While in the northern parts of Europe, at the large Wacken Open Air festival, the battle with natural disasters was fought through mud and heavy rains, a completely different story was unfolding on the soil of Slovenia. The Metaldays festival, hosted this year by the beautiful Lake Velenje, dawned in full glory on the third day of the event. A beautiful, sunny day was the perfect backdrop for this impressive metal event. From the third day of the Metaldays festival, one of the largest and most recognizable metal festivals in Europe, a multitude of impressions were gleaned.
The day began on Main Stage A with the German death metal band Endseeker, followed by Enemy Inside taking the stage. The diversity of styles and performers was truly impressive, with bands such as Brand of Sacrifice, Elaine, Paradise Lost, Kataklysm, and Heaven Shall Burn, who ended the night with their energetic set.
PARADISE LOST
The biggest excitement was caused by the legendary Paradise Lost. This band is known for its unique blend of different metal styles, including death metal, doom metal, and synth-pop. Enjoying the festival day’s atmosphere, the audience sang hits like “As I Die,” “True Belief,” “Embers Fire,” “The Last Time,” and “Forever Failure.”
The other big star of the day was the Canadian death metal group Kataklysm. Their uncompromising speed and technical skills left the audience breathless, performing some of their biggest hits like “Push The Venom,” “As I Slither,” “Crippled & Broken,” “The Black Sheep,” and “In Shadows & Dust.”
Kataklysm, foto: Matilda Rudec
Heaven Shall Burn closed the evening on Main Stage A with their typical blend of metalcore, melodic death metal, and hardcore punk. Their politically and socially conscious lyrical context always leaves a profound impression on the audience. They performed some of their biggest hits, including “Endzeit,” “Voice of the Voiceless,” “Counterweight,” and “Hunters Will Be Hunted.”
Main Stage B did not lag behind Stage A, with bands such as Vital Remains, Gatecreeper, Bleed From Within, Abbath, and Beartooth. Bleed From Within, a Scottish metalcore band, put on a fantastic performance with their aggressive sound, while Norwegian black metallers Abbath attracted significant attention with their intense music and dramatic stage presence.
BLEED FROM WITHIN, Foto: Slavica Rudec
As the crown of the day on Main Stage B, Beartooth delighted the audience with their energetic mix of hardcore punk, heavy metal, and rock, performing some of their most famous hits like “In Between,” “Hated,” and “Disease.”
On the Fusion Stage and Beach Stage/New Forces, new and upcoming bands like Infinitas, Hats Barn, Carthagods, Stillbirth, Cryptosis, Mass Hysteria, Black Ivy, Decair, Anaphora, Pennhurst, In Heaven, and Guatarri also attracted a considerable audience with their impressive performances.
With favorable weather conditions and a sun-soaked day, the third day of the Metaldays festival remained in the visitors’ memory as a day filled with top-notch performances and unforgettable moments. With a few more days of the festival remaining, visitors eagerly await what the next days will bring.
Metaldays2023
Comparison with Wacken Open Air, which happened simultaneously, was impossible to avoid. While Wacken visitors suffered under heavy rains, Metaldays visitors enjoyed beautiful weather and fantastic music. The organizers of Metaldays took this opportunity to offer free tickets to all Wacken visitors who could not use their tickets due to bad weather, a gesture that was highly appreciated. On the third day of the festival, the world was enchanted by the combination of metal, socializing, and nature. Surely, this year’s Metaldays will be long remembered.
Foto: Matilda Rudec
Report: Matilda Rudec
