ASP is a big unknown for me. I’ve heard the
name, but I’ve never seen them live before. Their
gothic rock may be music for a smaller fanbase,
but to me, it’s an opportunity. If W:O:A is one
thing, it’s a five day opportunity to see bands you
would never see otherwise. ASP describe
themselves as the missing link between gothic and
rock, so I’m sure they won’t find it hard to
entertain the crowd at WACKEN.
AURA NOIR are releasing a new album in 2017.
Razorsharp riffs, whipping drums and all of that
played by a jet black thrash metal band. This will
be one of the bands that can throw me back into
time. A time where every metal festival had a
wide selection of bay area-inspired delicaties, all
fighting for the attention of the crowd. Well, I’m
open for that, and many with me I believe. So
bring it on guys. Hit us, beat us up, and throw us
in that mosh pit.
Some bands
are promoted
as a unity,
others place
themselves
behind a
personality.
TOBIAS
SAMMET’S
AVANTASIA
is one of the
latter. The guy
is an excellent
musician, a
great
composer, and
an
accomplished songwriter. He’s proven that in the
past.
Darkness lays down it’s misty shroud onto the
world. Icecold, starlit nights announce it: The
beginning of winter. This line sets the atmosphere
for the seventh, probably most bombastic opus
from AVANTASIA. Shivers run down my spine,
in tense awaiting for the band.
CANDLEMASS are one of those bands, that
should never be announced to anyone who is
around for more then 20 years in the metal scene.
You will at least have heard their name. With 19
albums under their belt, and 30 years of liveshows, this is one of the all-time greats. Their
doom-sounds will ingulf the crowd. Their heavy,
dark music will send you off into an even darker
night. But not before they had their way with you
on stage. We hope to see original frontman LEIF
EDLING with the band at W:O:A, possibly
together with replacement frontman MAPPE
BJORKMAN. EDLING has been battling
chronically fatigue syndrome for some years now,
and is reported to return to the stage for some
well-selected shows in 2017. It would be great to
see him back.
EMPEROR has gone past the hype over the last
years, and became a band with status. Their black
metal will appeal to many in the crowd. Having
only released four albums, “PROMETHEUS:
THE DISCIPLINE OF FIRE & DEMISE”
being their last one, this is not your most active
band. That album was their swansong in 2001,
and the band stayed silent until 2005. That year,
they did a surprise live show in Oslo, announcing
some selected reunion shows in Europe and the
USA. From that time on, the band has always
been illustrious, hard to catch, and they
performed only on selected occasions. I don’t
know what the future will bring, but at least, we
will be able to see them at W:O:A