04.08.2018 In Extremo

Wacken Open Air XXIX

Wacken (Germany)

(Pentax K-5 with Sigma AF 70-200mm 2.8 EX DC APO HSM II)

Also this year it was again a band established in medieval metal that was putting the light out on Wacken Open Air. In Extremo was due to lack of new material still with their 2016 released album “Quid Pro Quo” on tour and ensured one more time really good mood.
I have never experienced the infield to be so much crowded at a final band and this was already my seventh Wacken Open Air after all. In Extremo had a knack of finding the right mixture between songs to loudly sing and party along as well as quiet and contemplative tracks. The stage was quite well filled with at least seven musicians swirling across it with not so common instruments in metal like shawm, hammered dulcimer, bagpipe or hurdy-gurdy. The audience was dancing and loudly singing along reaching the climax during “Sternhagelvoll”. After the song had already ended the crowd did not want to stop singing so that singer Michael Robert Rhein went to the front of the stage without hesitation to start conducting. One classic followed the other and with “Pikse Palve” the band left stage accompanied by a hurricane of applause and the Wacken skull belching flames for the last time before it finally went out for this year.
An absolutely worthy ending of an unbelievable Wacken Open Air. Although the really big names were not there it was nevertheless an intrinsically very coherent and still top-class line-up. The only thing that occurred to me was that the black metal line was this year in my point of view somehow underrepresented. But that is changing from year to year. It was a lot of fun and the weather was also very good (the heat was bearable and thanks to the free water intakes at the infield where one could get something to drink or cool down at any time). The organization was like each year again fantastic and one can only give big hands to all the people helping to make this festival happen! And who knows, maybe on will meet again there also next year if it is again announced: See you at Wacken! Rain or Shine!