by Herr Nabel

HEADBANGERS OPEN AIR 2007

12.7. - 14.7.2007,

Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany

Party San Metal Open Air
09-11-08 2007 Bad Berka Germany

Article and pics by Arto Lehtinen

After big and massive festivals it is more than a welcome choice to pick up the map and travel to other festivals to check out what they have to offer. As all of our readers are supposed to know, Germany is one hell of a paradise for metal maniacs to spend every weekend in metal festivals somewhere in the country. For example Party San located in the middle of the heart of Germany is another good example of what a smaller festival can offer. Party San is such an interesting event as none of bands from the flourishing power metal genre were booked since all the bands on the bill were nothing but extreme ones. Especially, the return of the Dutch death metal legends Asphyx with Martin Van Drunen on the mic was a damn tempting reason to go to Party San.

Unfortunately the gods of weather weren’t thrilled about the blasphemic nihilistic death/black bands. The whole weekend was utterly wet and rainy and of course the camping field became a real battlefield with several muddy and wet tents. However these minor weather conditions didn’t prevent 10000 extreme metal maniacs from enjoying the utter blasting brutality.

In this article I am not going to that deeply analyze each band at the festival. Instead the article’s purpose is to give an impression of this extreme metal festival in case some of our readers want an idea of the feel and taste of a brutal offering a week after Wacken.

Warbringer Guitarist John Laux

Interview by Luxi Lahtinen

What was the hotbed for some of the most talented and successful Thrash Metal bands back in the ´80s? California, USA. What about these days? California, USA could be the right answer for that again if such new leagues of ferocious Thrash Metal acts as Merciless Death, Fueled by Fire, HeXeN, Dekapitator - amongst others, were anything to go by.

From California, USA, comes Warbringer, whose strong potential was also noticed by Century Media Records who recently signed the band. The band´s latest 5-song EP, titled ONE BY ONE THE WICKED FALL, is what everyone of us expects from old school Thrash Metal: Irresistibly powerful, catchier-than-your-grandma´s-ancient-sun-hat, menacing and aggressive in-yer-face Thrash Metal that is rooted deep in the ´80s era of Thrash Metal. What more could you possibly ask for? 

I was contacted by the band´s wild 6-string torturer John Laux about telling what´s going on in the Warbringer camp these days, and John was kind enough to reveal about their deal with Century Media to Metal-Rules.com how it happened indeed, local bands raising from their cellars into the fame (Merciless Death, Fueled by Fire, etc.) - and just about much more... 

Interview by Arto Lehtinen

Live pics by Vera Diniz

As always I usually tend to praise the Brazilian extreme metal bands in every article published in Metal-Rules.Com.  Brazilian bands are simply great and present the rawness and brutality of what is expected from these kinds of black/death/thrash metal bands. Torture Squad have belonged to my personal fave list for a long time after getting a hold of ASYLUM OF SHADOWS and THE UNHOLY SPELL. The four piece torturers recently took a part of Wacken’s Metal Battle and of course dominated and kicked and won the whole competition. It would be about time for Torture Squad to spread their unholy brutal deathrash more and more in Europe. The band’s bassist Castor tells more about the next album and tours.