Legends never die – the third day of Wacken Open Air 04.08

Author Benedetta Baldin - 5.8.2023

Old and new mix together on the third day of Wacken Open Air, because newcomers and legendary artists share the passion for the craft of music. Seasoned giants like Iron Maiden shared the spotlight with a new generation of trailblazing artists, who brought their own flair and intensity to the festival. And we were there to witness another chapter of the history of music being written in front of our eyes. You can relive those moments with our photo galleries right here!

Amaranthe

Photos: Silvio Colombo.

Trivium

Photos: Silvio Colombo.

Megadeth

Photos: Silvio Colombo.

VV

Photos: Silvio Colombo.

Iron Maiden

“Doctor doctor, please / Don’t you know I just them lead“… yes, we recognize Iron Maiden as our leaders and headliners, for this year’s edition of Wacken Open Air and for the third day in particular! After “Doctor Doctor” and the Blade Runner ending titles, the band welcomed us to their show with “Caught Somewhere In Time”. With their unmatched showmanship, Iron Maiden took the audience on a journey through their extensive discography, focusing on the album “Somewhere in Time” released in 1986 and including many from the much more recent “Senjutsu”. Bruce Dickinson’s voice, while still maintaining a very good tone, has lost a bit of his magic, but their performance was overall satisfying. Nicko McBrain, buried in his drums, was hammering the instrument with such power it was an honour to see him perform after his health issues earlier in the year. The rhythmic section with Harris, Gers, Smith and Murray was doing an excellent job of sustaining the mighty melodies. The fans in the infield were transported to fantastical worlds as the band’s musical narratives unfolded, bringing each song to life in vivid detail. After the show finished with “Hell On Earth“, “The Trooper” and “Wasted Years“, drones formed in the sky the logo of the band and the sentence “Metalheads worldwide your support means everything”. So it ends the European tour of Iron Maiden, with a huge round of applause, cheers and screams to testify the importance of this group throughout the years.