Live report ELBRIOT 2024, Open Air am Grossmarkt, Hamburg – August 10th, 2024

It is a perfect day for a festival in Hamburg on August 10th. It is warm but not hot. It is sunny but with fluffy white clouds and there is a breeze but not a strong one. So the circumstances are great on this Saturday for Elbriot 2024 to become a very entertaining metal party.

As in previous years, the line up of the 2024 edition is diverse, although not as extreme as last year. Elbriot always brings some great bands together for a one-day festival in the middle of Hamburg, and it is Bokassa who have the opening slot today.

Bokassa:
The Norwegian stoner rock enthusiasts start their show at 13:00 under a blazing sun. I had the chance to see the band when they supported Therapy? on their tour a few months ago. The music of the Trondheim-based band is a mixture of stoner, punk and metal. It is a wild and energetic sound that bursts out of the speakers and although the guys have the unrewarding slot as an opener, the trio delivers, which is also visible, looking at the number of fans in front of the stage who are obviously having a very good time already that early.

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Brutus:

After such a great start the stage is ready for one of the most impressive newcomers. Brutus from Belgium are announced and the trio enters the stage under big applause. The band and especially singer Stefanie Mannaerts are touched by the warm welcome of the fans. Brutus have a lot of fans in the Hanseatic city, which became obvious a few months ago when their show had to be moved from the Logo to the Grosse Freiheit. Compared to the club show, a festival performance is a different ball game and Brutus mastered the challenge masterly. The trio has enough passion and authenticity to spread their musical magic even on a big stage in bright sunlight. Elbriot is the last show on this year’s festival tour for the three Belgians and they give it all they have. It is this combination of fragile moments and high-voltage outbursts that makes Brutus’ songs an experience that many people enjoy today.

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Neaera:

After seeing two very different bands it is time to move on to the next group and this time we are offered metalcore from Germany. German metalcore veterans were the final band announced for Elbriot 2024 and how good was the decision to add them to the line-up.

Neaera, the band with the difficult name, released a brilliant new album with “All is Dust” and the guys don’t waste any time to bring the energy of the album on stage. The first notes of the opener “Armamentarium” just hit the fans while frontman Benjamin Hilleke is already on his way from the stage into the crowd. He sings and screams in the middle of a small wall of death, before the crowd absorbs the singer. Band and fans as one unit. It is often an abstract description, while today offers the real fusion of both.

I guess during the set Hilleke spends as much time in front of the stage as on it, and the fact that the whole stage is full of fans towards the end of their show is a memorable moment of this year’s Elbriot. Neaera stand for great music and they’re a band that’s really close to their fans from whom nobody noticed that the guys were a bit nervous, as Hilleke stated earlier. Neaera is a first highlight and sets the bar for the bands to come.

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The Amity Affliction:

A blend of metalcore and post-hardcore is what The Amity Affliction have to offer and they do it loud. With eight albums under their belt and a very solid fan base in their home country, the Australians embarked on a summer tour of Europe, including some of the bigger festivals.

Being the act to follow the very impressive performance of Neaera doesn’t make things easier for the Australians, but The Amity Affliction manage to get the crowd moving. Circle pits are present and crowd surfers are in the air. Even the colorful unicorn is in the air, but somehow the magic does not really blossom. While the fans obviously enjoy the show, you can also see some people having a good time while waiting for the other bands to come.

The set of The Amity Affliction finds a balanced way of aggressive sounds with the vocals of Joel Birch being the restless one on stage. Constantly on the move, the frontman screams and shouts like there’s no tomorrow, while bassist Ahren Stringer adds melodic clean vocals to the mix. However, the electric spark is missing today.

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Graveyard:

Graveyard, these guys are the prototype for a typical rock band. Rooted in the sound of the 70s, the Swedes create music that is bursting with energy and on the other hand the guys have the talent to create soulful songs with a partly psychedelic feel.

Today, Graveyard laser in on the heavier moments in their discography, which fits in well with this festival setup. The Swedes represent a different genre than the other bands anyway, and it is the momentum of rock music that works perfectly in such a summer atmosphere. It’s a positive and easy-going vibe that fills the Grossmarkt area as the band plays a setlist that includes songs from their latest release “6” as well as some of the band’s earlier creative highlights.

Packaged in between The Amity Affliction and the following Motionless In White, Graveyard are the moment of ease with music that is a treat for heart and soul.

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Motionless In White:

The next show is a completely different ball game. Just looking at the fans in the front row shows that we can expect a performance that has very little to do with traditional rock music. A lot of girls are looking forward to see their idols live on stage. It’s a band from Pennsylvania, USA that enters the stage to huge applause and loud screams from the female audience. You almost get the idea that a pop band is starting their show and it might even be the case considering the rising popularity of Motionless In White.

The band has been around for twenty years and has continued to build their fan base with each album becoming more successful than the one before. Musically, Motionless In White are rooted in metalcore, and besides the screams of the fanbase, it is frontman Chris Cerulli who is very present on stage.

Shouting and constantly moving, the singer is a great entertainer too. In general it has to be said that Motionless In White don’t just play a show. These guys have a concept for the band that includes the music and the visual aspect. Masks and make up may not be the new and fancy thing, but it fits this band and adds to the experience. Despite playing at a time with sunshine and a summer ambience, the Americans managed to get the dark metal blast across with fans starting circle pits, crowd surfers on their way and the aforementioned female fanbase that seems to be screaming in full excitement during the entire show. It is the fusion of a gothic vibe and blasting metal that makes the music of this band to an infectious musical experience.

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Beyond The Black:

Next on the list is Beyond The Black and all of a sudden we enter the field of melodic and symphonic metal that fills the Grossmarkt area. Beyond The Black is Jennifer Haben, who is the only remaining founding member after the band went through a complete lineup change in 2016. She is the center of the band, which is also evident in the way the show starts.

A transparent drum is placed in the middle of the stage and it is Haber who is the first one on stage, starting the very catchy “Dancing in the Dark” with some powerful drum beats. This doesn’t last long, though, as the rest of the band joins in, and from the opener to the closing “In the Shadows,” Beyond The Black represents the love and heart aspect of the emotional rollercoaster today.

Equipped with a bombastic sound, the band played a very professional set that would have deserved a bit more spontaneity, as the whole performance gives the impression of being very well choreographed. However, these 60 minutes are the moment when the heart-sign is more present than the horn, which adds to the diversity of Elbriot.

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Amon Amarth:

Last but not least the Vikings arrived in Elbriot. Most of the fans are eagerly waiting for Amon Amarth and their show. A few raindrops fall from the clouds just before the Swedes enter the stage and it feels like the spray of the ocean announces the Viking ship with its bearded crew.

The stage is covered during the rebuild and the moment the curtain falls everyone gets a view of the impressive stage setup. It’s not that it’s new. It is rather the dimension of the two Viking statues to the left and right that is striking. And it is the bow of a huge Viking ship that clearly shows the thematic journey we are all going to take in the next 70 minutes.

Amon Amarth is the headliner of this year’s Elbriot and the guys don’t leave any doubt why. Especially “Guardians of Asgaard”, which comes very early in the set, is a first statement of energy and power. Supported by flames and fire Amon Amarth offer a literally hot show tonight and those who decided to put on their hoodies already could easily go back to their t-shirts.

Amon Amarth are a band made for festivals. The guys offer great music and it is the show that enriches open air event as Elbriot. It’s the Viking image, the well-crafted melodies and the death metal harshness that, together with the scenery itself, is a well-functioning setup for success. The five-piece may not have the unpredictable moments on their side, but it is the authentic way they approach their music and the closeness to their fans that makes this band something special. Amon Amarth – a highlight of the day.

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After many ten hours on the site and having seen eight bands we can conclude that Elbriot 2024 was a success. Great weather, enthusiastic fans and a respectful togetherness is what remains in people’s minds. What also will be remembered is the outstanding performance of Neaera that lift that bar when it comes to being connected to the people.

In addition, prices for merch and food weren’t cheap but OK in the context of what you pay at other festivals and shows and if there will be a better queue management at the food tents things would be even better since waiting 35 minutes is just too long.

Last but not least, Elbriot will also take place next year and the first band is already announced. Papa Roach will come to Hamburg and let’s see who will join them on August 9th, 2025.