For metal fans this three disc release of Wacken's 2013 concert is like having all your Christmas's coming at once. This epic concert DVD gives you a flavour of the behemoth that is the Wacken festival and you can see why it's the biggest open air rock festival in the world.
This set gives you highlights of the 43 bands that played across the three day festival including, Alice Cooper, Motörhead, Anthrax, Sabaton and Annihilator. With video footage taken from all of Waken's stages from the True Metal to the Headbanger Stage there is real versatility of music within the genre to keep everyone entertained.
Disc one kicks off with Swedish band Sabaton shaking up the small town of Wacken. Carlous Rex, is a fucking awesome track and dare I say it, would have the whole of Europe jumping if they entered it into Eurovision - a winner for certain. Swedish Pagans is another fine track too. I have to admit I was largely unaware of Sabatons until watching this DVD and I am glad that I stumbled across them here. I guess this just goes to show the great thing about festivals you get a chance to discover some new bands. Anthrax give the crowd some old school thrash with Indians ( featuring the de rigour metal Maidenesque twin guitar riff.)
Sadly only one song from Trivium, Annihilator and the Daddy's of rock Deep Purple, although you can see the formers set on their Feast reissue. Alice Cooper and Motörhead keep things loud and remind the younger bands of their roots. Agnostic Front and Devil Driver take things to a hardcore level and the Ligua Mortus Orchestra featuring Rage add some culture to the festival. The real ace of disc one is the Queen of Metal, Doro, who gives a fantastic performance and some some great vocal work on Revenge and Raise Your Fist In The Air.
Disc two and three have a different feel, focussing on the smaller and more obscure bands at the festival. Metal is big business in Germany and there is a lot of good stuff to check out on theses discs including the folk metal Corvum Corax and Ragarok who can only be described as hardcore death metal Kiss. Ugly Kid Joe do a stonking version of Ace Of Spades with Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell, and Scotland's finest, Alestorm, offer a curved ball of wit and fun with The Sunk'n Norwegian. Disc Three offers Chrome Molly and the 80s influenced Alpha Tiger. If you fancy something heavier check out Serum 114, Legion of The Dammed and Hate Squad.
There's not many bonus features but there is a short Q and A with some campers on their Wacken experiences, heavy metal as a lifestyle choice and what they enjoy about the festival. There's also a mood film to help show what you were missing out on if you weren't there; be prepared for mud, rocking and moshing and more mud!
With Wacken's 25th anniversary approaching, the quality of Wacken 24 Years Louder Than Hell. release means that their silver anniversary will have to be something special to top this. But for now, grab a beer and a few friends, watch the mood film, make sure your neighbours are out, turn the TV up to 11, put the DVD on and watch Wacken 24 years louder than hell! Oh Yeah! \m/
www.wacken.com