The second week of July traditionally is the time for one of Czechia’s biggest rock and heavy metal festivals, Masters of Rock in Vizovice, close to the Polish border.
The 2024 edition has come and gone, and this one was a special one, marking the twentieth iteration of the festival. Initially, it began in 2003, but the official twentieth year is here due to missing 2020 and 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic.
So it was finally time for Masters of Rock to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and the festival certainly did so with a bang!
THURSDAY, July 11, 2024
Photo Credit: Maria Nesh
The first day of the festival featured a fantastic mix of heavier sounds in the shape of Melechesh and German old-school thrash commando Sodom, but the main attraction was certainly NWOBHM legend and Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, who took to the aptly named Ronnie James Dio stage at Masters of Rock festival for the first time, and delivered a tremendous performance. It’s hard to believe that this gentleman is 66 years old at the time of this writing but is showing no signs of slowing down or taking it easy despite some health issues he has faced in recent years.
On the very contrary, Bruce Dickinson not only released a new solo album this year but also delivered a fine selection of his oeuvre as a solo artist, from classics like “Accident of Birth,” “Chemical Wedding,” or “The Book of Thel” over songs from his new album like “Afterglow of Ragnarok,” “Rain on the Graves” or “Resurrection Men,” with an absolute highlight being – of course – an epic rendition of arguably his greatest hit as a solo artist, “Tears of the Dragon.” A flawless performance that also saw Mr. Dickinson play the Theremin – what a spectacle!
Surprisingly, the day would not end after the Iron Maiden fronter’s fantastic performance. Still, the duo of Finnish Power metallers Stratovarius and Portuguese Gothic metal band Moonspell provided a fitting close to the day, with particularly Stratovarius scoring big points with a well-chosen setlist featuring tracks like “Speed of Light,” “Kiss of Judas,” “Paradise” and of course “Black Diamond” side-by-side with newer cuts such as “Survive” and “Unbreakable” before finishing strong with “Hunting High and Low.”
FRIDAY, July 12, 2024
Photo Credit: Maria Nesh
One of the early highlights of the second day came in the shape of Canadian newcomer Osyron, who is cutting their teeth in the European metal scene right now. An overall quite spectacular lineup followed this. Whether it was German Melodic Metal outfit Serious Black or the comeback of the locally super popular band Die Happy, fronted by Czech singer Marta Jandova, the day would hold much entertainment value for fans of all metal styles.
One of Canada’s hottest metal exports of the day, Unleash the Archers would deliver a blasting set in scorching heat, German metal legend Doro provided a more than convincing performance as always, and an unexpected highlight came in the shape of German Metalcore outfit Electric Callboy, who were able to get one of the biggest parties of the festival going.
However, the headliners of the day were the legendary Judas Priest, who returned to the stages of Masters of Rock for the second time after 2022. This time around, featuring their brand new album “Invincible Shield,” Rob Halford and his entourage delivered a well-chosen mix of new songs like “Panic Attack” and the new album’s title track “Invincible Shield” as well as some surprises in “Rapid Fire,” “Riding on the Wind” or “Sinner.”
Unfortunately, the weather gods were not on Judas Priest’s side, as heavy rains and winds caused the concert to be interrupted. Thankfully, the break did not last too long, and Judas Priest could play almost their entire planned set anyway. The band topped off an incredible set that featured many more classics like “Turbo Lover,” “Victim of Changes,” and “Electric Eye,” with the inevitable “Painkiller” and “Living After Midnight” as a final encore. Even more than fifty years into the career, Judas Priest are still a force to be reckoned with as they have managed to reinvigorate themselves thanks to their very strong two most recent albums.
After this solid dose of classic Heavy Metal, it was time for the party that Electric Callboy started to continue, as pirate metallers Alestorm took to the stage. Suppose you’ve ever been to a show of theirs. In that case, you know what to expect: a lot of low-brow humor packed in surprisingly well-written music and a lot of show and spectacle, including a giant inflatable rubber duck. So if song titles like “Keelhauled,” “Uzbekistan,” “P.A.R.T.Y.,” “Shit Boat,” “Drink,” and “Rum” sound like your kind of a fun time, and you’re okay with being “F*cked With an Anchor,” then this show was most certainly for you.
After the humorous antics of Alestorm, it was up to Swedish Death Metal legends Soilwork to close out day number two, and the outfit around multi-faceted singer Björn “Speed” Strid did just that in more than respectable fashion.
SATURDAY, July 13, 2024
Photo Credit: Maria Nesh
The third festival day featured some early old-school rock grooves courtesy of Wytch Hazel from the UK, followed by some inventive Folk-Power Metal by Hungarians Dalriada and some modern Melodic Metal brought to you by supergroup Cyhra, initially formed by In Flames legend Jesper Strömblad together with drummer Alex Landenburg (Kamelot) and featuring Jake E (ex-Amaranthe) on lead vocals.
It was, however, their fellow Swedes of Dynazty who managed to turn some heads, thanks to the stellar vocal performance of frontman Nils Molin (Amaranthe) and a set of solid modern melodic metal bangers that are showing off their unique approach to songwriting.
Groove Metal legends Max and Igor Cavalera then reunited for a set of epic proportions for fans of their origins in Sepultura: Kicking off their set with “Bestial Devastation,” “Antichrist,” and “Necromancer,” the brothers Cavalera pounded through “Morbid Visions,” and “Funeral Rites” as well as a rendition of “Inquisition Symphony / Escape to the Void” before ending their regular set with “R.I.P. (Rest in Pain).” However, the Groove Metal goodness would not end there, as a solid set of encores in the shape of “Refuse/Resist,” “Territory,” and “Troops of Doom” would follow.
After this solid dose of heaviness, the festival’s mood took a swing to the lighter side of things as Tobias Sammet’s all-star rock opera Avantasia took to the stage. One of my all-time favorite acts, I’ve not missed out on an Avantasia tour since they’ve started touring, and with their most recent album, “A Paranormal Evening With the Moonflower Society,” to promote, this show would once again prove to be a feast for fans of Melodic Power Metal. Whether it be band classics like “Reach Out For The Light,” featuring Seven Spires singer Adrienne Cowan or “The Scarecrow” performed by Tobias together with Pretty Maids frontman Ronnie Atkins, the atmospheric “The Story Ain’t Over” featuring Magnum’s Bob Catley, or the impressive double tap of “Alchemy” and “Invincible” with legendary Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate, this year’s Avantasia setlist had some highlights for everyone.
Unfortunately, some Avantasia mainstays like Jorn Lande and Eric Martin were conspicuous by their absence due to other touring commitments, but the remainder of the cast more than made up for it – most notably maestro Sammet himself, who took over even more lead vocal duties than usually, most frequently replacing Jorn Lande in those songs where the Norwegian singer would usually contribute his voice. The setlist, therefore also featured some fan favorites like “Let The Storm Descend Upon You,” during which Firewind front singer Herbie Langhans would take over a large part of the lead vocal duties, “Farewell” performed by Tobias Sammet together with Chiara Tricarico, or the Meat Loaf tribute track “Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose,” once again featuring Bob Catley.
A fantastic performance, 100% live, and no shenanigans (except for a burning piano for the track “Lucifer”) made Avantasia a more than worthy headliner of the day before Sirenia from Norway was tasked with closing out the festival day and did so in a satisfactory manner, as the brainchild of guitarist Morten Veland delivered a solid set with tracks such as “Dim Days of Dolor,” “Deadlight,” and an interesting cover of “Voyage, Voyage” before sending their set with “The Mind’s Eye,” “The Other Side” and “The Path to Decay.”
SUNDAY, July 14, 2024
Photo Credit: Maria Nesh
Traditionally shorter than the other days of the festival, the final day of Masters of Rock would still hold a few excellent highlights for the fans present, such as a fine performance by Swedish Symphonic Metal outfit Eleine, who are on the cusp of a big breakthrough in the international scene, a quite surprising performance by German post-Hardcore band Annisokay, followed by Delain from the Netherlands, who were also returning to Masters of Rock for the first time with their new singer Diana Leah, who joined the band in 2022.
Another quite regular guest at Masters of Rock is German metal legend Peavy Wagner, mastermind, bassist, and lead singer for Rage, and he returned to the festival in 2024 in style, bringing his “Lingua Mortis Orchestra” for an epic performance featuring both his band and, well, and orchestra! This partnership has worked quite well over the years, and 2024 should be no different: “From The Cradle To The Grave” opened an epic set filled to the brim with band classics like “Back In Time,” “Incomplete,” and “Empty Hollow” before ending with the inevitable (and always well-liked) “Higher Than The Sky.”
Fans of old school NWOBHM and specifically Judas Priest were then treated to an additional dose of goodness, as former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing performed at the festival as well with his new band, fronted by (also formed Judas Priest) vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens and it seems the band really wanted to prove that they are as good – if not better – than their former employers. KK’s Priest, therefore, delivered an excellent selection of their own new material in the shape of songs like “Hellfire Thunderbolt,” “Strike of the Viper,” and “One More Shot at Glory,” but would not forego a choice of deep cuts from the legendary Judas Priest catalog by delivering fantastic renditions of tracks like “Night Crawler,” “The Ripper,” “Burn in Hell,” “Beyond The Realms of Death” and “Hell Patrol,” even featuring “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown),” “Breaking The Law” and “Victim of Changes.” Say what you will, but this year’s Masters of Rock was simply a treat for fans of Judas Priest!
Swedish Modern metallers Amaranthe would then kick off the headliner section of the day, and the band around guitarist Olof Mörck and the fabulous singer trio of Elize Ryd, Nils Molin, and Mikael Sehlin always know how to put on epic shows. Sure, the band’s blend of catchy metal with modern sound elements may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Still, their success speaks for itself – and once you see the reaction to live renditions of tracks like “Fearless,” “PvP,” “The Catalyst,” “The Nexus,” or “Drop Dead Cynical,” it’s not difficult to understand why.
But fear not, friends of more classic Heavy Metal, as the honor of the final performance of the festival would fall upon German legends Accept, who delivered a banger of a show, mixing both newer songs like “The Reckoning” and “Humanoid” with basically immortal Heavy Metal classics like “Princess of the Dawn“, “Metal Heart” and “Fast As A Shark,” before closing out with “Ball To The Wall” and “I’m A Rebel.” Most noteworthy about Accept’s performances in 2024 is, of course, the addition of Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra as a third guitarist, which fattens up the band’s already impressive wall of sound even more. A more than worthy headliner and festival closer.
With the 20th anniversary edition now in the books, this author, for one, is very curious to learn about the lineup for 2025, which will traditionally be announced at “Winter Masters of Rock“, this time taking place on December 7, 2024, in Zlín. Don’t miss out on that announcement, and get your tickets for Masters of Rock 2025 as soon as they go on sale for the Early Bird discounted price!
Photo Credit: Maria Nesh
Photos provided by Maria Nesh
