2009 RockArea Festival



This was the official website of the RockArea Festival to promote the event. If you attended the 2009 festival this will be a nostalgic trip back. I attended the festival having to forgo a trip with friends who were going to Maui for some potentially crazy surfing. They were looking for the best Maui rentals and had contacted a local Maui rentals management company. They sent pictures of their trip to the top of the Haleakala Crater which looked like they were on the moon.I sent them pics of the RockArea Festival. They checked out all the local surfing spots Hookipa Beach Park, Olowalu just off the Honoapiilani Highway, Honolua Bay which they said was too crowed for their taste, and Maalaea Harbor which is where they were staying in their condo rental. Although I missed their 2009 Maui surfing trip, I did make the next surfing destination they traveled to: Australia.

 

RockArea Festival
August 28-29, 2009
Stausee in Losheim, Germany

BOLT THROWER, SCHANDMAUL, HEAVEN SHALL BURN and ONSLAUGHT have been confirmed for the Rockarea festival, set to take place August 28-29, 2009 at Stausee in Losheim, Germany.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

AMON AMARTH
A.O.K.
BOLT THROWER
BRAINSTORM
CALLEJON
CLEAN STATE
DIMPLE MINDS
ELUVEITIE
ENDSTILLE
EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS
HACKNEYED
HEAVEN SHALL BURN
LETZTE INSTANZ
MAROON
MUTTERSCHUTZ
NOISE DRUG
ONSLAUGHT
SABATON
SCHANDMAUL
WANDERREIGEN

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2009 BANDS

SABATON

Digging deep will let you discover that Sabaton were formed back in -99 in Falun, Sweden and worked hard with demos and small club shows just like any other band. You will also find that an album was recorded in 2002 bearing the name of Metalizer on an independent label in Italy but was never released. What is interesting is not to hear what you already heard from thousands of other bands but to hear the story of a successful band that paid the high price and sacrificed it all for their dreams. So we take a leap in history.

In 2004 the band began to be quite angry about their trouble to get an album out on the market but decided to forget about the past and started all over again. A new demo was recorded bearing the title of Panzer Battalion. At this point Sabaton had become much better songwriters and the quality of the songs was a lot higher than before which of course gave result.

Several labels immediately contacted Sabaton but after stranded negotiations Sabaton decided to record an album without any help from any label. Primo Victoria was recorded and was fully paid by the band members themselves. With this masterpiece in their hands the band now returned to some labels and the bidding started. Winner was the Swedish label Black Lodge who gave a fair offer and a deal was made. About one year later Primo Victoria was one of the most successful debuts ever to come from a metal band on an independent record label. The band played bigger and bigger clubs and was soon one of the most popular bands in Sweden. Meanwhile Sabaton also was launched into the European market which led to immediate success. At this time it was no longer possible to have a “normal” life so jobs, apartments and girlfriends had to go away. This was a hard sacrifice but the band decided that the band goes first!

About one year later Sabaton entered the studio once more with the mission to follow up the great success of Primo Victoria. The result of this session was to become one of the best selling metal albums in Sweden in 2006 and win several awards worldwide.

Before the release and to promote the two albums Sabaton went on a 6 week European tour with Edguy & Dragonforce. That tour became a great success and was followed up by the release of Attero Dominatus. The band was now recognized all over the continent and was now able to successfully tour as headliner in Europe for the first time. In 2006 the band did more shows than most bands and was able to handle three European tours plus being the opener for Lordi in Sweden.

The first activity in 2007 was a five week long European tour with Therion and Grave Digger. This was a very successful tour for Sabaton and journalists all around Europe praised Sabaton over their tour mates.

Once Attero Dominatus had been released, and after almost 2 years of negotiation with an earlier record label, the original debut album of Sabaton saw the light of day when it finally became available as a double-CD compilation called Metalizer. Even though it was just intended for the fans and gained no real hype or marketing campaign it still reached no #1 position on Swedish hard rock selling charts and topped the leading record stores sales for months. The album was also followed up by the first bigger headline tour of Sabaton which reached several European countries from east to west and lasted for about five weeks. During 2007 the band was one of the hardest touring metal bands and did over 80 shows in more then 20 European countries and played at several of the biggest festivals in Europe.

This bodes well for the future and new albums!

In January 2008 it was time again for a new recording and with material good enough to top the previous albums, the band returned once more to Abyss Studios where they worked with both Tommy and Peter Tägtgren to reach a new level with the new album. The new album was to be based upon an ancient book called “The Art of War” which was written 600 years B.C. by a Chinese general, so a great amount of research was made.

With a heavier sound, much more powerful songs and fantastic new artwork, the album “The Art of War” was ready to invade record stores worldwide in March. But as the band refused to take a rest and instead packed their bags and travelled to America for their first US show in Austin, Texas during the huge South By Southwest week. The band returned triumphant to Sweden with new deals and contacts and America now stands ready to fall.

Awaiting the release of “The Art of War”, the band, which still consisting of the original members, has already booked up every weekend for 6 months with over 60 shows, including the main stages of several of Europe’s biggest festivals and one big headline tour plus one of the most massive tour a metalband have done in Sweden since years.

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HACKNEYE

Dear metal maniacs! Please fasten your seatbelts and watch your jaws drop – the following info will be unbelievable as well as unexpected!

Without saying a word the music of HACKNEYED tells enough already – modern death metal with its very own flavour that shows the technical abilities as well as the tribute they pay to the legends of the genre. The sound of the band will not only appeal to death metal heads but also fascinate the whole extreme metal scene. Hilarious drumming with machine gun like snare attacks that will put a smile on the face of every fan of grindcore as well as perfect groove bombs that unerringly hit the listeners knees. In addition to this the band offers impressively skilled brutal guitar dual power and a shouter that convinces vocalwise as well as on stage.

Even if „Death Prevails“ marks the bands debut release, they’re already far from what is called verse-chrosus-verse caboodle. Also the band crops up on stage so smoothly like they never did anything else before than rocking the crap out of their crowd while hitting the stage real hard.

Let’s get back to the above mentioned dropped jaws: HACKNEYED exists for one year now playing their first show mid 2007.

The boys do not only able to handle the particular instrument they play within the band very well, they also are able to play the instruments of their compagnons without any problems. So did Drummer Tim for example when he recorded some of the guitar tracks while their time in the studio.

Now listen up: the average age of the bands members is just 16 years! Let me stress this again: SIXTEEN YEARS! Also one of the guitarists is just 14 years old!!!

This band will have to be brought to their own shows by older friends etc. for quite some time but aside to that they just pull over and drive on the fast lane when it comes to showing other bands as well as the main part of the scene, what’s really up!

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BRAINSTORM

Formed in 1989 by Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric on guitars and Dieter Bernert on drums, BRAINSTORM released their first demo "Hand Of Doom" after one year of existence. Followed by many shows and several compilations and demos ("Heart Of Hate" / 1992; "The Fifth Season" / 1994) the band signed their first recording contract in 1997.

The self-produced debut album "Hungry" was an immediate winner with fans and journalists alike, enabling BRAINSTORM to go on their first European Tour. In 1998 the band hired the illustrious producer team of Dirk Schlächter and Charlie Bauerfeind to guarantee a perfect production for their sophomore effort "Unholy". The following European Tour alongside Iced Earth totally fulfilled the high expectations, created by an already overwhelming reaction from the metal press.

In 1999 the vocalist position became vacant, but the band managed to fill it with one of the best metal frontmen worldwide, Andy B. Franck. Finally everything was falling into place, and the band signed a contract with Metal Blade Records. The long awaited third album "Ambiguity" was recorded at House of Music Studio with Dirk Schlächter and Sascha Paeth producing, and was received with euphoric reviews everywhere. Successful European tours and various celebrated festival appearances further cemented the band’s popularity, making the "Swabian Five" one of the hottest bands around.

In October 2001 the band released "Metus Mortis", a high-energy metal classic produced by Achim Köhler, which became Album of the Month in several metal magazines worldwide, paving the way for another successful tour as well as many festival gigs and shows across Europe.

In March 2003 the band returned to the studio to record "Soul Temptation", the fifth album in their career. What followed the release can only be described as a triumph for the band: Several chart entries, a massive European tour and festival shows all over the world resulted in the band’s definitive incorporation to the World’s Champions League of Metal. BRAINSTORM had finally arrived where they belong – at the top!

So now time to take a break? No way! With the incredible energy and atmosphere from their live shows still fresh in their minds, the band began writing new material. From November 2004 on, the band started recording their new album again with Achim Köhler in their usual working environment. "Liquid Monster" was completed in early 2005, showcasing the enormous progress the band had gone through, surpassing even the most optimistic of predictions. The single "All Those Words" was released on March 7, meant as an appetizer for the fans before the full album was launched on April 4. Again, several chart entries all over Europe followed.

Their following first headlining tour through Europe was an overwhelming success, seeing the band touring constantly for over a year and a half, including all the important festivals and such. At the end of 2006 the band started work on their 10 years of BRAINSTORM albums festivities for 2007, which included the re-release of their first two albums, "Hungry" and "Unholy", and the first ever double DVD "Honey from the B’s" with a duration of over 5 hours of pure BRAINSTORM Power. The DVD was highly praised by fans and media, entering several DVD charts again and shortening the wait for the new album with another successful release.

The new album’s preceeding single "Fire Walk With Me" was released in October 2007 and topped the Hungarian charts in its week of release.

Now, after 2 1/2 years of wait, BRAINSTORM have recorded their long awaited new album "Downburst" with producers Sascha Paeth and Miro, which will be released in January 2008. And BRAINSTORM is stronger than ever. "Downburst" will not only satisfy the needs of their followers, it will surprise many and even convince the non-believers! All songs show the incredible songwriting talent of the band members and prove once more why this band has been up and running for over a decade now and for sure is here to stay! The songs range from fast, hard and double-kick-driven bastards to epic soundscapes to melodic metal hymns. "Downburst" is a beautiful beast, a real ball of steel but also an emotional masterpiece with no fillers... just killers!

In 2008 BRAINSTORM is riding the storm again and will bring an amazing "Downburst" show to the stages of the world. Watch out for BRAINSTORM tour dates, and don’t miss it when the "Downburst" comes to your town!

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ELUVEITIE

"Eluveitie - New Wave Of Folk Metal"...

...as you can read on this website, is a bold statement for a band to give to itselfs. But with their brand new full-length Record "Spirit", they truly back it up.

Eluveitie clearly belongs to the fast growing Pagan Metal-scene, anyhow brings some "fresh air" into it. Eluveitie's sound is traditional, authentic celtic Folk Music combined in a unique way with modern styled Melodic Death Metal, strongly influenced by the classic “Göthenburg Sound”.

Originally formed by Mastermind Chrigel Glanzmannin winter 2002 as a mere studio-project, the first EP"Vên"was recorded in 2003, already unique in it's way of having the Folk-Part being on an equal footing with the Metal-Instruments. This self-financed MCD was ardently received by the scene, zines etc. and sold out within a few Months. In 2004 Eluveitiesigned to the dutch label Fear Dark Records, which released a re-mastered (and partly re-recorded) version of"Vên", and continued as a "real" band, playing gigs together with bands such as Cruachan, Korpiklaani and Skyforger.

Although many line-up changes still had to happen, Eluveitie grew into being a band, and developed it's very own style, formed by the many different influences of nine musicians rooted in different styles of music. In late 2005,Eluveitie was finally ready to enter the studio and record their first full-lenght Album, to be released on Fear Dark Records again. With"Spirit",Eluveitie goes a big step forward, presenting a completely new style of Folk Metal to the scene - starting a new wave of Folk Metal!

Timeline:

2002:
- Eluveitie is formed in Winter 2002 by Chrigel Glanzmann
2003:
- Eluveitie records the first, self financed EP "Vên"in
Summer 2003
- "Vên" is released in October 2003
2004:
- After "Vên" gets unexpected huge response, Eluveitie
decides to continue as a "real" band
- In February a first gig is played together with Skyforger,
Menhir & Trimonium
- In May 2004 Eluveitie signs with holland's Fear Dark
Records
- Fear Dark releases a Remastered Edition of "Vên"
2005:
- Eluveitie plays the Fear Dark Festivals in Holland and
Germany together with Slechtvalk, Random Eyes and Pantokrator (first international live appearance)
- After months of Songwriting, Eluveitie enters the Studio
to record their first full-lenght Record "Spirit" in December,
again for Fear Dark Records
2006:
- Eluveitie gets confirmed as co-Headliner for the Fear
Dark Festivals 2006
- In January Recordings and mixing of the new Album
are finished
- The Album gets mastered at the dutch Mailmen studios
in February
- The Release Date for "Spirit" is set to June 1st, 2006.

 


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