Festival week is over.

On Monday after work I threw my backpack on my back and went to Přerov, from where my friend gave me a ride to Vizovice for Masters of Rock.

Like every year, the base of our party arrives on Monday (even though the festival doesn't start until Thursday) – to set up tents, acclimatize, prepare for four days of music…

I don't really know what to write about this week. We drank, ate, did crazy things, hid from the rain and the harsh sun (good thing we have a big gazebo), and swam in the inflatable pool (and accidentally washed out a couple of tents). Yeah, we had an inflatable pool this year!

Otherwise, as far as the program is concerned, I am satisfied. Every day I had at least 3 bands I went to, so it was probably my most active year. In a nutshell:

  • Thursday – Metalite, Rhapsody of Fire, Dragonforce
  • Friday – Kanonenfieber, Dartagnan, Van Canto
  • Saturday – Dragonland, Gloryhammer, Floor Jansen, Hammerfall
  • Sunday – Warkings, Korpiklaani, The Hu, Powerwolf

We heard a lot of other bands from the campsite, and, for example, we enjoyed Lindemann's performance hidden in the tent, because just before it was raining a lot and we didn't want to go out. But we heard everything.

All in all, it was great. I was slightly disappointed with Van Canto – yeah, they're fine, but I wasn't impressed live. When it was new about twenty years ago, it was great, but now it really didn't do it for me. Too bad.

The second, and much more unpleasant disappointment, was Gloryhammer. Specifically, lead singer Sozos Michael. He doesn't sing badly, on the contrary, but the songs originally sung by Thomas Winkler just don't suit him. It seemed to me that in his rendition the stories from the songs were presented in a completely different way, with emphasis on different parts of the song… Plus, I found him to be terribly static, and the whole performance was really just a concert, not the show I was used to with GH. I really left the concert very disappointed. Especially when I compare it to the show Winkler did two years ago as Angus McSix show. Well, whatever. Maybe the next concert will be better (for me)…

What got me, on the other hand, was the new Powerwolf show. Lots of great animation, fires, explosions, and such. I can smell the Rammstein inspiration. Will we ever see a similar megashow from Powerwolf?