This year, as could hardly be expected otherwise, Summer Breeze was once again a complete success – both for the organizers and for the visitors. Even though I have a little more to complain about this year, but more on that later.
Getting there was once again no problem, neither was entering the festival, the security checks, or being directed to the camping area. The booking system for arrival slots, which was introduced last year, once again largely reduced traffic jams and eliminated most of the potential sources of stress. This year, my group once again booked Green Camping – mandatory quiet hours, no generators running constantly, etc., which is simply much more pleasant for us. Especially because it also separates the constant partygoers from the quieter people. Here as well, Breeze has established various concepts over the past few years which work very well thanks to continuous fine-tuning.
After putting up all the tents and the pavilion, we of course first headed out to have a few cold beers. And this is where one of the first major problems of this year’s Breeze has to be mentioned – the heat and its immediate consequences. Not only did the heat seriously affect everyone’s mood and energy, everything was completely dry, making it extremely dangerous in terms of fire, and the amount of dust covered Breeze and the camp in constant coughing and obstructed visibility. Visitors online had already started calling every participant this year a “Dustborn”. The vendors on the Infield definitely made some decent money from bandanas, which were used by many as makeshift face masks.
We started our day with Excrementory Grindfuckers – and for an opening act, the fun Grindcore group could hardly have been a better choice. With a healthy dose of silliness and plenty of noise, they got everyone up to operating temperature right away. Afterwards, however, we decided to take another short break at the campsite before heading back to the Infield.
By the end of Green Lung, I was back on the festival grounds and pretty quickly regretted not leaving a tiny bit earlier. After all, I had already recommended the guys in our preview – and for very good reason. What I caught of their performance definitely made me want more and confirmed the positive impression I had from the days before.
While the rest of my group headed to In Flames – a band I honestly have never been able to get particularly excited about –, I went to Urne instead. A decision I certainly did not regret. The Brits delivered an incredibly energetic show that immediately grabbed me with its sheer power and their joy of playing.
The first major festival highlight followed directly afterwards: Castle Rat. The Americans combine excellently performed Doom with psychedelic influences and a stage show that is definitely not entirely suitable for minors. On top of that, they have their own story running through their songs and the band’s entire appearance, turning the performance into much more than just an ordinary concert. Castle Rat are one of those bands where not only the music, but the entire package works. If you get the chance, I can only recommend seeing them live.
I watched Can Bardd afterwards with a beer in my hand and from a little further away from the stage. The newly created seating area was perfect for that, covered by a huge tent – a genuinely sensible addition considering the summer temperatures and the merciless sun in mid-August. It allowed you to enjoy the show in a relaxed way without feeling after a few minutes as if you were lying directly on a grill.
After that, the next highlight was already waiting with Alcest. The French band are one of those acts whose Blackgaze I had wanted to experience live for a long time – and accordingly, my expectations were high. I was definitely not disappointed. Alcest completely captivated me with their mixture of atmosphere, heaviness and dreamy soundscapes. This music develops a completely different effect live, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in front of the stage.
One thing is certain for me after this performance: I want to see Alcest again. And preferably at a standalone concert in a venue that really does justice to the atmosphere of this music. Because as great as a festival performance is – for this kind of music, I would happily have something a little more intimate and atmospheric next time. The second day was the least exciting one in terms of my to-do list. Given the unbelievable heat, that perhaps wasn’t such a bad thing. In the end, I only managed to see two bands.
The Surprise Show was not quite as surprising anymore, as Saltatio Mortis had already announced on Instagram one or two hours beforehand that they would be playing. I’m not a particularly big fan of the genre, but Saltatio Mortis are an exception for me. The band manages to remain both relevant and courageous, both in terms of their content and their musicianship. Unfortunately, the hour of playing time went by far too quickly, but they have already been announced for next year again.
After that came another highlight with Mittel Alta. The band combines medieval language and humor with modern topics and has experienced an enormous surge in popularity over the last year and a half. When the running order was released, I wrote to a colleague that the Tool Stage would probably be far too small for the concert – and that’s exactly what happened. The stage was packed to the brim, the amount of dust was extreme, but the fun in the crowd was even greater. A wonderfully chaotic and entertaining performance. Day three was somewhat busier again, although the heat continued to ensure that one or two planned shows disappeared from my list.
First up were Zerre. Even though Würzburger only had 30 minutes of playing time, they delivered one of the most energetic concerts I have seen in a long time. There was basically no chance to catch your breath from the very first minute – exactly the kind of performance where, after half an hour, you realize that you actually haven’t had enough yet.
Their interpretation of Thrash Metal is, in my opinion, definitely among the best the current generation of the genre has to offer. It doesn’t feel like simply reheating old Thrash clichés, but rather fresh and distinctive. Especially live, the concept works incredibly well: uncompromising, direct and with plenty of pressure. Definitely one of the bands I will be keeping an eye on after this performance.
Later, The Butcher Sisters were on the schedule. Even though they planted the occasional earworm in my head, Metalcore comedy bands have simply become a little too present for me lately. The fact that they also relied heavily on (bad) video AI for the background visuals on the screen didn’t exactly make the performance better for me.
Another highlight were Der Weg einer Freiheit, who hit exactly the right nerve with their atmospheric Black Metal late at night. However, I have to mention something here that increasingly gets on my nerves at concerts: people who simply cannot stop talking. And I don’t mean those standing further back near the beer stand, but people who have to loudly chat directly in front of the stage during the concert. It’s a habit I’ve encountered repeatedly in recent months, not only here but also at various standalone concerts. It’s annoying.
To finish the day, there was Deafheaven – and with them, one of my absolute highlights of the entire festival. The sound was excellent and further amplified the energy the band already creates on record. The same applies here for me: a clear recommendation for a standalone concert.
On the final day, we first headed to Orbit Culture on the Infield – although once again we first had to get out of the way of the unbelievable heat. Unfortunately, that meant Kadavar dropped off my list. The Swedes didn’t really win me over afterwards anyway. Musically, it was simply too generic for my taste and therefore not really my kind of music.
An absolute highlight followed with Alestorm. Yes, comedy bands have become pretty firmly established in the mainstream by now, and Alestorm can certainly take a fair share of the blame for that. But the band simply knows what they are doing, and they did not disappoint me live. On top of that, they have more than a few musical bangers in their repertoire – something my voice would definitely pay for afterwards.
Afterwards, I went to the Circus Stage for the only time of the festival to see Haeresis. Simply letting yourself get carried away by great melodic Black Metal while the frontwoman relentlessly screams at you was a pretty fantastic combination. A performance that perhaps didn’t need the biggest stage at the festival, but definitely had exactly the right atmosphere.
Finally, Slomosa brought my festival to an end. It was great to see that apparently I wasn’t the only one eagerly waiting for the Norwegians. Later, I also saw several reports on social media from people who had spontaneously stopped by because of the sound and ended up being impressed. No wonder: Slomosa play modern Stoner Rock that is incredibly catchy and has been a constant companion on my playlists for around two years now. A worthy ending to a festival that had quite a few musical highlights to offer.
There is one thing that is personally important to me to mention. Even though Breeze constantly emphasizes that it promotes an open society and wants everyone to feel welcome, especially LGBTQ+ people, and explicitly speaks out against right-wing extremism, you can also see here that the proportion of right-wing attitudes and actions is growing. Several people were removed from the festival, for example for having far-right tattoos. During one night, many signs pointing out that right-wing symbols are prohibited were covered with right-wing propaganda against the political left. And on social media, some visitors complained that (left-wing) bands were too political, that they wanted to exclude other “groups of visitors”, and so on. That music should not be political. And one thing simply has to be said – the very people who make claims like this are precisely the reason why music urgently needs to remain political. As a society, we must stand together against far-right and fascist ideas and defend ourselves against them. This is the only way we can protect our democratic constitutional order.
And yes, I have already bought my ticket for next year. Just like everyone else in my group. Even though the ticket has now become €20 more expensive, it is still relatively cheap for four days. As things stand, however, next year’s lineup is the weakest so far for me. Even though there are some interesting acts, there are currently no must-see bands like there were in last year’s announcement. I trust that there will still be quite a few surprises for the 30th anniversary, especially since I strongly assume that some bands who have already been announced for many other metal festivals are still missing here. For example, I strongly suspect that Heaven Shall Burn will not want to miss the opportunity to play here for the anniversary, considering that they are on the festival circuit and constantly mention how closely connected they are to Breeze.
From: Lake Constance (Germany)
Favorite Artists: Russian Circles – Skalmöld – Kettcar
Best Show: Skalmöld@Club Vaudeville, Lindau (2017)
