GIG REVIEW: Keep It True XXIV @ Tauberfrankenhalle (Lauda-Königshofen, Germany)

It’s that time of year that I return to the best Heavy Metal festival in the world, Keep It True! Set in picturesque Bavarian Germany and packed with the best bands of the olden days and newer underground acts in perfect harmony, it’s always the highlight of my year. Enough chit chat, I want to sink my teeth into some Heavy Metal!

Thursday

Acero Letal took the stage with a confidence and passion that was palpable in the room. These Chilean headbangers delivered pure speeding, melodic Heavy Metal with such a power and equally crazy response from the crowd. One of the most promising newer bands from South America, Acero Letal are masters of playing catchy and intoxicating music that you cannot miss when they play over here.

Century are one of those bands where every song seems to be an anthem. Proof lies in the fact everybody sang along to every song, even the brand new material. Playing with perfect sound and expert delivery, these young Swedes really gave us a headbanging dream with their mid-tempo ragers that all felt so familiar (probably from playing the records a billion times).

Attacker closed the night with a set that blissfully included numbers from what of my favourite USPM albums “Battle At Helms Deep”, playing as tight and precise as they back in the day. While there was a couple of sound issues, they soldiered on and delivered a really enjoyable closing to the warm-up show and as a band I did not expect to see, I was really happy with how it turned out.

Century. Photo by The Sights Of Perseverance.

Friday

Morgul Blade were one of the more extreme bands of the festival with their blackened epic Heavy Metal. Opening the day was an interesting choice but their enchanting set proved worth the early start because they may not have gigged much, but felt a really magical band to start the main portion of the festival.

Grave Digger delivered an unexpectedly crushing set. Having never seen them before, this 80s oriented setlist was played majestically and perfectly. I was truly blown away but how damned amazing they sounded from start to end. Additionally the sheer power of their sound was totally intense and reached every corner of the room. Seeing these classic tracks performed with such integrity to the original feel of the records was a real splendid moment of the festival.

Heavy Load was a band I have waited a long time to see. Now, let’s get the elephant out of the room; there was a few sound issues and hiccups in the first quarter. That said, the enthusiasm of the crowd and musicians alike really carried it over and the remaining majority went much smoother. This ancient legendary band of Swedish Heavy Metal really was a delight to see and for the minor faults, the sheer love for playing from the four members really made up for it. Similarly the fervently singing crowd gave every bit of adoration back. I have heard mixed opinions from friends, but I had a truly wonderful time and loved seeing Heavy Load.

Heavy Load. Photo by The Sights Of Perseverance.

Tyrann. Photo by The Sights Of Perseverance.

Saturday

Tyrann is a rare live appearance and a band I’ve been dying to see. Every single second of their set was pure Heavy Metal perfection. Fun, crazy, passionate and fist-pounding ’til the end. Playing a superb mix from both their albums, leaning more towards the debut, I had the most fun imaginable with a band who bleed mercury and insist nobody make fashion of their Heavy Metal passion. This is the kind of band you want to rage to at a festival surrounded by the truest rockers from in (and indeed outside of) Europe!

Bulldozer brought the evil with a set mostly dedicated to their finest record: “The Day Of Wrath”. As one of my favourite Black Metal albums, I was ecstatic at how phenomenally they played these opuses of demonic might. Their blasphemy bulldozed the ball with crushing bass lines, menacing vocals, pounding drums and the most spectral riffing. It feels like Bulldozer are stronger than ever with their material screaming from the speakers with every confidence in the world.

Bulldozer. Photo by The Sights Of Perseverance.

Stormwitch were the band I was most excited of all to see. Having heard mixed things about their live show, I was pleasantly surprised when they delivered an extremely tight and near flawless set. The three older members (especially for this show) and two younger guys played a blinding set comprised of material from most the bands records. While more from “Walpurgis Night” would have been ideal to my preferences, I was headbanging, pounding my fist and singing my way through this set too much to care much. Truly magnificent.

I Am Morbid crushed it. Hearing the first four Morbid Angel records played so brutally by David Vincent and Pete Sandoval was insane. Their choice of songs could not have been better and the weight of their sound filled the air with pure decaying morbidity. A Death Metal set at Keep It True is hardly a regular occurrence but clearly when they do opt for the more extreme stuff, they go for only the best. Having never seen any version of Morbid Angel live yet, this was a huge moment for me as one of my first Extreme Metal bands. One that certainly excelled expectations thousandfold.

Stormwitch. Photo by The Sights Of Perseverance.

Liege Lord closed the festival with a setlist paying tribute to the late and wonderful Matt Vinci who tragically passed away last year. The band honoured his memory spectacularly with their powerful and technical Heavy Metal thunder raising the rooftop for one last bout of battle-ready brilliance. Splitting the setlist fairly ideally between the three records, there was so much glory in the air as we all remembered the legacy of this band and revelled in the amazing performance they gave this night. A truly unforgettable closing to the festival.

There we have it, another Keep It True edition and as always it was Heavy Metal heaven (and hell)! I watched almost every band and loved almost all of those which made this a really heartwarming review to write. As always, the superb organisation and maniacal fans made this festival the perfect experience that it was. Furthermore I got to buy some fantastic records at the market (if you’re interested to see, look on my Instagram @nattskog). As my fourth Keep It True event (two standard, two rising), I am always thrilled to come home to it. Lastly, I got my tickets for next years 25th anniversary edition and warmup and encourage you all to do the same before it sells out!

Heavy Metal to the world!

Liege Lord. Photo by The Sights Of Perseverance.