25 years of Wacken Open Air
What began in 1990 with six bands and about 800 visitors is now the world's biggest heavy metal festival. Fans are swarming the northern German village for a top-notch lineup.
Heavy metal holy land
W:O:A - Wacken Open Air: Metalheads call it their holy land. The site of the pilgrimage is located - of all places - in a sleepy northern German village. Once again this year, around 75,000 fans made their way to Wacken, population 2,000. Around 100 acts are playing over four days.
A legend is born
In 1990, nobody could have imagined the later sope of the event. W:O:A is now world famous. Last year's German documentary "Wacken 3D" and countless reports have bolstered its popularity. Whether Iron Maiden, the Scorpions or Rammstein, big name rockers take the stage year after year.
Long sold out
This 2014 fest sold out in a flash just a few days after last year's W:O:A. Fans knew the organizers would come up with a rocking lineup for the 25th edition, and with Motörhead, Slayer and Saxon on the bill, they weren't disappointed.
'We play rock'n'roll'
That's how frontman Lemmy Kilmister likes to greet his fans. Motörhead were on stage ten years ago for Wacken's 15th anniversary. Despite health problems, he and his boys are back for another milestone year.
Heavy metal in the bloodstream
Growing up around the coal mines of Germany's Ruhr Valley, the founding members of Kreator - Miland "Mille" Petrozza and Jürgen "Ventor" Reil - know all about heavy metals. Their thrash metal band is among the oldest and best-known in the genre, and they've rocked the world's stages for over 30 years.
Back again: Slayer
Californian band Slayer is also considered thrash metal, a kind of trademark for metal music as a whole. Founded in 1981 with four players, bassist and singer Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King are the only original members still in the group. Slayer first took the stage in Wacken in 2003.
All ages show
At Wacken, the crowd is young and old, local and international. But there's no getting around flashing the sign of the horns. The metalhead gesture is used at every opportunity during the festival.
Metal institution
The veteran rockers in Saxon are also proof that at W:O:A, age is irrelevant. Founded in Yorkshire in 1976, the five Brits around founding members Peter "Biff" Byford and Paul Quinn first hit the Wacken stage in 1992. 22 years later, they don't seem the least bit weary. "Sacrifice," their latest release, came in 2013, and this year, they're releasing a live album.
'Louder than hell'
Unlike the concrete aggression in punk - against the power of the state, for example - metal shows often provide a venue for dismantling aggression. For that, the music has to be really loud - "louder than hell" in fact, to quote the festival motto. Many bands on stage play at jet engine volume.
Avantasia - the metal opera
W:O:A also goes down gentler roads. Avantasia is an ambitious solo project by Edguy singer Tobias Sammet. In early 1999, he started putting together ideas for a metal opera - a concept album with a number of guest musicians. Not stopping there, Sammet regularly takes the stage with various musicians and new songs.
Crowdsurfing, headbanging
Pogo dancing at Wacken? Don't think so. Here it's all about headbanging and crowdsurfing. The latter is officially forbidden, but people usually look the other way.
German metal pioneers
Headbangers get their money's worth with this act. Founded in the early 70s in the city of Solingen, Accept is a groundbreaking band in the German heavy metal scene. In the 1980s, it was perhaps second only to the Scorpions when in fame among international rock fans. Accept is a highlight of Wacken's 25th anniversary.