Following hot on the heels of the two more established summer festivals organized by Pragokoncert in Czechia, Metalfest in Pilsen, and Masters of Rock in Vizovice, the recently re-branded Rock Castle festival in Moravsky Krumlov is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the European festival season. Once again, taking place around the beautiful castle grounds of the Moravsky Krumlov castle, the 2023 edition of the festival saw a considerable bump in attendance, almost doubling the number of visitors compared to the previous year. This a great sign of things to come, and a confirmation of the promoter’s decision to take over organizing summer festivals in the town several years ago. We were happy to be part of the festival again on behalf of Metalinsider and would like to share our experiences with you in the following paragraphs.
Thursday, 17th August 2023
Rock Castle festival this year had an extreme focus on melodic and classic Heavy Metal, which became quite apparent on the festival’s first day. The honor to open the festival this year fell to the Mongolian band UUHAI, who captivated the audience with their mix of rock music with traditional Mongolian throat singing, followed by a band that has become somewhat of an underground highlight and seems poised for greater things soon: Tri State Corner, comprised of members from Germany, Poland, and Greece, who incorporate traditional Greek bouzouki sounds and ethnic beats into their music.
One of my early personal highlights of the festival came in the shape of our friends and fellow Austrians (and Italians and Germans) of Serenity. The long-standing melodic metal band, fronted by day-time archeologist and historian Georg Neuhauser was still on a mission to promote their most recent album, “The Last Knight,” focused on the life and times of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and did so by delivering songs such as “Souls and Sins” and “Set The World On Fire” from said album, while not preceding some older band classics such as “Legacy of Tudors” from the “War of Ages” album. The particular highlight, however, came in the shape of the song “Ritter, Tod und Teufel (Knightfall),” which was taken from Serenity’s then-upcoming album “Nemesis A.D.” and proved to be one of their strongest singles in years, deservedly creating some hype for the new album. It should also be noted that Serenity’s live sound has been considerably boosted by the addition of Italian guitarist and singer Marco Pastorino of Temperance (and many others) as a second guitar and additional vocalist. Once again, it was a strong performance by one of Austria’s longest-tenured and best live bands.
The festival torch was then passed to Germany, as legendary Heavy Metallers Rage took to the stage, and if you’ve seen Rage live at some point over the years, it should come as no surprise that Peavy Wagner and his entourage never disappoint. A setlist chock-full of nigh-immortal band classics such as “Solitary Man,” “Back in Time,” “Refuge,” “Don’t Fear the Winter,” and, of course, the inevitable “Higher Than The Sky” left little to be desired.
We then went from old school to new school – as two of today’s hottest melodic metal acts in Gloryhammer and Beast in Black were up next. It seems that by this point, Gloryhammer appears to have weathered the storm that hit them some time ago when the band fired their long-time singer Thomas Winkler (who meanwhile went on to create his own new project Angus McSix) and was also confronted with some less-than-favorable chat protocols of theirs which went viral. However, meanwhile, new singer Sozos Michael has been solidly established as a more than capable vocalist, handling both older band hits like “Universe on Fire,” “The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee,” and “Angus McFife” with panache while convincing fans of the quality of the band’s new material from their fourth album “Return to the Kingdom of Fife.”
And while Gloryhammer’s more traditionally constructed Power Metal evokes comparisons to turn-of-the-millenium metal in the vein of acts like Rhapsody of Fire or Sonata Arctica at the time, Beast in Black’s approach to melodic metal is definitely a bit more modern, while at the same time somehow more retro: by incorporating a lot of 80s synth sounds and disco beats into their music, mastermind Anton Kabanen managed to carve out a unique niche for Beast in Black – and songs like “Blade Runner”, “Moonlight Rendevouz” or the very danceable banger “One Night in Tokyo” from their current album “Dark Connection,” all delivered with an energetic performance from all band members, provided ample illustration as to why this blend of styles works so well and has quickly catapulted Beast in Black to the top of many a festival billing this year, despite the band having released only three studio albums so far. It seems the sky is the limit for Beast in Black at this point – and fans should keep a close eye on the band.
If you like your metal a bit more serious and old-school, then Beast in Black might not be quite your cup of tea – but the headline act of day one of Rock Castle 2023 most certainly might. The legendary Mr. Udo Dirkschneider took to the Czech stages once again, this time performing songs from his solo band “U.D.O.” exclusively, foregoing any “Accept” classics; however, the fact that he can do this and still fill a satisfying headline slot just proves the longevity and indestructibility of this German icon of Heavy Metal. Songs like “Animal House,” “Independence Day,” “I Give as Good as I Get,” “Man and Machine,” or “Never Cross My Way” are simply enjoyable Metal bangers that satisfy the audience’s craving for solid, old-school metal, before Icelandic viking/folk metallers of Skalmöld performed a solid set to close out the first day of Rock Castle 2023, however it seemed that the audience was already a bit exhausted at this point and the methodical musical approach of the band from Iceland appeared not fully to click with the crowd this time around.
Friday, 18th August 2023
The second festival day started, as is typical for festivals in Czechia, with some high-class local acts in the shape of Rimortis and Eagleheart before the Italians of Evenflow hit the stage. The band, originally already founded in the late 90s by brothers Pietro Paolo and Giorgio Lunesu, has recently been able to gain some traction in the international metal scene, not least due to the addition of vocalist Marco Pastorino and bass player Luca Negro, both also of Temperance, to the fold.
Following the proggy melodic metal from the Italian gentlemen, it was time for more rustic music, as the Sweden-based pirate shanty band Ye Banished Privateers were up. Indeed a different experience to most other bands on this festival, the relatively large ensemble nonetheless managed to entertain the audience with songs such as “Bring Out Your Dead”, “Annabel,” or “Gangplank,” and set the tone for a general very pirate-heavy festival day – but we’ll get to that later.
Another band quickly gaining international attention is the Hungarians of Dalriada, who also incorporate folk elements into their brand of metal. The band has been around for quite some time as well. However, it seems that as of late, they have managed to turn more and more heads, which is quickly understood when enjoying their unique brand of music live, which is generally performed in their native Hungarian language, adding a certain additional exotic touch to the band’s aura.
It was time to switch to some decidedly heavier sounds, as Brazilian Thrashers Nervosa were up. After seeing the band two years ago at Metal on the Hill in Austria, where they left me not really impressed, this year’s showing at Rock Castle was decidedly stronger, as the band was able to deliver their old school Thrash metal with better overall sound, and especially with a much tighter performance.
Legendary Swedish progressive metallers Evergery then provided a switch to a very atmospheric performance, spearheaded by bandleader Tom Englund’s remarkable and emotional vocals, as the band delivered proggy bangers such as “Weightless,” “Where August Mourn” and, of course, “A Touch of Blessing.”
Following the more ethereal and atmospheric approach of Evergrey, it was finally time for a hefty double dose of pirate metal. First up were my former bandmates of Visions of Atlantis, who, since the release of their most recent album – aptly titled “Pirates” – have truly embraced the pirate lifestyle, down to their stage outfits and antics, and have evolved to a more than the solid live force on stage, thanks to their engaging stage performances during songs like new bangers “Master the Hurricane,” “Clocks,” and their self-proclaimed “Jump-Jump-Song,” “Melancholy Angel.” Apart from the strong material from their current album, the Austro-Italian-French Buccanneers also performed songs from their previous album “Wanderers” such as “Heroes of the Dawn” and “A Journey to Remember,” before closing their set with the absolute banger “Legion of the Seas.” Another strong performance by the resurrected Visions of Atlantis, even if it was not quite as stellar as the fantastic performance at last year’s Masters of Rock festival, where a full orchestra also backed the band.
The pirate theme continued at Rock Castle 2023 with Chris Bowes’ Alestorm, who brought their party metal to Czechia with a vengeance. Always a guaranteed hoot, live tracks like “Keelhauled,” “No Grave but the Sea,” “Mexico,” and “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” never disappoint if you’re up for a light-hearted (and light-headed) party, and once the band went into their encores which included such illustrious titles as “Drink,” “Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship” and “Fucked With an Anchor”, the festival audience was in full-on party mode. If you like your metal serious, then Alestorm is probably not for you; if you’re in the mood for a silly party with some catchy tunes, then definitely check the band out.
Another of my festival highlights then followed in the shape of the performance of True Metallers Hammerfall, who was my introduction to all things Power Metal back in the late 90s and early 2000s. I still enjoy the band to this day, even if some of the newer albums don’t have the same hit density as some of their earlier classics do. I, therefore, enjoyed songs like “The Metal Age,” “Blood Bound,” and “Renegade” greatly, and had a serious teenage day flashback during the medley they played from their “Crimson Thunder” album, which I listened to a lot as a wee teenage lad who had just taken his first steps into the mystical lands of true Heavy Metal. Nonetheless, some of the newer songs in the setlist, such as “No Son of Odin” and “We Make Sweden Rock,” prove to be veritable bangers live as well, and band classics such as “Let the Hammer Fall”, “Glory to the Brave” and the inevitable “Hearts on Fire” never disappoint.
A late-night highlight came in the shape of symphonic metallers Twilight Force, who closed out the second festival day. The band appears to have become a true close-knit unit since God-tier vocalist Alessandro Conti joined the band, with their most recent album, “At the Heart of Wintervale,” also being one of my personal favorites and definitely their best-produced album to date. Hence, songs like the eponymous “Twilight Force,” “Dragonborn,” and “At the Heart of Wintervale” definitely counted among the strongest material of the band’s performance, which ended up becoming one of my favorites of the entire festival. Twilight Force has really come into their own in this current incarnation, and big things should be on the (quite epic!) horizon for them. Gloriously, of course.
Saturday, 19th August 2023
After the customary Czech opening band Gate Crasher, the final day of Rock Castle 2023 started with an interesting surprise in the band Osyron from Canada, who are looking to make a splash overseas with some festival performances these days. Another early highlight on this day was the performance of Italians Dragonhammer, who were able to make up for their missed performance last year, which unfortunately could not happen due to travel issues. This time, however, the band made it to Moravksy Krumlov and delivered their catchy Power Metal in the shape of songs like “Kingdom of the Ghosts,” “Blood in the Sky,” and the eponymously titled “Dragon Hammer.”
The stage remained firmly in Italian hands, as female-fronted Symphonic Metallers Frozen Crown were up next. The band, headed by singer Giada Etro, has received a lot of international attention lately, notably recently signing with powerhouse label Napalm Records. The setlist included tracks such as “Neverending,” “The Water Dancer,” and “I Am The Tyrant,” unfortunately, the band had to fight with a difficult live sound situation for their performance at Rock Castle 2023, and considering the recent addition of a third(!) guitarist in Alessia Lanzone, this setup might make live mixing even more challenging in the future; therefore working with their own permanent sound engineer might be a good strategic decision for the band going forward, to live up to the high expectations and promising career boost Frozen Crown are experiencing at the moment. It cannot be denied, however, that the band is able to capture audiences, and it will be exciting to see what the future holds for this young ensemble from Italy.
Another of my personal highlights of Rock Castle 2023 followed next, as the Swedes of Dynazty hit the stage. It is common to see the band on the same lineup as their countrymen (and woman) of Amaranthe, as singer Nils Molin is also the clean male voice of the modern Metal powerhouse fronted by the ever-charming Elize Ryd. While the band had to contend with a few technical hiccups at the beginning of their set (the second guitar took a bit longer to be properly set up and could enter the musical fray only a few minutes into the performance), that did not take away from the class of overall musicianship and songwriting, which manifested in songs like “Firesign,” “Waterfall,” “Power of Will,” “Presence of Mind” and “Heartless Madness.” All superbly delivered by top-tier vocalist Nils Molin, who channeled Ronnie James Dio and David Coverdale of Whitesnake more than once in his vocal performance. A short but all the more welcome interlude that put a smile on my face was the band’s inclusion of an abridged version of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” into their set. It was a class performance by one of the melodic Metal scene’s (rightfully) fastest-rising acts.
Germany’s Brainstorm, up next, has been a staple in the billing of Pragokoncert’s festivals for many years. It is not hard to see why: singer Andy B. Franck is still one of the most powerful voices in the scene and oozes charisma to boot, and the band’s specific blend of more US-sounding Power Metal than the typical faster and more light-hearted European-style Power Metal one would expect from a German Power Metal band has always managed to set the band apart from other acts in the genre. This time, the Germans included bangers such as “Worlds are Comin’ Through, “Shiva’s Tears,” “Highs Without Lows,” “All Those Words,” and “Ravenous Minds” in their performance, and thus provided more than a solid warm-up for one of the day’s headliners, the German metal queen Doro.
What can still be said about Doro Pesch that has yet to be said a hundred times? A legendary figure in the international heavy metal scene for four decades, Doro still seems to enjoy herself mightily whenever she takes to the stage, and equally also delivers heavy metal goodness in spades. Whether it’s “I Rule the Ruins,” “Burning the Witches” and “Fight For Rock,” the Warlock classics entertain just as her solo songs such as “Time for Justice” and “All for Metal,” and when the Metal Queen closes out her set to the Judas Priest evergreen “Breaking the Law,” the audience is unquestionably aware that we’ve just been graced with the presence of Heavy Metal royalty.
Finally, it fell to one of the hottest Metal acts from Sweden today, Amaranthe, to fill the final headliner slot of Rock Castle 2023, and the band once again did not disappoint. Fronted by the tricephalic vocalist trio of the aforementioned Nils Molin on male clean vocals, Mikael Sehlin on harsh male vocals, and female singer Elize Ryd, the band is known for straightforward, high-octane modern Metal songs, which they delivered in spades in the hope of tracks like “Fearless,” “Viral,” “Hunger” and “Afterlife,” even including some rarely-played songs like “Trinity” and “365” in their extensive set, before closing out with an encore block consisting of “Archangel,” “That Song” and “Drop Dead Cynical.” A worthy headliner to close out Rock Castle 2023, before German melodic Metallers Serious Black was up to fill the late-night slot this year. Band leader Mario Lochert revealed that the band would be recording material for a potential live album/DVD release sometime down the road. While, unfortunately, some planned fireworks apparently could not be used for the performance due to monument protection regulations regarding the medieval Moravksy Krumlov castle, the band nonetheless delivered an energetic and noteworthy performance of some of their finest hits over the years, such as “Akhenaton,” “Rock With Us Tonight,” “Serious Black Magic” and “High and Low.”
Rock Castle 2024 Preview
With a solid lineup, Rock Castle 2023 exceeded expectations and virtually doubled its attendance compared to the 2022 edition. This was reason enough for promoter Pragonkoncert to up the ante once again and provide an even bigger lineup for 2024, as some huge acts have already been announced for the 2024 edition. Rock Castle festival in 2024 will be headlined by none other than the mighty Amon Amarth, with Kreator and Epica filling the remaining headlining slots, while other noteworthy additions to the lineup include Finnish folk metallers Korpiklaani, Freedom Call and Crematory from Germany, and Bloodbound from Sweden, as well as some more unexpected highlights such as Amorphis, Northtale, Primal Fear, All for Metal and in a quite sensational turn of events, also the legendary 80s rockers of Dokken. Rock Castle 2024 is shaping up once again to be an absolute highlight of the summer festival season and should not be missed – tickets are on sale now: https://www.rockcastle.cz/en/rock-castle-vstupenky
