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Guys, where has the time gone? Rockharz 2024 has only just finished and now we’re already looking ahead to Rockharz 2025? That’s crazy! But well, it is what it is and at least that means you’re getting my preview for 2025. We’ll take a look at what my personal highlights are this year, what’s changing and we’ll also address the question of what Rockharz actually means for the community of Ballenstedt.
Huge thanks to lightinmirror.de for the awesome pictures!
I like trai… uuuh Music!
This is a music blog, so let’s start with my comments on this year’s musical acts.
In fact, there’s not much to pick from this year’s headliners for me… HEAVEN SHALL BURN are the stand-out factor for me here, because not only do they have an album out after a long time, but their Rockharz show is also a release show. So it’s doubly exciting and I think it’s going to be a killer gig! To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed by the other headliners. SAXON as well as POWERWOLF and IN EXTREMO have been seen thousands of times and especially the latter two are somehow always at Rockharz. I would have liked to see other bands such as BLOODYWOOD, ELECTRIC CALLBOY or APOCALPYTICA, who are also on the line-up, given this chance. Obviously, tastes differ, so I’m not presenting my opinion here as absolutely correct.
I would only advocate that more consideration be given to those bands who have only been to Rockharz once or not at all and who are currently celebrating great success in the Metal scene. These successes, which I see above all in medium-sized to large (and well-selling) tours as well as in the album sales figures, speak for themselves. Of course, it has its appeal when you can rely on a band coming to Ballenstedt every two years or so, but there’s also the danger that it becomes repetitive. In addition, you also have to constantly consolidate the audience. Metal fans are very loyal, there’s no question about that, but if you don’t make concessions to newer developments in the scene, at some point the audience ages to the point where no one wants to come back.
Please don’t get me wrong, I also love the old-school stuff, like KING DIAMOND or ABBATH, but in their place I could have easily imagined bands like SLEEP TOKEN or BAD OMENS. Booking the right bands is like squaring the circle: you can’t really make anyone 100% happy, but I think a bit more young blood on stage can’t hurt. There could certainly be hundreds more bands here, but I hope you understand what I’m trying to say!
Despite all the (completely nice) criticism, I’d like to say a few words about the bands I’m really looking forward to: APRIL ART will be back on Wednesday and I was really pleased to see them back. Not only is this band enormously likeable, they are also extremely strong musically. At their last appearance at Rockharz 2022, their set was characterized by an enormously infectious stage presence. So this is going to be great!
Highlight number two and also my insider tip for you this year: DELIVER THE GALAXY, who will be playing on Thursday! Anyone who follows this blog will have come across them several times and will know what absolutely thrilling Melodic Death Metal these guys bring to the stage. The band are celebrating their debut with their latest album Bury Your Gods, which I can only heartily recommend! I assume that the band will open the Thursday, so you can safely give up your coffee that day and let DELIVER THE GALAXY roar you awake.
Let’s stick to Melodic Death, because fans of this genre will get their money’s worth with AEPHANEMER on Friday. I’ve been following the French band for a while now and I’m very excited to see what they’ll be like live. In combination with SÓLSTAFIR and DRACONIAN, this will be a good day for all those who like it more melancholic!
On Saturday I hope to see AVATARIUM live for the first time! The Swedes made such a lasting impression on me in an interview last year that the weather-related cancellation of their slot only hurt all the more. Those who like Doom Rock and strong female vocals will definitely be very happy here.
Apart from that, there’s not really anything for me on this day, but I like to be surprised and maybe I’ll find something new for myself when I listen!
Inside information is everything!
Because change is the only constant in life, there is an important change this year, especially with regard to camping: no caravans will be permitted on the standard camping area (still included in the festival ticket). This is the festival organization’s response to the fact that more and more people are arriving with larger caravans, which means that the regular camping areas are filling up faster than planned. Instead, those who want to arrive with a caravan will have to book a ticket for the Caravan Park, which will be accessible from Monday. I think that’s a good balance. For the sake of transparency, however, I have to say that I have never camped at Rockharz myself and probably never will, because I come from the area and therefore only have a 20-minute drive. However, I think it is appropriate and justified to introduce these regulations. In any case, it makes things a bit easier for the organizers on site.
We can only hope that the traffic jam won’t be as bad as it was last year. I recently asked myself what it’s like for the town of Ballenstedt when hundreds of cars invade the town… Is it cool when everything is jammed up?
“When the streets around Ballenstedt fill up at the start of the festival, it’s a familiar sight for us – almost like the secret starting signal for the summer. Of course, such a rush of visitors also brings traffic with it, and yes, it does get more crowded. But to be honest, I see it above all as a sign of anticipation, of movement, of liveliness. People come to us from all over Germany and beyond – not because they have to, but because they want to.” Says Selina Wierig, Chairwoman of the Ballenstedt City Council’s Culture Committee. In Ballenstedt, people seem to be a little more relaxed about it all and perhaps that’s a good starting point for all festival visitors this year! Or, to put it another way with Selina Wierig’s words: “For us as a town, it’s also an encounter with this special energy every time. When the rock fans roll up with their tents and guitars, it’s not a traffic jam for me – it’s the overture to a festival that we welcome with joy.”
Joy is the main thing for me. We are a festival family and every year we take part in a special family reunion that connects us across city, state and national borders and that is so valuable. Especially in a time that is so characterized by division and conflict. Everyone is welcome in Ballenstedt and Selina Wierig confirms that the festival strengthens cohesion: “I don’t see the festival as an external event, but as part of our town’s history. And I am firmly convinced that, in the long term, it not only raises Ballenstedt’s cultural profile, but also strengthens our social fabric.”
Admittedly, that’s a lot of words for a simple message: nothing is really perfect, but we are all working hard to ensure that we have a great time under the Teufelsmauer. There are few things that unite us as much as the love of good music and that goes for me, the event team, the people of Ballenstedt and you out there. If we don’t take ourselves so seriously and instead focus on having fun together, then we’ll have a bombastic few days at Rockharz at the beginning of July. I’m sure of it!
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