After two years at home watching all kinds of streams from (metal) bands, last Saturday the 28th of August 2021, I finally could visit a festival in person once again. During the pandemic a lot of festivals and concert where cancelled but thankfully the German (local) government allowed this festival to take place. After a long drive we arrived at Neckarsulm, at the festival terrain. A great site, located directly next to a forrest and in the hills. With a shuttle connection from the city centre of Neckarsulm right up to the entrance of the terrain combined with great weather all the ingredients are there to make for a night worth remembering.
Before entering the Festival, we put on our facemasks and held our vaccination code at the ready. A quick check and we were directed to our places. Once seated we could take of our masks, but with every movement away from the seats the masks were mandatory. As far as I could tell, all visitors did just that! A small tent with merchandise from the performing artists and the organisation is situated in the back and on two locations its possible to get drinks and food for a reasonable price. Toilets are clean and the general vibe at the festival is a very positive one. Four bands and one speaker will take the stage this evening and the kick off of the festival will be done by German metalcore band From Shadows To Light. Although its the opener, the energy and passion is there from the get go. Great acoustics and a lively performance set the bar high for the rest of the evening.
What follows is German Tales Of Nebelheym. Outstanding folk music is brought to the stage and these guys really know what they are on about. With the uptempo performance that preceded them, its nice to have some “feel good” music rolling over the terrain. Tales Of Nebelheym brings a very good atmosphere to an even higher plan!
Next one up is Micha Kunze. A true spoken word artist that captivates the crowd. Sadly my German is not up to standard, so Im not in a position to ‘judge’ his performance.
Now the time has come for the Headliner. Swedish Tungsten takes the stage and from the get go, the band picks up the pace. With great vocals, equally great music and a very lively stage performance Tungsten rocks the festival. With the sun setting these Swedes gave their best and it showed! A worthy headliner for a great festival!
When darkness has fallen, its time for Blast Of Eternity’s closing act. German based Opus Irae takes over the stage and for the last time tonight all registers are opened. A magnificent closing act, that fits perfectly in this great evening!
For me it was an epic evening and a great festival! The differences between the performances where a perfect fit. Because of the size of the venue ( it was not that big, place for several hundred people) the performing artists where easily approachable. The general atmosphere was really good and everybody followed covid restrictions. For me, as a Dutch guy at a German festival, the interaction with other visitors and people from the organisation was absolutely great. Perhaps I am biased because it was my first visit to a festival in over two years, but Im certain I will be there next year!
Blast Of Eternity 2021:
Accessibility : 8
Ticket Prices : 8,5 (pre sale tickets at 12 euros!)
Line Up : 9
Venue : 8
Atmosphere : 8
Hygiene/Covid “behaviour” : 9,5
Prices Food/Drinks : 7,0
