Already for a last decade we did not miss any Summer Breeze, and this has become a meeting point of our Metal Sound Team. I could even dare to say that Summer Breeze is one of the best if not the best metal festival in Germany and even beyond. The organization could be not better, and I think that the numbers of the people who are visiting the festival has reached 50,000 per day. I know that people will always have in mind Wacken, but I dare to say that SB is way better in any aspect. There have years and years passed away since the last time we have visited Wacken holy ground. I miss Wacken there is no question but somehow it has become little hard since the weather conditions and everything. Hope that one that we will return to holy land but let’s now focused on latest SB events.

Hard to say but the latest SB could be also the best one since there were few show that were indeed great, from my personal point of view. I mean hear mainly on Blind Guardian and Dimmu Borgir. But I have to say that I have enjoyed also many shows and bands, some of them known some unknown. The only thing that it was hard it was a brutal hot weather. Simply it was very hard to watch some bands during the mid of the day under the sun. I have really putted so many efforts on check most of the shows from Elvenking and Ensiferum, but I have paid a praise for that. It was much better of the smallest stage during the day since it was fully cover and there was a heavy shadow. So, sometimes the smallest stage could turn into a good think so to say.

I am not really able to count how many bands and shows we have seen (and how many we have missed) but we tried really hard to pay a tribute to each show and the band according to our taste.

I am not collecting my thoughts I I could remember that I was finally able to see some bands for the first time ever on stage such as Wind Rose and their show I have to admit it was not band at all. They really putted the passion although that it was not my kind of music so to say. Ensiferum were really great, the band has putted so much in their show., but the sun has ruined everything. I was also able to see Frozen Crown for the very first time and they were lucky since they played on the smallest stage. And although that it was in the middle of the day the show was great and I was able to watch it. And now we have come to one topic. Since in the same time two Italian bands were playing int he same time. So, it was very hard to jump from a stage to stage to see a little bit of Elvenking then a little bite of Frozen Crown. Sometimes we just needed to miss some bands because they are sharing the same time of playing which is indeed pity. Or sometimes we were very tired to simply see everything. So, it turned out because of the impact of the sun that I was really unable to see shows of Wardruna and Septic Flash. This tuned out to be the biggest misses of the last SB.

Ok, lets turned and see which bands were the best ones. Of course, the greatest impact was on the head liners and from my side Dimmu Borgir and Blind Guardian shows were the best ones. BG has delivered one really long and great show with lots of different songs, so it was a mixture between the old and new. I do recall that they were playing Tanelorn and Violent Shadows, one by one, which is still to mee the most interesting part. Even more interesting think was that I was able to see the same show just a week later here in Belgrade but on much smaller stage 🙂 Hansi has really putted this time lots of efforts not to speak too much between the songs 🙂

When it comes to Dimmu Borgir show I have to say that it was even better that on Wacken. Somehow the guys were even more relaxed, and every song was a jewel from their long career. The show was a kind of journey through their career, a sort of best off so to say. I think that I did not see the guys for a very long time maybe even a decade. Their new guitar played also has done a marvelous job perfectly integrated in the band.

Lets go and talked now about some other bands and their show. I have to say that maybe I have the best time and I have seen most of the bands on the second stage which is up on the hills, closer to the forest 🙂 I am truly unable to recall all the bands and names that I have enjoyed from Evergray to Unleashed (btw, their show was a little of disappointing I have to say), from Borknagar to Suffocation or Destruction. Simply to me second stage works the best! Main stage this year was also quite ok, but during the last years I was more or less spending most of my time in backstage or on the second stage.

Bis zum nachsten Mal und SB2026!

Marko Miranovic