From the noon Thursday kickoff, with Onslaught, until the post-midnight, Sunday morning conclusion by Destruction, managed to see at least a portion of all main stage bands except one (sorry Exumer) and several of each evening's second stage acts (indoors the adjacent hall), which overlapped the bigger names outside. My favorite of the various Euro-festivals, due to the musical style, one main stage and the glorious combination of hefeweizen, wurst and frauleins, this marked the 15th consecutive trip to the small German town of Balingen, which has played host to the Bang Your Head festival since 2000. This year, to celebrate two decades, organizers expanded the format to three days, plus the separate warm-up show, which was headlined by JBO and included Sepultura, Nuclear Assault and Battle Beast, amongst others. Not quite up tot he standards of years past.

While most of the country was having Thursday lunch, Onslaught took the stage, all in black, to temperatures warmer than central Africa. Mercifully, there was already a breeze and a few hours later, intermittent cloud cover. Saw the UK thrashers in the US last fall, with ex-Anthrax vocalist Neil Turbin at the helm, but here, Sy Keeler was back in charge. Nige Rockett (guitar) remains the lone original, but the Brits remain a lethal option. 'Killing Peace' sees the singer venture onto the gangplank that juts into the crowd. Much of the early set banged out post-reunion material, including 'Destroyer Of Worlds', '66 Fucking 6' (complete with pre-recorded music box intro/outro). The early hour didn't faze Keeler, who offered “Being on stage at this time means we have loads of time for good Bavarian beer this afternoon.” Surprised with 'Fight With The Beast', the old school number was punctuated by high pitched yelps, so popular back in '86. 'Metal Forces', then Middle Eastern flavored 'Sounds Of Violence' and even though the strobes proved ineffective in daylight, the set ending 'Power From Hell' proved the highlight.

State of the industry that there were more booths for competing cigarette companies than record labels. Hardcore Superstar came onstage an energetic blur, their 'Need No Company' (and they'll love me for saying it) was G N' R by way of Gothenburg. Apart from the opener, it was actually closer to Faster Pussycat, decked out in bandannas, tattoos, chain wallets and leather motorcycle vests. Drums beat out the strip club beat of 'My Good Reputation', while the fuzz toned 'Touch The Sky' is basically funk. With gang vocals on the titular chorus, the stomp of 'Last Call For Alcohol' (a dozen girls onstage for a mid-song toast) and upbeat sleaze of 'We Don't Celebrate Sundays' work best.

Sadly, the same can't be said of H.E.A.T. Without the abbreviations, “heat” was the word of the weekend (climate-wise), but onstage, the fresh faced Swedish hard rockers had a Justin Bieber coiffed look-alike dancing, thrusting and lusting along to originals that are poppier versions of countrymen Europe's 'Final Countdown'. Fact is, he was a homegrown Idol winner! Speaking of that song (utilized by Sabaton), what is it with the Swedes and pre-intro signature tunes? Here Glen Frey's 'The Heat Is On' announcing just that. Know that singer Erik Grönwall hasn't lived long, but hyperbolic introduction, “Best damn guitar player in the world” does nothing for your credibility, although his quip about “Gonna do what we Swedes do best, sing and drink. Think you guys are pretty good at that too,” raised smiles in the crowd. 'Beg Beg Beg' contained a snippet of Deep Purple's 'Highway Star' and for the Journey-ish finale, 'Living On The Run', Grönwall sang from the vacated photo pit, right in front of the female-packed front row.

Why Grand Magus haven't been able to parlay their overseas success into a North American tour is beyond me: just a threepiece, travel costs are minimal and their sound appeals to a great cross-spectrum of rock/metal audiences. With guitarist Janne Christoffersson tethered to the mic, there's minimal movement, but the pounding gallop is so infectious. Although he dosed his head before coming onstage, bassist Fox Skinner wore a leather jacket throughout, albeit minus a shirt underneath. As opposed to many of the musical attendees, this was a festival set, heavy on the classics. 'Ravens Guide Our Way' was backed with 'I, The Jury'. There was also a pair off Iron Will: the title cut and 'Like The Oar Strikes The Water' and their latest, 'Triumph & Power' and 'Steel Versus Steel', where Fox taking a prominent vocal role. There was a little extra time between songs, not sure if it was the heat, tuning (as Y&T would announce), or just their pace. 'Kingslayer', 'Sword Of The Ocean' and the closing 'Hammer Of The North' were devoured as eagerly as a cold beer in this heat.

The remaining quartet set for the mainstage were all international headliners in their own right, each a different stage of their career, first up Death Angel, who have been remarkable consistent (and under-appreciated) since getting back together. This was the San Fran thrashers' fourth appearance at BYH, as Mark Osequeda remains a vibrant frontman, taking the mic stand onto the catwalk, dropping to his knees, moving around the stage. Wow! Rob Cavestany plays at a 90 degree angle to the crowd, violently pulling off each note. Unlike many of their (bigger name, but less impressive) contemporaries, Death Angel feature a ton of newer songs and only some legacy material. Opening with non-stop 'Left For Dead' and 'Son Of Morning', by 'Claws In Deep', both guitarists were alone, on the walkway. Throwback 'Voracious Souls' is greeted like an old friend, Cavestany wailing away on the whammy bar. He, alone on the catwalk, began 'Succubus'. '3rd Floor' and 'Seemingly Endless Time' (a bit of a shocker, pleasantly) were next. The singer gave a short speech about following your own path, prior to new single 'The Dream Calls For Blood', before ending with the circle pit inducing 'Thrown To The Wolves'. A new live CD and career spanning documentary have just been released. Long live Death Angel!

Only caught the opening notes of Sonata Arctica, whose choice of 'White Pearl, Black Ocean' put a pall over a festive crowd. Regardless of the reaction, I was off to see Enforcer in the hall, now a dual guitar foursome, Olof Wikstrand adding six-string duties to his vocals. With his blond hair, Flying V, dark eyeliner and mugging for the crowd, the high pitched speed metal of 'Live For The Night' gave me flashbacks to early Metallica. 

Honestly. With Mark Osequeda watching/smiling in the wings, the Swedes (who used 'Diamonds & Rust' as an intro, Diamonds being one of their album titles...see what I mentioned earlier?) were not technically perfect, but more about a live vibe (as would be challenged a couple days hence, by Dream Theater). The band was in constant motion, playing off one another. 'Destroyer' and 'Undying Evil' were up early. A blazing 'Mesmerized By Fire' was just that, hypnotically compelling. The new 'From Beyond' title cut saw the drummer handling a portion of the singing. Can't wait for the tour, next January! The only bad things about their set was that it lasted into the start time for W.A.S.P., which meant I had to leave before it ended, so as to queue up for main stage photos. It was all the worse, given what happened next.



Blackie Lawless has always been one of the most cerebral of the '80s musicians, despite the early titles. So it must secretly pain him that he's no longer capable of providing a headlining show. For years now there have been the frequent cancellations and when W.A.S.P. does appear, it's the exact same set, with no individualized, unscripted banter (or mere referencing the audience). Reference see Sabaton. That known, BYH decided to give Blackie's band another try. OK, a little extra weight around the middle is no surprise (even if he insisted on the same outfit (Oakland Raiders jersey, black stretch pants and fringed white knee-hi boots) and doing the cross stage shuffle, but missing a few teeth and more importantly, much of his voice, gives rise to concerns about his overall health. It was almost a pantomime act, Blackie starting the lyrics and the fans singing the rest (all well versed in what was expected). It began well enough, pyro introducing a vibrant 'On Your Knees/Torture Never Stops', but who (pun intended) wants to hear a cover song next? 'The Real Me' (which isn't even that strong anyway), was completely unwelcome. 'L.O.V.E. Machine' saw fiery plumbs punctuate each accentuated letter, in the song: L flames, O flames, V etc. Longtime bassist Mike Duda spins in place and races around the stage. 'Wildchild' was backed with a pair of slower/ballads 'Sleeping In The Fire' and 'The Idol'. The songs all had extended solos, and/or drawn out codas. In terms of the later, neither Lawless nor Duda were onstage when the songs ended. Kicking off with a spray of sparkler, 'I Wanna Be Somebody' demonstrated how rough his voice was, dropping lyrics. 'Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue) ended with explosions and fire. With 15 minutes left in a scheduled 75 minute set, they began 'Blind In Texas', historically the last song of the night. Someone lobbed a liter water bottle onstage, that thankfully missed, but when the song was over (in a shower of sparks), that was it, with solid ten minutes left. Shame.

Now with almost an hour to kill, checked out a few songs from Orden Ogan, who played ProgPower USA last year. They've upgraded their wardrobe to more professional at-tire (no longer a retread hanging from the shoulder pads) and the scrims make the new album artwork/backdrop look 3-D. The between song banter was exclusively Deutsche, then instructed the crowd to sing the lyric “Cold, dead & gone', for the 'Things We Believe In” finale, in English. Kind of funny.

Upon returning to the photo pit, noticed they'd erected a pair of monitors at the end of the gangplank, to avoid scat-about frontman Joakim Brodén from tumbling headlong into the crowd. Not all festivals are created equally, as their Hellfest gig (available online) was basically a pyro-free set. If the W.A.S.P. was a single sparkler, or Roman candle, Sabaton was a July 4th grand finale, not only unleashing a firestorm, but had the battlefield look .The stage was adorned with military containers and there were four columns of M-16 machine guns, ribbon of bullets, hand grenades & helmets all fashioned into individualized mic stands (eat your heart out Ivan Moody, 5 Finger Death Punch). The biggest piece, centrally situated, where the drums normally would be, was covered in camouflaged cargo net. At the appropriate time, military attired personnel removed the cargo net, revealing a dual turret halftrack, headlights gleaming,drummer Hannes van Dahl situated between the two firing stations. The slanted body provides a platform onwhich band members can pose, in front of van Dahl.

'Ghost Division' sees the mechanized behemoth firing from both sides, as fire shoots across the stage. The “noch eine bier” chant, requesting Brodén to down a beer, began after the second song (pyro laden 'To Hell And Back'). The Swedes will headline a German worded festival of the same name a week later, their payback to the fans. A bouncy 'Carolus Rex' came next, after which the Mohawk headed singer heard the taunt once more. He feigned indigence, flipping the middle finger to a chorus thousand of voices strong. He succumbed, quickly downing a beer, only to have the chant return, once the last drop was drained. Another thanks to the German public was the live premier of a yellow lit 'No Bullets Fly'. Actually, those yellow lights were featured prominently, the band apparently foregoing much of a light show, in favor of extensive pyrotechnics. Older selection 'Panzer Division' followed, punctuated by a second brew for the singer. This led to the supposed guitar feud, where Brodén strums “Smoke On The Water” before launching into a snippet of Metallica, before eventually launching a triple guitar 'Resist & Bite'. Steam shot from the halftrack, fire plumbs front and back of the stage, as diagonal flames arced out front.

Some complained about all the talking and joking about beer, but a nearly two hour headlining set, at this point in Sabaton's career (especially after repeated support tours in North America) is a bit of a stretch. 'Screaming Eagles', 'Swedish Pagans' (unscheduled, but by fans request, bassist Pär Sundström ripping up the onstage setlist, for all to see) and blue lit 'Panzerkampf', the military cadence drums augmented by rapid fire strobes, follow. After 'Far From The Fame', the pre-recorded female voiceover signaled 'Art Of War', six fiery bursts ignite behind the band, in unison and individually. Thobbe Englund (guitar) climbed the halftrack, stealing a drumstick to use as a slide. Downing a third beer, Brodén mockingly calls out an Anvil shirt wearing fan who still wants more beer. 'Soldier Of 3 Armies' sees Par on the halftrack. Back to the Anvil guy, Brodén challenges him to drink another beer. A guitar version of Peer Gynt serves as accompaniment to the drinking contest, which lasts just a few seconds, Sabaton victorious! 'Gott Mit Uns', the chorus altered to “noch eine bier” saw the two guitarists and bassist under a spotlight, on the catwalk.

The call for lighters and cellphones greeted the softer, Swedish sung 'A Lifetime Of War', with orchestral backing tape, purple lights Brodén atop the military vehicle and Chris Rörland alone on the gang way. 'Attero Dominatus' closes out the proper set, fans singing along. Red lights and sirens herald 'Night Witches' as the band returns to the stage. There was some comments from organizers before 'Primo Victoria' and 'Metal Crue' ended the evening. Korpiklaani and Crazy Lixx played in the hall until 2am.

Day 2

11:30 came early Friday morning. Cloudless skies and a couple of more degrees on the thermometer destined this to be a test of endurance, both climatologically, as well as the sheer volume (pun intended) of quality bands on the bill. The reconfigured (ex-Dragonforce singer ZP Threat, in for Doogie White) Tank fired the opening salvo. The NWOBHM legends are minus originator/bassist/singer Algy Ward and this version has now released a trio of lighter, less caustic albums. The material was a mix of classic 80s and the new stuff, kicking off with a more tuneful 'This Means War'. Threat dumped bottles of water over his head and sprayed the crowd, wiping his brow and mouthing “It's hot” just one song in. 'Judgment Day' and 'Echoes Of A Distant Battle' showcased the distinct difference in the eras, the bass/drums more prominent on the older cuts. Threat spend more time on the catwalk, his thin legs splayed wide, getting the audience to work off any hangovers. His potty mouth hasn't subsided, but it's probably at better use in Tank, than his kid-friendly predecessor. 'Honor & Blood' saw another pair of bottles sprinkled on fans. A lively 'Great Expectations' works better than most of the White era, but the urgency of an as yet unreleased 'World On Fire' shows promise for the upcoming Valley Of Tears. Saying 'Don't Dream In The Dark' was as slow as Tank goes, it was thankfully short, ultimately ending with '(He Fell In Love With A) Stormtrooper'.

A double shot of Tank, well, not really, but Jag Panzer were up next. Was anxious to see the regrouped Colorado act with both Harry 'The Tyrant' Conklin and original guitarist Joey Tafolla. Lo and behold, mainstay bassist John Tetley was absent (reconstructive shoulder surgery, slipped on ice exiting a bus) sidelined him. A unique opening, The Tyrant onstage alone, singing the almost a cappella start of 'Black', then the band suddenly rushing onstage as he and founder/guitarist Mark Briody headed straight onto the catwalk, a few feet from the fans. The singer joked about being grandfathers of metal, but seriously, looking at the rest of the BYH bill, they're still relative newcomers. After a brutally fast 'Generally Hostile', 'License To Kill' saw the two guitarists side-by-side as Tafolla finally getting a stage presence. Conklin has always spouted extemporaneous, non-canned stage banter, which at times gets jumbled. His observation about how the Internet bringing metalheads together was a plus, got iffy when he continued against “Facebook, Google and Snap whatever it is” as the intro to 'Future Shock', with classical backing. Later, he talked about image on coins, before realizing his reference was misplaced, self-correcting to 'Iron Eagle'.





Recorded acoustic guitar unleashed 'Chain Of Command', Harry works from side to side, having the crowd sing the titular chorus. He prematurely announces the drum driven 'Warfare' (was actually time for 'Let It Out'. Personally could see skipping it too!), saying “Fucked up again. Guess I won't get paid.” With an “Eruption” style solo, Tafolla finally broke from his shell, venturing as far as drummer Rikard Stjernquist, then, in the last verse, ended up on Briody's side, the two sharing the same backing mic. Great response to this one. For the finale, they opted for a cover of UFO's 'Lights Out', undoubtedly to showcase Tafolla's talents. However, the lengthy track certainly could have been dumped in favor of another original, especially when they broke into a couple of hastily (and seemingly unrehearsed) run-throughs of Queen's 'We Are The Champions'. Quirky ending. Why?

Although guitarist Robb Weir is the lone original Tygers Of Pan Tang, they still play a lot of the 80s standouts, although vocalist Jacopo Meille sounded muffled, a tin resonance throughout large portions of the day. Opening with 'Gangland', it was 'Euthanasia' that got the biggest early hand. After a string of newer, non-classics, 'Killers' got most back onboard. There's a large amount of boogie in the Tygers' sound, be it the aforementioned, 'Slave To Freedom' and especially 'Rock n Roll Man', which saw the crowd offer call & response to the title chorus. 'Suzie Smiled' was followed with Weir using the vocal squawk box for 'Don't Touch Me There', before ending with 'Hellbound'. The Tygers are wise enough to know where their bread is buttered, slathering on a healthy helping of '80s hits.

Saw Refuge, the renamed classic Rage line-up (so as to not be confused with the concurrent Rage line-up. Got that?) on 70,000 Tons cruise, twice. Both/all fronted by bassist Peavy Wagner, Refuge also features former Grave Digger guitarist Manni Schmidt. The band looks like they are truly enjoying this unexpected reformation, fist-bumping, smiling and getting the chance to play some older Rage cuts that might not make the setlist these days. The exuberance was evident despite delivering all banter in their native tongue. More than a little symbolism in the opening 'Firestorm' and, with the clouds peeling away, 'Death In The Afternoon', given the nearly unbearable temperatures. Concluding 'Solitary Man', Schmidt unleashed a buzzsaw guitar tone for 'Nevermore'. 'Missing Link', the bass rumbling intro to audience-sung (without prompting) 'Don't Fear The Winter'. In this steam bath, message was sort of anticlimactic. They ended with their new signature track, 'Refuge'.

Despite breaking in, yet another, new drummer (ex- U.D.O. Man Francesco Jovino), Primal Fear were a well oiled machine. Ralf Scheepers looked like (later confirmed) that he'd been hitting the gym, even more cut, veins popping, while tan Mat Sinner looks as if he'd enjoyed another vacation since we all met on 70,000 Tons. A fist pumping 'Final Embrace' started things off, quickly succeeded by 'Alive & On Fire' (so true) and 'Nuclear Fire': a rousing three-peat. In front of the drummer, three of four all wore black vests, no shirts, apart from guitarist Alex Beyrodt, who did wear shades (as did all the other, except Tom Naumann). The initial trio of songs reserved for photographers, by 'Unbreakable (part 2)', the band left the stage, for the wings and catwalk, Beyrodt throwing down a display of fretboard histrionics.



Scheepers got everyone to clap along to the more mellow, orchestral begun 'Seven Seals'. It ended with the singer, back to the crowd. 'Angel In Black' kicked things up a notch (bam!), the guitar tandem trading licks. 'When Death Comes Knocking' sees a sea of fists, thrust in unison. 'Chainbreaker' sounds like a runaway locomotive. Following 'Running In The Dust', there are band introductions and a concluding 'Metal Is Forever', Scheepers exaggerating and sustaining the final word of the title. New album still has to be finished, Scheepers claims seven songs left onwhich to complete vocals. Can't wait.

Loudness opened with the money shot 'Crazy Nights', the blond haired guitar god Akira Takasaki alone on stage left. Followed by 'Like Hell' and 'Heavy Chains', it's the exact running order as Thunder In The East, their biggest selling (and best known album, outside Japan). For good (?) measure, they also throw in 'We Could Be Together' (from the same album), but personally, would have preferred a deeper cut, like off Devil's Soldier. Not that big of a stretch as they did offer 'In The Mirror' (from the '83 follow-up) and from their initial English language record, Disillusion,'Crazy Doctor' and major shocker 'Esper', which was announced as the final song, only to have them (thankfully) do 'S.D.I.' Loudness came to rock, plenty of room for Akira's six-string mastery, leaving the pop stuff at home.

For whatever reason, Arch Enemy banned all photographers out of the photo pit, so it was off to the hall to check out Stormwitch and Portrait. Fittingly, a monsoon rained down during the Enemies' set. While a fan of the older Germans' earlier works, much of the pedestrian, later day Stormwitch has left me cold. In frilly white shirt, singer and lone constant, Andy Mück made all sorts of hurky jerky contortions as he danced across the stage. Much of the early set, begun with 'Evil Spirit', was of the more ethereal (newer) nature, eventually coming around to older gens like 'Call Of The Wicked' and 'Ravenlord' (made popular, judging by the youngsters singing along, by a Hammerfall cover), before ending with 'Priest Of Evil' and 'Walpurgis Night', both off the '84 debut.



Portrait rose to prominence on their similarities to early Mercyful Fate, a sound that they've gradually moved away from relying on, although hints still crop up, here & there. Like, many of those elements were obliterated in the wall of sound. They sampled all three album and even ventured back to the demo days, for 'Welcome To My Funeral'. Highlights included 'Bloodbath' and 'In Time', before ducking outdoors to hear the last few songs from Todd LeTorre fronted (or in his words, the only true) Queensrÿche. Having earlier heard the opening 'Nightrider', he acquitted himself well on the closing trio of 'Eyes Of A Stranger', nailing the requisite highs of 'Queen Of The Reich' and 'Take Hold Of The Flame' finale.

The staging for Kreator threatened to be something special, an asymmetrically high, semi-circular wall of video screens ringed the band. Throughout the night, they showed still images, often the colorful figures from three decades of album artwork, but also short movies, even b&w news clips, that tied into the lyrics and/or ideals behind each song. There was also confetti, paper canons and (luckily, not in rapid succession) pyrotechnics. 'Enemy Of God' opening saw confetti into the air, “snow” being the last thing anyone expected under this weekend's temperatures. 'Terrible Certainty' and 'Phobia', with the wrap-around board in red were delivered virtually non-stop. With his guitar slung over his back, headstock nearly scraping the ground Mille Petrozza addressed the crowd, prior to 'Awakening Of The Gods'. Stage in blue, a human wall of death runs at each other, as the pulsating blue bars on the screens look like volume sliders, going to maximum. Later, they will slide left to right, around the arc. 'Endless Pain' is classic Kreator! For ''Warcurse', appropriately, there are images of tanks, armies on the move, behind the band as Petrozza shoots fog from an oversized gun. After Phantom Antichrist' , it's 'From Flood Into Fire', red stage lights and video flames are employed.

No one screams an introduction like 'Extreme Aggression', while 'Suicide Terrorist' sees the video boards again show real life imagery. By contrast, 'Black Sunrise' is a slow, grinding number, under red and yellow. 'Hordes Of Chaos' “toilet papers” the grounds (long shreds, not little confetti pieces), more fire bombs erupt from the stage and “blood” platters the electronic screens. Cooper lights herald 'Renewal' (bit of an unexpected choice), semi-nude body flashes onscreen, while 'Civilization Collapse' ends the proper set with a gasmask video and Russian lettering. 'Violent Revolution' is a firebug's delight, plumbs everywhere, Mille in white spot, bassist rocking out on the catwalk. 'Pleasure To Kill' is a blinding sea of strobes. Ends, with his arms outstretched, flashes of flame going off around the crimson lit stage.

Decided to catch a portion of Primordial's set (scheduled to begin the moment Kreator stepped off the stage), so missed the second encore, during which there was a second volley from the confetti cannon, filling the night air. The magnetic presence of Alan Averill (aka AA Nemtheanga onstage) the Irish frontman is amazing. Offstage, a mild-mannered, albeit strongly opinionated and not afraid to back it up, chap, once he gets into the Primordial headspace, look out! Their energetic opening 'Where Greater Men Have Fallen' sees him employ the mic stand as something of a crucifix, arms outstretched, the bar spanning his shoulders. After 'No Grave Deep Enough', headed for home, as tomorrow promised to be the longest day yet.


 

Day 3

Having to drink water and non-caffeinated beverages for the better part of two days (trust me, there was some weizen beer in the mix, especially once the heat started to wane. Can't wait for the sun to go down, as it doesn't set until close to 10pm during the summer.), was feeling pretty good (although notice myself taking shorter performance notes than either of the first two days!), but slept a little longer, since my friends in Destruction were set to close the festival, going until almost 1am Sunday morning. The fact it was raining only made the decision even easier. Thus I missed Exumer and a portion of Hirax.

In some ways, Exciter were one of my can't miss bands of the weekend. Sure, I'd seen drummer Dan Beehler's solo effort in a small, post-Headbanger's Open Air gig a few years back and seen various incarnations of Exciter over the years (even hosting them at one of the BW&BK 6-Pack Weekends), but it had been ages since I'd seen all three originals together. Still remember the fog filled Pop Shop (under the Agora) in Cleveland. Couldn't see the band for the tightly packed standing room only fans (band set up on the floor) through what looked like a smoldering wildfire. Don't give me that Can-Con shit, I'm American!

Opening with 'Stand Up & Fight', there was Beehler, playing drums and barking out the lyrics. No mean feat for a guy under 30, he's nowhere near that, these days. When his vocals weren't loud enough in the monitors, thought he was going to pop a blood vessel. Otherwise, he repeatedly expressed how happy he/band were to be in Germany. A crowd sung 'Heavy Metal Maniac' came all too early, followed by 'Iron Dogs', guitarist John Ricci, in studded black vest, playing from all sorts of obtuse angles, squealing the whammy bar into submission. Another rain shower materialized, but not before photographers could capture the evidence. Guitar-only intro, a slower 'Delivering To The Master' saw the purple lighting and fog rendered useless in the afternoon. A thunderous 'Violence & Force' was punctuated by a storm of strobes, firing away, even if there effect was marginalized. 'Long Live The Loud' mutated into a Ricci solo. 'Pounding Metal' saw Behleer get the crowd to repeatedly shout the titular phrase, even before they played. Ended, all too early, with 'Beyond The Gates Of Doom'. Great to have them back, if you have the opportunity to see them live, don't miss it!

Third day, showered, shaved and out of the rain, sort of felt like Arthur, in Monty Python's Holy Grail, during the muck raking scene: “Must be a king, ain't got shit all over him.” Sort of appropriate, as Morgan Lefay were up next. Would never admit to being a devout fan, but singer Charlie Rytkönen has always had a bit of early Jon Oliva grit (Savatage) in his throat, thus this is closer to the Savatage reunion that I'd like to see (ie Hall Of The Mountain King and BEFORE!) than is going to take place at Wacken. Opening with 'To Isengard', then 'Master Of The Masquerade', before Charlie complained, “This is the heaviest mic stand I've ever had. Must be 200kg, for giants, not Hobbits like me.” Cue 'The Source Of Pain'. 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' (how many bands have a song with this title?) gave way to the heavier, crowd sung 'Maleficium'. Multiple backing vocals on the simple chorus of 'Hollow'. 'I Roam' was also in the mix, before ending with 'Symphony Of The Damned', which the singer as, “one of the first we wrote, like 15 minute long, jazz influenced...”

Perennial favorites, nearly always on the BYH bill, Omen made the most of their return to the Balingen Messe, actually going onstage five minutes early. Opening with 'Die By The Blade', there was mainstay/guitarist Kenny Powell in chainmail shirt, singer Kevin Goocher in armored shoulder pads and Andy Haas with his axe blade bass. Original drummer Steve Wittig is back behind the kit. It was a veritable greatest hit show, start-to-finish. 'Death Rider' saw Powell running all over the stage, into the wings, on the catwalk. Obviously working up a sweat, the shirt was gone by 'Warning Of Danger'. Goocher delivered the spoken word intro to 'The Axeman' live and despite obvious physical walking impairment, the singer was on the catwalk for 'Dragon's Breath'. He obviously has a good relationship with the hard nosed/driven Powell (it is his second stint with the band), able to toy with the guitarist. 'Last Rites', 'Into The Arena', 'Ruby Eyes Of The Serpent' and 'Termination', really nothing beyond '87!

Just an hour for Y&T, a band with a 41 year history? How do you fit all that great music (and solo playing from Dave Meniketti) into 60 minutes? 'Hurricane' came storming out first, Meniketti looking comfortable in sun glasses, perhaps the first of the weekend. I was bragging about how Y&T in Europe is usually a different monster than in the States, often going deep into the back catalog to pull out (even a 70s) gem. Not this time, despite a six year absence from BYH. Whether it was because of the recent US tour and cruises, but they alternated between older (well known) tunes and newer material, including 'I'm Comin Home', 'I Want Your Money', 'Cold Day In Hell' and even though Meniketti claimed it was something special (not!) 'Summertime Girls'. On the other hand, there were all-time classics; 'Black Tiger', 'Meanstreak', 'Rescue Me' and screaming guitars on 'Forever'. It's not thrash and Meniketti is no spring chicken, but these guys really move about the massive stage and while 'I Believe In You' is the most un-metal number, it contains some great bluesy guitar and got one of (if not THE) biggest responses. If you've never seen them, make sure you do, soon.

If Meniketti's shades looked cool in the sun, then Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) is the only guy who looked like he's regularly tan - George Hamilton skin tones. With snippets of US presidents lying through their teeth (Nixon, Clinton, etc.), the Danes open with 'Mother Of All Lies'. This is mostly a tried and true setlist, be it festival, shipboard or elsewhere: a couple of Pandemonium tracks and plenty of old classics, usually backloaded. 'Rodeo' and 'Lethal Heroes' see the fans in fine voice. A snippet of Pink Floyd ('Another Brick In The Wall') sneaks into 'Pandemonium', While giant balloons bounding atop the audience during 'Little Drops Of Heaven'. 'I.N.V.U.' is the strongest of the new material, but it clears the way for a run of 'Yellow Rain', 'Red, Hot & Heavy', 'Back To Back' and the one and done encore of 'Future World' marred only by the oversize drops of heaven. Even an inflatable, backyard kiddie pool somehow finds its way overhead. As long as they have that back catalog to call out at any moment (on 70,000 Tons they did the Future World CD in its entirety, best moments heard here again), Pretty Maids will always be fun.

When announced, didn't think Dream Theater fit the metal festival bill. Years back, Foreigner worked. Journey worked, but both had memorable/singable songs. Some joked the 70 minute set would allow the Dreamers to play 4 songs. In fact, they were heavier than anticipated, thanks in part to the drums and good amounts of distortion, but there were also significant amounts of whistling (European equivalent of booing or hissing) between tracks. Good thing they don't sell bullet belts at the merch stall. Regardless, apart from James LeBrie circling the stage, there wasn't much going on. Like the Grateful Dead (most out of place T-shirt of the weekend), might be interesting to listen to, but is there any reason to see? John Myung didn't wander outside a two-foot radius and John Petrucci has two corrugated steel steps/foot rests right in front of him. The greatest thing that happened during the 'Afterlife' opener (off the LaBrie-less debut!) was that Jordan Rudess rotated and tilted his keyboard. Especially on the heels of Ronnie Atkins' Jack-in-the-box antics, made the static performance all the worse. Surprise, no 'Pull Me Under', their biggest North American hit. In fact, the lone inclusion off the successful Images & Words was 'Metropolis - Part 1'. In all, they didn't duplicate a single album, touching on nine separate releases, one song each. 'Panic Attack' and 'Bridges In The Sky' were also included, before ending with 'Behind The Veil'.

Man did I need an Accept fix! After seeing the band nearly a dozen times, for the first two reunion albums, I'd only seen them twice for Blind Rage: Wacken, a year ago and their return to Gramercy, in NYC at the start of the current world tour (which has yet to set down in North America, apart from scattered handful of dates). There have been some changes in the line-up since, but the principles remain intact, although there's a dichotomy between the mainstays. There's Peter Baltes, the smiling, perpetually headbanging bassist, with curly hair flopping in time to the music. If the late Jim Henson ever designed a can't sit still, ADHD Muppet (had he started a few decades later, surely he would have), it probably would look like the ageless Baltes. To his side, the bald, face-pulling guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. Like a guitar wielding cobra, Hoffman coils himself, striking with steel string fangs. Zap! Don't worry, the bite is infectious and without antidote. Succumb to the inevitable. 

24 amp stacks, a dozen to each side are illuminated before showtime, the Accept, crossed guitar logo in place of any company name. Drummer Christopher Williams comes on and smashed an introduction on the circular (70s) gong behind his massive kit, as the boys kicked into 'Stampede'. The 17 song was almost exactly split between new and old, with 'London Leatherboys' cropping up third, Mark Tornillo, more confident than ever, now that the first round of cuts are over, working the crowd, out on the gangplank, yet returning to the stage and nailing the final lyric, just as he turns to face the audience. It was a noisy, fast guitar set, containing 'Restless & Wild' (a surprise coming so early, in the fourth slot), the welcome return of 'No Shelter', 'Pandemic' (where Hoffmann drops to his knees) and Tyrolean ditty introduced 'Fast As A Shark'. If ever there were a call for strobes (in spades), it's this, heads down, balls out, piece of metal! That final pair actual close out the proper set. 

'Dying Breed' was under blue lights, while 'Final Journey' saw jets of compressed "steam" shot skyward, with just the drummer, Wolf and Peter (or is that Peter & the Wolf, Prokofiev?) onstage. 'Shadow Soldier' is one dear to Tornillo's heart, always onstage in a military cap. Purple lights for 'Losers & Winners', Wolf and Peter sharing the same mic, on the bassist's side of the stage. 'Midnight Mover', another welcome returnee, would see the two of them alone on the catwalk, trading licks, as Tornillo waits onstage, keeping time. Baltes began 'Princess Of The Dawn' atop the variegated riser, while the guitarist made a rare solo appearance on the opposite side of the stage. The first chorus see Wolf with arms outstretched, cuing the crowd to sing along. Deep blues and fog onstage, without prodding, they continue to sing, even though Hoffmann never plays a note. As Peter towels off, they go directly into unusual green lit 'Dark Side Of My Heart', where the roles are reversed" Mark on the catwalk and the venerable duo onstage, headbanging. The aforementioned 'Shark' ends with the two guitarists center stage, to a huge ovation, as the stage goes black. Almost everyone knows it's not over and what remains, as illuminated amps, pink lights and plenty of smoke hasten their return, implored by Hoffman (arm in the air) for the opening strains of 'Metal Heart'. 'Teutonic Terror' and the ubiquitous 'Balls To The Wall' follow, capping not only another victory, but unofficial end of the festival. While there are no more outdoor acts, Destruction awaits, as the final act, indoors.

Now sporting a neatly manicured mustache/goatee combination, Schmier's still the same old thrasher. This setlist was laden with classics, smaller percentage of newer material than either the recent tour or the 70,000 Tons cruise (can't believe I saw the band four times in 6 months!), although the start: 'Thrash Till Death', 'Nailed to The Cross'and 'Mad Butcher' was much the same. The band was back with drummer Vaaver, after his recent absence from the North American tour. 'Eternal Ban', 'Life Without Sense' and 'Release From Agony' all appear within the first half of a 90 minute set. Will admit, wasn't there for the 'Bestial Invasion'/'Butcher Strikes Back' encore, but that's just more to look forward to, the next time.

BYH has something for everyone (verified on the fest Facebook page, where nearly every band is tagged as "Best of the festival," by someone). So if it's a rote performance by legendary act, static musical genius, unbridled newcomer enthusiasm, visual spectacle, or anything else, hope to see you in Balingen, 2016. 

More photos here:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3