Festival: Ragnarök Festival
Place: Lichtenfels, Bavaria, Germany
Date: April 4-6, 2024
Live Correspondent: Antonis Braikidis

After months of anticipation, the time for a festival that I’ve had my sights on for years had finally come. I’m talking about Ragnarök Festival, of course! After the necessary stops in Nuremberg and the enchanting Bamberg, our Greek-Italian alliance finally arrives in the town of Lichtenfels, with its approximately 20,000 inhabitants, located to the north of Nuremberg (93 km) and Bamberg (36 km).

The festival takes place at the event hall (Stadthalle) of Lichtenfels, with a capacity of 3,500 people. One can easily reach Lichtenfels by train from Bamberg, as the station is located very close to the Stadthalle, and the town itself can provide everything to the festival visitor, with a shopping center nearby featuring Lidl, Aldi, Muller, cafes, etc.

The festival itself has been around for about 20 years, with some changes in the venue in the past. It is a purely Black Metal festival with a slight inclination towards Pagan/Folk Black Metal. It offers camping, parking spaces for visitors with trailers, and a gymnasium hall as a sleeping hall. Beers, sausages, pizzas, and plenty of merchandise are available on-site.

Excellent sound in almost all bands, lively audience, and generally an excellent experience inside and outside the hall. Transitions between bands were quick and easy for the audience and the bands themselves, as there were two stages in the hall, one next to the other. So, while one stage was “in action,” the other was being set up. The conclusion of this prologue is this: try festivals that offer bands unknown to you, and bands that may never set foot in your area! Believe me, you will be greatly rewarded, just like I was!

Ragnarök Festival 2024: Day 1 (Thursday, April 4th)

The clock struck 19:00, and it was time for the start of the first day. The weight fell on the German band BOOTES VOID with their “Mgla-esque” Black Metal, and with songs like “Yule” and “Woods Of Desolation,” they seemed to warm up the audience in their 40-minute setlist. Next, we had GASBRAND, a German duo of epic Black Metal, and the Finns VERMILLIA with their atmospheric Black following in the footsteps of AGALLOCH but more akin to MYRKUR as the lady on vocals gave a real recital with the alternation between ethereal and harsh vocals. Next up, the Germans ROBSE with Robert Dahn, former singer of EQUILIBRIUM, whom we unfortunately missed because we went for food… The headliners of the first day were the magnificent VARG, who really rocked the hall in their 70-minute performance with “Schildfront,” “Schildmaid,” and my personal favorite “Ewige Wacht” with Jaqueline Seiler aka Fylgja sounding sublime at times.

So, the first day was truly a good warm-up for what was to come next…

Ragnarök Festival 2024: Day 2 (Friday, April 5th)

The first of the “big” days started early with beer drinking and plenty of sausages, so CALAROOK and SUOTANA were inevitably skipped. We entered the hall around 15:30 where the VANAHEIM had already started, and along with them began our own day, as we speak of one of the highlights of the festival. An unknown band to me, which with their Folk/Black and mainly with the incredible energy of its members, I believe won many new fans, including myself!

THEOTOXIN followed next, with the Austrians sowing chaos for about 40 minutes, “Golden Tomb,” “Philosopher,” and of course “World Burn For Us.” Respectable IMPERIUM DEKADENZ and excellent WINTERFYLLETH. Unfortunately, we missed METSATOLL, at 20:25 it was time for THE VISION BLEAK whom we only heard, and I say heard because by the time they started, we had already grabbed the rail at the adjacent stage for the aftermath… Respectable, though, sounded THE VISION BLEAK, although I was never a particular fan.

The time was 21:40, the Stadthalle packed, it was time for the appearance of the generally acclaimed “hidden” headliners…KANONENFIEBER, of course, and the war begins! Fires, fireworks, a band like clockwork, and a Noise even more polished than the Vienna Metal Meeting 2023 where I had enjoyed them again. Non-stop demolition, only for the necessities of the stage presence, with “Dicke Bertha,” “Der Fusilier 1,” “Der Fusilier 2,” and “Die Havarie” with pits and the whole venue chanting Ahoi!. I’ve said it after the VMM2023, wherever you meet them, wherever it suits you, do yourself a favor and see them.

After what we experienced with KANONENFIEBER, it was FINNTROLL’s turn, where, although I’ve never paid much attention to them, they managed, with their performance and the overall buzz that was going on, to catch my eye. So, after midnight, the Austrian band PERCHTA made their appearance. A unique case, with the most positive outcome. Theatricality, lyricism, eerie screams, dulcimer, and lyrics in the Alpine Tyrolean language. Look them up!

Ragnarök Festival 2024: Day 3 (Saturday, April 6th)

The third day of the festival dawned! In the shopping center for coffee first, as we were a Greek-Italian group, and in our conversations with each other and with new friends, the main topic of discussion was the previous day, especially the sweeping performance of KANONENFIEBER. After coffee (and some beers, obviously), we arrived at the hall quite late, missing the performances of VANSIND, ELLEREVE, and SAGENBRINGER (between us, many “missed” them). By the time we entered, the Swedish band ISTAPP had already started, who with their melodic Black and at times some Bathory-esque clean vocals, immediately got us into the mood of the day.

Next up were my beloved HORN, a militant, epic 40-minute set with “Turm am Hang,” “Daudsaom” from their upcoming album, as well as “The Fading Landscape’s Glory,” made my blood boil, and I believe the same happened to everyone else in the venue. We only heard FEN, for the exact same reason we only heard THE VISION BLEAK, and what we heard was likeable. The reason for the above was the first appearance of NON EST DEUS! Whatever  Noise and his crew with KANONENFIEBER leveled the previous day, NON EST DEUS lifted into the air, swirled around, and threw back at us today. Costumes, theatricality, fires, Noise in “hysteria,” and we almost knocked down the barrier and broke our necks and voices with “Burn It Down,” “Fuck Your God,” “Thousand Years Of Sand,” and more. What did I say earlier about KANONENFIEBER? The same goes for NON EST DEUS!

After a long break to fill our stomachs, some public relations, and beers, we returned for HERETOIR. Their latest album “Nightsphere” was No.1 on my personal list for 2023, and the band not only confirmed but won me over even more! With the charismatic David Conrad leading, they delivered one of the most beautiful performances of the three days. “Graue Bauten,” “Wastelands,” and of course “Golden Dust,” with Mr. Conrad emitting emotions that, combined with perfect sound and lighting, made it impossible to take your eyes off them.

After HERETOIR, it was SAOR’s turn, unfortunately, they couldn’t keep me engaged.

The clock showed 21:40, and one of my biggest concert desires would unfold before me. KAMPFAR, ladies and gentlemen, and words fail me… “Troll, Dod Og Trolldom,” “Tornekratt,” “Ophidian,” come on, do as a solid! Truly staggering performance from a colossal band.

At 22:40, ORIGIN made their appearance, and excuse me to their fans, but this hyper-technical, super-fast Death Metal exhausted me immensely.

After a change in the running order due to delays at the airport for PRIMORDIAL, it was time for the titans MARDUK. “The Sun Has Failed,” “The Blond Beast,” and climax for me “Accuser/Opposer” accompanied by Alan Averill on stage. A commanding performance, a band truly a steamroller, and a better rendition of their songs than the studio versions.

So, after a considerable delay, the moment came for one of my favorite bands to take the stage. PRIMORDIAL, ladies and gentlemen, and if my memory doesn’t deceive me, it would be the 6th time I’ve seen them. “As Rome Burns,” with quite a few sound issues overall and Alan barely audible. “How It Ends,” “To Hell Or The Hangman,” the problems continue, Alan tries to communicate with the sound engineer and the audience, though patient, seems quite frustrated. And just when you say, okay, a bad night can be justified… “Gods To The Godless,” and everything improves, the audience regains its momentum, the band loosens up, and the epicness they always deliver begins!!! “The Coffin Ships,” and we get energy for many more days, even though our voices are closing! The end of another epic, despite the (understandable) problems at the beginning, concert comes with “Sons Of The Morrigan,” and along comes our personal catharsis after an amazing three-day journey with unique performances, endless laughter, endless drinks and food but above all, with amazing people!!!”

STAY METAL, STAY HEALTHY, STAY STRONG!!!   

Live Correspondent: Antonis Braikidis
Translation/Rendering in English language: Antonis Braikidis
Cover Artwork: Ragnarök Festival
Design, Editing & Text Correction: Alexandros Soultatos
Photos: Antonis Braikidis, Andrea Baso
Videos: Andrea Baso
External Links: Ragnarök Festival – Official Page
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