Nürburgring, Nürburg, Germany7th to 9th June 2019
Rock am Ring Day 3 with reviews of Godsmack, Amon Amarth, Tenacious D and Slipknot
It’s Sunday and it’s the final day of Rock am Ring this year and typically when the fun is almost over, the sky cleared up and it was very sunny but not too warm so the visitors could thoroughly enjoy their last day at the legendary festival. Today we’ll be only present at the main stage and review the biggest acts of the day!
Godsmack
Like the city they call home (Boston), GODSMACK speak louder, fight harder, and grow stronger each day. Through an uncompromising attitude and uncanny knack for a hummable hook, they quietly became one of Modern Rock’s most reliable and resonant institutions. Against all odds, Sully Erna (vocals, guitar), Tony Rombola (guitar), Robbie Merrill (bass), and Shannon Larkin (drums) have broken one ceiling after another. They’ve landed seven number one singles on both the Billboard Mainstream and Active Rock charts. GODSMACK are there and from the beginning there is a good mood, no wonder, the Americans come on stage for ‘When Legends Rise’ followed by ‘1000hp’, ‘Cryin’ Like a Bitch’, and ‘Say My Name’. What a power level. Can the band increase that? Sure!
At the latest with the three-pack ‘Say my name’, ‘Awake’ and the newer catchy tune ‘Unforgettable’, the triumphal procession is sealed and the show with crackles on the assembly line is an absolute self-runner. Other notable singles from the past albums brought a lot of movement to the mosh pits. Afterwards they rock again for the encore. With the anthem ‘Bulletproof’ and the hammer ‘I Stand Alone’ the Rock am Ring is shaken to its foundations once more. After that it's officially the end of the show and while AMON AMARTH was already being set up, some fans were humming songs like ‘Unforgettable’ or ‘I stand alone’. // https://www.godsmack.com / https://www.facebook.com/Godsmack // Setlist: 1. When legends rise / 2. 1000hp / 3. Cryin’ Like a Bitch / 4. Say my name / 5. Awake / 6. Unforgettable / 7. Something Different / 8. Batalla de los tambores / 9. Bulletproof / 10. I stand alone
Amon Amarth
Formed in 1992, AMON AMARTH became Modern Metal greats the hard way. The Swedes steadily built a formidable reputation as a ferocious live band and, as the years passed, were increasingly recognised for their recorded achievements. Breakthrough releases like 2006’s ‘With Oden On Our Side’ and 2008’s ‘Twilight Of The Thunder God’, cemented their popularity throughout the metal world. ‘Jomsviking’ (2015) hit the #1 spot in Germany’s official album chart and swiftly became their most successful worldwide release to date. AMON AMARTH return to action in 2019 with their biggest, boldest and most bombastic musical statement to date. The RaR crowd was already set in the mood for some great Metal from the previous band GODSMACK and just couldn’t wait to welcome the Swedish Melodic Death Metal band AMON AMARTH. They are known for having absolutely astonishing live performances with their pyro shows and this time there was also a sword fight between two Vikings on stage while playing their fourth song ‘The Way of Vikings’.
The overall stage setup looked marvellous with the huge Viking helmet that set the drummer higher from the other bandmates. The atmosphere was incredible between the sound of their amazing songs and visuals that were breath-taking, while still interacting a lot with their crowd by motivating them to sing along. During the little breaks where the bandmates switched their guitars, vocalist Johan Hegg took that time to speak to his fans and motivate them to participate to the next songs... what happens without hesitation. // https://www.amonamarth.com / https://www.facebook.com/amonamarth // Setlist: 1.The Pursuit of Vikings / 2. Deceiver of the Gods / 3. First Kill / 4.The Way of Vikings / 5.Crack the Sky / 6.Death in Fire / 7.Shield Wall / 8. Raven’s Flight / 9. Guardians of Asgaard / 10.Raise Your Horns / 11.Twilight of the Thunder God
Tenacious D
Rightfully hailed as “the greatest band on Earth”, the super-sized acoustic Metal / Comedy duo TENACIOUS D was an unlikely success story. Actually, TENACIOUS D was probably so successful precisely because they were so unlikely: few people would imagine that two chunky guys bashing on acoustic guitars, singing songs like a tribute to the greatest song in the world (because they forgot how the greatest song in the world went after conquering the Devil with it), became one of the biggest cult bands of the late 1990s and 2000s. People were chanting their names over and over again until TENACIOUS D finally stepped on stage. As soon they put foot on stage what felt like all the visitors of the festival completely went crazy and just screamed.
It was the first time today that the atmosphere was just full of excitement and eagerness for a band, but it’s understandable since they’re perceived as one of the biggest bands in this generation. They didn’t wait long to play their most famous songs like ‘Tribute’, ‘Kickapoo’ and ‘Rize of the Phoenix’, where almost everyone could sing along. The unity of the audience was incredible, strangers were dancing and singing together and each person was having so much fun. After a few songs Jack Black brought out the one and only Sax-A-Boom and it was just such an entertaining break between two songs and widely appreciated by the crowd.
Their whole show was really entertaining and diverse by incorporating a few acts for songs like ‘Beezleboss’ and running around which made the impression that TENACIOUS D were having so much fun and are far away of stopping doing music and shows. / https://www.tenaciousd.com / https://www.facebook.com/tenacious // Setlist: 1. JB JR Rap / 2. Woman Time / 3. Save the World / 4. Post-Apocalypto Theme / 5. Rize of the Phoenix / 6. Low Hangin’ Fruit / 7. Sax-A-Boom / 8. Roadie / 9. Kickapoo / 10. Beezeboss / 11. The Metal / 12. Dude (I totally miss you) / 13. Kielbasa / 14. Tribute / 15. Wonderboy / 16. Double Team / 17. Fuck her gently
Slipknot
SLIPKNOT’s mix of grinding, post-KORN Alternative Metal, MARILYN MANSON-esque neo Shock Rock, and Rap-Metal helped make them one of the most popular bands in the so-called Nu-Metal explosion of the late 1990s. But even more helpful was their theatrical, attention-grabbing image: the band always performed in identical industrial jumpsuits and homemade Halloween masks, and added to their mysterious anonymity by adopting the numbers zero through eight as stage aliases. Add to that a lyrical preoccupation with darkness and nihilism, and an affectionately insulting name for their fans (“Maggots”), and SLIPKNOT’s blueprint for Nu-Metal success was set.
It’s still two months before the latest album by Metal legends SLIPKNOT is released. Armed with new masks and new songs, Corey and his team were ready to take down a festival for the second time this summer. ‘People = Shit’. A truth and a bang to get the set off with. Soon after came ‘(sic)’, a more brutal opener we had seldom heard on a festival meadow. Ten minutes, that’s all SLIPKNOT needed to turn Rock am Ring upside down. A huge amount of fire and visuals made the stage disappear in an orange light, but nobody cared. Corey’s good voice also became clear, even though we have to be honest and say that the sound wasn’t the best. ‘Unsainted’, the last single, was sung amazingly loudly by the audience.
Anyone who says SLIPKNOT doesn’t immediately have a lot of sing-alongs, was wrong: ‘Before I Forget’ and double sledgehammer ‘Psychosocial’ and ‘The Devil In I’ proved that a lot of songs can be appreciated, even by the non-fans of the genre. SLIPKNOT is definitely a band you must see when they are on tour. // https://slipknot1.com / https://www.facebook.com/slipknot // Setlist: 1. People = Shit / 2. (sic) / 3. Get This / 4. Unsainted / 5. Disasterpiece / 6. Before I Forget / 7. The Heretic Anthem / 8. Psychosocial / 9. The Devil in I / 10. Prosthetics / 11. Vermillion / 12. Custer / 13. Sulfur / 14. All Out Life / 15. Duality / 16. Spit it out / 17. Surfacing
That was it for another year in the Eifel. Another beautiful festival with great bands was over. Although it was quite crowded this year, and there was quite a crowd in front of the stages (15,000 more visitors than last year), the line-up was great again. Keep it up MLK and until next year, the anniversary year! 35 years Rock am Ring and 25 years Rock im Park! Lots of people will be thrilled!
All Pictures by Elena Arens
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