The second day of the Metaldays festival, a favorite summer destination for metal enthusiasts from around the world, took place on August 1, 2023, by the Velenje lake, in an atmosphere filled with rain, mud, and thunder. But if you think that these inconveniences managed to spoil the mood of the metalheads, you are greatly mistaken! Moreover, through the muddy paths and to the sound of thunder, musical rage and passion echoed – a symphonic performance that even the gods of weather could not silence. By the Velenje lake, reflecting the shine of powerful spotlights, stages were set up for the expected spectacle, despite challenging terrain conditions and muddy surfaces adding a dose of defiance to this metal event.
KADAVAR, Metaldays 2023, foto: Slavica Rudec
The first band to hit the stage is the young band “When Plagues Collide”. Regardless of the early afternoon time, their performance attracted the attention of brave metalheads who decided to enjoy the performances despite the rain. Thanks to their energetic performance, the rain seemed insignificant, and the mud under their feet only further emphasized the festival atmosphere.
As the day progressed, bands like “Dear Mother”, “The Raven Age”, and “Dethrone The Corrupted” took turns, creating an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation with their skillful performances. The time came for “Venom Inc” to echo on the main stage. The band performed some of their classics like “Witching Hour”, “Black Metal”, “Sons of Satan”, and “The Seven Gates of Hell”, despite the downpour falling on the stage. They played with passion and energy as if they had just started, and the audience enthusiastically followed every song, completely forgetting the wetness pouring down their faces.
Metaldays 2023, foto: Slavica Rudec
Between performances on the main stages, smaller stages such as the Fusion Stage and Beach Stage/New Forces offered their own, more intimate performances. “Flesh”, “Arises”, “Chemicide”, “Hellereuin”, “Capra”, and “Russian Circles” took over the Fusion Stage, while “Zenoth”, “Maskeratt”, “Fatal Error”, “Star Crystal”, and “Diamond Dust” performed at the Beach Stage. I especially highlight the performance of “Diamond Dust”, a band from Rijeka who performed several numbers known to their faithful fans, and the visitors showed with ovations that they recognized the band as a new force in the metal world.
On the main stages, the evening reached its climax with the performances of “Tesseract”, “Helloween”, and “Bullet for My Valentine”. “Tesseract” performed some of their most famous songs, such as “Natural Disaster” and “Dystopia”, while “Helloween” delighted the audience with hits like “Eagle Fly Free”, “Forever and One (Neverland)”, and “Dr. Stein”. A particularly memorable moment occurred when Kai Hansen, in the middle of a downpour, commented that the conditions at the Wacken Open Air festival were even worse, which caused a thunderous reaction among the wet visitors.
Helloween, Metaldays 2023, foto: Matilda Rudec
One of the bands that failed to perform was “I Am Morbid”, due to the storm, but it didn’t manage to spoil the mood of the audience. Swedish black metal band Marduk still managed to hold their gig. Known for their aggressive playing technique and themes dealing with death, war, satanism, and history, they provided fans with a flood of their typical sound with songs like “The Blond Beast” and “Throne of Rats”.
Marduk, Metaldays 2023, foto: Matilda Rudec
“Bullet for My Valentine” closed the night with style, performing hits like “Your Betrayal” and “Scream Aim Fire”. Despite the increasingly heavy rain, nothing could spoil the experience. “All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)” and “Waking the Demon” set the crowd on fire, who sang along with the band, forgetting about the downpour, the cold, and the mud.
Due to challenging terrain conditions and muddy areas at the main stage, visitors in wheelchairs can now enjoy a VIP area from today, from which they could follow all performances in complete comfort.
Bullet-for-my-valentine, Metaldays 2023, foto: Matilda Rudec
At the end of the second evening of the MetalDays festival, it can be said that the storm only enhanced the experience. Rain and mud were an integral part of the atmosphere, giving the festival a special, wild touch. Metalheads have proven that even the most severe weather conditions cannot spoil their enjoyment of their favorite music. It seems that the saying “rain only enhances metal” became a reality at this year’s MetalDays festival as well.
Foto: Slavica Rudec, Matilda Rudec
Report: Matilda Rudec
