The Saturday Recap - By Trent Perry

Faster, Harder, Louder…

Saturday.. The final leg of the journey to summit this metal beast and as hoped, it was destined to be an epic one.

After a relatively late emergence from the tent, breakfast decidedly would have to be on the run, and this materialised in the form of a strong black coffee in the left hand, complimented by a beer in the right. Armed with all the necessary tools for the job, camera, cash, refreshing beverages, and a hunger for metal, we made our way towards the infield.

The sun is shining down and begins to dry out the mud, while the hauntingly familiar roar of “Roots bloody Roots!!!” rings out across the crowd as Max and Igor Cavalera belt out Sepultura classics with the awesome ‘Return to Roots’ show.

Lighting up the ‘Harder’ stage following on from the Brazilian metal legends was Heaven Shall Burn. Delivering a full on aural assault in the late afternoon sun, the crowd was more than eager to show their appreciation by forming a huge circle pit that spread out almost across the width of the stage, big enough that it encompassed beer tents, light towers and everything else in it’s way.

A quick trip over to the Beer garden stage would reward us with a bit of brass from the Wacken Firefighters, playing classic metal tracks to a very accommodating and amused crowd.

Trying to stick to our schedule, we make a detour through the very interesting and post apocalyptic Wackinger village leading us to the W.E.T stage, where English Stoner/Doom metal heroes, Orange Goblin were about to start. Playing to a very solid and enthusiastic crowd, this was a show that was definitely going to be on the highlight list!

As the day starts to run away from us, headliner, and classic rock legend Alice Cooper was about to take to the ‘Harder’ stage, so we jostled for position to see him perform, and he didn’t disappoint. A true entertainer with lots of fun and antics to wow the crowd, only sweetened by the amazing shredding prowess of Nita Strauss on guitar.

In the short pause after Alice left the stage, The first ever screening of the video of Motörhead covering David Bowie’s Heroes was beamed up onto the bigscreens with the crowd singing along in unison, fists and metal horns raised in respect of two fallen Heroes.

As the sun dips down behind the clouds, the horns begin to blow, signaling the arrival of the longboats, and Viking/Melodic Death metal legends Amon Amarth take to the stage. With the drummer housed atop a huge horned viking mask, they proceed to deliver a face meltingly brutal set, that would quench the thirst of any metalhead. As the last bursts of fire spew from the pyro jets along the stage, I raise my beer and the metal salute to an awesome show, and an amazing weekend of Metal, mud, and beer…….WACKENNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!

Trent Perrett is a metal loving Aussie living in Hamburg, balancing photography with as much world travel as possible, and taking the time to enjoy the occasional beer.