First of all. HammerFall had very lavish decorations. The stage was built up like a castle, and in the center they a had drawbridge. You could see torches everywhere, creating a mystic atmosphere. The gig happened in a Club near Heidelberg and it took me while to get there.
Crematory is known for their dark and melancholic music.
They combine sweet keyboard melodies with extremely powerful, sometimes brutal guitar riffs. The same effect could be found on the vocals. The lead vocals seem to come directly out of the dark tower and let you shiver, but suddenly a clear background voice, sung by guitarist Matthias, comes out of the darkness and seem to bring back the daylight. Crematory understands very well to interpret the eternal fight between good and bad. After talking to the guys backstage, I went outside to see the show.