Black Stone Cherry is THE reference for American Southern rock. After 20 years and 7 albums, they continue to thrill fans of the genre.
Opening the festivities with Me and Mary Jane they wasted no time taking advantage of the snakepit set up for Metallica’s evening show, playing up close to the audience with Again, White Trash Millionaire, and Blame It on the Boom Boom. Guitarist Ben Wells and singer/guitarist Chris Robertson poured their hearts into this 45-minute set, which flew by too quickly but was exactly what we expected from them.
Stratovarius delivered a solid performance following acts like Crystal Viper, Sumerlands, Eternal Champion, and Rhapsody of fire, contributing to a day that celebrated power metal.
They started their set timidly with Survive, but once the sound issues were sorted, both the band and the audience let loose with each track. The setlist was well-structured, featuring songs from their latest album along with must-haves like Black Diamond and Hunting High and Low, igniting waves of slam dancing.
It was a straightforward, experience-driven show, entertaining, with Timo Kotipelto still enchanting the crowd.
Yngwie Malmsteen is a living legend. Can anyone argue against that? Even if he claims only two artists deserve to be listened to—him and Bach—one cannot deny his immense talent.
Opening with Rising Force was a surefire choice. The first notes immediately revealed the distinctive sound of this genius, a mentor to many musicians and metalheads in the audience.
After 45 minutes of neoclassical metal, throwing a hundred picks into the crowd, and a stage presence befitting a 20-year-old, the guitar hero left the audience in shock from witnessing a show by the Paganini of modern times.
Extreme is one of those renowned bands with undeniable talent that seems to be losing popularity among newer generations, likely due to long gaps between their album releases (1995, 2008, and 2023 for their last three albums).
They kicked off their set with It’s a Monster, which experienced slight sound issues, followed by Decadence Dance. The much-anticipated ballad More Than Words was sung passionately by the tender-hearted audience in the middle of their set. The performance concluded after 13 tracks with Get the Funk Out and RISE, showcasing guitarist Nuno Bettencourt’s virtuosity. Hopefully, this day will inspire today’s youth to explore Extreme’s discography.
Accept, with singer Mark Tornillo, was in top form tonight. Despite lineup changes and intermittent breaks, they faced a large crowd.
With a backdrop featuring the cover art of their latest album Humanoid, good chemistry among the musicians, and Mark’s flawless vocals, the concert was very enjoyable. The Reckoning and Straight Up Jack set the tone, warming up the crowd, which later sang along heartily to timeless classics like Metal Heart, Princess of the Dawn, and of course, Balls to the Wall. Despite the rain, the audience would have gladly enjoyed more.
Mass Hysteria, the French band formed in 1993, was the standout act of the day! And there were plenty of big names on this Saturday. Propelled to the forefront on the Mainstage, broadcast live on the radio and covered by the country’s leading channel, they had a lot riding on this performance.
The band and the audience were wild despite rain falling like hail. There was active participation between the musicians and the crowd, giant circle pits, and twelve powerful tracks leaving no room for calm moments. The magnificent production added to the experience, making this concert one of the festival’s highlights.
After headlining last year with Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson took to the stage this year “solo” with his musicians. Dickinson captivated a crowd that braved relentless rain for ten tracks from his brand-new album The Mandrake Project, as well as four from his previous albums.
His long career, past cancer, and the passage of time seem to have no hold on him. With incredible charisma and presence, he stood before a soaked but happy crowd, performing his latest songs like Afterglow of Ragnarok, the timely Rain on the Graves, and Resurrection Men, all while speaking in polished French between tracks. God save Bruce!!!
After their first appearance at Hellfest two years ago, Metallica returned to grace the stage of France’s largest festival. It would be an understatement to say that the flagship group of James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert was highly anticipated.
The four horsemen of the apocalypse opened with Creeping Death, followed by For Whom the Bell Tolls and Hit the Lights. The show began on a high note… but then it went downhill. The sound was poor, and the execution of the songs was often messy, even disastrous on Seek and Destroy and Master of Puppets. The giant screens were split into smaller sections, making it difficult for festival- goers further from the stage to see the performance (perhaps a blessing in disguise), and the snakepit they had for themselves was mostly utilized by other bands due to the soaked ground, with Metallica venturing into it only later in the concert.
What was expected to be a grand spectacle turned out to be a disaster. Even their well-intentioned cover of a song by Indochine (a legendary French band) was poorly executed, as confirmed by the French attendees we met.
When it comes to giants like them, we rightfully expect a great show. It pains us to admit we were disappointed by Metallica, but we sincerely hope this was just a mishap.
Saxon, one of the pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, is still going strong 48 years later. Thank goodness!
Biff Byford is impressively comfortable delivering his timeless tracks. Starting with Hell, Fire and Damnation (from their latest album of the same name), they aimed to prove they can still deliver.
Metallica’s half-hour fiasco was already forgotten. Festival-goers were captivated by Brian Tatler’s solos, Nibbs Carter’s headbanging, Biff Byford’s charisma, and the pyrotechnics and light shows that enhanced the spectacle unfolding. Not to forget the illuminated metal eagle that descended and hovered over the stage like a predator spotting its prey during 747 (Strangers in the Night).
Crusaders and Princess of the Night closed the show and the day beautifully, even extending beyond their allotted time (with no one playing after them, it didn’t bother anyone).
It’s a pleasure to see them always showing up and to watch young people singing along to the choruses as if it were a band from their own generation. The cultural legacy lives on!
Let’s also note the presence of the Mongolian band Uuhai, Icelandic folk metal band Skalmold, German medieval folk band Corvus Corax, and Mr. Bungle, the experimental, multi-genre, eccentric solo project of Mike Patton, the singer of Faith No More. There’s also the festive metal of Finnish band Korpiklaani, Eivor from the Faroe Islands, and Suicidal Tendencies, the American crossover band. Check out more photos in the live gallery below.
