metal overtures of ‘Screaming for a Love-Bite’
Would love to know what Beethoven’s thoughts are on the segment of ‘Fur Elise’ despatched upon six-strings in the midst of ‘Metal Heart’
Given there’s a school of thought that the composers of that era were the ’headbangers of the day’ I’d like to think he’d approve
brings us to the point all have anticipated
Udo soaks up the Rockharz love as the unmistakable wrecking ball of ‘Balls To The Wall’ swings right across the festival site
As midnight nears it’s been everything expected from an iconic figure
Straddling the midnight hour Finnish heavy metal sextet Amorphis draw another large crowd as day one nears a heady conclusion
A constantly evolving beast Amorphis consistently refuse to be defined by genre boundaries
Early forays into death metal were soon joined by golden nuggets of folk
Physch and melodic elements weren’t far behind
34 years in the construction the keystone to Amorphis is stability
The ever-present guitars of Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari being rejoined by fellow founders drummer Jan Rechberger and bassist Olli-Pekka Laine in 2002 and 2017 respectively
Keyboardist Santeri Kallio has over two decades of service under his belt whilst vocalist Tomi Joutsen is closing in upon that mark
Shadowed forces steamroller upon silent still waters soon bringing a turbulent kinetic with them
‘Northwards’ possessor of a neo-classical feel as prog is upturned into heavy domains opens up
the initial salvo of a triple helping from the most recent album ‘Halo’
Following the running order of ‘Halo’ so the unstoppable energies coalesce for ‘On The Dark Waters’ surging into ‘The Moon’ an aspect gentler than that which has preceded yet still a doom-laden storm force 10
Fusing elements of Pantera in a symphonic setting Amorphis achieve melodics from the crypt
dark metal regions ‘The Castaway’ holds a brightly burning torch to mark the 30th anniversary of its parent album ‘Tales From The Thousand Lakes
Pulsing and surging the six-piece take Rockharz in an unyielding clasp
Other than a brief greeting from Joutsen it’s noses to the grindstone as the searing guitars of ‘Silver Bride’ spark wildly
The powerhouse trip ‘The Wolf’ is the soul extractor immortal
Tearing at the inner psyche and wrenching it mercilessly from within
sets a scene of fiery summits afore ‘Black Winter Day’ weave an incantation summoning spawn from their abyssal dwelling
There’s strongarm Viking-esque calling within ‘My Kantele’ to ensure a continuing variance
is a latter-day anthem which overflows into the speed indulgences of ‘The Bee’
so much so that this has been a personal discovery in a day rammed full of such
Our metal odyssey gains further expansiveness thanks to a stellar opening day of Rockharz
Ever the heavyweight haulier Rockharz trucks on through the halfway point of this year’s journey and into the end of the week and the festival’s third day
This is truly a mixed goods freight-train delivery with expectation of its arrival at a truly lofty high
Awaiting today’s Rockharzers is a genuinely enlightening smorgasbord of metallic offerings
One of the foremost the arriving wagons bears some good ol’ fashioned homeland metal in a 21st century enveloping; whilst some of the cargo towards the tail-end of the delivery is labelled black metal imported from Norwegian source
Amidst are containers from the US western seaboard containing streetwise crossover thrash and others bearing pacy Scandinavian symphonics and Scottish pirate booty
All in a day’s enterprise for the Rockharz festival team
the craggy ribs of the Großer Gegenstein and Kleiner Gegenstein – the south-eastern outliers of Teufelsmauer – glow in the warmth of the rising sun
that the nocturnal industry of Lucifer has fallen
Three nights of partying is seemingly taking its toll; the campsite cracks open one eye
Disgorging its precious cargo for the horde’s delectation the Dark Stage’s first band strides onto the expanses – no intro
shortly before midday,plough directly into the eagle’s flight of ‘Between The Worlds’; the hard hitting closer of last year’s album ‘Fatale’
With his hands down by his sides impressive vocalist Ricardo Baum successfully
encourages the crowd with movement of his fingers alone
One track in and Baum’s mastering presence is already evident
Harnessing the energy that their home city of Essen
is renowned for The Night Eternal roll straight into ‘In Tartarus’
the gothic transfused ‘Fatale’ opener with Celtic variegates darting through
Straight onto the highway with the fullest of revs
‘Elysion (Take Me Over)’ gets the healthy sized crowd right onside
Aptly rich in dark plenitude ‘Prince of Darkness’ snorts and snarls fiery breaths in a heavy metal frenzy before their debut album’s titular track ‘Moonlit Cross’ sends the scudding clouds packing into shreds of nothingness
With its Cult-ish fringe it wraps an action packed half hour leaving a great desire for more
A very neat discovery right at the start of our day
their forthcoming tour with Lucifer doesn’t reach the UK but if be sure to catch this quintet in action on one of the fourteen dates throughout November
Our second band of the day and another fantastic discovery of an outfit completely unknown to ourselves
Ahead of releasing their second album ‘Galvanize’ in October League of Distortion are hellbent on impressing a homeland crowd in their allotted 30 minutes
With a blaring intro heralding their assembly silver-shirted drummer Tino ‘Aeon’ Calmbach gleefully throws his arms up before he heads towards his kit
Guitarist Jim ‘Arro’ Müller (also of fellow Napalm Record labelmates Kissin’ Dynamite)
bassist Felix ‘Ax’ Rehmann and then vocalist Anna ‘Ace’ Brunner (Exit Eden) follow
The quartet follow The Night Eternal’s more trad metal delivery with a modern slab of alt metal woven with a good degree of ‘back in the day’ nu metal along with some coruscant symphonic elements
It’s a delivery that come the last notes of signature
track ‘L.O.D.’ – incidentally the first of at least four tracks during the day that reflect the performing band’s name – leaves me somewhat stunned and
Six of their seven tracks are drawn from their eponymous debut long-player of 2022 with the symphonic permeate of album-opener ‘Wolf or Lamb’
a number that draws upon a brew of Halestorm and Infected Rain
a particular personal highlight in which Ace dons a Red Riding Hood cloak as a symbolic white butterfly drifts past me
is razor-sharp taking no prisoners in its pulsating four minutes of genre blending
“Are you ready?” asks Ace before advancing “Or did you pack up for my revenge?” the catalyst for the band going on the offensive with the goal of setting fire to the sun itself
Solar arson continues into the rasping rage of ‘Solitary Confinement’ with its plague level contagion
Tempestuous sirens draw us closer in latest single ‘My Hate Will Go On’
a convincing statement afore the release of ‘Galvanize’
The rapped intro of buzzsawing ‘It Hurts So Good’ reminds me
as the dark lyrics appear to tackle the difficult subject of self-harming
the filling between ‘Wolf or Lamb’ and ‘L.O.D.’
with its Middle Eastern inspirations is very well received
The tiger slashes through the ether and cuts deeply here at Rockharz in the most arresting manner possible
Another band most definitely in the ones to watch carefully category going forwards
Rockharz’s first ‘imported’ goods of the day comes early on in the considerable form of Norwegian five-piece Spidergawd
are as hard working as they are hard rocking
historically used as the seat of Norway’s monarchy
The first thing to strike upon their gathering on stage is the imposing presence of a baritone saxophone courtesy of Rolf Martin Snustad
The speedy prog tones of the arenaceous ‘The Tower’ sees Snustad’s outpourings enwrapping about the bass rhythms of Hallvard Gaardløs and bridging towards the sharp six-stringing of Brynjar Takle Ohr and Per Borten
Immediately I’m struck with a reminder of a ratcheted-up version of UK progsters Empyre
‘Your Heritage’ leans heavily towards Rush as does the highly illuminating ‘Sands of Time’ however with a neat twist redolent of The Members punk classic ‘The Sound of the Suburbs’
Further classic prog influences pop above the parapets in the Pink Floyd fringed ‘Heaven Comes Tomorrow’ that melds Thin Lizzy and Dio into the galloping mix
Punk dynamics come to light with ‘What You Have Become’ dunking The Ramones into a steaming mug full of delights such as Girlschool and Iron Maiden
With so many influences flitting in and out there’s always a possibility of things unravelling but Spidergawd are of sterner stuff keeping a firm hand upon the tiller and navigating their way successfully to their own
The swift demonics of ‘Do I Need A Doctor?’ lead into the rollicking stampede of ‘All and Everything’ that Snustad brings in with a melancholic feel
whilst mainly grey bear some hope with fragments of blue
Closing number ‘Is This Love..?’ thunders into the cataclysm with a proud ferocity bringing a powerful end to a captivating 45 minutes
Should comparisons be required then consider a 21st century Rush
in all reality be prepared to cogitate upon this being a uniquely Spidergawd vision of technicality and intricate compositions and thus making the world a better place for it
Keeping the variance maintained at a precariously elevated level Boston metalcore bunch Unearth detonate vigorously after entering Rockharz to an extremely unlikely intro
Did you get Huey Lewis and The News’ charismatic blue-eyed smash single ‘The Power of Love’
Congratulations if you did and back to the future you go
The surfingly breezy chimes of their intro give way
A fervour is whipped with an eager and compliant Rockharz infield responding to vocalist
Trevor Phipps’ insistence upon get an early doors circle rotating
nails a fire wielding solo sending sparks into the mid-afternoon airs
I must confess that despite formation at the tail-end of the 90s and releasing eight albums since these Massachusettsans are completely unknown to me and at the end of a pulverising three quarters of an hour leave me wondering why on earth I hadn’t got into them before
It’s evident that there’s much catching up to do
Barbarous in its savagery cyclopean ‘The Wretched
The Ruinous’ is compelling in its everlasting shadows
Horns reverently aloft Rockharz chants “No heroes” consolidated in unity
The rapid-fire ‘Giles’ tenderises Rockharz in a rather pleasant manner with its temporal strikes
“I see a circle pit in you!” encourages Phipps advancing “I want it bigger
faster!” A seething mass of humanity ensues
A heavy-footed beast the rapid circle never ends as ‘Endless’ maintains obliteration levels
The sun breaks through in (what I believe is) ‘This Lying World’ as a knee to the nether regions is bluntly applied
It’s remorseless in its bearish approach just what Rockharz ordered
The full-frontal vicious assault of ‘Mother Betrayal’ is dedicated
clearly stoked to be sharing the Rockharz stages with them
the darkened thrash of ‘The Great Dividers’ goes out to Suicidal Tendencies
Breaking out of the subterranean dungeons the thrashing melodics of ‘My Will Be Done’ leads into assertive set-closer ‘Black Hearts Now Reign’
A crowd surfer triumphantly punches the air as he goes over the barrier in a nutshell summing up the majorly positive imprint Unearth leaves upon the festival
At face value five vocalists and a lone drummer doesn’t strike the target when the necessary components for a rock/metal band are given due consideration
this is where German outfit Van Canto goes against the grain
On their official website they describe themselves thus “All instruments that are played in normal metal bands are played by us
Up until recently the ranks of Van Canto have had the presence of bass vocalist Jan Moritz
as explained in a statement a few weeks prior
the dialysis required as a result of chronic kidney disease is limiting his mobility and as such his participation in the band
It’s surely a body blow for Moritz and his bandmates but Van Canto have regrouped for their summer of festival appearances
Orchestral thunder rumbles across the Rockharz infield as the sextet take their on-stage stations in readiness for their opening manoeuvre ‘Dead By Night’
Doused in Scandinavian-styled symphonic metal its rousing message stirs the arena into action swiftly
VC linger in the domain of their most recent release – 2021’s ‘To The Power of Eight – with the nautically-fringed speedy metal escapade ‘Faith Focus Finish’
If crowd-surfers alone are a measurable barometer of how things are going
then VC can be assured they’re going down a proverbial storm
It’s hard to fathom that apart from Bastian Emig’s rock solid percussion there are no other instruments at play herein
Emig’s foundation provides the support to the ‘guitar’ vocals of Stefan Schmidt and Ross Thompson and Ingo ‘Ike’ Sterzinger’s ‘bass’ accompaniment
All of which bridge across the expanse to the lead vocals of crystalline Inga Scharf and smoky Hagen ‘Hagel’ Hirschmann
It’s a beguiling outpouring that is compelling and bewitching in equal measure
then nautical endeavours would have been at serious risk of cessation
‘To Sing a Metal Song’ is a biopic of sorts and a stirring middle fingered salute to conformity
“I got the balls to live my life” so the song goes
The Rockharz choir are right on-point singing “One for all
all for one!” in lusty musketeering finery
Getting on with the business end of things Van Canto injects some of the covers they are renowned for commencing with the Gaelic pride of Grave Digger’s ‘Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching)’ bursting over the dam’s precipice
I espy my first demonstration of double-decker crowd surfing
gives a might thumbs up for a lengthy approving roar from a leather armoured gent immediately in front of me
Grinning broadly Wladimir turns to me and offers his ‘water of life’ bearing horn to drink from
These are the moments that make Rockharz stand out as a most special of places
The delighting torrent flows into a stellar version of Nightwish’s ‘Wishmaster’ before Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ is delivered as you’ve never heard it before
A fluorescent t-shirted surfer scatters confetti on his way to the barrier; it’s all in a day’s employ
VC save their signature track for a final crescendo; the crowd go ape in the spellbinding incantation that can only be described as epic
A vision in emerald Maiden’s ‘Fear of the Dark’ does battle with the climatics
Next up is a most eagerly anticipated and awaited set
A name literally leaps off the poster at us
One of Canada’s finest exports Unleash The Archers
We disappear down their ensorcelled rabbit-hole and a good number of hours later we’re still sat in his conservatory transfixed as we indulge in their progressive metallic satisfactions
When guitar strings number seven on not one but two said items and bass strings are counted at six then one instantly is under the impression that a technical delight is about to be served up
What British Columbians Unleash The Archers despatches surpasses my wildest expectations
Powerhouse vocalist Brittney Slayes could sing the telephone directory and still leave me transfixed with her lucent crystalline voice
Ahead of her arrival the axe twinning of Grant Truesdell and Andrew Kingsley Saunders along with bassist Nick Miller gather about drummer Scott Buchanan’s kit
Rockharz claps along to the reverberating intro; in really good numbers even with the important matter of the home nation taking on rivals Spain in the quarterfinals of some tournament about to kick-off
With a “Wassup Rockharz” greeting Slayes appears as UTA’s longest-lived lineup dishes up the starting course in the shape of the title track of 2020’s ‘Abyss’
This could so easily be a Swedish band such is the intricacy of their weaving of symphonic
and melodic constituents into a traditional framework
The battle cry of ‘Soulbound’ is a proggish majesty whilst ‘Ghosts In The Mist’ soars a triumphant trajectory in the early evening sunlight
This date is the first of several European festival appearances
ahead of touring the US as special guests to German power metallers Powerwolf for UTA
Having just completed a tour through Australia and New Zealand they’d be forgiven for seeming road worn but there are no signs visible as they tear through the prog speed metal of ‘Green & Glass’
Slayes express the band’s gratitude for all gathered for eschewing the attractions of “the soccer game
sorry football!” The furious ‘Awakening’ hits the accelerator hard as UTA hasten down the autobahn
Coupling alongside ‘The Matriarch’ emits a bloodletting acclamation; the twin six-stringing of Saunders and Truesdell a standout
There’s further gears to ascend through as UTA hit a supersonic charge in the galloping warp of ‘Tonight We Ride’ with its nod towards an accelerated Evanescence
Their set is over in the merest blink of an eye as they deservedly ascend to the highest plinth of the podium
If one hadn’t guessed it by now it’s the mantra of Rockharz to ensure that the rock n’ roll river twists and turns at every possible juncture
Leading towards the broadest of altars at which one can worship in the glory of the wide range of rock and metal on offer there’s definitely something for everyone
Taking myself back to being a teenager in the 80s
when the likes of Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe reigned supreme
glam metal outfit Kissin’ Dynamite are rightfully unashamed in their influences
Introducing the band after a couple of numbers extravagant frontman Johannes ‘Hannes’ Braun states “We bring back stadium rock!” At the end of a near hour-long set there’s not a solitary dissenting voice to be heard to argue this point
Formed back in 2007 whilst at school this all-action band retain the same line-up nearly two decades later
The flamboyant Braun revels in the adulation of the packed Rockharz arena who are as keen as the band to celebrate the release
battling with the likes of Taylor Swift and Billie Ellish
achieve their stated dream of going one better than 2022’s ‘Not The End of the Road’ and topping the Official German Album Charts; rock is far
The selection of intro music is apt with the band taking positions to Poison’s feelgood anthem ‘Nothin’ But A Good Time’
A mission statement that is firmly upheld throughout each and every single one of the eleven tracks that follow
They’ve brought an impressive stage production with them including an illuminated backdrop formed of the band’s initials
which rises above drummer Andi Schnitzer’s lofty station
and an array of extra lighting and platforms which are utilised to their fullest extent
Hannes remains atop the risers for the initial stages of extremely hooky set-opener ‘No One Dies A Virgin’ whilst the trio of Hannes’ guitaring brother Ande and his fellow axeman Jim Müller and bringer of the low-end Steffen Haile assault the frontline of the stage from the off
bright and sparkling bringing the party right to this corner of Germany
Holy mother in the gutter what a start but according to the incendiary ‘I’ve Got The Fire’ that follows “Helldorado is my goal”
There’s a confident energy employed as the crowd are worked into a frenzy by this infectious hard rocker
it’s goalless at halftime in the quarter final
The first inspection of the new album comes in the coruscant shape of ‘My Monster’
Bringing in touches of Vega and The New Roses this quintet is the 21st century heirs apparent of 80s Hair/Sleaze Metal
They’re instantly accessible with a king-sized hook that snares and envelops with aplomb; that combined with a high-level of quality and showmanship is a surefire recipe for success
Sex and Power’ album with its quickfire lyrics and shimmering fretwork from Müller
In a set that spans the majority of their career it matters not one jot whether the band dips into the back catalogue or launches a new rocket
an infield rocking out and dancing along as is no-one is watching
Clear crowd favourite ‘Only The Dead’ gets the entire arena jumping along with its stadium filling rock; Hannes
at track end shakes his head seemingly in disbelief at the extent of the positivity and outpouring of Rockharz love
‘The Devil is a Woman’ rolls the likes of Poison
and Great White into a wondrous singular slab of hard rocking
et al catapults ‘I Will Be King’; Spain are a goal up but no-one around me in the arena seems to be that bothered
It’s all about the rock n’ roll here and KD are serving up bombastic doses as well as Kiss in their pomp
Hannes leans on Haile’s shoulder during an emphatic ‘DNA’
Rockharz are firmly planted in KD’s collective palm
As the sun lights up clouds to the west evening draws in the arena entranced and completely under the influence are treated as kings and queens for a day in ‘You’re Not Alone’
Hopping aboard an inflatable dinghy Hannes surfs out into the crowd distributing flyers
Running over ten minutes past their scheduled timing Kissin’ Dynamite thunderously deliver a further two songs
even the production crew are swept along as Rockharz is treated to ‘Not The End of the Road’ and ‘Raise Your Glass’
“a rollercoaster ride” proving that “the best is yet to come.”
I can safely confirm that KD are 110% back with a bang
Be sure to catch them on their forthcoming European tour with special guests Massive Wagons
The rapidly flowing Rockharz river of molten rock switches direction once more now veering into the crossover thrash of American legends Suicidal Tendencies
Californian back in 1980 they are the senior outfit on today’s lineup but possess
the dynamics of much more youthful ensembles
This stripling approach in terms of energy seeps through
to the crowd with the gathered ranks chanting “Suicidal Tendencies”
The masses eager to catch this legacy act make their Rockharz debut in what is a rare post-Covid appearance in Germany
With sole surviving founding member Mike Muir at the helm
ST has been somewhat of a revolving door with over 25 different lineups and band members totalling well into the thirties
Musical borders are there to be smashed through and ST have certainly done this over the decades
and thrash with a streetwise hardcore attitude
The band bound on to the stage with Muir enquiring “Are you motherfucking ready?” The fuse wire reaches its end as Muir
ponders “What the fuck is going on?” The signal of rage to unleash the pent-up fury of ‘You Can’t Bring Me Down’
The Western seaboard skater thrash pummels headlong into the hive of frenetic activity that is ‘War Inside My Head’
Muir stomps about the entirety of the stage engaging with the crowd
one of the most expressive fronts I’ve witnessed
He doesn’t have sole exclusivity on the elevated level of kinetics however as rhythm guitarist Ben Weinman hi-kicks his way through the set
leaping about as if a feline upon a white-hot tin roof
Bassist Tye Trujillo – the son of former ST bassist and current Metallica low-ender Robert Trujillo – whirls about
With just 60 minutes to squeeze in over four decades into a meaningful production ST can be wholeheartedly forgiven for
playing it safe dedicating the hour to core staples such as the Stooges-fringed ‘Subliminal’ and the ‘boarding urgency of ‘Possessed to Skate’
Heading back to their eponymous debut album for ‘Memories of Tomorrow’ ST powerfully reflect on their beginnings before ushering Rockharz into the inner sanctum of the Church of Suicidal within ‘Send Me Your Money’ a singed swipe at US preachers
The crowd go wild for the hyper speed of ‘Freedumb’
A whirlpool of thrashing on-stage and in the moshing pit ‘Cyco Vision’ is a whole new level of batshit crazy
‘I Saw Your Mummy’ takes the previously mentioned Stooges influences into a feral roar from the untamed wilderness with the band indulging in a spot of parkour
The gentle intro of ‘How Will I Laugh Tomorrow’ is ST’s ‘Fear of the Dark’ moment before the moody atmospherics detonate rammed full of acrimonious acerbity
Long-standing guitarist Dean Pleasants nails a forceful solo in ‘Pledge Your Allegiance’ whilst Muir gets up close and personal with the crowd
As per their official website Suicidal Tendencies are “Still Cyco Punk after all these years!”
Having caught Swedish power metallers Amaranthe as the most particularly tasty filling between Infected Rain and Dragonforce at Bristol’s O2 Academy venue earlier in the year there’s absolutely nowhere else I wish to be when this six-piece introduces themselves to Rockharz
As per their performance in Bristol Amaranthe cast a collective eye over six of their seven albums – only 2018’s ‘Helix’ misses out – in a career-spanning set
bursting at the seams with a blurring of trad metal with speed
melodies and harmonies to die for all with a bouncing euro synth that ensures the very soul is enlivened and gets up to dance along
Featuring a front-line of three engaging vocalists – Dynazty’s Nils Molin
Elize Ryd and Mikael Sehlin – who are equally capable of leading the line and harmonising with one another Amaranthe are a standout in the strengthy world of Swedish metal
It’s a potent draught with the first swig offered being the swift paced ‘Fearless’
The tubthumping ‘Viral’ ensures an opening 1-2 from 2020’s ‘Manifest’ that
clap along the infectiousness nature of the virus is most tangible
Undeniably Scandinavian ‘Digital World’ raises the spirits with its pummelling techno beats and metalliferous riffs a combination that
shouldn’t work but with a rare ingenuity applied it 100% does
A slice of underpinning happy hardcore weaves itself about the glorious orchestral metallics in ‘Damnation Flame’; the first offering from this year’s release ‘The Catalyst’ snares Rockharz as hands wave side to side in the crowd
Lyd sits upon the front of Morten Løwe Sørensen’s drum riser for the opening lines of the diamond quality of ‘Strong’ before standing shoulder to shoulder with Molin
Symphonic single only release ‘PvP’ firmly kicks posterior in a coruscant manner
Rolling unswervingly into a stormy showstopping ‘Maximise’
Rising from the pyre ‘The Catalyst’ rouses
the overflowing treasure chest is raided to profound effect
Olof Mörck’s incandescent keys in signature track ‘Amaranthine’ is a photogenic Disney meets metal juncture
Soaring atop pinnacles high it is pulchritudinous serenity personified
Above her head Lyd forms a heart shape with her hands to salute the crowd
A veritable stormbringer ‘The Nexus’ delivers a hefty punch possessing a magical quality
The fantastical ‘Archangel’ accelerates further before Ryd
endears herself to the crowd as she empathises with the football supporting percentage “We’re trying hard to make [tonight] a good one.”
Anthemic ‘That Song’ and the evergreen stomp of ‘Drop Dead Cynical’ bring a fine hour to an even finer conclusion
The gates of paradise have well and truly been opened
Metal!” is the proclamation upon their official website
From the deep blue expanses of storm-tossed oceans and their inky depths comes the hearty landlubber-cursing pirate crew that sails under the crossed rum and ale banner of the good ship Alestorm
come hollering from the banks of the River Tay in Perth
Scotland peddling their pirate-themed metal phenomenon worldwide
of Steel Panther and the Macc Lads transported across time to a period where pirateers wreaked havoc upon the waves
Oft foul-mouthed scurvy seadogs Alestorm love nothing more than drinking rum or beer
sometimes both and preferably not their own or indulging in nefarious acts of seaborne pillaging
Billing themselves as ‘True Scottish Pirate Metal’ this is a salty outfit who are seriously focused upon maximum fun amidst a chaotic Brownian motion of folk-driven
paganistic quaffing of ale metal sub-genre
It’s a niche that Alestorm have discovered and they’re cornering the market in defiant manner with a bright
yellow inflatable duck overlooking the whole shebang
It’s pirate hell-up from the get-go with the Celtic wrecking ball of ‘Keelhauled’ firing a broadside that stimulates an intense hour of crowd-surfing (it’s seemingly a never-ending conveyer belt of humanity atop humanity) and moshing
The arena afront the Dark Stage is rammed to capacity and spills over into surrounding areas
such is the popularity of the Scots in these realms
as the dying notes of the jolly refrain ‘Fucked With an Anchor’ echo across the airfield Rockharz is completely knackered
The set-ending contagion ensures that the massed thousands will be singing those joyous words of the infectious chorus for days to come
The pair of giant ducks released into the crowd during the marauding ‘Drink’ bounce about into the wee hours
Between these two neat bookends we’re taken off to the pirate haunts of ‘Uzbekistan’ and ‘Mexico’ and introduced to the charismatic Patty Gurdy and her hurdy gurdy during the buzzsawing madness of ‘Voyage of the Dead Marauder’ and later on the undead stomp of ‘Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship’
After their allocated three tracks in the photographic pit the ‘togs are bid farewell after the rapid thrashing of ‘Alestorm’
thanks for being photographers!” quips lead vocalist
from the comically titled ‘Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum’
It’s all tongue firmly inserted in cheek with ‘Big Ship
Little Ship’ (not forgetting the ubiquitous cardboard box) guarantees the ‘P.A.R.T.Y.’ is in full swing carrying into ‘Shit Boat (No Fans)’
is a version of the bawdy ‘Friggin’ in the Rigging’
It’s pirate perfection and Rockharz has loved drinking up every last drop
If there could be a larger contrast between two bands at a festival
I’m not sure I’ve experienced one such as the gulf that exists between Alestorm and the darkened
obsidian symphonic death metal from mysterious Norwegians Dimmu Borgir
Come the end of 80 minutes of crepuscular shadowy and spellbinding brutishness I’m left wondering
not for the first time over not just today but the preceding two also
why on earth I didn’t catch hold of this incantation first time around
Huge swathes of mist swirl menacingly as the intro ‘Det nye riket’ rolls
amongst ruinous pillars the nightmare unravels
Grotesque gargoyles and horrific hunky punks stare forlornly at the scene unfolding below
and the mood descends in the direction of the catacombs
The opening number – my Norwegian is zero and until this evening so is my knowledge of this fine band – is
Its heraldic triumph is majestic whilst its low-end rumbles densely gutterally ripping at the chest cavity
fronted by the demonic presence of Shagrath
uniformly cowled tread through this doomy stomp with abundant dystopian pleasure
herding those in its path into the murky depths of Cimmerian shades
This is a Norwegian take of an extreme symphonic blend Sabbath and Orange Goblin
The demonic spawn spew forth unrelenting and devoid of mercy from the fissured abyss in the brutalistic bludgeoning of ‘The Insight and the Catharsis’
Warp speed Sabbath rears its head in ‘The Chosen Legacy’ whilst the four horsemen of the apocalypse ride out in the cannonade of ‘Ætheric’
Beholden the fires of industrial denizens burn within ‘Council of Wolves and Snakes’
The Devil’s Wall literally burns under the onslaught of ‘Dimmu Borgir’
molten the rock flows through the classical interlude of ‘Fear and Wonder’
The lone poppy in the scars of the wasteland left from the fiery battlefield; the devil’s artillery has wreaked its will
The behemothic leviathan ‘Progenies of the Great Apocalypse’ crushes all in its terrifying path
The satanic broth of ‘Mourning Palace’ brings a close to a truly compelling spectacle
The final strike of the blade across the night sky
and sound but one I’ve been drawn into most willingly
Completely new to this dimension Dimmu Borgir have royally entertained and enthralled me
I leave suitably impressed and quite unexpectedly a fan
The degree of variance throughout is scintillating providing a wide angled lens perspective upon metal and rock
This is a festival rich in diversity and one which now holds a special place in our hearts and souls
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In spring 1936, teenage schoolboy – and later war hero – Dick Hargreaves was given the chance to go on an all-expenses-paid exchange trip to Germany. But this was no ordinary school exchange – Hargreaves’ destination was Oranienstein, one of a system of new elite boarding schools known as <a href="https://helenroche.com/work/2015/08/12/second-book-project-the-third-reichs-elite-schools-a-history-of-the-napolas/">National Political Education Institutes</a> (“Napolas” for short)
These Nazi colleges were explicitly modelled on an amalgam of the British public schools, the Prussian cadet corps, and the harsh educational practices of ancient Sparta. The schools educated boys from the age of ten upwards, training them as future leaders of the Third Reich. By taking part in the exchange, Hargreaves and his ten companions from <a href="https://www.dauntseys.org/">Dauntsey’s School</a> in Wiltshire
would soon be exposed to the Napolas’ “total” programme of education
indoctrination and National Socialist propaganda
is described as “a damn good place … a huge castle
stables … school bicycles and heaven [knows] what!” According to the diary
and the boys’ Nazi uniforms are “very smart indeed – light khaki corduroy breeches
is Dick’s dispassionate observation of the Nazi Mayday celebrations in the neighbouring town of Diez
his diary records a trip “with our Kameraden” to watch the Maypole being hoisted and folk dances by the Hitler Youth
The boys heard speeches by some of the “big bugs of the town”
There was also community singing in which they all took part
There was a good bit of ‘Heiling’ which we also did because we were in a huge crowd
It was a magnificent scene – the old castle towering above the market place in which were thousands of enthusiastic peasants lit by torch and candle light…
The following Friday, May 1, which was the spring festival or “<a href="https://www.goethefruehlingsfest.com/about-ff">Frühlingsfest</a>”
Hargreaves’ diary records that the boys had to get up at six o’clock to salute the flag and parade
They then marched to Diez where they assembled with the local Hitler Youth to listen to a 90-minute speech by Hitler being broadcast on the radio
the boys returned to Diez to hear another lengthy speech by “der Führer”
He worked himself into such a frenzy and was able to move the crowd so tremendously that we saw three people faint
Not from fatigue or crush but just by his amazing oratory powers
Then after Hitler had been ‘Heiled’ off the earth Goering spoke for ½ hour
the way in which foreign observers could easily be swept up in the fervour of “heiling” and Hitlerism around them is made poignantly clear – although the interminable speeches by Hitler and his henchmen seem to have palled soon enough
My decade-long research project on the history of the Napolas – just published as the book <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-third-reichs-elite-schools-9780198726128?q=%22helen%20roche%22&amp;lang=en&amp;cc=gb#">The Third Reich’s Elite Schools: A History of the Napolas</a> – has shown that
hundreds of pupils took part in this programme of exchanges and sporting tournaments
Napola Oranienstein took part in exchanges with British private schools
Dauntsey’s and Bingley School in Yorkshire
The school also entertained headmasters and exchange teachers from Shrewsbury School
and was also involved in sports tournaments with Eton
The Napolas also took part in exchange programmes with several US academies under the aegis of the International Schoolboy Fellowship
American schools involved included Tabor Academy in Massachusetts
St Andrew’s Delaware and Phillips Academy Andover – all considered top-drawer educational establishments
the Nazi regime wanted the German boys and staff to act as the Third Reich’s “cultural ambassadors”
Many British headmasters of the time were persuaded of the wisdom of these exchanges
E.K. Milliken, the head of Lancing House Prep School in Lowestoft, England, was so enthused by his experiences of the Napola in Naumburg that he even wrote an article expressing his conviction that the exchanges would “further that spirit of true comradeship of which the world so sorely stands in need”, exhorting all members of the <a href="https://iaps.uk/">Association of Prep Schools</a> to welcome the Napolas with open arms
hoped that the programme could provide “a chance to influence the sons of senior Nazis by discussion and friendship”
The American reaction seems to have followed a similar pattern, with the headmaster of Tabor Academy, Walter Huston Lillard, still trying to persuade American schools to continue with the programme – even after <a href="https://theconversation.com/kristallnacht-80-years-on-some-reading-to-help-make-sense-of-the-most-notorious-state-sponsored-pogrom-103633">Kristallnacht</a>
business and synagogues were systematically attacked in major towns across Germany
both the British and American participants in the Napola exchange programme appear initially to have been ready to give the Nazis the benefit of the doubt
While they may not have been convinced by the Third Reich’s aims and ideals
they continued to hope that their national differences could be cast aside in the name of international cooperation – at least until Nazi belligerence reached its fatal climax
hire and retain top-notch information technology workers may want to take a lesson from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory: it was the only federal organization to make a new list of 100 top IT employers
ComputerWorld’s <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248311/100_Best_Places_to_Work_in_IT_2014" target="_blank">100 Best Places to Work in IT 2014 </a>ranked JPL in 19th place in the large organization category
Calif.-based research and development center touts an Innovating Together program
where IT staffers work with scientists and engineers on interesting projects
where employees are given the choice to work indoors or outdoors and choose from a range of mobile devices and computers
JPL IT staffers also are given every other Friday off
no other federal agencies made the top 100 list
beat out by organizations like Quicken Loans
Aside from common benefits like health care and paid time off
leading benefits offered by the top 100 companies were flexible hours
and reimbursement for technology certifications
Other areas factoring into high employee satisfaction were career development opportunities
performance awards and positive relationships with co-workers/supervisors
Rankings are determined based on reader nominations and employee survey data
23,764 IT employees responded to the employee survey
Help us tailor content specifically for you:
Thank you for subscribing! Please check out our other newsletter offerings on our <a href="/newsletters/">Newsletter page.</a>
As the sun begins to claw its way over the eastern horizon so the Devil realises he has been thwarted in his attempts to successfully stake his claim to the ore-rich Harz mountains
Just one more stone to add to his ‘wall’ so the morning rooster has uttered his first crow upon darkness being chased from the lands and foiled his plans
His endeavours in vain ‘Teufel’ casts a destroying hand and the ‘smauer’ lies shattered
Whichever of the cockerel or ol’ Satan was the noisier we’re not entirely sure but whoever it was can be satisfied in ensuring an early morning wakeup for us
With heads buzzing from yesterday we know that if day two hits even the halfway mark of the opening day we’re in for a cracker
As it is the general consensus over the first coffee or three of the morning that the high bar set is going to be cleared
With a few minutes remaining of the morning we gather afront the Dark Stage for the opening salvo of Hammer King who have hotfooted their passage North-Eastwards from their Kaiserslautern hq
Ahead of the band assembling a hooded figure
in a black short-sleeved full-length cloak brings forth The Hammer and we obediently pay homage that is due to this symbolic weapon
The nigh-on impossible task of squeezing nearly a decade’s worth of material into the set is about to be embarked upon
There’s just 30 minutes for reverence to be justly paid
It’s a rapid-fire introduction to regal speed metal that this four-piece
bedecked with warrior face paint and clad in black leather and tartan
despatch in venomously good form throughout
Founded in 2015 and with five albums prior to this year’s release ‘König und Kaiser’ Hammer King commence their fearsome onslaught with’ Pariah is My Name’
It’s traditional pumping fist-clenched metal
with the pedal pushed squarely through the floor
A supersonic Iron Maiden caramelised with an accelerated Helloween acting as the oxidant is the order of the day
with the double Flying V’s belonging to Titan Fox and Gino Wilde in full attack mode aptly delivering blow after blow
The hammer bearer returns to parade about the stage and following the Norse might of ‘Kingdom of Hammers and Kings’ is introduced to the early doors crowd
“Say good morning Doctor D!” encourages Fox
A spot of short-lived sunshine breaks through during their latest title track ‘König und Kaiser’
even the higher powers want to have a peak at proceedings
D thrusts the hammer skywards and Gino Wilde despatches a crowd-pleasing solo as the massed ranks emphatically chant ‘Hail’ in unison
there’s little in the way of spare moments
relishing the Nordic / Celtic infusion of ‘Kingdom of the Hammer King’ that bursts out of the hallowed tombs prior to a reprise of ‘König und Kaiser’
With one final round of chanting so the half hour is up
may the King bless you.” All hail the King indeed
A fine band to open who have brought a slice of Scandinavian fanfare into noble Germanic metal replete with singalong choruses for the masses
The Rockharz variance continues unrelenting and next up on the Dark Stage with Neue Deutsche Härte outfit Heldsmachine
Descendants of illustrious NDH forefathers of the ilk of Rammstein and
As time progressed so original material crept into Völkerball sets and with fans expecting sets purely of Rammstein songs so ‘misunderstandings’ began to surface
in 2013 a year following the release of ‘Weichen + Zunder’
was to be the focus of Heldsmachine whilst Völkerball continued in tribute mode
drawn from the latter three of Heldmachine’s six long-players
furrow the blackened electronic metalliferous assault of ‘Flächenbrand’
are liberally sprinkled throughout blended with the likes of Kraftwerk and Sabaton in ‘Luxus’ or left to electrically pulse alone within ‘Springt’
The latter an industrious industrial romp that sets an enlivened Rockharz crowd jumping
throws out paper ‘currency’ into a crowd already a little ‘richer’ from Hammer King’s earlier appreciations
The skies ominously increasingly leaden as the mood wondrously darkens
A chameleon of many guises he cuts a Gary Numan-esque figure amidst the marauding stampede ‘Bestie’ whilst switching to a Falco derived posture for ‘Tunnelblick’
Latest single the stomping tramp ‘Karle Denke’ is a particular highlight with its massive hook
its central subject the Cannibal of Münsterberg – a German serial killer from the early 20th century – is certainly a notorious one
A well attired gent appears and throws sausages
Once a respected member of his community Denke is believed to have sold the flesh of his victims as pickled meat to unsuspecting customers
We’re treated to an unexpected a ‘bonus’ track rolling the rrr’s with ®; heavy metal Scooter that ensures Rockharz’s detonation
With their German roots sated in punked up Irish folk-rockers The O’Reilly’s and The Paddyhats must have surely been
cursing the ‘luck’ of their adopted Celtic lands
with just moments before they’re due on stage the heavens open with a might cascade
Whilst the rain is not unexpected the torrential nature catches many unawares
Those savvy have come prepared with ponchos and insist upon continuing to party amongst the ever-increasing puddles as the Irish tricolours are waved
Waterfalls descend from the stage roofing as stage technicians scurry about feverishly manhandling the frontline into a retreated
Being from the Celtic lands of Cornwall I consider myself of relatively hardy descent
but the biblical proportions have me beaten after just two tracks I’m afraid to say
‘Wake The Rebels’ and ‘Dogs on the Leash’ stir and rouse as they prove far more waterproof than this somewhat sodden writer
Surfing in on the ocean-going white horses that crash upon the western shores of the Emerald Isle this group of seven manic punkers had been highly anticipated from my perspective
but I genuinely couldn’t compete with the unrelenting deluge and bid a hastened retreat to the sanctuary of a very crowded media tent
We shall endeavour to redress the balance when they tour the UK in October supporting Ferocious Dog
“Hello ladies and gents are you ready to rock?” It’s a very damp but extremely hardy contingent that reply loudly in the positive
the rain has eased a fair bit and the tempting rock n’ roll banquet that we know Massive Wagons will have brought along with them is more than sufficient to coax our sorry backsides out of the dry environs of the press area we have hunkered down in for the past hour or so
This English quintet have well and truly served their time in the rock n’ roll apprenticeship emerging with honours
Proud Lancastrians they formed back in 2009 and along with a half dozen studio albums they’ve toured extensively supporting the likes of Status Quo
Ahead of a much-awaited new album due for release in November their summer schedule is bulging with a serious amount of festival slots
Barcelona Rocks beckons just 24 hours after their set here at Rockharz
to continuously push their boundaries The Wagons open up with the
a blistering punk edged rocker it’s destined to be the opening track of forthcoming album ‘Earth to Grace’
Don’t ever expect Massive Wagons to follow a script; they’ve torn up the manual and are re-writing their very own
“Rockharz make some fucking noise!” enthuses vocalist Baz Mills
Be forewarned for what Mills outputs is the equivalent of feeding a whole pack of cute
fluffy Mogwai super-caffeinated snacks in the post-midnight hours
hi-kicking through an energetic set with a predilection for raising a stiff
middle digit he serves as the band’s focal point
The ever-smiling guitarist Stevie Holl and beholder of the Flying V Adam Thistlethwaite lay down a solid barrage of six-stringing afront the stoical rhythm partnership of bassist Adam Bouskill and drummer Alex Thistlethwaite construct a steel bound low-end
Mills enquires “What the fuck you done with the weather?” The party is going to continue no matter what happens
the rain isn’t dampening spirits in the slightest
‘A.S.S.H.O.L.E.’ is infectious as ever and Mills
he selects a ‘target “You’re not an asshole
Rockharz rejoices at the raw punked energy of ‘Pressure’
hazy sunshine breaks through battleship grey skies
Brand-new single ‘Missing on TV’ is dedicated “to all the asshole politicians out there!” Most apt as the UK is in the throes of a general election It proves to be the perfect antidote to not only the inclement weather but any political engagement too
Ever a crowd pleaser ‘Fuck the Haters’ rouses waves of middle fingers afore ‘Please Stay Calm’ with splashes of Police-favoured reggae daubs interposed with hard-edged riffs cosies up
There’s opportunity to slip in a brief moment of respect to Bob Marley in metal/reggae Skindred-esque crossover ‘Generation Prime’ with a slice of ‘No Woman
craned in from the re-released ‘Welcome to the World’
provides a triumphant finale with its rock-solid headbanging delight which energises the Rockharz arena
“Thanks to you lot for sticking with us!” Mills thanks the arena with sincere gratitude
Ahead of their largest UK headline tour to date Massive Wagons return to Germany supporting Kissin’ Dynamite in October
Much like Massive Wagons before them this five-piece from Växjö
the self-proclaimed ‘Greenest City in Europe’
it’s fully six years since we last caught them live on their ‘Dust to Gold’ tour in Genk
Amongst a sizeable crowd we eagerly await their onstage arrival as the clouds still insist
Taking to the stage headlong to Richard Strauss’ ‘Also sprach Zarathustra’ Bullet bulldoze right into opening track ‘Speed and Attack’
It’s a ball of fire entrance much like Judas Priest surfing the resultant tsunami produced by dropping a meld of AC/DC and Accept into an unsuspecting ocean
The rain is ignored with the hard driving ‘Ain’t Enough’ commanding complete attention
With output set to slay Hell Hofer’s raging vocals are a screaming vengeance throughout
There’s much camaraderie within no-nonsense anthem ‘Riding High’
Hofer puts his arm about the shoulders of all-action bassist Gustav Hector whilst Hofer’s co-founder Hampus Klang and his fellow guitarist
Thundering demon ‘Rolling Home’ is fuelled by a fiery mix of those AC/DC riffs and a sizzling splash of Thin Lizzy melodics
Title tracks are beloved by these Swedes – five of their six albums to date possess such – and ‘Storm of Blades’
the first of three in this afternoon’s set
is uncompromisingly despatched with no respect given to flora or fauna
Hofer challenges the ranges of luminaries such as Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson in pragmatic fashion; his four colleagues surround the tornadic vocals with a parallel fury of their own
‘Dusk Til Dawn’ and ‘Stay Wild’ run amok with a roadie earning a hug from Klang for assisting him back up at the end of the latter
With a squeal of tyres and sirens behind the five-piece realign for ‘Highway Pirates’ boosted with additional flashes of Saxon-esque ventures
The nitro-chugging of trademark ‘Fuel the Fire’ leads into the moment awaited by all
‘Bite the Bullet’ brings the house down and rages out of control as the crowd singalong and at track end the two guitars and bass held aloft give the title of this set-ending behemoth if
in two with the first half somewhat sodden and the second one a blessed return of much drier climes with the clouds responsible for the drenching now headed eastwards
Rockharz gently steams like hearthside labradors
Bursting onstage to the speedy synth intro tones of ‘Power of Will’ Swedish power metal quintet Dynazty seize the initiative and soon have the arena eating out of their hands
It’s immediately enthralling and there’s a familiar strain darting in and out
It’s not until much later that the penny drops with the Amaranthe connection with vocalist Nils Molin having double-duties in both outfits
There’s a natural leaning towards the musical exports of their homelands with Europe
Ghost and even ABBA thrown gloriously into the melting pot
In amongst all this runs a synth Eurobeat lovingly employed by Molin’s other venture Amaranthe
‘Firesign’ scintillating in its coruscant personification is one such perfect example of Dynazty’s influences that they deal in their symphonic metal offerings
Sabaton and Europe melding atop a Euro tech synth drive
The guitar work from six-stringers Love Magnusson and Mike Lavér is sublime and complements Molin’s vocal despatch so well
110% Scandinavian symphonic metaller ‘Natural Born Killer’ is truly catchy continuing the themes of the opening brace
Heading in the direction of the realms of Ghost ‘The Grey’ sonorously poses the question is there anyone for a spot of ABBA’ed metal
During this rousing anthem Magnusson and Lavér
righthandedly raise beers as their other hands work their frets
The melodic hook of ‘Waterfall’ continues Dynazty’s delightful onslaught
Continuing to dry out Rockharz absorbs every moment
The crowd punch the air chanting ‘Hey!’ in mass unison
Seismically uplifting ‘Yours’ sees Dynazty soaring as the eagle in full flight
this is a class act make no bones about it
captivated in a ‘prison’ from which I don’t wish to break-out of
A growl from the depths of the pine forest and ‘Presence of Mind’ is unleashed to maintain a top gear synergy between band and arena
“Step right into pandemonium” invites Molin during the powerful surge of ‘The Human Paradox’ that roars in right off the Northern plateaus
The snow-owl flies high during sparking guitaring – frets synchronised it’s a totally unexpected lightning bolt from the blue
‘The Heartless Madness’ concludes a fine 50 minutes navigation
through the four albums that form the latter half of the band’s recorded output
Molin masterfully ‘controls’ a very loud assembly as Dynazty storm the cathedral’s bastion in advance of sacrificial offerings
Fuses and breakers are poised in preparation for the anticipated surge of powerage
with industrial metal band Pain in town it’s quite apparent that none are going to be able to cope with the levels developed by Peter Tägtgren’s side-project Pain
On the official website he comments “PAIN was just me fucking around in the studio
For the second consecutive performance we witness a singer who will return later in the festival as Hyprocisy – who Tägtgren formed in late 1991 – take to the stage late on Saturday
Whilst Tägtgren has a couple of days between sets his bassist Jonathan Olsson has just a handful of minutes
Hotfooting it from the Dark Stage to the Rock Stage
and managing to slot straight is most applaudable
A hi-energy fusion of brooding industrious heavy metal and opulent electronic techno Pain are not just an audio delight; there’s a large video screen as a backdrop and several costume changes for the band for a quality accompanying visual aspect
Nine albums and nearly three decades in the industry with Pain Tägtgren is celebrating the mid-May release of ‘I Am’ with several European festival dates including Sweden Rock
covers all studio offerings bar Pain’s eponymous debut
The hair flies along the front of stage as fire licks at the base of the guardian’s cloaks with the initial push of the accelerator in the industrious romp that is ‘Push The Pusher’
There’s a Rammstein undertow in the astral surge of ‘End of the Line’ whilst those NDH beats of the German behemoths are woven with a gothic Depeche Mode in ‘Go With The Flow’ where skeletal figures stalk the corridors dancing to the bewitching incantations within the darkest of shadows
‘Call Me’ is mercilessly rapid-fire and the speed is maintained in the full pelt stallion ‘The Great Pretender’ an enthusiastic cojoining of Sabaton and Neue Deutsche Härte
Tägtgren isn’t seemingly immune in lauding his influences in song form
As the undead swarm at the perimeter ‘Zombie Slam’ snarls and snaps with a Sisters of Mercy underpinning
There’re touches of Ozzy’s ‘I Just Want You’ in ‘Same Old Song’ whilst crowd-pleaser ‘Party in My Head’ nods towards a certain Neil Young number
Mixing it up Pain crank it up with the tubthumping stomp of fuzzed up blues rocker ‘Have A Drink on Me’ prior to the surgical strike of set-closing ‘Shut Your Mouth’ a clear favourite in which the band quite literally knock themselves out
Out in the arena a minion tops off an impressive triple-decked human pyramid
Connecticut metalcore street punks Hatebreed are taking their 30th anniversary celebrations seriously and rightly so
Having landed in Europe a month ago the influential five-piece have torn across the continent in a slew of festival dates and headline shows from Italy to Poland and a host of locations in between
Having nearly a fortnight since their last gig at Copenhell they’ve had an opportunity to gather their senses and they storm the Rockharz stage clearly refreshed and hungry to tear up the place
The sun warmly bathes The Devil’s Wall behind the two Rockharz stages while all around storms plague the region; for some reason we’re spared
interspersed with live footage sets the scene before the first volley of cannons is fired
Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God) summing it up “Congratulations on 30 years
What occurs in the next hour leaves me thrilled and shellshocked simultaneously
It’s my first taste of them live and my one abiding question is how on earth have I missed the last 30 years
It’s a privilege that I get to experience it all again at Bloodstock
It’s short and sharp in its effulgent brutality as the wrecking ball swings violently
The badass ‘Proven’ packs a meteoric punch in its sub-three-minute burst as Hatebreed wield the axe
In true Vesuvian manner Rockharz erupts to the bleeding razor-edged hardcore of ‘A Stroke of Red’ craned in from the most recent release 2020’s ‘Weight of the False Self’
The freneticism continues with the mighty shotgun blast of ‘Live For This’
“Fuck yeah!” raves frontman Jamey Jasta at track end continuing “What a nice welcome back!” The thrashing mayhem of ‘Last Breath’ precedes the equally chaotic and most wondrous hard bass driven ‘Destroy Everything’ gets the arena and band
The torrent of hardcore sweeps all before it
mosh pits open amidst almost anarchic scenes
starting a band with Chris (Beattie – bass) and Wayne (Lozinak – lead guitar) there were two bands we wanted to tour with: Kreator and Slayer!” notes Jasta in a rare moment of quiet reflection
Pulling the trigger ‘Looking Down the Barrel of Today’ sees a giant black inflatable ‘wrecking’ ball rolled out into the arena
it’s still bouncing around in a crazed motion towards the end of the set as are the Rockharz faithful
Homage is respectfully paid to Slayer in a raging powerhouse cover of ‘Ghosts of War’
‘Everyone Bleeds Now’ proudly wears a subterranean crown and the staccato battering of ‘Honor Never Dies’ resonates deeply
A further tightening up with the circle pit catalyst ‘Smash Your Enemies’ follows a particularly meaty ‘Seven Enemies’
Planting a king-sized boot print in the metaphorical sand Hatebreed wind up things with the full-on onslaught of ‘Perseverance’ coupled with an equally stonking ‘I Will Be Heard’
Bloodstock cannot come around soon enough; this has been a truly memorable introduction in which a spotlight has been shone by Hatebreed upon each of their eight albums
In a heartbeat we switch from Stateside metalcore to Swedish power metal; from Hatebreed to HammerFall in less time than it takes to blink an eye
The sun continues its inevitable descent towards a beckoning horizon as the fast-dying light steps aside for hints of dusk
have proven a popular attraction at this festival with other bill-topping appearances here in 2011
Having returned from an extensive tour of USA and South America HammerFall are gearing up for the forthcoming release of their 13th long-player ‘Avenge The Fallen’ with a series of festivals beginning with Trondheim Rocks and Sweden Rock a few weeks prior
the dragon roars and belches a fiery breath
Shields reflect the orangey light dimly illuminating the immediate surrounds
The scene is fastidiously set for commencement with the speed/power metal blast of ‘Brotherhood’ bringing Dragonforce / Malmsteen vibrancies
Lift-off achieved as the guitars of sole-remaining founder Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren entwine
“We are heeding the call Rockharz!” informs longstanding vocalist Joacim Cans
Tight as you like the quintet headlong into ‘Any Means Necessary’
A warped Sabaton taken into fantastical realms
a trait employed to glorious effect later on in the Nordic stamp of ‘Hammer of Dawn’
with the crystalline hard rocking of ‘Heeding The Call’ from 1998’s ‘Legacy of Kings’ offering
Responding to the loud chants of the band’s name Cans introduces
but I think you know that already!” assuredly predicting “This will be epic!”
signify all are ready for the shadowlands outlaw ‘Renegade’ possessing charismatic touches of Helloween
On the basis of the last couple of days there’s much crossover between Scandinavian and German metal
“Renegades of Germany thank you very fucking much
unbe-fucking-lievable!” effervesces Cans in a moment of intensifying tmesis
Electrifying HammerFall captivate with fist-pumping anthem ‘Hammer High’ and the rousing ‘Last Man Standing’
The Scandinavians appear to have cornered a substantial percentage of the rousing metal market
The crowd reply with a raucous “Fall” to Cans’ “Hammer” in response to his “Let me hear why Germany is the metal country of the world!” before Judas Priest and Saxon are grabbed by the metaphoricals and taken into the Northern lands in ‘Let The Hammer Fall’
Now pitch black the Rockharz night is a beautiful
a recent single release ahead of ‘Avenge The Fallen’ is a fire from the depths that gives absolutely everything
The scorching ‘(We Make) Sweden Rock’ is reminiscent of the furrow ploughed in Saxon’s ‘And the Bands Played On’ and ‘Denim and Leather’
In a novel-ish way of announcing the final track Can enquires “Two choices – I do jokes and one liners for five minutes or one more track?” Rockharz
boos the former and cheers loudly for the latter
we bear witness to Europe/Sabaton/Helloween all thrown into the crucible to produce the trademark metalliferous lava in ‘Hearts on Fire’ as HammerFall burn a trail into the ever-darkening nightscape
Another one to add to an ever-expanding list of new favourites
Widely considered to a keystone of the ‘Teutonic Four’ – aka the ‘Big Four of German Thrash’ – tonight’s Rock Stage table toppers Kreator
in their fifth Rockharz appearance,sit rightfully proud alongside their compatriots Tankard
the long-awaited union of these four parts occurred towards the end of July at Gelsenkirchen’s Amphitheater
A giant Kreator logo’d ‘front drop’ obscures any view of the stage
Out front in the arena the levels of expectation grow exponentially with each passing minute
Maiden’s ‘Run To The Hills’ blasts out of the PA
The horde awaits patiently as the hour nears
It’s over 40 since lead vocalist and guitarist Mille Petrozza
drummer Jürgen &#8220;Ventor&#8221; Reil with then-bassist Rob Fioretti joined forces in what would after a couple of years
One of the largest selling German thrash outfits
with over two million units generated in 15 albums
there’s a tangible reverence generated by the massed ranks for the clearly beloved speed merchants
Two thirds of those 15 long-players are dusted down receiving a right royal thrashing despatch
One for the statisticians amongst us as I’m enamoured with the fact that there’s eight title tracks within the baker’s dozen served up by Kreator
The spaghetti western vibe of intro track ‘Sergio Corbucci Is Dead’ pays apt respect to the Italian film director who made his name in this genre
The ultra-fast uncompromising thrashing demon ‘Hate Über Alles’ follows
with a touch of melody in amongst the warp speeds
‘Phobia’ 100% blackened thrash characterised by its brutalistic metallic architecture shows a fringe of a hard-edged Anthrax; Kreator mean business and that business is to entertain at full speed
Emanating earthquaking forces in ‘Enemy of God’ Petrozza beckons a wall of death
There’s a whole load of pyro as the wildlands are set afire by ‘666 – World Divided’ and the merciless ferocity of ‘Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)’
The natural descendant of the latter ‘Hail to the Hordes’ is as hooky as safety limits will permit
The aptly titled ‘Extreme Aggressions’ does precisely what the tin’s label states as the Devils herd stampedes upon a conflagrant trail
Occult domains are trampled in the doom-laden ‘Satan Is Real’
Bulldozing with extreme forces ‘Phantom Antichrist’ is heads down
no thrills and most certainly no nonsense proper old school thrash
A concoction of Maiden and Sabbath ‘Strongest of the Strong’ is driving heavy metal in the purest sense
Out westwards a solitary star flickers whilst ‘Terrible Certainty’ takes us into the final stages
The dystopian dimensions within ‘Violent Revolution’ and the assiduous thrash of ‘Pleasure to Kill’ provide a befitting conclusion to an all-conquering 75 minutes
It’s fair to conclude that these German legends have much to offer and are as keenly relevant as they’ve ever been
lies a further surprise with the Gaelic battlecry of d’Artagnan
Hailing from Nuremberg this six-piece ‘musketeering’ folk-metal outfit were the perfect way to conclude a hectic day
Blending 21st century rock with traditional centuries old folk melodies and rhythms the sextet is greeted by a most sizeable and enthusiastic crowd
Formed just under ten years ago with a sixth album ‘Herzblut’ due for release just a few days following their Rockharz appearance this is an accomplished band who seek to entertain with high-energy and passion right from the moment they set foot on the Dark Stage
towards the forthcoming studio offering with more than able support being craned in from ‘Felsenfest’ and ‘Feuer &amp; Flamme’
the two preceding releases from 2022 and 2021 respectively
‘Freiheit &amp; Tod’ ushers in the folked up metal with mandolin
bagpipes making appearances prior to ‘Feuer &amp; Flamme’ speedily blending Sabaton with folk in a stomping heady potion
‘Spirit hands’ wave upon high in the Spanish romp ‘Mosqueteros’
Flagons of ale are readily consumed with the merry jaunt of ‘Farewell’ and the joyous salutations that ‘Westwind’ brings with itself
There’s time for some traditional folk elements in the gratuitous shape of ‘My Love’s In Germany’ and the vibrant drinking song ‘Was wollen wir trinken’
The crowd remains energised even thirteen hours after the first band emerged
Today is now tomorrow as ‘C’est la vie’ sets fire to the night sky afore the house is brought down in a rousing finale as Avicii’s internation smash ‘Hey Brother’ (a guilty secret of mine I must confess) receives the d’Artagnan ‘treatment’ to bring the curtain down upon an amazing second day that has set another high bar
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EERIE images of an abandoned purpose built elite Nazi boarding school that was attended by the Fuhrer’s own nephew Heinz have been revealed. 
They show grand assembly halls where children as young as eleven would have been educated to become leaders of a super race who themselves dominated the Third Reich.
Two large projectors can be seen that would have once played educational propaganda to brainwash youngsters.
Paint is peeling from the ceiling and there is a creepy view from a smashed window looking out towards the school’s tower.
The haunting images were taken by project manager, Jan Bommes,41, from Kiel, Germany while he was doing his hobby, urban exploring.
Jan said: “When I am walking through a place I imagine and I see the people that have been there and how everything might have looked many years ago. 
“I get to go outside and see things that not many people see in their life.&quot;
the aims of NPEAs were to educate future political
military and administrative leaders of the Nazi state
There were high expectations for children who attended these schools as they had to have above average intelligence and be racially flawless
Heinz met a grizzly end when he was captured by Soviet forces in January 1942 and tortured to death at Butyrka military prison in Moscow
Thirteen-percent of children who attended these schools eventually became members of the Schutzstaffel or SS
an organisation that was initially formed of Hitler’s personal bodyguards but soon expanded to over 250
Members of the SS ran concentration camps and intelligence organisations during the war
“These places are beautiful and deserve to be saved
not only for the sake of the buildings but also for the sake of our own history,” added Jan
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