Friday. Day 2. 8:00 in the morning. The campsite is awakened by German Schlager music. And bad weather: it’s raining. The Eifel region reveals its face. Last year, we were baked by the heat for 3 consecutive days – this year, it’s cool and wet. Plenty of rain. So, you sneak through the rain to the secret festival breakfast spot: Café Zur Schönen Aussicht. Small but delightful, they always offer an ‘All-you-can-eat’ breakfast buffet and unlimited coffee during the festival. The owners, who help at the festival food stand in the evenings, serve coffee, juice, and rolls in the morning.

Strengthened, you wait in your camping shelter, watching the thorough watering from above. But the rock gods have mercy, and the rain stops as the concerts begin.

The second day kicked off with last year’s winner of the TollRock talent competition, which always takes place on every festival Saturday: BASEMENTROCK, a local band.

Following them was another local rising star who performed at Wacken in 2023: HOSTAGE. Metalcore with groove and a touch of emo best describes their music. Their dedicated local fan base demanded their appearance, filling the infield with great energy.

One of the festival’s distinctive features is its diverse and stylistically varied band selection. This was evident in the following gig by CLAWFINGER. These Swedish rap metal veterans, with 30 years in the business, have likely played every renowned festival worldwide and collaborated with big names. Except for ACE OF BASE, their Swedish neighbors, with whom they strictly refused to work. The audience’s good vibes reached new heights, and lead singer Tell Zak had a blast trying on almost every headgear from the crowd, including the ‘one-eyed sunglasses’ found on stage the day before.

A radical shift followed: It was time for U.D.O. Udo Dirkschneider, founding vocalist of the band Accept, is a true German metal legend. His unmistakable voice remains strong even at 70+. Since 2023, he’s back with another ACCEPT founding member, Peter Baltes on bass, and U.D.O. has unwaveringly followed their path since 1997. Their catchy metal, with hymn-like choruses, compels the audience to sing along. Don’t expect stage antics from Mr. Dirkschneider; his vocal and musical prowess more than compensate.

The grand finale of day two was BIZKIT PARK. These Belgians from the Eifel’s ‘neighborhood’ rocked hard. Their musical name says it all – they cover everything in the Nu Metal genre. A spectacular light show accompanied their non-stop movement on stage – jumping, dancing, and giving it their all. The brief rain shower went unnoticed; the spectacle was breathtaking. It’s no wonder this band quickly became an act that conquered the biggest festival stages, including their own country’s biggest metal festival Graspop Metal Meeting and later this summer Alcatraz Festival!

A fitting end to day two.