Every August for nearly three decades, the small town of Schlotheim in the picturesque region of Thuringia, Germany, transforms into a pilgrimage site for die-hard fans of extreme metal. Party.San Metal Open Air—held at a former airfield surrounded by forest and history—offers an immersive experience for about 10,000 attendees who return year after year for its exceptional lineup, laid-back organization, and raw, honest atmosphere.

With ticket prices ranging from €135.70 for a full weekend pass to €150 or €80 for a single-day ticket, the festival delivers serious value. The airfield provides wide open spaces with both asphalt and grassy sections for camping and gathering. Facilities include well-maintained toilets and showers, designated zones for vehicles, and the option to rent your own private Porta-Pottie. Payment across the festival grounds can be made in cash or by card, and the food and drink options are diverse and high-quality. There’s no shortage of merchandise either, including a stand for official Party.San gear and another for band meet-and-greets.

Behind the main stage, two tents with long benches offer shaded refuge where fans can sit, eat, and still enjoy a full view of the performances. The second stage—the Tent Stage—is close by and more intimate, giving everyone a good view of the action. Though not a massive-scale festival, Party.San punches far above its weight in terms of atmosphere and production.

The ritual begins with the blaring of sirens and a salvo from two cannons flanking the main stage—Esmiralda and her sister—signaling the start and end of each festival day. The first to open the main stage were BASTARD GRAVE, delivering a punishing set of brutal, slow-burning death metal to an already enthusiastic crowd. Next, SINISTER (replacing Broken Hope) stormed in with classic Dutch death metal, Alisa Kloosterwaard on bass fitting in seamlessly as they crushed through tracks like “Sadistic Intent” and “Neurophobic.”

The afternoon shifted into epic territory with ETERNAL CHAMPION, whose frontman Jason Tarpey emerged in a medieval mask to lead a heroic heavy metal performance. The multinational supergroup VLTIMAS followed with a dark, theatrical set led by David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), blending doom and death with flair. SADUS overcame technical delays to erupt into a furious thrash assault that made up for lost time.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER returned with a vengeance, now fronted by guitarist-turned-vocalist Brian Eschbach, paying tribute to the late Trevor Strnad with a moving, energetic performance. LEFT TO DIE, a death metal supergroup led by Matt Harvey (Exhumed), paid homage to Chuck Schuldiner and DEATH with crushing renditions of “Pull the Plug” and “Zombie Ritual.”

As darkness fell, DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT cast a shadowy spell over the crowd. Frontwoman Onielar, dressed in white and soaked in blood, led a ferocious black metal ritual beneath dim lights and a stage adorned with inverted crosses and cattle skulls. TERRORIZER delivered a high-octane grindcore set drawn heavily from their cult classic World Downfall, once again with David Vincent on bass.

Headlining the first night was ABBATH. The Norwegian legend, clad in armor and corpsepaint, stormed the stage under blasts of white fog and fire. With a setlist loaded with Immortal classics like “Sons of Northern Darkness” and “At the Heart of Winter,” Abbath left no doubt that he remains one of black metal’s most iconic figures.

Throughout the day, the Tent Stage kept busy with underground gems. German bands HORRESQUE and IMHA TARIKAT laid down relentless black metal sets, while Norway’s RITUAL DEATH impressed with haunting visuals and hooded mystique. SCHAMMASCH and MEPHORASH closed the night with solemn, ritualistic blackened art that filled the tent to capacity.

Day two began with a brutal wake-up call from STILLBIRTH. Dressed in colorful swimwear and foam surfboards, the Germans turned the pit into a bubble-filled party of grindcore mayhem. OBSCURITY followed with a Viking-tinged metal assault, and Belgian veterans ENTHRONED delivered a powerful set of icy black metal.

In the Tent Stage, AFSKY impressed with emotive black/death fusion, while SACRAMENTUM lent gear to help BEWITCHED (returning after 17 years) perform their black thrash anthems. KRAANIUM served up cold, concise slams, and INCANTATION showed no mercy under light rain with a crushing death metal onslaught.

As a double rainbow formed over the airfield, BATUSHKA offered their signature Orthodox liturgy-inspired performance in full ceremonial attire, transporting the audience into sacred darkness. SÓLSTAFIR followed with an emotional journey through Icelandic post-metal, frontman Addy climbing the front barrier to greet fans during “Goddess of the Ages.”

Friday’s headliner BEHEMOTH unleashed hell with pyrotechnics and religious blasphemy, fronted by the ever-charismatic Nergal. Tracks like “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” and “O Father O Satan O Sun!” lit up the stage with fire and fury, proving they’re still at the top of their game.

Meanwhile, the Tent Stage showcased rising stars and veteran icons alike. CLOAK, VORGA, and LOS MALES DEL MUNDO brought black metal diversity, while Brazilian legends NERVOCHAOS and Greek titans VARATHRON proved the global strength of death and black metal. NOISE NON EST DEUS turned the tent into a liturgical inferno, while KONVENT delivered a monumental death-doom set.

Saturday began with the sludge and stoner sounds of IRON WALRUS, followed by a moving Bathory tribute by BLOOD FIRE DEATH, invoking Quorthon’s spirit with hymns like “A Fine Day to Die.” ULTHAR (US) brought speed and darkness, while ULTHA (DE) returned later with their own introspective post-black metal vision.

REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER, NECROT, HATE, and UNTO OTHERS each left their mark—whether through ritualistic darkness, surgical death metal, blazing hostility, or gothic heavy metal with hooks and heart. SULPHUR AEON and OBSCURA pushed technical boundaries before the mighty LEGION OF THE DAMNED unleashed their explosive thrash/death hybrid.

ANAAL NATHRAKH burned bright with madness and violence, Dave Hunt’s chaotic presence electrifying the crowd. PARADISE LOST stepped in for My Dying Bride, giving a memorable gothic metal performance that included “One Second,” “As I Die,” and a powerful cover of “Smalltown Boy.”

And then came the end—but what an ending. German thrash legends SODOM tore through a fan-voted set of deep cuts and anthems, closing with “Ausgebombt” and “Bombenhagel” amid flares and cheers. Their performance was a triumphant finale to a weekend that had everything: fire, blood, riffs, rainbows, and utter devotion.

Even as the last chords faded and the metal disco played its final songs (yes, including ABBA—though sadly no stage dancing this year), one thing was clear: Party.San Metal Open Air remains one of the most authentic and powerful celebrations of extreme metal anywhere in the world. Massive respect to the crew, security, volunteers, and everyone who made it unforgettable.

See you in 2025!!!

FULL album with ALL the pictures HERE

Thank you so much to the PARTY SAN CREW for another amazing year, and to all those incredible people who were by my side and made it possible for this edition to be unforgettable <3