This year’s DONG Open Air Metal Festival, held at the scenic Dongberg Hill in Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany, from July 11th to 13th, once again proved why it remains a beloved event among metal enthusiasts. For over 15 years, Metal Exposure has been visiting this festival, and each time feels like coming home. The atmosphere is always welcoming, with friendly people and a fantastic crew that goes above and beyond. We eagerly return every year, and this time was no different. Thursday greeted us with excellent weather, although Friday brought quite a bit of rain. Nevertheless, the crew did an outstanding job ensuring the festival could continue, even with a brief obligatory break due to heavy rain.

Thursday:

Since a few years, the festival traditionally starts with final battle of Metal Battle Germany. Corbian competed against Headgear and eventually won the Metal Battle competition for Germany (though we preferred Headgear…).

After the Metal Battle, Tyranthrope took the stage, bringing a blend of humor and heavy metal to the crowd. The singer, donning a Napalm Death t-shirt, engaged the audience with frequent and humorous announcements. While the talking could have been trimmed down a bit, it added a unique charm to their set. Their cover of “Ausgebombt” resonated well with the audience, creating one of the set’s highlights.

Next up was Drone, delivering a heavier sound and drawing a larger crowd. Their performance was incredibly tight, especially impressive given their recent return to the scene after a hiatus. The energy was palpable, with a lively circle pit adding to the excitement. Drone’s comeback was well-received!

Escuela Grind followed, and they did not disappoint. The bass drum was so powerful that it reverberated through the audience, almost literally hitting you in the heart. The frontwoman and guitarist both gave outstanding performances, fuelling the crowd’s energy and maintaining a robust circle pit throughout their set.

As Die Apokalyptischen Reiter took the stage, the first crowd surfers of the festival were spotted. Their set saw a gradual increase in the audience size, and they delivered a fantastic performance with songs like “Friede sei mit dir,” “Der Adler,” and “Es wird schlimmer.” Being veterans, they knew exactly how to engage and please the crowd, making for an overall impressive show, with without a doubt the largest crowd of the day.

The headliner for Thursday was, of course, Behemoth. While their set seemed a bit short, it was as tight and polished as one would expect from such an iconic band. However, the audience’s reaction was somewhat subdued, perhaps because Behemoth’s target audience is not necessarily represented really well at Dong. Despite this, Behemoth delivered a solid performance, featuring classics like “O Father O Satan O Sun!” and “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer”, and got the fans of the more extreme genres of metal moving their heads a lot!

Traditionally the party doesn’t end after the last band is finished. This year the After Party tent moved from the infield to the campsite, and if our eyes didn’t deceive us at this late hour, it seemed the tent got a little bigger this year. This is a welcomed upgrade because we remembered last year’s fully packed tent (read: too many sweaty bodies bumping into you). DJ Benne provided us with one of his legendary afterparties. We were also quite glad to be entertained with a nicely varied playlist instead of only all the classic oldies and party songs! There was much merriment and the Dong-crowd partied into the small hours. 3AM always being greeted with regret, because then the party is over…

Friday

Starting the day already quite windy, the program Friday started with Nephylim, a band from Nijmegen, which made their performance particularly special to me, since I hail from that city originally. They delivered a strong set with good crowd response, kicking off the day on a high note. They were also quite lucky, because they reached the end of their set dry, which could not be said for the next band…the almost biblical rains had begun…

However, despite the downpour, Steel Preacher kept the energy high with their gritty performance. Obviously, the rain did affect the audience size and overall vibe, but kudos to them for standing strong, because at some point we already decided to look for some shelter.

Next up…intermission.. Because of the aforementioned downpour that would make even Noah shudder, the programme had to be paused. Due to the deep puddles (or rather, lakes) in front of, and on the stage and because of the wind, it would not have been possible to continue in a safe manner. At this point we would like to mention our deepest respect for the entire Dong Crew, for keeping up good spirits and working their butts off to make the continuation of the festival possible as soon as possible. Truckloads of woodchip were hauled onto the mountain and distributed in front of the stage, as well as other efforts that were slightly les obvious, but very important nonetheless.

So the Dong visitors would not get too bored while waiting (haha, as if festival visitors ever get bored..) DJ Benne even hosted a karaoke party in the breakfast/afterparty tent. This was very well received and there have been many voted to make this a new Dong-tradition. But without the rain, please. If you didn’t like karaoke there were other spontaneous activities organized, such as fishing or playing a game of Flunkyball in the mysteriously appeared Lake Moshmore. If you followed the signs, you could even find the Geysir Mount Moshmore!

After a few hours of the gods peeing down on us, the show could finally go on! Due to the many hours of delay, but due to circumstances incredibly fast fixed festival area, unfortunately the gigs of Neurotic Machinery and Subterranean Masquerade had to be cancelled, so it was Wucan who took the stage and revitalized the crowd. Known for their energetic performances and eclectic sound, they played songs like “King Korea” and “Night to Fall.” Their set included a tambourine, adding a unique touch that complemented their rock-infused style.

All bands after the flood had to shorten their set, but NanowaR of Steel brought humor and satire to the festival, playing crowd favourites like “Uranus,” “Metal Disco,” “Norwegian Reggaeton,” and “Armpits of Immortals.” The band’s engaging and humorous approach made up for any vocal shortcomings, and the audience loved it, creating a fun and lively atmosphere.

Equilibrium, the German legends, took the stage next. Despite their evolving style, they delivered a powerful set, with “Blut im Auge” being one of the highlights. Their performance showcased their ability to blend folk and metal elements seamlessly, engaging both old and new fans, and a right fit for the audience present today.

Friday’s headliner, In Extremo, closed the day with a mix of medieval and metal music. Their performance was captivating, featuring a lot of pyrotechnics and a diverse setlist that kept the audience enthralled. Known for their theatrical shows, they didn’t disappoint, rounding off a memorable day. Ofcourse they played some classics like “Villeman og Magnhild”, “Sängerkrieg” and of course the raucous anthem “Sternhagelvoll”. At this point, I do believe quite a few people in the audience were in that state of drunkenness!
We ended the night with another of DJ Benne’s legendary afterparties. Need we say more?

Saturday

It was the last day of the festival already. What a bummer. But there were some interesting performances on the programme of the last day.
Aexylium kicked off Saturday with their unique blend of folk and metal. Their set was lively and set a great tone for the day, drawing a decent crowd despite the early hour.

Next up was The Gems, an all-female band, which brought a refreshing energy to the festival. Their performance was top-notch, featuring the touching ballad “Ease Your Pain.” Their set included a tambourine and even a mosh pit, showing their versatility and ability to engage the audience. The Gems are definitely a band to watch in the future. Also check out our interview with band here.

Scarnival followed with their powerful performance, keeping the energy high with their melodic death metal sound. The band’s tight set and engaging stage presence were well-received.
Elvellon’s symphonic metal brought a dramatic flair to the festival. Their performance included a mix of old favourites and new material, like the song “a Vagabond`s Heart”, captivating the audience with their atmospheric sound and powerful vocals.

Vultre Industries from Norway delivered an eclectic and engaging performance. The singer’s interaction with the audience was a highlight, creating a fun and immersive experience. Despite the smaller initial crowd, the audience grew as their set progressed, and the guitarist’s impressive hair was quite the distraction! The setlist included As the World Burns and of course their “hit” Deeper.

Here’s to the only black metal band of the festival (Behemoth is blackened death, after all)! Harakiri for the Sky’s post-black metal sound brought intensity and emotion to the stage. Their performance was atmospheric and powerful, exactly what we expected from the Austrians.

From post black to..rock 70’s disco? Formed nearly a decade ago by friends from renowned bands like SOILWORK, ARCH ENEMY, and MEAN STREAK, The Night Flight Orchestra has been dropping jaws with their nostalgic homage to 80s rock, earning them several Swedish Grammy nominations. They were well received at the Dong Open Air. Some fans even held up signs for the female vocalists, declaring their love for the wonderful ladies on stage. The set included “Midnight Flyer’, “Burn for me”, “Gemini”, and “Satellite”. With the probably longest conga line in the history of Dong their energetic performance and catchy tunes kept the crowd dancing and engaged throughout the show. Good stuff!

So, two things are not really appealing to us about Any Given Day. 1: Their metalcore sound, and 2: the fact they are from Gelsenkirchen. However, it was a hit with the crowd. Their tight performance and dynamic stage presence ensured they left a lasting impression and they did a great job warming up the audience for Saturday`s headliner.

Closing the festival, the ‘locals’ from Blind Guardian delivered an epic set filled with classics like “Valhalla”, “The Bard’s Song” and “Mirror Mirror”. Their performance was a perfect finale, showcasing their legendary status in the metal world. The crowd’s energy peaked during their set. Not only their energy but also their size. The field was by far filled to the fullest during Blind Guardian their show, which makes them a true headliner and worthy ending the festival on a high note.

Although…the festival wasn’t quite over yet, was it? For those of you who have been paying attention, the last act of the festival was still to come. Please welcome DJ Benne to the stage and enjoy the last party of the festival! 3 AM arrived way too soon and though people were begging DJ Benne to continue, we were swept out of the afterparty tent without remorse to return to our tents and to everyday life…

Overall, DONG Open Air 2024 was another unforgettable experience. The mix of weather challenges and outstanding performances made for a unique and memorable event. We can’t wait to return next year!