We started on Thursday with VOLCANO at the Mainstage. The band was chosen to the billing from readers of the Metal Hammer magazine, a competition for newcomer bands, the band played Gothic Rock. The vocalist’s performance let think of Glenn Danzig and he attempted to a great vocal and optic performance. A real good start into the festival.

The second band was DRY ROT who made an astonishing engaged show of 20 minutes. The Bavarian quartet had not to much luck: at first the guitarist fell down then the guitar adaptor fell out and a bass string pull off but the crowd stand behind them and celebrated them.

Back to the Mainstage where the local heroes of MR. VADER had entered the stage. Male vocalist Tobias Thorwart only stood in the midst of the stage because of his job in the band, he is singing and playing guitar so he concentrated on the quality of the performance. Due to the size of the stage the other band members seemed being a bit shy and did not move a lot but the band was convincing with their own modern Metal beyond trends but nevertheless interesting at any time.

The next band was heavier then the former bands: BURDE OF GRIEF. For the first time we had Death Metal on stage today and the crowd thanked them. Although the snare had broken down they could go on after a first change.

CRIMINAL started their half past hour set with an imposing Intro at 3:30p.m. Not much bands are known from South America but it seemed the crowd awaited them because of the moshpit which was the first at that day. The Chilean had a lot of fun and the gig ended to early unfortunately.

The instrumentation of the following band DEEP INSIDE MYSELF could be called exotic. No human drummer or keyboard player were on stage but they let the audience know that they are looking for human musicians. They made themself not unpleasantly conspicuous, the Palatian Newcomer made a surpising versed show and made curious about the new album. The band convinced with a sympathetic performance. Their music (Gothic Metal) – also the candles which were standing on stage- would have been more effective in the darkness

SUIDAKRAs visit in Abtsgmünd was not their first although not everybody recognized them at the first sight. Since their last appearance they had some changes within the band and with their music. They are not playing Death Metal anymore, they integrated more Folk elements to their Black Metal influenced music. The fans liked it obviously. The band from North-Rhine Westphalia played half an hour. Vocalist Arkadius was very happy after the gig and thanked the audience extensive.

No break for the audience in between, the next band went to the stage again a band which repeated their visit on Summer Breeze’ stage: NIGHT IN GALES. They had the Intro of the day – The A-Team melody. The band made the best out of their 25 minutes and played their asses off. NIGHT IN GALES from Westphalia are one of these German bands who are playing really a lot which was known to the audience. The crowd celebrated the band and were pleased to listen besides the new Thrash a like songs also older Death Metal tracks. Really great!

The first bigger band went on stage: ENTWINE. The Finn from record label Century Media do not only have the nationality of HIM in common but also the music which is to be found in the first division. Good sound an active frontman and an eye-catcher the female keyboard player Riita Heikkonen who danced ecstatic. They convinced the audience in every way, a real success.

The following band, SCHINDER is one of these bands who are loved or hated, nothing in between. It is a fact that the band really knows how to handle the musical means of the so called “New German Heaviness”. They have a real extraordinary vocalist, Daniel Kaczmarek. Both outward (behind the stage he embellished his clothes with mud before the gig) and with his motion he roar within enthusiasm over the stage and amused the audience with sympathetic and funny announcements between the songs. Something was very sad with this triumphant appearance: It was the pre last gig with this vocalist it is to be said that the singer will leave the band. Hopefully long heard calls for encore could change his mind.

Loud engine noise from the Main stage let everybody know what will follow: Old School Poser Rock. BONFIRE entered the stage, partly disguised as cows. The band should not be called newbies in the business an were able to play a great set out of their many albums. The fans celebrated them a lot. Vocalist Claus burdened about the Wacken festival: “Me personally says to hell with Wacken! I already played there and I can say you are ill done by them as a band! I like to play in the South, in Balingen and at the Summer Breeze” They only had have save the song ‘Proud of my country’ or should handle this song with more sensitiveness above all with the German flags in the audience also they said that the song does not have anything to do with Nazi thoughts.

Properly the Austrian band BELPHEGOR should be on stage but they still stood on the highway in a congestion of traffic. That causes a break on the Painstage and after short time it went on at the other stage.

For most of the people HYPOCRISY were the headliner of the evening who were not that concealed. The Swedes round real sympathetic frontman Peter Tägtren had the knack of the audience. They started with the rocket Roswell 47 of the Abducted-album. While the gig (50 min) they played both old Death Metal and current hits of the album Catch 22. The band enjoyed their appearance obviously to see hundreds of heads banging was really overwhelming. While the show it became darker and darker so that their light show could brought to bear more. They ended with the song Fractured Millenium. A gig which eahr the maximum valuation the only had some small problems with their sound.

Who visited the last year’s Summer Breeze and also get up early recognized the stage: right time for RED AIM including their hearse. This year they got a deserving time within the billing. In their accustomed flame uniform and with enough bananas the boys round singer Dr. Rogers came to rock their asses off and sometimes had the laughs on their side ( songs like Kneel down and blow for forgiveness…). Desert rock with twinkling Metal and 2 great coverversions (Trooper from Maiden – which was sung by the first rows by heart completely, Rock you like a hurricane from ‘Cap’-Klaus and his band as an encore)-more than fun!

Like Schinder some time before, Edguy had some bad news for their fans: the band will have a break of 2 years. The more enthusiastic the fans celebrated the ban round front Punch Tobi within the 60 min. The (alcoholic?!) audience joined in singing and yodel games too, they did every game with him. Highlights were songs like “Headless Game” and “Vain Glory Opera”. Imposing stage properties, perfect sound and a perfect lightshow rounded up this great gig!

Some people were surprised about the high position the Hungarian EKTOMORF get within the billing. They really convinced last year so that they get this headlining position on the Pain Stage. In the beginning we wanted to have another band, but that did not work.
The four men really enjoyed it, played all their hits of their last album “I scream up to the sky”. They played the gig of their live. Reproach the band the band being less original but they had have the fans behind themselves and the biggest moshpit of the day (or night) and could convince the last critics of their qualities.

The deserving end of the first festival day were TIAMAT. The band made a long development, they begun with playing Death Metal in their early days and “ended” in Gothic Rock within their long history. With their current album “Judas Christ” they were praised a lot by the press. The band had no stage properties. They started with 2 new songs where the mainpoint was set but they also played songs from “Wildhoney” (The Ar, Whatever that hurts…) and “A deeper kind of slumber”. They do not react on the audience’ calls for the song ‘Sleeping Beauty’ from the album “Clouds”. The sense or nonsense of wearing sunglasses at 11p.m. (Edlund) and Kiss-guitarist costumes is surely a matter of opinion but not the sound. It was a good headliner, of course.