Dong Open Air is a heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 music festival

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 held annually in Neukirchen-Vluyn

Neukirchen-Vluyn

Neukirchen-Vluyn is a town in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 5 km west of Moers, and 15 km north of Krefeld.-International relations:Neukirchen-Vluyn is twinned with: Ustroń, Poland...

, Germany since 2001. The 2009 edition will take place on July 17 and July 18.

2001

August 17–18: Blood Red Angel, Decapitation, Fianna, Guerrilla, Heartwork, Impure, N.R.G., Stripped Of Flesh, Yppah Nomed.

2002

July 19–20: Adorned Brood

Adorned Brood

Adorned Brood is a folk black metal band from Neuss, Germany.- History :After the foundation in 1993, Adorned Brood recorded two demo tape. They signed a contract to German music label Folter Records. They recorded their first studio album Hiltia in 1996. They recorded a new album, called Wigand,...

, Amityville, Blood Red Angel, Complex 7, Guerrilla, Fianna, Hate Factor, Mabus, N.R.G., Sarx, Schattenleben, Sencirow, Torture Chamber, Violet.

2003

July 18–19: Abaddon, Adorned Brood

Adorned Brood

Adorned Brood is a folk black metal band from Neuss, Germany.- History :After the foundation in 1993, Adorned Brood recorded two demo tape. They signed a contract to German music label Folter Records. They recorded their first studio album Hiltia in 1996. They recorded a new album, called Wigand,...

, Antifreeze, Burden of Grief, Folkedudl, Hate Factor, Night in Gales, Osyris, Psychotron, Ratsbane, Skyclad

Skyclad (band)

Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad...

, Sun of Sadness, Violet, Witchtower.

2004

July 16–17: Chainheart, Crikey, Dark Suns, Disillusion, Equilibrium

Equilibrium (band)

Equilibrium is a Folk metal band from Germany. The band's music combines elements of folk and symphonic metal with various instruments including electric guitars, strings and flutes. Their riffs reflect traditional Germanic melodies....

, Final Breath, Humanity, Insignium, Jack Slater, Jester's Funeral, Lanfear, My Darkest Hate, Seraphim

Seraphim (band)

-History:Formed in 2001 in the City of Taipei, Taiwan, they recorded their first song "Love Hate" for a demo weeks later, gaining notice and eventually a contract from Magnum Music in April...

, Suidakra

Suidakra

SuidAkrA is a melodic death metal band from Germany with Celtic folk influences. During their fourteen-year career, they have performed over 200 live shows for several European and Russian tours, as well as a North American tour...

, The Rules, Tomorrow's Eve

Tomorrow's Eve (band)

Tomorrow's Eve is a progressive metal band, that originated from Germany. The band has released three albums, the first being in 1999. They have played live shows as recently as December 23, 2006.-Band members:* Martin LeMar – Vocals* Rainer Grund – Guitar...

, Vintersorg

Vintersorg

Vintersorg is a Swedish band from Skellefteå, formed in 1994 under the name Vargatron . Musically, Vintersorg has covered a wide number of heavy metal genres; while the band is mostly rooted in extreme metal styles, particularly black metal and Viking/folk metal, it has also expanded into...

.

2005

July 15–16: Aardvarks, Behind the Scenery, Delirious, Desilence, Drawline, Elvenking, Excrementory Grindfuckers, Finntroll

Finntroll

Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet...

, Hate Factor, Intense, Mindcrime, Orkus, Perzonal War, President Evil, Ravage, Skyclad

Skyclad (band)

Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad...

, Stormgarde, Sycronomica, Synasthasia, XIV Dark Centuries.

2006

July 14–15: Die Apokalyptischen Reiter

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter is a Weimar, Germany based heavy metal band signed to Nuclear Blast in Europe and The End Records in North America...

, Commander, Contradiction, Dragonland

Dragonland

Dragonland is a power metal musical group from Sweden. The group is most notable for basing their two first albums upon the self-produced The Dragonland Chronicles fantasy saga and for the original symphonic/electronic parts by Elias Holmlid...

, Grailknights, Guerrilla, Gun Barrel, Hidden In The Fog, Horrorscope, Lords Of Decadence, Motorjesus, Mystic Prophecy

Mystic Prophecy

Mystic Prophecy is a power metal band from Bad Grönenbach, Germany. They have been described as sounding like US-power metal, similar to bands such as Iced Earth , but still without losing the melodies found in European power metal.The band was formed by Valley's Eve bandmates R.D. Liapakis and...

, Negator, Osyris, Rotting Christ

Rotting Christ

Rotting Christ is a Greek black metal band formed in 1987. They are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within this region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene.- Line-up :...

, Savage Circus

Savage Circus

Savage Circus is a German/Swedish power metal band originally created as a side project by Thomen Stauch before leaving Blind Guardian.-Biography:...

, Symbiontic, The Bonny Situation, Turisas

Turisas

Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. It was founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war....

.

2007

July 13–14: Absence, All We Hate, Black Messiah, Chainsaw, Cheeno, Dark Age

Dark Age (band)

Dark Age is a German melodic death metal band from Hamburg, Germany formed in 1994 by Eike Freese , André Schumann and Oliver Fliegel .- History :...

, Darzamat

Darzamat

Darzamat is a Polish symphonic black metal band formed in 1995. Although there is a claim about Darzamat being a name of a Slavonic forest god, it comes from Latvian mythology denoting garden goddess . Their latest album, Solfernus' Path, was released on August 28, 2009...

, Debauchery

Debauchery (band)

- History :They are currently signed to German label AFM Records and have toured extensively through Europe. The band was formed in 2000 as Maggotcunt, but changed their name in 2002 to Debauchery. Debauchery consisted of Thomas Gurrath and Dani until Dani was forced to leave the band in 2006...

, Eluveitie

Eluveitie

Eluveitie is a folk metal band from Winterthur, Switzerland. The band formed in 2002 and their first EP, Vên came out in 2003. The band then released a full-length album, Spirit in June 2006. In November 2007, Eluveitie was signed by Nuclear Blast....

, Ensiferum

Ensiferum

Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "heroic folk metal." Since their formation, Ensiferum has released four full-length albums, one EP, one compilation, three singles, and three demo albums and one unreleased album.-Musical...

, Galskap, Novembers Fall, Månegarm

Månegarm

Månegarm is a Swedish Viking/black metal band from Norrtälje. The band's name comes from Mánagarmr, a wolf in Norse mythology.-History:The band started from the ideas of Svenne Rosendal, Jonas Almquist, and Pierre Wilhelmsson in 1995. After securing another guitarist in Mårten Matsson and a drummer...

, Orphaned Land

Orphaned Land

Orphaned Land is an Israeli progressive metal band, formed in 1991, that combines Death/doom, Jewish and Arabic influences.- History :In 1992, the band changed its name from the original Resurrection to Orphaned Land....

, Runamok, Sinister

Sinister (band)

Sinister is a death metal band from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, assembled in 1988, disassembled in 2003, and reassembled in 2005 by Adrie Kloosterwaard on vocals and Alex Paul on guitar...

, Skyclad

Skyclad (band)

Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad...

, Synasthasia, The Pokes, van Canto

Van Canto

Van Canto is an a cappella metal band from Germany, founded in 2006 and composed of five singers and a drummer. Although the group is often classified as an a cappella ensemble, they use real drums in their music, instead of vocal percussion or beatboxing....

, Verdict.

2008

July 18–19: Civilization One, Commander, Dark Tranquillity

Dark Tranquillity

Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene, and are one of the most integral pioneers of the melodic death metal genre of music....

, Drone, Grind Inc., Lyriel, Masterstroke, Moder, Morgana Lefay

Morgana Lefay

Morgana Lefay is a power/thrash metal band from the town Bollnäs in Sweden. It is named after Morgan Le Fay of the Arthurian cycle....

, Nohellia, Path of Golconda, Persefone

Persefone

Persefone is an Andorran technical death metal band formed in October 2001. For the figure from Greek Mythology see Persephone.-Overview:Persefone is a band located in the small nation of Andorra; founding members are Carlos Lozano Quintanilla, Jordi Gorgues Mateu, Toni Mestre Coy, and Xavi Pérez...

, Raintime

Raintime

Raintime is an Italian progessive / power metal band, founded in 1999. The band was initially significantly inspired by Dream Theater, and as such composed songs which leaned towards the progressive metal genre. They then recorded an instrumental demo entitled Jump In the Past.After the demo was...

, Rocketchief, Sabaton

Sabaton (band)

Sabaton is a Grammis-nominated power metal band from Falun, Sweden formed in 1999. The band's main lyrical themes are those of historical wars. This is heard in albums Primo Victoria, Attero Dominatus and Coat of Arms where all of the songs, except final tracks, take inspiration from historical...

, Sadist

Sadist (band)

Sadist is a progressive death metal band from Genoa, Italy, founded in 1991. The band split up in 2000 after releasing their Lego album, but reunited in 2005 and released their self-titled album in 2007. Their compositions involve a heavy usage of guitar solos and keyboard solos, with progressive,...

, Scarlet Fire, Sheephead, Suidakra

Suidakra

SuidAkrA is a melodic death metal band from Germany with Celtic folk influences. During their fourteen-year career, they have performed over 200 live shows for several European and Russian tours, as well as a North American tour...

, Torian

Primordial were supposed to play but cancelled, and Suidakra were the last-minute replacement.

2009

July 17–18: 7 Seals, Amorphis

Amorphis

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band started by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other types of genres, which include heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal...

, Cast in Silence, Cheeno, Clanrock, Common Grave, Dornenreich

Dornenreich

Dornenreich is an ambient music band from Austria, founded in 1996. They initially played melodic black metal and changed to neofolk-influenced ambient with Her von welken Nächten...

, Elexorien

Elexorien

Elexorien was a Power metal/Viking metal band from Groningen, Netherlands.-Musical characteristics:Elexorien plays a mixture of power and viking metal with growls and classically trained female vocals, also taking influences from folk, black and death metal. The term "Epic Battle metal" is how the...

, Failed Perfection, Hatred, In December, Interrobäng, Kingdom of Salvation, Orphan Hate, Rage

Rage (band)

Rage are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1984. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild and Blind Guardian.-Background:...

, Sheephead, Skyclad

Skyclad (band)

Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad...

, Splatter and Gore Department, Sycronomica, The Very End

Dew-Scented

Dew-Scented

Dew-Scented is a German thrash metal, death metal band. They have released eight studio albums and are currently signed to Metal Blade Records and Prosthetic Records . Their name is inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe...

were supposed to be one of the headliners but cancelled due to sickness.