The mud-brown wanderer returns. I have finally found myself somehow back in England after around 60 hours of travelling to and from Wacken festival.

Highlights:

Vreid, Opeth, Born from Pain, Aborted and Children of Bodom

Dave fucking Vincent fronting Morbid Angel (Rapture, Immortal Rites, Maze of Torment, Chapel of Ghouls, God of Emptiness, you get the idea!) and Erik Rutan playing like it was his last day on Earth!

The amount of Wacken Beer (TM) consumed within the first night!

Seeing not 1, but 2 Mithras T-Shirts (needless to say, I gave both of them a barrage of enthusiastic speil in their general direction)

Soulfly playing "Beneath The Remains" and "Troops Of Doom"

Lowlights:

Waking up in a tent at 7am with the worst hangover ever!

Wearing sandels in a Morbid Angel pit (I don't recommend it)

Eventually deciding to see Soulfly instead of Atheist (Doh!)

Getting so munted on Amsterdam's finest that I couldn't physically face seeing Celtic Frost! *

The sun! The fucking SUN! It burns.....oh how it BURNS!




Yes...I saw Emperor, yes they were fantastic and yes, I thought of you 'kronny for a fleeting moment when they played "An Elegy of Icaros". The important thing to know about this is not about what they sounded like (the festival sound put the bass drum way to loud for some time), but the atmosphere and sense of occassion. To my knowledge, Emperor have never played to so many people, and despite being "dead for 6 years", the people were ever ready to support them**. This wasn't so much about seeing Emperor playing their songs live, but about paying respects to a band with such pedigree, influence and legacy. There was much emotion and reverence*** amongst the crowd. My friend told me that he was actually close to tears towards the end of the set. It certainly was a special event for one such as I, and one that I will not forget.

The setlist was great, drawing much from In The Nightside Eclipse (opened with "Into the Infinity of Thoughts!). "With Strength I Burn" (Holy Jesus!) and "The loss and Curse of Reverence" sounded amazing. "Curse You All Men" had never sounded so powerful or dynamic and "In the Wordless Chamber" absolutely destroyed whatever sense of mundanity was left. Closing on the obvious "Inno A Satana", the thousands that sung along were left chanting "Emperor" long into the night. No encore though. No "Ye Entrancemperium". They could have done it. It would have been perfect, but I suppose Wacken timekeeping rules all.

Jesus...it was fucking great guys. Wish you all could have been there.



* I did hear them from my tent though. They sounded absolutely EVIL.

**Paraphrasing Isahn's words mid set. Ishan sounded incrediably grateful. A very different persona than what I had expected.

***No pun intended

Couldn't be happier for you mate.
(Well, obviously I would if you had seen Celtic)
"URGH!"


Utterly gutted I missed this.

Hopefully Emperor do more shows. it sounds increadible

Sounds like you had a decent laugh.

How much did this excursion cost then, if you don't mind me asking of course. I'm just curious about the general cost of going to large festivals in europe.

If you go to the Wacken site there are excellent quality streamed videos. watching Morbid Angel at the moment. beasty