METAL CAMP FESTIVAL

Slovenia, Tolmin - 12.-17.July

Metal Camp 2011 was slightly different comparing to previous festival last year. While during last year there were many so called Pagan & Folk bands this year was in sign of German bands be it power or Thrash metal ones. 2nd stage was more reserved for Pagan bands. and truly observing most of the popel that gathered this year at Metal Camo were from German speaking countries, something like 60-70 % I guess.
12.07. Tuesday
It was a kind of ''heavy'' day for me since we arrive this morning at the festival area and in Tolmin. This particular day was marked with the mistakes done by organization. But, although that there were many failures of organization we have somehow done the scheduled interviews. The first one was with Fernando (Moonspell). Otherwise Tuesday was indeed nice day for the beginning of the festival with the nice and also relaxing show from Moonspell and Arch Enemy. Moonspell deliver one nice shows more focusing on the older songs but yet they preformed some new ones from the latest two efforts. From my own point of view this was one of the best performances this year on Metal Camp. The next one was Arch Enemy. Surly they were a kind of highlight band on that day. I doubt that they will ever gather so much audience on single show but it seems that people like to see them on the festivals perhaps since they are preforming only their big hits that everyone knows. I will never travel to see them somewhere but I use always this chance to check them out on some festivals. Their show was also a fine one, but the vocals were too weak comparing to their show just month before at Metal fest in Hungary. Brujera also preformed before those two bands. I am not a fan of this band but the stage performance was indeed interesting one. The same could go for Airborne. Also, Death Angle preformed that particular night but I was too tired to watch them.
13.07. Wednesday
This day was really cool. I started with Brainstorm. Their show was ok, but nothing spectacular. Few hits form their previous albums were ok. Then Katatonia came. they delivered cool and nice show in the same vain as Moonspell did just day ago. The sound was great and the atmosphere among the audience was incredible. It was hour of depressive tunes and desperate melodies :) Legion of the Damned then came with one onslaught. they offered one performance full of energy and intensive music. It seems that people like them. Wintersun has definitely become the ''big band''. Huge crowd gathered to see Jari & co. their show was exactly the same as it was at Metal Fest in Budapest. Very intensive and catchy. Aisde of the tracks from the first album Jari played also one more new track from the upcoming album. This was the 2nd time that i was able to hear this track live and it really sounds promising. Wintersun definitely proved that they are on their way onwards the glory.
14.07. Thursday
I cannot recall that I was very busy this day with the interviews since I have done only one with Vulture Industries. The first show that I was able to see was one of Trollfest. Actually just a song or two. It was enough for my taste. Many German Pagan lovers gathered to see this strange performance. At least it was too weird for me. Then I was able to see Die Apocalyptische Reiter. One more German act and one more weird band. It was actually indeed nice to see them live, but the music is nothing special while the stage apprentice was really amusing. Then came Kalmah. They took the main stage by storm. I was feeling indeed happy since I know the guys and since they develop from 2nd to main stage this year. They offered one show with lot of intensive and brutal music but also melodic ones. Kalmah played many tracks from their previous album but also there were few from the latest one. The culmination came with ''the Black Waltz''. Probably the most prominent one from this particular band. And then Slayer came in all its glory and delivering 1 and 30 hour of intensive America way of Thrash Metal. There was no doubt that they gathered the biggest crowd and while they were preforming people started to loose their heads. It was indeed intensive and brutal show. But in the same time on the 2nd stage Taake had performance. i wasn't able to catch them live because I even didn't know that they will preform at that time. This was one of the biggest mistakes of the organizations. But, anyway, Watain arrived on the stage just right after assault of Slayer. I am not so much into their music but stage apprentice was really cool with all this inverted crosses, flames and fire. Also, the vocalist was into some kind of ritual :) I wasn't able to get this serious but it was cool enough.
15.07.Friday
At this particular day I had many contacts to established and two interviews to do. So, I wasn't able to see many bands preforming. First I have seen Dani from Alestorm and then we had one interview and then I noticed guys from blind Guardian and I have also done one with Hansi Kursch. So, as you can see it was indeed intensive and there was so much action all around. I was only able to see Powerwolf first and they were great. this was actually the first time that I was having a chance to see than and I was really delighted of what I have seen. They were very good especially when it comes to the conversation with the audience. Cool show !!! Then I was able to see Blind Guardian. More or less Guardians played the same show as it was in Belgrade, but there were two different tracks ''Turn the Page'' and ''A Voice in the Dark'' that I was able to hear for the first time. Also, the other difference from Belgrade show was the preforming of the longest song ''And Then there was a Silence''. Also, it seems that ''Tanelorn'' has become a potential hit when it comes to live performance. Guardians delivered that night one of the best shows on Metal Camp. I later stayed on the main stage and check out for the first time Mercenary. I also tried to see Alestorm at the 2nd stage but there was incredible audience there was it was almost impossible to see them.
16.07. Saturday
First thing about this day-I missed the show of Virgin Steele. Why the hell they were one of the first bands playing that day. then the 2nd positive thing was the interview with Moonsorrow. Saturday as more reserved for German metal bands and everything has started with Steele Wing. I don't like them at all. They are too silly for my taste and the music is nothing spectacular. what are they doing on Nuclear Blast, i have no answer to that question? Then came Helmuth and Belphegor. Yeah, and they were brutal, and indeed brutal and the same goes for the show of Deicide. For me Amorphis were the highlight of that day. They were cool an incredible. I can comapre them with Moonspell and Katatonia. But, the crowd was huger comparing to these two bands. they did few songs from the latest records and newer material but they also played several from ''Elegy and ''Tales''. So, yeah, they were one of the best bands at Metal Camp !!!!
I cannot wait to see them live once again ! And then came the final assault of German forces with Accept and Kreator. Accept were really cool and Kreator aggressive as always and they made the mass in the audience because people were so active. i ended this Metal Camp on the 2nd stage at the show of Moonsorrow. They were the final step into madness. maybe they were on the 2nd stage but it was indeed full of people. The epic and emotional tunes made the people to be active and the heads were rolling and rolling while their long songs were developing. This was one of the most emotional concert on the entire Metal Camp 2011.

Marko Miranovic

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