The following day, I entered a more familiar territory. Sometimes I prefer to discover new bands via live shows, which was the case with Crusade of Bards, a Spanish Symphonic Metal band formed in 2015. When the band’s name does not give you an idea of what you are in for at their shows, then maybe song titles like “Rise of the Kraken”, “The Northwest Passage”, “Dunkirk Privateers”, or “Gunpowder” are giving you a clear hint. To cut it short: Crusade of Bards took over, where Dalriada stopped the night before. With fast, energetic, almost danceable party-like Metal about seafaring, pirates, nautical mythology, the spectators were brought to optimal operating temperature pretty fast. And after the set ended, I could hear several “one more song” shouts from the audience. But sadly, the time was up.
Next up was Conspiria. Another band I had heard about previously but did not have the chance to check out properly before. When they started their set, I realized my friends who highly recommended Conspiria to me did not exaggerate. If you like bands like Epica, it is likely that you also like Conspiria. Nadine Mittmanns soprano voice and the harsh and raspy guttural vocals of the guitarist Julian Jönck complement each other beautifully. Having said that, it is always fascinating how diverse and manifold Symphonic Metal actually is. Conspiria’s style is so different from the style of Crusade of Bards and still, they are both Symphonic Metal acts. Older songs were mixed with newer ones, like “Prophecy”, “Volcanic”, “Faintness”, “Goldsmith”, “Cassandra” and some more. And the crowd (can you call approximately 100 people a crowd?) enjoyed it as much as I did. And again, one could hear “one more song” from the audience after the set came to an end.
After Conspiria, another Symphonic Metal band was waiting for their turn. Beneath My Sins from France were hitting the stage. During their soundcheck, I thought the bassist must be kidding. He really had a bass in the size and form of an ukelele. I literally thought, “how cute”. But this was another good lesson in “never let the outer appearance fool you!” because when I heard the deep and strong sound of this instrument, my jaw dropped. But the real surprise was the acoustic guitar. Yes, Beneath My Sins played this show as an acoustic concert. Combined with the additional accordion sounds, it brought some French ease and lightness to the table. A good invitation to forget the troublesome business of everyday life. Songs I know quite well, like “Fly Raven Fly” or “From The Flames” were mixed with newer songs like “Try”. The set even contained a Sabaton cover: “Red Baron”. And whilst the original was still recognisable, this cover had its own, unique character.
Only two bands were left for the remaining time of this festival, and the first up was Dream Ocean. Another Symphonic Metal band. And again, with a totally different sound than the previous bands of this genre. Perhaps Dream Ocean was the band I was looking forward to the most. Perhaps Dream Ocean was the band I was looking forward to the most. The following song was available in two versions; English (Daydreamer) and Turkish (Uyan). The audience decided for the Turkish version. It is an older song of the band, but it was recently revisited and appeared a bit different compared to its original version. I liked it. And of course, the song that was recently released as a music video, “Eterna Espera”, was not missing in the set either. The 8 track setlist was completed by a song premiere; “As I Die”, a song that can be found on Dream Ocean’s upcoming album “The Missing Stone”. It was a blast, and again, the crowd was not ready to let the band go. But time was over, and the main act of the evening was waiting to take over.
It was time for Molllust to enter the stage. Their show started with familiar tunes. “Ouverture No.2” opened up the round dance, followed by the songs “Unschuld” and “König der Welt”. The Last time I saw Molllust in September 2020, Janika announced that the band was about to hit the studio in order to record a new album. And just when I was not there to witness it as I was interviewing Dream Ocean, three new songs from the upcoming album were played. But I returned early enough to witness another new song: “Pluto”. A song with a really dark story. A single mother in a war-torn area trying to comfort her baby. The music unfolded itself dark with low and heavy guitar riffs, accompanied by dramatic operatic vocals, violin, piano and bass lines. After this bittersweet moment, the last song was quite conciliatory; a classic piece originally written by Johann Sebastian Bach, named “Ave”. All in all, it was a truly fulfilling experience to be there for the two days, and I am looking forward to next year’s edition of this little festival.
Read Day 1 review here.
Metal Goddesses 