Remains In The Shadow Down The River
Metal Escalation Festival 2024
Mozart Schloss Stuppach Gloggnitz, Austria 20240830-31
Mozart’s „Requiem“ is one of his most impressive pieces, that is likely to be played on his day of death. It’s origin is ‚Mozarts last castle‘ Stuppach in Gloggnitz. Right in front of this beautiful ancient scenery, the Metal Escalation Festival celebrates its fourth edition with a couple of hundred visitors.
It started at the ‚Kalte-Rinne-Viadukt‘ and throughout the years, Destruction, Streambleed, Belphegor, Enclave and Holy Moses are only few names, that did their honors. And many of them like to return to this very welcoming music event. Arriving at the camping ground, toilettes and a breakfast place are right there. To refresh from the heat, waters like the Schwarza river coming from Kaiserbrunn and the ‚Höllental’ are close.
On the socials, the organizers around Chris Keller share the construction process throughout the week. So on Friday, everything is ready for the eighteen acts in total, covering the genre’s spectrum from Thrash and Speed to Folk and Pagan to Doom and Progressive and Death.
Friday 30 August 2024
The heat is on yet the stage is calling for sweat, as The Rising Kilts walk from the castle playing „When the Saints Go Marching in“. Two members of the Salzburg Rampant Lion Pipe Band jumped in for their drummer, to open the festival with more bagpipe classics like „Highland Cathedral“ and „When the pipers play“.
As local band, The Rax greets the lord of the castle and holds a variable set including „I wü ham“ next to covers of Guns n‘ Roses or AC/DC singing about the Würstelbaron. Then the heaviness increases with Faeded Reality (who will join Headbangers United Part III alongside Mortal Strike at ((szene)) in October) and bangers like „Inner Sins“ from „Dark Times“ and an equally heavy rain starts.
This only lasts for a short time and CroworD happily present new songs like „The Obscure, Known To Everyone“ from their upcoming album „The Ignorance Cut“ or „Manifest of Mortal Sickness“ from „The Great Beyond“. After this fantastic Melodic Death Metal show, Ghidrah are up next.
They not only play a regular set, but also the slot ‚Metal meets Mozart‘. In 2023, they performed with pianist Paul Gulda, and this year with Maria Kubizek on violine, creating a bombastic atmosphere beneath the trees and in the valley, climaxing in their version of the „Requiem“.
There have been attempts to mix Classic with Metal before, but maybe never authentic like this. Another highlight are Vinegar Hill, who brought new material with them too, followed by Liquid Steel from Innsbruck. Like at the Metal Escalation, they will fire up their Heavy Metal together with Küenring and Wildhunt at Viper Room.
Coming to fire, a fire show is the surprise this night, and headliner Infinitas go all in and animate their audience to participate. And so day one ends appropriately, looking forward for
Saturday 31 August 2024
It is still way too hot for the end of August, as Zernichter start it all the speedy way again. The Crescents Call then add the mystic elements, before Titan Killer smash it like e.g. back at Stark!Strom Fest and with Mario from Rambow on guitar. „Rockin’ Until Collapse“ and „Living After Midnight“ seem to be the right slogans for today.
Despite the temperatures, Richthammer from Waidhofen appear in full corpse paint. Own compositions like „Zeugnis der Gier“ or „Gescheitert und Verloren“ rumble like the Venom cover. Within this raw musical darkness, the Post Metal world of Anderwelt lands.
With two outstanding records out, they focus on the four songs of the second „2084“. „True“ and „Luv“ simply kill live and „Pax“ even evoke some teardrops of the sky. Still for Mind Patrol from Lucerne, the gates of heaven close as they bring the „Doomsday“ themselves and thrash „Till We Die“.
Darkfall don’t let a heel bone fracture stop them to bring „The Breed of Death“ or the new „Only Death Is Real“. As singer Thomas Spiwak can’t go down to the audience, he asks for a wall of death and introduces their new member Sebastian Rodriguez before they „Ride Through The Sky“.
More thrashing fun comes with Saarland’s Godslave. From the „Straight Fire Zone“ to the „Green Zone“ to a Mozart solo to „10/10“ and „Final Chapters First“ they don’t take a breather. On the contrary, they perform in the middle of the crowd until „Looking For Freedom“.
Also Heidevolk as final act hold something special. Starting with „Winter Woede“ and „A Wolf in My Heart“ amongst others, they go acoustic for several songs in the middle.
It is the end of a fest surrounded and served by friendly people making feel comfortable from the very first second (and working through the whole weekend!). A holiday for fans with attention to detail. Where everyone noticeably cares, so the grounds and campsite stay clean as good as possible and the Metal Escalation will last at the last castle of Mozart.