For this year's (third) Tolminator Metal Fest, which took place from 23 to 27 July, we devised an ideal plan. Given the experience of previous years (including the much larger predecessor MetalDays) and, of course, the long-known line-up, we didn't plan to attend many gigs, specifically eight (out of more than 60): Belgian doom/death metal outfit Marche Funèbre, British gothic metal/rock newcomers High Parasite, legendary Kreator, Polish dark folk/blues/americana band Me And That Man, Cradle Of Filth (for the second time in less than a year), Germany's funeral doom metallers Ahab, Rotting Christ, and Ministry (for the first time!).

Our plan could be called a "vacation with benefits" - we would spend the day by (and in) one of the nearby beautiful rivers, and in the evening we would see a concert or two. What could be better! Well, the weather...

We gave up Marche Funèbre's performance on the Beach Stage right from the start, because they were scheduled for the early afternoon hours, and we barely managed to get to the venue for High Parasite (we even missed one song), which took the Tolminator Stage at 17:45 and stayed there until 18:30. The performance wasn't exactly "worthy of all praise", because the sound wasn't good, which was most noticeable with Tombs' singing. Aaron, dressed in white and known for his dramatic gestures with My Dying Bride, was noticeably less energetic. This was undoubtedly due to the strong sun, which still managed to find its way onto the stage through the treetops. High Parasite played almost their entire debut album, Forever We Burn (released in September 2024), in mixed order. They only left out the "My Syndrome" track, but delivered a new one, "Cold", which announces a promising sophomore album. The audience seemed to welcome all the songs with somewhat equal enthusiasm, and the curtain fell with the album's title track. A good half hour later, we were sitting in the press room with Aaron and Tombs and recorded the interview, which you can read HERE. I would have had a few more questions today, especially for Aaron regarding My Dying Bride, but that ship has sailed.

We had some time to kill before the start of Kreator's performance - the last one that day, but probably the most anticipated one of the entire Tolminator Metal Fest - which was scheduled for 23:40. We wandered around a bit, had a few beers, and spent some time with my cousin Nik, who’s been appearing with his stall at festivals and major concerts across Slovenia for several years now. Time slipped away in good company, and before we knew it, Kreator were already on stage.

And here comes Tomaz with his take on Kreator's performance (I was under the stage myself, but I've never been a fan): "If there's one band that truly deserves cult status, it's the German thrash metal champions Kreator. They've weathered every rise and fall of the genre and stood the test of time - and they proved it to the crowd at this festival. Although I'm no longer the thrash devotee I was over 30 years ago, when I devoured albums like Endless Pain, Pleasure To Kill, Terrible Certainty, Extreme Aggression, Coma Of Souls, and Renewal, Kreator still holds a special place in my heart - unlike many other bands from that era. That's why, despite having seen them live plenty of times, I couldn't miss Mille Petrozza and his crew.

Before the show began, a large curtain bearing the Kreator logo covered the stage. When it dropped after two intro tracks, it revealed a grand, eye-catching backdrop featuring three towering mascots known as Violent Mind. Everything was set for impact - and that's exactly what we got. This time, Kreator delivered what was likely their most aggressive setlist to date, split into two distinct periods. The crowd was fired up, and Mille repeatedly called for circle pits and walls of death - both of which he achieved, alongside a steady stream of crowd surfers. It goes without saying that most of the audience knew every lyric by heart. The sound was excellent, the performance tight. Mille's age has slightly softened his vocals - they're less fierce than they were two decades ago - but the rest of the band more than made up for it. The legendary Ventor on drums, guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédéric Leclercq filled every gap with precision and power. At times, it felt like the whole stage might go up in flames - there was that much fire and pyrotechnic spectacle. Sadly, unlike at some other festivals, Kreator didn't play my favourites: 'Extreme Aggression', 'Renewal', 'Love Us Or Hate Us', 'Coma Of Souls', and 'Terrible Certainty'. Still, we got solid renditions of 'Betrayer', 'People Of The Lie', and '666 – World Divided', released in 2020 on a split EP with Lamb Of God. In short, Kreator showed they're nowhere near ready for the nursing home. They remain a driving force in Teutonic thrash".

We spent the night in the car, as the ban on camping in the VIP car park was enforced more strictly this time. Surprisingly, we managed a full seven hours of sleep, but by noon, we had to bury our lovely plan, and we surrendered to the dreary weather. At least we were well-rested.

After breakfast, we headed into town for coffee. The bar we always visited in Tolmin had vanished, leaving us feeling a touch nostalgically sad. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to find a free table in one of the neighbouring bars. The days when Tolmin buzzed with festival crowds -streets, bars, and shops packed to the brim - are long gone, thanks to the 5,000-person cap introduced some years ago.

Even this year, Tolminator didn't reach that number; fewer than 3,000 people attended. I've no idea why turnout was relatively low again, especially since Punk Rock Holiday, usually held two weeks later, sells out every time. The line-up, though far from my musical taste, wasn't bad - but, as usual, it lacked variety. Tolminator Metal Fest - metal is a broad musical genre that encompasses a wide range of styles and subgenres, but Tolminator focuses on the more extreme end of the spectrum and throws in a dose of hardcore. Anyway, our plan to spend the day by the river and skip the bands we weren't interested in was washed away. Plan B was not so interesting - wandering around with longer stops in the press room - blessed be.

The night brought Me And That Man to the stage - a Polish dark folk/Americana blues band founded by Behemoth's Nergal, Adam Michał Darski. Behemoth performed at last year's Tolminator Fest, and I must admit, they would've suited me better this year, too, than Me And That Man. The band, with their current vocalist "Preacher", delivered a charmingly choreographed and playful performance, rich in audience interaction. Nergal made sure to mention that, after numerous appearances here, he already feels quite at home. I can't recall which songs they played during their hour-long set (no setlist in sight), but they certainly skipped the one I like most - "Angel Of Light (feat. Myrkur)". The crowd, surprisingly enthusiastic given its mostly metal leanings, responded with great excitement. I, on the other hand, wasn't quite feeling it - perhaps I simply wasn't "blue" enough for blues that day.

Following a half-hour intermission, Cradle Of Filth took to the stage - this time with fewer props than during their November 2024 show in Ljubljana; I missed those cute skeletal guys... We had the opportunity to observe the band, who were not interested in an interview this time either, during their early afternoon soundcheck, as the press room is right across from the Tolminator Stage. There was a faint tension among them, which would reach its peak a month later with the departure of keyboardist and backing vocalist Zoë Marie Federoff-Šmerda, followed days later by her husband, guitarist Marek "Ashok" Šmerda. We were, then, among the last to witness Cradle Of Filth in this particular line-up. The story, by now, is well-known - both sides have released a flurry of statements. Had it continued a little longer, we might have ended up with something resembling an epistolary novel. Otherwise, it's none of my business, but it is my business to follow the gig, which is (all too often) easier said than done. During the first three songs, I was mostly searching for a decent spot closer to the stage. No matter where I moved, I inevitably found myself near groups of people chatting loudly and incessantly. With no other option, I retreated further back - just as midnight struck, ushering in Dani's 52nd birthday.

Well, apparently the timing wasn’t ideal, as from so far away I couldn’t see what was happening on stage very clearly. To me, it looked like mini chaos... A man I didn’t recognise (he later sang a song with Cradle Of Filth) came on stage and brought Dani a cake with burning candles. Congratulations followed, the audience cheered loudly, and Dani said something...

The performance itself was as we've probably come to expect from Cradle Of Filth - and especially Dani: screaming and bouncy. In just over an hour, they served up three songs from their new album, The Screaming Of The Valkyries (released in March through Napalm Records): "To Live Deliciously", "White Hellebore", and "Malignant Perfection", alongside "The Forest Whispers My Name", "The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh", "She Is A Fire", "Nymphetamine (Fix)", "Born In A Burial Gown", and "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids".

The sound was, as with Me And That Man, good. In a much more cheerful mood - though still far from the boundless joy of Slovenia's own Kekec - we headed to the Beach Stage, where, apart from a few groups sitting here and there by the riverside, there was nothing else going on. And so we went... to sleep in the car for another night.

In the morning, fortunately, after another good night's sleep - a repeat of the previous day - coffee in the city, what else? The weather had worsened; light rain began to fall and continued intermittently throughout the afternoon. The previous evening, we were already leaning towards the idea of ​​heading home early. And over coffee, we finally "leaned over". We stayed a little longer at the Beach Stage, where we attended a concert by the Austrian melodic death metal band Athiria, followed by the Italian black 'n' roll outfit Whiskey Ritual. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by both of them. Athiria's vocalist, Andy Schaf, took to the stage in flip-flops - a bold move in itself - and led the band through their set with energetic command. Between songs, she addressed the audience in a voice so gentle, almost timid, it felt like a different person entirely.

Whiskey Ritual undoubtedly earned every bit of praise - and received it in an almost intimate fashion at the end of their set, as fans crowded onto the stage. It almost felt like being at a biker fest - only with black metal instead of rock blasting through the speakers. Fronted by the charismatic Dorian Bones, the band delivered a well-crafted stage show, brimming with energy and joking interaction with the crowd.

At the ever-stunning location, we took a few photos of the mist that had settled over the river, then wandered back towards the Tolminator Stage. It looked as though we'd arrived just in time for Rotting Christ's soundcheck - which would have been wonderful, given that we wouldn't be staying for their evening performance. But nothing came of it. Only Sakis Tolis strolled a few times between the stage and the mixing desk.

We considered asking him for an interview, but he seemed to be in a hurry, and we weren't quite in the mood for one either. Late in the afternoon, we finally left the festival grounds, stopping en route at the familiar pizzeria overlooking the Soča River. We arrived home in heavy rain, which only intensified into the late evening. As for Ministry, scheduled for the final slot on the final day- we'll simply have to wait a little longer. Until the next report - cheers! Jerneja

Report by Jerneja

Photos by Tomaz

Tolminator Metal Fest links: Official Website, Facebook