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Metaldays Monday 25.07.2016
It was the first time ever I've been to the so-called Metaldays festival, which is located in Tolmin, Slovenia, surrounded by mountains that together with the blue water of the Soča River shape an incredibly beautiful landscape. Without any doubt, this was the greatest festival location I have ever seen! After seeing pictures of the festival every year, it became my dream to once visit Metaldays and join all the Metalheads traveling there from all around the world.
On the festival area, you have access to the river with a beach where most festival visitors are hanging around, go swimming or just relax and enjoy the awesome view the landscape has to offer. Apart from that, you can also find a beach bar which sells very good drinks and provides a lot of different activities.
On Sunday afternoon at around 2 p.m, I arrived at Tolmin. After changing my ticket, I went straight to the camping area to set up my tent and when ready, walked around the campsite hoping to meet some familiar faces. While doing so, I discovered that the camping area offers a big main tent where you can find drinks and food among other things.
After actually meeting some friends, we seized the chance to relax and hang around at the river's beach, having a beer, watching the other Metalheads having fun while swimming or just lying around sleeping. It was surprising, peacefully quiet with the sound of the river and its burbling water creating a serene atmosphere. In the evening that day, the beach bar organized a beach party with a great DJ.
After a long party night at the beach, I woke up quite early the next morning. The first thing I saw when crawling out of my tent were the mighty mountains covered in mist. That very moment it did not come to my mind that I am at a Metal festival; it felt more like being on a holiday.
The campsite at “Metaldays” is located very closely to the city center of Tolmin, which makes it pretty easy and comfortable to organize breakfast or to get some other stuff from the supermarket.
At around 1 p.m. that day, after getting myself ready, I walked at a leisurely pace to the Stage ground to wait for the first band to play on the main stage.
At around 2:30 p.m., the band Zix from Beirut, Lebanon, entered the stage as the opening band at Metaldays. The band was formed in 2010 and they play a quite classical type of Metal that sounds like Iron Maiden or Manowar, but female fronted, with such strong, fresh and heavy vocals, that their performance sure enough not only surprises me. Apart from that, their show was awesome as they actively included the audience and motivated them to join the stage. During the show, more and more people converged and came to watch the band.
After the first concert, the Spanish Folk band Drakum went on stage. Even though the weather was windy and rainy, a big crowd of people was waiting in front of the stage to see the show. The sound of the band was unique, performed with traditional instruments like a bagpipe, flute and violin. Growling vocals mixed with the melodic sound of fast drums and strong riffs which created a lot of energy. I have never heard that band before, but it was a great experience to see them live on stage.
A loud, fast sound mixed with groovy rhythm and solo guitars grabbed immediately my attention when I turned around seeing four young guys ready to destroy their stage: Deserted Fear, the Death Metal band from Germany, which is one of Germany's most successful and quite well-known bands in the country's Metal scene. I already saw them quite a few times while performing live, but it is always a pleasure for me to see them on stage. Deserted Fear was clearly one of the most eagerly awaited bands among three other acts at Metaldays. Their 40 minutes setlist was excellent and made the audience scream for more songs, chanting: “We want more! We want more!”
Hackneyed, 
another Death Metal band from Germany, was next. Powerful and aggressive vocals with a vocal range from deep to “scream as hell”. Very catchy and groovy rhythms, at times, interrupted by blast beats and the sound of distorted guitars. Sadly it was their last show. Even though the band's name sounded familiar to me, I've never seen them live before their show at Metaldays. They were able to motivate the whole audience to headbang. Everyone really enjoyed the concerts and it was great for me to be able to see at least one show of them, although it was their last one.
Before the next band performing, the sky observably cleared up promising better weather. We used the break between the shows to get something to eat and to hang around with some friends at the stage area. We did not have to wait very long for the Israeli Progressive/ Folk Metal band Orphaned Land to sneak on stage. This interesting band’s influences are Ethno music from Israel as their rhythms and melodies sound very Arabian. Their vocals are very melodic and even though it was still raining a bit, the audience stayed and listened.
The Italian Death Metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse from Preugia/Rome spectacularly captured the main stage. They are definitely a unique, epic band with symphonic and orchestral elements. Brutal and fast with blast beat, fast rhythms, and melodic backing vocals which create without any doubt a completely epic sound. Their song “The Violation” for example features many kinds of different elements from very fast drums to melodic rhythms with Death Metal guitar riffs. It is almost impossible for me to describe how awesome that song is. For me personally that was one of the most interesting performance. Some crazy metalheads in the audience started a huge circle pit including a “wall of death” at the end of the show. What an amazing concert!
And there they were! The US band Sacred Reich who delivering a big package of Thrash Metal on the main stage at Metaldays. Formed in 1985, they are one of the most successful ensembles in the metal scene. This band is bursting with energy and power, which made the audience fly into a frenzy even though it was raining heavily. A really fantastic show and the band has a very good sense of humor.
First I did not realize that the next band hitting the stage are already the last one before the headlining that day at Metaldays. Dark Funeral, Black Metal from Stockholm, Sweden. With their gloomy elements and rhythm changes from fast to lento, they create such a dynamic which opens the path to absolute epicness! A very strong and powerful performance provided the public with an impeccable show.
After a very long sound check, the Old School Thrash Metal legends Testament (USA) finally entered the stage with the Front of House crowded with people eagerly waiting for the show to begin. It was great to see so many different generations of metalheads united summoning the band by chanting “Testament! Testament! Testament!” The concert itself lasted about one and a half hour and the band took good care that everyone in the audience has a really excellent time.
On the whole, the first day at Metaldays 2016 was marvelous! Now I finally had some time to get myself a beer or two chilling out with my friends, enjoying the end of this incredible day full of great music. The time that day flew by in demon speed and I did not even realize how quick the hours were passing by. Nevertheless, the party at the Stage ground was not over yet! People were spoilt for choice between the After Show Party, another Beach Bar Party or hanging around at the Soča River. As it already got late and we had to save some more energy for the next four days, we decided it would be wise to crawl into our tents to get a wink of sleep.
ratures. The Party-San has only one main-stage and one tent-stage. On Party-san are not only playing great bands, but it's also the best time to hang out with your friends and meeting new faces of Metalheads. At the Party-San ground, you can get many different kinds of food and also a great beer and awesome mixed drinks, which are cheap priced and there is a Metal market too.
After long sound check and also some stage decoration, finally the Polish blackened death Metal / Black Metal BEHEMOTH hit the Stage, The Headliner Band day one on Party-San. I have seen them a few times perform life, they always have an awesome live show, only the sound of that time was not that great, but there were sound problems the whole day. But you could still hear clearly the character of Behemoth, after 2 songs I just left the Stage Pit to join my friends in front of the stage. All of us was had a great time, you cant even stand up there, the riffs of the songs brought your headbang to the tunes. That was the awesome show on Party-San on Thursday.
Friday morning around 11.30 Am in the Party-san there is already a crowd, waiting for the opening band. Like every year, Friday and Saturday start with a Grindcore band, this year the opening band is CLITEATER from Holland. At the beginning there were only two guys in this band, using a drum machine now they are complete with 5 band members. The circle pit in front of the stage was very funny to look at because there were lots of funny costumes, like bloody Pig heads or a Duck swimming ring. That was an awesome show the 5 guys on the stage made, all of us had a pretty good time and the PartySan-Crowd slowly woke up.Only after a few minutes, the next band hit the stage, VANHELGD the Death Metal from Mjölby, Sweden. Started in 2007, they have 3
the Death Metal from Mjölby, Sweden. Started in 2007, they have 3 album released. Great old school Death Metal which dirty rotten sound and slow tight riffing. They do a pretty great show, I don't know so much about this band, just heard the name of this band before, but it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed watching their live performance.
AETERNUS make Black Metal / Death Metal and are coming from Bergen, Norway. The band is active since 1993 after one year they already made their Demo album “Walk My Path”, in 2013 they returned successfully after a 7-years break, the extreme music style is defined best as dark metal. Fast, aggressive, intense and brutal, which reverberate an angry growling voice. They did a great live performance. I enjoyed the complete show.
It was not enough time for me to grab some Beer or get some food and come the next band Death Black Doom Metal from Holland SOULBURN which came after Aeturnus. Growling low voice, fat distortion came from the stage, after few minutes, it seems that the audience was not that big at that time, fewer people than before, because it was very very warm. Even the people that were there were partying, moshing and had a great time.
DESERTED FEAR - Time for the Death metal from Eisenberg, Germany. One of the most successful and quite known bands in the actual Germany Metal scene. The band was founded between 2007, 2008, and in 2012 they realized their first album “MY EMPIRE” and two years after come out the second album “ KINGDOM OF WORMS”. It was a great live show, full of energy. They sound kind of a mix between US Old school Death Metal and Swedish Death Metal, they got the audience out of the summer-lethargy and made a devilish live show.
Few minutes after the sound check sound was done, the Band originally from Jerusalem, Israel now originated in Amsterdam Holland MELECHESH, playing Oriental Black Metal. They are one of the first non-Israeli bands signed from the Middle East, with their foundations in geographic and religious history, with Hyper blast drum Beat, with difference variable tempo from faster into slow, melodic and Oriental. After I took some photos, I just joined back with friends watching MELECHESH till the end. It was an amazing show, I was so glad to see them performing live.
AGALLOCH - Dark Metal / Folk / Progressive from Portland, Oregon, USA. I don’t know so much about this band and also don’t listen to kind of music like this stuff, but it was something new for me cause they play kind of colossal and cinematic sound. Could be the soundtrack to existential themes concerning man, nature, loss, and death. It was a gloomy, dark and depressing atmosphere, a really great show and I was so glad to see them perform live at Party-san.
The next band to hit the stage was the Death Metal from Holland, ASPHYX. They are quite successful in the metal scene. ASPHYX are one of the bands at Party-San, where nearly every metal-fan is waiting for. The death metal with a large dosage of doom makes their sound both heavy and crushing in aural and atmospheric terms.
BLOODBATH - Death Metal band from Sweden. I listened to all of their albums from the beginning ,it was one of my favorite bands but my first time shows seeing them performing live. At the beginning the guitar player has some sound or technical problems, I saw, that he was angry or stressed, cause the sound was not really good. It seemed they were not in the mood to play at that time, but after few Songs were done it sounded much better. It was awesome because they played one of my favorite songs, called “Eaten”.
performance they are really awesome and fantastic on stage.
opening Band was from Portugal HOLOCAUSTO CANIBAL Death / Grind / Gore with 5 band members, they hit hard, and awoke the people with some Death, Grind, Gore breakfast. The crowd was amazing, like yesterday when CLITEATER were playing. The are really brutal, without compromises on the stage, with fast guitar riffing and hyperblast drumming, and a growling singer they had also some death metal elements, they were a totally sick band.
Time for all Thrash metal fan’s with EVIL INVADERS, the old school Thrash Metal mixed / Speed Metal from Leopoldsburg, Limburg, Belgium. Definitely the sound, like Old-School Heavy Metal, or Thrash Metal influences - cause from the fast riffs you can hear it. Also they have kind of slowed down harmonic guitars and high pitched vokills. After they had a few songs done, I went to get some Lunch before I got some more Beers.
Back from Lunch, I went back to backstage to get some Beer, it was not long enough cause even my Beer was not finished yet came the next band ZEMIAL Avantgarde Metal. I cannot make a very good description of this band but they are an awesome band, some old school thrash, with old school guitar-iffs and some Black Metal sounding vocals , mixed with Rock, Black and heavy metal elements, very harmonic and melodious. Some progressive and psychedelic elements also appearred.
The next band are one of my Favourite Band from Brazil, also almost all metal fan’s were waiting for them - the Death Metal Band KRISIUN. In 1990 till 1992 they already made two demo album “Evil Age” in 1991 and “Curse of the Evil One” in 1992 which released by them self, in 1995 they released debut full album “Black Force Domain” and after the that "Apocalyptic Revelation" in 1998. It was awesome cause they played few songs from the new album “Forged In Fury” there to admire enough older compositions. That was a great show I have seen and was have great time to see them for the last day of Party-San.
formed in 1987 playing experimental Black Metal with Gothic and folk elements. Already 28 year it this band active with 11 album released, they are already long enough rooted of Metal scene , which most of quite large Black Metal Fan's knowing them. A very active and great performance they did, switching between right and left running around the stage.
The second of my Favourite band to hit the stage on Saturday was KATAKLYSM from Canada. After a vew more relaxed bands, it was time for an Extreme Death Metal party, which most of the audience wanted to see. Even I saw them a few times performing live, but never enough. Deep Growling, lots of Hyperblast drums ,fat tight & groovy, speed and dignified riffing which makes most of the audience moshing brutal in front of the stage. There was stage diving, circle pits, and a lot of action for the security that time. They played some of my favourite tracks - Ambassdor of Pain, Shadows and Dust, and the last song of the set' Cripple & Broken. That was one of the most amazing shows I ever saw.
It was getting dark seemed a bit romantic on the Airfield in Schlotheim with a beautiful sun set. Now playing was the Norwegian Black Metal Band MAYHEM. Scandinavia, most of the great Black Metal bands are coming from there, also most Extreme Metal fan’s knows that. The Oslo Black metal band was formed in 1984 and are one of the pioneers of the Norwegian black metal scene. Saw them for the first time, they were great.
MY DYING BRIDE the Doom / Death Metal from UK the band Co-Headlining the last day of Party-san. Since 1990 they already released 11 full albums, clean vocals with dismal darkness in heavier and mournful fashion. Deeper and tight guitar riffing and a very melodic and dramatic sound , even very heavy.
SAMAEL the headlining Band on the lastday of Party-san. The Black Metal / Electronic / Industrial from Switzerland. After a long sound check and some stage decoration, they started after 30 minutes. I dont know much about this band, but they sound interesting cause they incorporated electronic sounds which would best define their genre as industrial metal. While the show I just try to understand what kind music it , cause normally it isn`t my kind of music. It was not a bad show and i had a great time till the end the show.