Bards and legends shape another wonderful day at Wacken – report of the third day 02.08

Three is a lucky number, and more so when this year’s edition of Wacken Open Air is the number 33, so it makes sense that they would ask to perform on the Holy Ground to bands that have shaped the history of heavy metal. This is the sum up of the third day of the festival, with Korn taking place as headliners. But as usual, let’s start a little bit earlier…

Gene Simmons Band

Usually, the Chaoszine team is me and Silvio, who you might remember because he’s our main Italian photographer. He is obsessed with Kiss, for some reason, so when Gene Simmons was announced to play at this year’s edition of Wacken, he basically jumped out of his chair. I myself have never seen them, so I was curious to see and try to understand his unwavering passion. This gentleman you see below did not disappoint: with a stellar and highly skilled band on stage, he managed to outperform many younger artists. From classics to covers, Simmons was enchanting the crowd like never before. He might be the only artist of Wacken Open Air to have gone longer than the allotted time; he got away with it. But then, who could say no to Gene Simmons? Oh, and if you’re wondering about Silvio: his photos will be out soon on Kaaoszine and he was over the moon to photograph his idol!

Photo: Sabrina Ramdoyal.

Blind Guardian

It’s not a secret that I am in love with power metal, so when the festival announced the Bards would be playing, you can imagine I had the same reaction as Silvio when Gene Simmons was announced. I had very high hopes about this show because normally the Wacken shows are always “more” (in every sense) than other shows, but I was a bit let down. Whilst the incredible Blind Guardian performed a stellar set, their setlist was mediocre at best and did not have anything exciting in it. It was advertised as “Special Best Of Show”, but in my opinion it wasn’t. I obviously cried at “The Bard’s Song” and “Skalds And Shadows” which were performed in acoustic, though I was clearly expecting more from these legends. Their show ended with the classic “Valhalla” and “Mirror Mirror“, before leaving the stage to the headliners of the day.

Photo: Sabrina Ramdoyal.

Korn

The clock strikes 22:30, and Korn are ready to amaze on the Harder stage. Korn concerts are generally filled with tremendous energy and nu-metal proficiency, but their performance at Wacken Open Air this year fell short of expectations. One of the most serious issues was the illumination. The stage lighting was inadequate, making it difficult to view the band members well. This lack of visibility took away from the whole experience. Another disappointment was the setlist. Korn‘s repertoire has stayed pretty much identical for the past eight years, which was obvious throughout this performance. While it’s fair that certain classics are constants in their performances, a lack of fresh material or even a change in song order might make the event feel stagnant. While the band retains the brilliance and intensity that propelled them to fame in the first place, the execution of this show fell short. 

Photo: Sabrina Ramdoyal.

Avantasia

After Korn‘s somewhat unimpressive performance, the night was redeemed with Avantasia, who put on a massive show, way better than the headliners. The lights and the effects were optimal, the band was in top shape, and the music was good. That is all that we ask! There is one minor flaw in Tobias Sammet’s performance as well, though. While the setlist was pretty good, I was extremely disappointed that they did not play “Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose“, arguably one of their most famous songs. In any case, the group is solid and their show was absolutely spectacular. Three days had gone by, and the last one remaining… With a heart full of good memories and our head full of amazing songs, we go to bed, awaiting to see what Saturday will bring.

Photo: Sabrina Ramdoyal.