Celebrating the “Heavy” Way
Liquid Steel, Diamond Falcon, Wildhunt
22nd Escape Birthday – Day 2, Escape Metalcorner Vienna, Austria 20250308
After Friday’s kickoff, the anniversary festivities of the city’s favourite metal corner continued on Saturday night with a solid lineup. This time, the honours were commanded to three Austrian heavy metal bands, delivering a perfect blend of speed riffs, thunderous rhythms, and epic intensity to commemorate the history of Escape Metalcorner.
The day was kicked off by the Heavy/Thrash Metal band Wildhunt, originally from Carinthia but now based in Vienna, as Metal Archives reports. Their set erupted with some aggressive guitar tones, instantly electrifying the crowd and setting the mood for the night.
When Diamond Falcon took the stage, the venue’s basement had reached peak capacity. There was hardly room for a pin. The band’s performance was particularly energetic, and despite not having a drummer (they had to use recorded drums and a lot of fog), they offered an excellent show. Diamond Falcon’s heavy sound, alongside the magnetic and almost theatrical presence of the frontman, Vin Weazzel, commanded the crowd to surge forward in a frenzy of headbangs and raised fists.
The final act was Liquid Steel, the Innsbruck-based metallers, who performed a powerful and technically flawless show. Three full albums’ worth of experience shone through in their tight rhythms and precise guitar harmonies, while the crowd sang along with the band – a fitting climax to the anniversary celebrations.
As the final riffs of Liquid Steel faded into the night, it became clear to me that Escape is not just a venue — it is the metal beating heart of the Austrian capital. Since 2003 its dimly lit basement has been a fortress where metal bands all across the globe collide with the local fanbase. The truth is that I only got to know Escape a few years ago, after settling in Vienna at the time of the pandemic. However, it was manifest to me that this anniversary was not simply a celebration of survival but also a celebration of what is to come.
Cheers to Escape!
Post scriptum
The attentive reader may have noticed an unusual style in this report. And this has a logical explanation: this is my first post on State of Guitars ever. I have taken the nickname “Foreigner” from the renowned song of the Doom masters Pallbearer, thus honouring my fascination for this metal sub-genre:
Shifting path, that makes it hard to tread my way
Wastes my strength, takes my breath
For the purpose of erosion of my will to carry on
And steals the fire from my blood
Lost within the shade, I call out for a helping hand
(“Foreigner” by Pallbearer)