Ultimate Metal Forum - View Single Post - Wacken 2007

Russell · September 9th, 2007, 03:53 AM

Iced Earth.*

Banging shoulders, singing in each other’s ears, moving to the riffs, we were as energized as could be and experienced together another magical moment in heavy metal history. From the ferocity of songs like ’Violate’, ’Vengeance Is Mine’ and ’Stormrider’ (sung with passion by Jon Schaffer), to the emotion of tracks like ’Declaration Day’, and the overpowering ’Something Wicked Trilogy’ the band was as tight as could be and fed off the emotion of the overwhelming crowd. A special shout out has to go to Ripper Owens who clearly brought his A-game to the festival. Nailing song after song and then adding a few personal touches of his own, such as the amazing 30 second note he held during the band’s signature live show closer ’Iced Earth’, Owens was just superlative on this night, yet without overshadowing the performance of the entire band. The only real downer was when the show abruptly ended at the 65 minute mark (the band having been scheduled to play for 75). It was so good that the majority of the crowd waited in unison for almost 10 minutes before the crew finally started taking down the set. We were disappointed for sure, but it was also a testament to just how good this performance was. Welcome back Iced Earth. We’ve missed you.

Having survived the previous evening on adrenaline alone, my body just would not hold up without letting me know it was time for some serious rest. I was unable to join our group until after 17:00 (or 5:00 pm) the following night after trying to recover from the flu and various other ailments. Upon reaching the festival grounds on day three, I was greeted by an unreal sight as a taxi dropped me off near one of the far reaching campground areas requiring a long and surreal walk through what can only be described as a wasteland. A sea of trash, broken down tents and human waste had me believing I was visiting a refugee camp rather than a heavy metal festival. It was a nightmarish, apocalyptic scene that had me not regretting for a single second the decision to stay at a nearby hotel. I am amazed the lengths some people will go to in order to be a part of this festival.

The festival takes its toll on some attendees.

Upon reaching the main festival grounds, I was greeted with the unusual sound of an orchestra and realized Rage were in the process of playing their special anniversary set. Having already missed Disillusion, Dimension Zero and Secrets of the Moon, I was truly disappointed to learn Rage were nearing the end of their set. I was able to at least hear a few tracks (’Incomplete’ and ’Turn the Page’) from XIII, one of my favorite albums and they indeed sounded excellent.

Afterwards I caught up with my comrades and then Britt and I ventured around the grounds and checked out some of Turisas, which turned out to be quite the spectacle. Like Tyr a few nights before, Turisas absolutely packed the house in the indoor stage, and we dared not venture inside, so we were able to witness a bit of the show from the side. We could see bodies flying, earth being thrown all over the place and a band painted with blood, playing their brand of Viking battle metal. It may have been the most intense set of the festival and Turisas clearly looked like a band that belonged on the party stage, and unleashed their frustrations through performing, while their fans unleashed their frustrations on each other. Indeed Wacken is such a huge festival that quite often dramatic scenes are taking place right around the corner, you just have to do a little bit of walking around to discover them.

And so, after gobbling the nearest bratwurst and Fanta (is regular, non-carbonated water ever served in Germany?), Britt and I regrouped and staked out our territory for my most anticipated band of the festival – the incomparable Immortal.

Immortal.*

It’s been an extremely long wait for yours truly to finally have the privilege of seeing Immortal in a live setting. Years ago they were unable to play the Philadelphia date (where I’m originally from) on the Manowar tour, and later had their dates with Rob Halford (Gods of Metal tour) cancelled just prior to Philadelphia. The band broke up shortly thereafter, and it seemed like I was destined never to see the band in a live setting.

Fast forward to 2007 and a reunited, rejuvenated Immortal are back together playing the festival circuit, and preparing to record a new album. One of the first announcements for Wacken 2007, being able to witness Immortal live, not only for the first time, but in such a dramatic setting, made the decision to embark on the journey overseas an easy one. This would be the last band of the festival I would see. This would be the moment of truth.

And so the skies darkened, the flames grew brighter and a dramatic orchestral intro brought the moment ever closer. The crowd was breathless with anticipation. An epic audience ready to witness an epic performance. I could hardly contain myself as it was time…finally it was time… time… to ’Withstand The Fall Of Time’!!! With a thundering roar the orange lights immersed the stage and the opening to one of my favorite songs off my favorite Immortal album whipped the crowd into an absolute frenzy and I knew I was in for something extra special. The icy cold stare of Abbath, the power of Horgh, the otherworldly riffing of the northern gods, I was in absolute glory as it was just a surreal moment that I had been waiting so long to see. And it just kept coming in waves – several of the songs played were ’Wrath From Above’ (just unreal), ‘At The Heart Of Winter’, ’Battles In The North’, ’Unholy Forces Of Evil’, ’The Sun No Longer Rises’, ’Sons Of Northern Darkness’, and an absolutely electrifying performance of ’Tyrants’ (complete with a dramatic pause in the middle of the song leading back into the incredible mid-paced main riff). Headbanging moment after headbanging moment ensued. My only regret was that the band didn’t play my favorite of their songs, ’Damned In Black’, but it was a small gripe in an otherwise outstanding set. Abbath breathed fire, Britt watched me make a few instant friends from around the world through the unstoppable force of heavy metal, and the night came to a close as we headed backstage for one last drink, basking in the glow of the power we had just witnessed.

Now, that’s what I call a crowd!*

And just like that, in dramatic fashion Wacken 2007 and our collective journey halfway across the world came to a close. For all of the great experiences to be had, there are indeed a few drawbacks that everyone should know about before making the decision to attend. First, if you are put off by camping and the idea of “roughing it” in any way, do not travel to the festival unless you have an offsite room, hotel or hostel lined up. The conditions are very dirty, to say the least, and you’re relegated to them for the entire duration if you’re staying in a tent. On the main festival grounds, men run around urinating on almost every surrounding fence you see. It’s just disgusting puddle after disgusting puddle and do your best to keep alert at all times so you know where you’re walking and what you’re stepping into. As fantastic as the security is at the festival, this type of human waste party needs to be better controlled and indeed patrolled.

Also, this year’s festival was just incredibly muddy based on a recent wave of rainstorms that took place on the grounds prior to the event. The promoters did everything in their power to try and cover up the sheer quicksand like muck with straw, woodchips and dry dirt, but in the end, the sheer volume of revelers quickly brought forth some of the muddiest patches you can imagine and at the end of each evening our shoes were more like mud factories with laces. While the organizers cannot be blamed for this mess, it certainly led to a lot of uncomfortable walking around.

And so, in conclusion, remember to adequately pace yourself, prepare for the types of conditions described above, bring sunscreen, wear comfortable shoes for the long days, hydrate yourself as much as possible and don’t forget the most important part – have an absolute blast. Finally, a special thank you to Greg, Britt, Paula, Russell, Deron and all of Ultimate Metal; without whom none of this would’ve been possible. I can’t thank each of you enough for all your contributions. Wacken 2007 may be over, but the memories will last, the stories will be told and the adventures will continue...

Metal!

Starred photos used with thanks, courtesy of metaltix.com.
Official WOA website
Britt’s Wacken 2007 Picture Story
Wacken 2007 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

September 9th, 2007, 03:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
Russell __ Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The starry attic Posts: 11,042	Iced Earth.* Banging shoulders, singing in each other’s ears, moving to the riffs, we were as energized as could be and experienced together another magical moment in heavy metal history. From the ferocity of songs like ’Violate’, ’Vengeance Is Mine’ and ’Stormrider’ (sung with passion by Jon Schaffer), to the emotion of tracks like ’Declaration Day’, and the overpowering ’Something Wicked Trilogy’ the band was as tight as could be and fed off the emotion of the overwhelming crowd. A special shout out has to go to Ripper Owens who clearly brought his A-game to the festival. Nailing song after song and then adding a few personal touches of his own, such as the amazing 30 second note he held during the band’s signature live show closer ’Iced Earth’, Owens was just superlative on this night, yet without overshadowing the performance of the entire band. The only real downer was when the show abruptly ended at the 65 minute mark (the band having been scheduled to play for 75). It was so good that the majority of the crowd waited in unison for almost 10 minutes before the crew finally started taking down the set. We were disappointed for sure, but it was also a testament to just how good this performance was. Welcome back Iced Earth. We’ve missed you. Having survived the previous evening on adrenaline alone, my body just would not hold up without letting me know it was time for some serious rest. I was unable to join our group until after 17:00 (or 5:00 pm) the following night after trying to recover from the flu and various other ailments. Upon reaching the festival grounds on day three, I was greeted by an unreal sight as a taxi dropped me off near one of the far reaching campground areas requiring a long and surreal walk through what can only be described as a wasteland. A sea of trash, broken down tents and human waste had me believing I was visiting a refugee camp rather than a heavy metal festival. It was a nightmarish, apocalyptic scene that had me not regretting for a single second the decision to stay at a nearby hotel. I am amazed the lengths some people will go to in order to be a part of this festival. The festival takes its toll on some attendees. Upon reaching the main festival grounds, I was greeted with the unusual sound of an orchestra and realized Rage were in the process of playing their special anniversary set. Having already missed Disillusion, Dimension Zero and Secrets of the Moon, I was truly disappointed to learn Rage were nearing the end of their set. I was able to at least hear a few tracks (’Incomplete’ and ’Turn the Page’) from XIII, one of my favorite albums and they indeed sounded excellent. Afterwards I caught up with my comrades and then Britt and I ventured around the grounds and checked out some of Turisas, which turned out to be quite the spectacle. Like Tyr a few nights before, Turisas absolutely packed the house in the indoor stage, and we dared not venture inside, so we were able to witness a bit of the show from the side. We could see bodies flying, earth being thrown all over the place and a band painted with blood, playing their brand of Viking battle metal. It may have been the most intense set of the festival and Turisas clearly looked like a band that belonged on the party stage, and unleashed their frustrations through performing, while their fans unleashed their frustrations on each other. Indeed Wacken is such a huge festival that quite often dramatic scenes are taking place right around the corner, you just have to do a little bit of walking around to discover them. And so, after gobbling the nearest bratwurst and Fanta (is regular, non-carbonated water ever served in Germany?), Britt and I regrouped and staked out our territory for my most anticipated band of the festival – the incomparable Immortal. Immortal.* It’s been an extremely long wait for yours truly to finally have the privilege of seeing Immortal in a live setting. Years ago they were unable to play the Philadelphia date (where I’m originally from) on the Manowar tour, and later had their dates with Rob Halford (Gods of Metal tour) cancelled just prior to Philadelphia. The band broke up shortly thereafter, and it seemed like I was destined never to see the band in a live setting. Fast forward to 2007 and a reunited, rejuvenated Immortal are back together playing the festival circuit, and preparing to record a new album. One of the first announcements for Wacken 2007, being able to witness Immortal live, not only for the first time, but in such a dramatic setting, made the decision to embark on the journey overseas an easy one. This would be the last band of the festival I would see. This would be the moment of truth. And so the skies darkened, the flames grew brighter and a dramatic orchestral intro brought the moment ever closer. The crowd was breathless with anticipation. An epic audience ready to witness an epic performance. I could hardly contain myself as it was time…finally it was time… time… to ’Withstand The Fall Of Time’!!! With a thundering roar the orange lights immersed the stage and the opening to one of my favorite songs off my favorite Immortal album whipped the crowd into an absolute frenzy and I knew I was in for something extra special. The icy cold stare of Abbath, the power of Horgh, the otherworldly riffing of the northern gods, I was in absolute glory as it was just a surreal moment that I had been waiting so long to see. And it just kept coming in waves – several of the songs played were ’Wrath From Above’ (just unreal), ‘At The Heart Of Winter’, ’Battles In The North’, ’Unholy Forces Of Evil’, ’The Sun No Longer Rises’, ’Sons Of Northern Darkness’, and an absolutely electrifying performance of ’Tyrants’ (complete with a dramatic pause in the middle of the song leading back into the incredible mid-paced main riff). Headbanging moment after headbanging moment ensued. My only regret was that the band didn’t play my favorite of their songs, ’Damned In Black’, but it was a small gripe in an otherwise outstanding set. Abbath breathed fire, Britt watched me make a few instant friends from around the world through the unstoppable force of heavy metal, and the night came to a close as we headed backstage for one last drink, basking in the glow of the power we had just witnessed. Now, that’s what I call a crowd!* And just like that, in dramatic fashion Wacken 2007 and our collective journey halfway across the world came to a close. For all of the great experiences to be had, there are indeed a few drawbacks that everyone should know about before making the decision to attend. First, if you are put off by camping and the idea of “roughing it” in any way, do not travel to the festival unless you have an offsite room, hotel or hostel lined up. The conditions are very dirty, to say the least, and you’re relegated to them for the entire duration if you’re staying in a tent. On the main festival grounds, men run around urinating on almost every surrounding fence you see. It’s just disgusting puddle after disgusting puddle and do your best to keep alert at all times so you know where you’re walking and what you’re stepping into. As fantastic as the security is at the festival, this type of human waste party needs to be better controlled and indeed patrolled. Also, this year’s festival was just incredibly muddy based on a recent wave of rainstorms that took place on the grounds prior to the event. The promoters did everything in their power to try and cover up the sheer quicksand like muck with straw, woodchips and dry dirt, but in the end, the sheer volume of revelers quickly brought forth some of the muddiest patches you can imagine and at the end of each evening our shoes were more like mud factories with laces. While the organizers cannot be blamed for this mess, it certainly led to a lot of uncomfortable walking around. And so, in conclusion, remember to adequately pace yourself, prepare for the types of conditions described above, bring sunscreen, wear comfortable shoes for the long days, hydrate yourself as much as possible and don’t forget the most important part – have an absolute blast. Finally, a special thank you to Greg, Britt, Paula, Russell, Deron and all of Ultimate Metal; without whom none of this would’ve been possible. I can’t thank each of you enough for all your contributions. Wacken 2007 may be over, but the memories will last, the stories will be told and the adventures will continue... Metal! Starred photos used with thanks, courtesy of metaltix.com. Official WOA website Britt’s Wacken 2007 Picture Story Wacken 2007 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Last edited by Russell : September 9th, 2007 at 04:14 AM.