After a year of forced absence (but justified: my second child was born in those days) we return to Wacken, or at least that’s the intention. My wife and I have been studying for months an elaborate plan to leave both children with their grandparents in order to escape to Schleswig-Holstein from 31 July to 3 August; for now everything seems to be holding up well, so I share with you the enthusiasm for this umpteenth feast of powerful molten metal to be sipped on the lawn with beer in hand, always hoping that it doesn’t rain.
Among the thousand thousand groups present, here is a short and rather incomplete list of those for which I have the most expectations, roughly following the order of the scoreboard:
BLIND GUARDIAN, Obviously. I no longer remember how many times I saw them, more or less ten, and the last one at Alcatraz it was memorable, especially for the setlist, but seeing them on the sacred ground of Wacken will be the definitive consecration of my fifteen-year-old self.
KORN, the headliners of the edition. Never seen them live and never heard one of their albums since the terrible one with Skrillexbut I’m still very curious.
AVANTASIA, who I had already seen last time when they called them at the last moment to replace Till Lindemann. I assume that this year’s concert will be more or less the same as two years ago, and that’s fine with me.
SCORPIONSbecause I imagine seeing the Scorpions at Wacken is a sort of initiation rite.
OPETHbecause Akerfeldt is a kind of Fiorello metalhead and because their setlist will be decided by the fans, so I imagine a lot of stuff to Blackwater Park or antecedent and very little from the latest works.
IN THE EXTREME, because the last time I forced my wife to watch them under the stage and we practically spent the whole time avoiding being crushed to death. This time we will see them comfortable and placid, without risking death.
ACCEPTbecause seeing Accept at Wacken is like hearing the Pope’s Mass in St. Peter’s Square.
FLOGGING MOLLYfor university memories.
WILLbecause in 2022 they rocked.
CRADLE OF FILTH, of which I only managed to see a little bit the last time, but that little bit was epochal. I hope they do a lineup focused on the old stuff again this year.
MAYHEM, hoping they ring as late as possible. The new material it is what it is but they, as mentionedlive they take themselves (rightly) incredibly seriously and, more than a concert, theirs is a very black homage to what once was.
DOKKENfor the TALLERIA.
DRAGONFORCE, because twenty minutes of Dragonforce must be a lot of fun. No more, though.
PAINWhy Shut your Mouth It’s my phone ringtone.
SONATA ARCTICAwho perhaps with the last album have recovered a little.
TANKARDfor the excuse of having another beer.
RAVEN, because yes. Amazing that they’re so far down the lineup, though.
INCANTATIONduring which I’ll have to convince the wife that old-school American death metal is really cool.
PRIMORDIAL, seen live only once millennia ago and then for a short segment again here at Wacken. I have such positive memories of them that this time I can’t miss them.
THYRFINGto all sing in chorus.
UADAbecause I only saw them for about twenty minutes a that damned concert at Slaughter and I still get chills.
Clearly with the bad luck I have most of these groups will play at the same time and therefore I will be able to see a fourth of them. In any case, the important thing is to be there, not to miss even a second of Blind Guardian and, if possible, also attend Primal Fear, Corvus Corax, Watain, Baroness, Armored Saint, Rage, Einherjer, Endstill, Vreid And Red Fang. If you can, be there too. Always long live Wacken. (barg)
