Hard Metal festival

Hard Metal festival 1991 rare color poster festival print run 2000

### Location

Ice Hall , Sports center Vojvodina , Novi Sad , former Yugoslavia , todays Serbia

## Intro

In  may 1991. Hard Metal magazine started to be published in former Yugoslavia as continuation from Explosive fanzine as first Yugoslavian specialized heavy metal magazine .

Yugoslavia at that time was unstable country with former republics Croatia and Slovenia ( under protection of US and their EU vassal states ) declared independence with tensions that will lead to start of bloody conflict in months to come.

Regardless of that Aleksandar i Konstantin Polzovic started a process of organizing event , successor of YU Metal Attack 1990. ,along with Obrad Boba Skrbic colleague from Radio Novi Sad and Explosive magazine  to put new event celebrating success of new magazine, called  - Hard Metal Festival.

## Promotion

Thanks to publishing company Dnevnik first time our event have printed color posters instead of just 2 colors lithograph print.

With main city venue Sports Hall Vojvodina contract was made to make festival indoor in hall capacity 4000. at Ice Hockey hall. With gates open at 3pm there were enough time for all bands to perform.

With promotion in Hard Metal magazine and Explosive records great interest was present among reading audience of magazine.

## Bands

Selection of bands were made and line is announced was following :

Ludilo

Pussycat

Sanatorium

Drinking Skull

Epidemic Zone

Demoniac

Pergament

Bloodbath

Bombarder

Annathema

## Event

Date was set at 31st august 1991. and Hard Metal festival was announced in June and in weeks to follow armed conflicts starts at territory of Yugoslavia.

Sending goods with post and traveling become complicated because of war zones.

Soon after announcement band from Croatia Drinking Skull and band from Slovenia Epidemic Zone were canceled their arrivals because of spreading conflict and blocked roads to Serbia.

Soon as possible replacements were made and bands Liman Fighters and Rapid Force were added to line up.

At early august weeks before festival Konstantin Polzovic meet with band Metallica in Grand Hotel Budapest where they took a photo with festival poster.

One of main bands announced - Annathema shortly before festival date had internal fight among band members and singer Francuz who was frontman on first two albums left the band.

They quickly add Gaga singer / guitarist from Vrisak Generacije as replacement which was dissapointed to audience who did not expect that.

This was so prior the event that no extra announcement were made

At 31.8. 1991. thousands of fans come in venue , from all former Yugoslavia , but without  audience from former republics Croatia and Slovenia . Even beside that almost all tickets were sold.

From first tact of opening band till the last - Annathema show all was spectacular and very good. Detailed review was published in Hard Metal magazine no 4.

This was the last heavy metal festival , maybe even bigger concert organized before the collapse of Yugoslavia and total war in months to come .

And last time that this legendary generation of Yugoslavian heavy metal bands performed together.

Total of 4000 people attended and Television Novi Sad took a few recordings from event itself . Also some VHS recordings of particular bands shows exist.

Today , among older audience and bands , this event is remembering and recounts as something that will never happen again ,with many bands stopped to exist after this along with whole country Yugoslavia .