Impericon festival Oberhausen took place on April 21st and the diverse lineup was one of the best they ever had. Upon arrival at Turbinenhalle, I was greeted with kids in tanktops, enjoying some beers and blasting heavy music under the sun. Too much sun. But anyway.
I briefly caught Grizzly before heading towards the Marshall stage to see Blood Youth. The band was really fun to watch, fully energetic and in an obvious good mood. (7) We Came As Romans was next at the Monster stage. I'm a big fan of some of their older material but had never had the chance to catch them play in the past, which was a huge mistake, as the band was on fire and got the kids off their feet by the second song. (8) Upon finishing an interview and re-entering the venue, I headed to Novelists. Another band I was quite familiar with but had never seen before. The band and the crowd worked in perfect sync, exchanging heaps of vibrant energy. (7) I'm not a fan of Vitja, most likely never will be, so I just snapped some pictures in the beginning but didn't stick around for their set. Another special feature of this year's Impericon festivals was the selected acoustic shows, Shane of Silverstein being one of the guests of honor. He jokingly started his set with "Wonderwall" and proceeded to play a couple of songs that Silverstein "don't really perform" -although I still can't grasp if that was a joke or not, judging by the choice of songs. (7.5) I was looking forward to seeing and catching up with Attila, as I really enjoy their stage presence and gimmicks. Unfortunately, I had to leave for an interview before they were done but what I saw was very satisfying. (8)
Returning to the Marshall stage, I was more than ready to see Obey The Brave again. If you know me, you know that I am biased when it comes to this band. I will admit, however, that doing only this string of shows and not an actual tour like they usually do, had them not fully at ease. Their guitars were not very clear but their performance was top notch, with the setlist favoring the hits of the new album a bit more. (9) I consciously made the decision to skip Lionheart in order to see OTB's entire set. The overlapping this year was insane, especially in this case. On a scale of one to invading Russia in the winter, the clashing of these two sets wasn't just bad, it was winter in Stalingrad. Moving on.
Knocked Loose was next, putting on an insane show. Always moving and headbanging, they were one of the highlights of this stage. (8) With regret, I migrated to the Monster stage to catch Bury Tomorrow. Jeez, I really don't have the words to fully describe what went on during their show. They had an ace stage presence, great sound and vocalist Dani Winter-Bates kept inviting kids to crowdsurf more in order to keep the bouncers busy. The band will be dropping their nee album in the summer and I can't wait. (9) I casually skipped Alazka's both sets and returned to the main stage for Silverstein. Let's just say that all the teenage feels kicked straight in. Shane Told and co. were at the top of their game, getting more and more people involved, especially when they opened the "Discovering The Waterfront" chapter. (8) To be honest, I wasn't familiar with Any Given Day apart from their name, but they were a lovely (beer) break from the madness. Sure, the kids partying on the front would most likely protest that it was way more than "just lovely", but trust me, I really needed to wind down and check a new band without being involved in the front. (7) I missed Neaera, which blew, but it was worth what I had in the works -stay tuned, it's going on Youtube real soon. Back on the Marshall stage, my other favorite Canadians were about to take over. Comeback Kid came in hot and did a great job despite not having the attendance and participation I expected. They successfully promoted their latest album, "Outsider", with vocalist Andrew Neufeld jumping in the crowd a couple of times. (9) From Silverstein's set onwards, the sets were pushed back approximately 10' on the main stage. Had I known earlier it was still the case, I would've remained at CBK's stage for a couple more songs.
By the time I made it to the Monster stage for Heaven Shall Burn, the line of photographers had significantly grown. The band carried the big stage production they had on the Final March tour, pyros and confetti ribbons Included, and it would be safe to say that Heaven did Burn. The setlist wasn't that different either, with "Profane Believers" getting the crowd circle-pitting around the FOH console. If there's a good way to go out with a bloody bang, it seems the Germans have discovered the key to success. Their show was one for the books for sure (the numerous crowdsurfers throughout the set cam definitely vouch for that), I just wish I wasn't as tired, in order to enjoy it more (10).
I briefly caught Grizzly before heading towards the Marshall stage to see Blood Youth. The band was really fun to watch, fully energetic and in an obvious good mood. (7) We Came As Romans was next at the Monster stage. I'm a big fan of some of their older material but had never had the chance to catch them play in the past, which was a huge mistake, as the band was on fire and got the kids off their feet by the second song. (8) Upon finishing an interview and re-entering the venue, I headed to Novelists. Another band I was quite familiar with but had never seen before. The band and the crowd worked in perfect sync, exchanging heaps of vibrant energy. (7) I'm not a fan of Vitja, most likely never will be, so I just snapped some pictures in the beginning but didn't stick around for their set. Another special feature of this year's Impericon festivals was the selected acoustic shows, Shane of Silverstein being one of the guests of honor. He jokingly started his set with "Wonderwall" and proceeded to play a couple of songs that Silverstein "don't really perform" -although I still can't grasp if that was a joke or not, judging by the choice of songs. (7.5) I was looking forward to seeing and catching up with Attila, as I really enjoy their stage presence and gimmicks. Unfortunately, I had to leave for an interview before they were done but what I saw was very satisfying. (8)
 |
| We Came As Romans |
Returning to the Marshall stage, I was more than ready to see Obey The Brave again. If you know me, you know that I am biased when it comes to this band. I will admit, however, that doing only this string of shows and not an actual tour like they usually do, had them not fully at ease. Their guitars were not very clear but their performance was top notch, with the setlist favoring the hits of the new album a bit more. (9) I consciously made the decision to skip Lionheart in order to see OTB's entire set. The overlapping this year was insane, especially in this case. On a scale of one to invading Russia in the winter, the clashing of these two sets wasn't just bad, it was winter in Stalingrad. Moving on.
Knocked Loose was next, putting on an insane show. Always moving and headbanging, they were one of the highlights of this stage. (8) With regret, I migrated to the Monster stage to catch Bury Tomorrow. Jeez, I really don't have the words to fully describe what went on during their show. They had an ace stage presence, great sound and vocalist Dani Winter-Bates kept inviting kids to crowdsurf more in order to keep the bouncers busy. The band will be dropping their nee album in the summer and I can't wait. (9) I casually skipped Alazka's both sets and returned to the main stage for Silverstein. Let's just say that all the teenage feels kicked straight in. Shane Told and co. were at the top of their game, getting more and more people involved, especially when they opened the "Discovering The Waterfront" chapter. (8) To be honest, I wasn't familiar with Any Given Day apart from their name, but they were a lovely (beer) break from the madness. Sure, the kids partying on the front would most likely protest that it was way more than "just lovely", but trust me, I really needed to wind down and check a new band without being involved in the front. (7) I missed Neaera, which blew, but it was worth what I had in the works -stay tuned, it's going on Youtube real soon. Back on the Marshall stage, my other favorite Canadians were about to take over. Comeback Kid came in hot and did a great job despite not having the attendance and participation I expected. They successfully promoted their latest album, "Outsider", with vocalist Andrew Neufeld jumping in the crowd a couple of times. (9) From Silverstein's set onwards, the sets were pushed back approximately 10' on the main stage. Had I known earlier it was still the case, I would've remained at CBK's stage for a couple more songs.
 |
| Comeback Kid |
By the time I made it to the Monster stage for Heaven Shall Burn, the line of photographers had significantly grown. The band carried the big stage production they had on the Final March tour, pyros and confetti ribbons Included, and it would be safe to say that Heaven did Burn. The setlist wasn't that different either, with "Profane Believers" getting the crowd circle-pitting around the FOH console. If there's a good way to go out with a bloody bang, it seems the Germans have discovered the key to success. Their show was one for the books for sure (the numerous crowdsurfers throughout the set cam definitely vouch for that), I just wish I wasn't as tired, in order to enjoy it more (10).
I liked that there was a strong Canadian presence on this run and that kids enjoyed the diversity of the bands involved. The absolute downside however, were the overlapping sets, especially for the bands that went on only 10' into another bands performance. Finally, what left me with a bitter taste in my mouth was the mixed reactions I saw in the crowd, mainly on the bigger stage. The kids in the front were alive, singing, moshing and pulling up, whilst the crowd in the middle and the back kept a clear distance. All in all, it was a beautiful experience and I'm already looking forward to catching a few of these bands in the summer.
All pictures courtesy of Dearohwell photography.
All pictures courtesy of Dearohwell photography.
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Heaven Shall Burn |
 |
| Comeback Kid |
 |
| Comeback Kid |
 |
| Comeback Kid |
 |
| Comeback Kid |
 |
| Comeback Kid |
 |
| Comeback Kid |
 |
| Silverstein |
 |
| Silverstein |
 |
| Silverstein |
 |
| Silverstein |
 |
| Silverstein |
 |
| Silverstein |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Bury Tomorrow |
 |
| Knocked Loose |
 |
| Knocked Loose |
 |
| Knocked Loose |
 |
| Knocked Loose |
 |
| Knocked Loose |
 |
| Knocked Loose |
 |
| Obey The Brave |
 |
| Obey The Brave |
 |
| Obey The Brave |
 |
| Obey The Brave |
 |
| Obey The Brave |
 |
| Obey The Brave |
 |
| Attila |
 |
| Attila |
 |
| Attila |
 |
| Attila |
 |
| Attila |
 |
| Shane Told of Silverstein |
 |
| Shane Told of Silverstein |
 |
| Shane Told of Silverstein |
 |
| We Came As Romans |
 |
| We Came As Romans |
 |
| We Came As Romans |
 |
| We Came As Romans |
 |
| We Came As Romans |
 |
| We Came As Romans |
 |
| Blood Youth |
 |
| Blood Youth |
 |
| Blood Youth |
 |
| Blood Youth |
 |
| Blood Youth |
0 σχόλια :
Post a Comment