Open Air Festival

PartySan Open Air Report Thursday 08.08.2024

After a long year of anticipation, we’ve finally returned to Schlotheim, Obermehler Airfield. It feels like coming back home, and it’s even better than we remembered. This year’s lineup is packed with even more Black Metal acts than last year, promising a heavier experience right from the start.

The journey to PartySan was smooth, taking about five hours with no delays or traffic jams. Once we arrived at the PartySan camping ground, everything looked exactly the same as last year—no surprises there. We picked up our press passes and set up our campsite without a hitch, avoiding long queues, which was a nice touch. PartySan typically attracts around 9,000 to 10,000 metalheads, but since the airfield is so spacious, there’s no feeling of overcrowding, making it a comfortable festival experience. Each year, the number of visitors steadily grows, and it’s exciting to see the event’s popularity continue to rise.

After pitching our tent, we headed straight for the Stage ground, where we met up with some friends. We cracked open our first beer of the weekend, soaking in the familiar atmosphere of excitement. As usual, the energy was high, and the crowd was buzzing with anticipation for the opening band.

Then, just like every year, the moment arrived: two loud cannon shots echoed across the airfield, signaling the official start of the party. Everyone cheered, and the festival kicked off in full force. The air was thick with excitement, and the atmosphere was electric, setting the stage for an unforgettable weekend ahead.

Swedish death metal band Bastard Grave opened the night with a stellar performance that blended old-school death metal with a touch of doom, filled moments caught the audience’s attention right away. The crowd, which filled the venue even at an early hour, was thoroughly engaged from the moment the band hit the stage. Their performance was a perfect start. The energetic and tight set left a lasting impression.

Sinister hit the main stage next, bringing their Dutch Death Metal energy to replace Broken Hope, who had to cancel. I had seen them just last week at Dortmund Deathfest, and they didn’t disappoint. The performance was solid—heavy, fast, and tight—but something was missing. After a while, it felt like the same thing over and over. I enjoy the aggression, but I would’ve liked a bit more variety in their set. The crowd seemed to feel the same way. As the show went on, more and more people left the front of the stage. Part of that might have been due to the small stage under the tent, where the first band of the year was about to kick off. But still, Sinister’s performance didn’t seem to grab everyone the way it should have. It was their first time playing PartySan Open Air in 22 years, and while they gave it their all, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they needed a bit more. A second guitarist could have added more depth to the sound and kept the energy up. The performance was good, but it didn’t quite blow me away.

The sun was setting on the open-air festival, and after two crushing sets of Death Metal, the crowd was ready for a change. Eternal Champion from Texas took the stage, bringing a classic Heavy Metal sound that cut through the atmosphere. Jason Tarpey commanded the stage, blending his powerful voice with some signature stage antics, barking and shouting with intensity. Although I’ve always admired Brendan Radigan from Summerlands for his vocal chops, there was no denying that Tarpey’s charisma and energy won the night. The vibe was infectious—people were rocking out from the front to the very back, making it clear that Eternal Champion had absolutely delivered.

Quickly move to Tant Stage cutching the Old Schooll Death Metal Wilt, come from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and play slightly doomy death metal in the footsteps of Bolt Thrower or Asyphyx. Singer and bassist Matze impresses with ultra-deep growls, which you can hear. The rest is unfortunately a bit of a mess. The bass is much too loud and the guitar is almost inaudible. It also sounds a bit like there are some noises running through the system underneath the actual music. It’s a real shame because what I can hear from the sound mush doesn’t actually sound bad at all. But since even changing locations several times doesn’t really improve things, I move back to the main stage after 20 minutes. It’s a shame, I can imagine that the trio could have convinced me a little more with better sound.

 Vltimas, the bold multinational ensemble, delivers an awe-inspiring fusion of Nordic Death Metal enriched by the iconic growls of David Vincent, best known as the frontman of Morbid Angel. Their sound fuses the primal essence of death metal with intricate, atmospheric arrangements, creating a listening experience that is as musically technical as it is emotionally intense. Their work doesn’t just reside in the music alone; their live performances bring something visually striking to the table, adding an unforgettable theatrical flair to their already captivating sonic presence. Each show is a meticulous balance of energy, passion, and visual storytelling that pulls the audience deeper into the band’s dark world.

After a 17-year hiatus, Sadus, North America’s thrash metal titans, exploded back onto the scene with a vengeance. With no signs of slowing down, the band not only picked up where they left off but accelerated to even greater heights. Their technical prowess, combined with their lightning-fast riffs, took the crowd by storm, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. The performance was a testament to their relentless drive and dedication. Their set was a finely-tuned machine of speed and precision, each song executed flawlessly. From the opening note, the crowd was swept into an uncontrollable frenzy. Mosh pits erupted throughout the venue, fueled by the raw energy of the band’s high-speed thrash anthems.

The Black Dahlia Murder, hailing from Detroit Rock City, closed out the afternoon with an electrifying performance of Melodic Death Metal, leaving the crowd in awe. It was incredibly moving to witness the band still delivering at such a high level, especially following the heartbreaking loss of their iconic frontman and mastermind, Trevor Strnad, in 2022. His absence hung heavy, yet the band’s dedication to carrying forward his legacy was evident, with each note resonating with passion and respect. The energy and skill on stage were a testament to the enduring spirit of their music, solidifying their place as one of the genre’s most revered acts.

As the night stretched on, a palpable energy filled the air, promising an unforgettable evening. Left To Die opened the floodgates of destruction with their brutal homage to death metal’s most iconic sounds. As the first chords ripped through the speakers, the crowd erupted, their heads bobbing and fists pumping to the thunderous riffs. With every song, the band’s intensity seemed to grow, their high-energy performance filling the venue with pure aggression. The guttural vocals and relentless rhythm section were a perfect tribute to death metal’s roots, and it didn’t take long before the pit became a swirling vortex of body-slams and moshing chaos. The night had truly begun.

 But it was only the beginning. Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult took the stage next, and with them, a shift in atmosphere as chilling as a midnight breeze. The first notes of their black metal ritual were slow and haunting, deliberately building tension. As the fog crept across the stage, the crowd was drawn into a trance-like state, where every chord seemed to reverberate in the chest, and the cold, tremolo-picked melodies wrapped around them like a dark cloak. The drums, fast and relentless, gave a heartbeat to the sinister atmosphere, while the shrill, biting vocals of the frontwoman sent a shiver through the spine of every listener. Heads banged in a synchrony as the audience was enveloped in the icy grip of black metal. The ritual was complete when the last, echoing note faded into a chilling silence. The crowd, almost in a daze, stood in reverence.

Then, with the clock ticking closer to chaos, Terrorizer  tore through the night like a furious storm. The grindcore legends came on with no preamble, launching immediately into a brutal, breakneck pace. The intensity was unrelenting, and the crowd, no longer just a sea of people but a thrashing, writhing mass, responded in kind. The relentless barrage of blast beats and ferocious guitar riffs created a sonic whirlwind, pushing every listener to their limits. Bodies collided in the pit as crowd-surfers flew overhead, all swept up in the chaos of pure, unfiltered aggression. There was no respite in their set, only an unforgiving wall of noise that seemed to consume everything in its path. The energy felt almost destructive, as if the very floor beneath them might buckle under the weight of it all. Terrorizer wasn’t here to entertain—they were here to incite a riot, and the crowd gladly obliged.

But even in the heart of this madness, there was still one act left to leave the crowd breathless. As midnight approached, Abbath took the stage, bringing with him a spectacle that transcended just music. The fog rolled in thick, obscuring the stage in an eerie haze, and then the flames erupted—blazing, towering, casting shadows on the darkened crowd. Abbath himself appeared as a towering figure, his face painted and his presence magnetic, commanding attention without saying a word. His black metal symphony unfolded with grandiosity—epic, atmospheric, and intense. His signature growls and soaring melodies intertwined in an almost operatic fashion, rising above the fire and smoke to envelop the venue in a mighty sonic wave. With every riff, the flames grew higher, and the crowd became even more entranced. It was a perfect storm of sound, spectacle, and stagecraft, a true culmination of the night’s offerings. The energy reached its peak as Abbath led them into a final, thunderous crescendo—an unforgettable moment that left the crowd in awe.

As the last embers of fire burned out and the final notes of Abbath’s set echoed through the venue, the audience stood in stunned silence, caught in the aftershock of the evening. The first day had come to an end, and it was clear: this was a night to remember, an evening where metal legends met in a furious, thrilling display of sound and fury.

It was the first day at PartySan, and amazing bands played all day long. From the moment the music started. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing with friends at the camp ground, enjoying the great company and the festive vibe. The night was filled with laughter and good times before I finally hit the bed, exhausted but happy from an unforgettable day.