Furious finale

Nova Rock: The best comes to the castle

The mouthpiece of Generation Alpha and a headliner who has absolutely earned this status: Bring Me The Horizon around frontman Olli Sykes.

(Bild: Andreas Graf)

The battle is over, now it's back to normal life. On the fourth and final day of Nova Rock, the best and most entertaining headliner was Bring Me The Horizon. The festival was mostly sunny, musically colorful and peaceful - the best conditions for putting together a nice edition in 2025.

The torrential rain on Saturday night gave rise to fears for the final day at Nova Rock, but organizers and fans got off with more than a black eye on Sunday. There are puddles on the site, but on the whole the ground holds and progress is possible without any problems. You also save yourself a lot of walking on the additional day because the Red Stage has already been taken out of service and is being removed by hard-working stagehands during the sound on the main stage. Those who arrive at the traditional Wendi's Böhmische Blasmusik event at midday can prepare themselves for the last day with a good pint of beer. If you think away from the seriously practiced traditional elements, then you can also feel the restless spirit of the Fäaschtbänkler buzzing around here - it can give you goose bumps even though the sun is burning down on your body.

Utopia am Acker
The atmosphere among the Nova Rock visitors is - as on the previous days - relaxed and cozy. The people are well spread out on the site, there are hardly any heavy drinkers and the potential for aggression from pubescent almost-graduates is very limited. One is almost tempted to say that there is a kind of universal utopia here that can make us forget all the problems of this world - not the worst vision these days. The leisurely Southern rock of Black Stone Cherry, established in Austria, is the perfect musical backdrop for this dreamy hippie fantasy. Precisely because the band takes it so leisurely and heartily, it fits in well with the farewell melancholy that always afflicts the "Nova townspeople" at the end.

The fans at Nova Rock celebrated peacefully and with a lot of love for the music.

(Bild: Andreas Graf)

Knowledge of Japanese culture and its manga and anime worlds is certainly no disadvantage at the end of the festival. With Beast In Black (band name), Babymetal (rough concept) and Bring Me The Horizon (occasionally in songs), three combos drew on Far Eastern culture and gave Nova Rock its own color at the end. The original casting project Babymetal has now also established itself in the domestic live sector and attracts a considerable number of fans and interested parties to the stage. Generic groove metal is played at a deafening volume across the area, while the three singers Su-Metal, Moametal and Momometal dance to it in sparkling costumes and visually accurate synchronization. There are also graphic fade-ins, occasional columns of fire and a lot of weird staging.

Exploring new boundaries
The focus is on the current album "The Other One", which Su-Metal explains in the "Krone" interview. "The album expresses ten different worlds in the cosmos of Babymetal in ten song chapters. The content of the album draws heavily on myths and old photographs, which is why there is always something new to discover." Babymetal exist in their fictional "Metalverse" and have big plans for the future. "We have no idea how far we will go with this band, but we believe that we can push the boundaries completely." Babymetal have already brought the sugar-colored anime metal to Vienna, which Moametal remembers with joy. "When we played here in winter, the illuminated buildings just blew me away. And the Sachertorte is simply delicious." It remains to be seen whether they tried the Alpenkebab at the Nova site.

The unique trio Babymetal from Japan at the shoot with the "Krone" after the interview.

(Bild: Andreas Graf)

In complete contrast to the Japanese kawaii metal, hardcore legends Biohazard perform in front of the stage. The New York collective finally reintegrated their prodigal son and ex-porn star Evan Seinfeld in 2022 and have been successfully playing global festivals and venues ever since. Frontman Billy Graziadei seeks full contact with the fans and throws himself into the mosh pit and onto the shoulders of fans with his guitar, the fully body-tattooed Evan Seinfeld talks about his Austrian grandmother and drummer Danny Schuler forms the powerful rhythmic foundation that gives songs like "Five Blocks To The Subway", "Punishment" or "Black And White And Red All Over" the right beat. The reunited old friends' joy of playing is endless, the sound is basic and powerful and the few but enthusiastic fans give their all.

Hardcore as a kitchen metaphor
"We just have a lot of fun playing and enjoy the concerts at the moment," Graziadei and Schuler tell us in an interview after the gig, "for the fact that it was the last day of the festival and people were already tired, we had a really good time." In addition to their own legend, Biohazard also want to continue with new material. "We've been working on it for some time and are currently finalizing the ideas." When asked when the time would finally come, the two musicians are naturally reserved. "It's like eating. You can eat fast food and be full in the short term without it lasting long. Or you can take your time, choose the right ingredients, garnish it nicely and let the eye eat along with it." So let's hope that the sound chefs don't oversalt their broth. If they do, you can always fall back on the immortal classics.

Cult bassist Evan Seinfeld has been back on board with Biohazard for around two years now. The joy of playing is unbroken.

(Bild: Andras Graf)

The best atmosphere of the evening is created by Boston punk rock cult band The Dropkick Murphys. Frontman Ken Casey has been guiding the ship through all waters for 26 years now and knows how to maneuver it successfully through all ups and downs. You can't go wrong with songs like "The Boys Are Back", "Rose Tattoo" or the final fan favorite "I'm Shipping Up To Boston". With bagpipe, banjo and guitar sounds, there's no need for a lot of frippery, because the show by the Americans with the Irish touch is kept to the basics and also encourages a joyful toast on Sunday. Like no other band, the Murphys are able to mix socially critical and political lyrics with a stress-free party atmosphere, conveying their message without wagging their index finger. This is neither new nor particularly exciting, but more than suitable for a cozy end to the day. In any case, this year's festival's closing band makes quite a racket.

Heavy metal sound roller
If you can still draw the last bit of strength from your shaky bones, you won't be able to stand still during the British metal squad Bring Me The Horizon. Spurred on by their brand new concept album "Post Human: Nex Gen", the quartet fired a powerful broadside of sound at the large audience that was definitely second to none. Songs like "Darkside", "Teardrops" or "Parasite Eve" meander between catchy pop, brute deathcore rides and electronic eccentricity. In front of the lush, partly digital stage set-up, frontman Olli Sykes rages across the stage like a madman in a white jumpsuit and calls for a mosh pit time and time again. His band stands inconspicuously in the background, but plays with accentuation and precision.

A born entertainer who is not afraid of the grand gestures in hard music: Olli Sykes from Bring Me The Horizon.

(Bild: Andreas Graf)

Massive fire fountains and breathtaking lighting effects contribute to Bring Me The Horizon not only playing their biggest gig to date at Nova Rock, but also proving that hardly anyone can hold a candle to them as a young band in the hard rock sector. The lyrics, written from the deepest psychic valleys, are - just like the music - sometimes disturbed, sometimes open-hearted, sometimes unprotected and frontal. The Brits are not only fighting their own demons, but also those of their listeners. When Babymetal take to the stage for the brilliant "Kingslayer", the cheering knows no bounds. Electric guitar bands are dead? Not at all, but it still pays to think outside the comfort box and try something new. The only downer: the backing vocals coming from the band don't have to be, otherwise the Brits played the most impressive live set this weekend.

Looking forwardto next year
Nova Rock 2024 will go down in history as one of the best ever with this closing event. A colorful line-up, almost consistently wonderful weather conditions, satisfied fans and a party-like, but aggression-free overall atmosphere were convincing. However, organizer Ewald Tatar wants to move away from the now established four-day concept, as he told the "Krone". "I get a lot of messages that three days is the ideal length and I want to return to this number." But what if a brilliant headliner were to be offered for a possible fourth day? "Then of course that would have to be considered, but nothing is planned in this regard." The next Nova Rock will take place from June 12 to 14, 2025, and the first bands have already been announced: Slipknot, Wanda, Electric Callboy and Lorna Shore. From today, Monday, you can buy a limited number of early bird tickets at www.novarock.at. The countdown starts all over again.