That sound's like an excellent lineup. I just started into Iced Earth -- another band I don't know why I delayed in getting their stuff. Picked up Something Wicked... the other day, very good.
Kreator is my kind of music! Thrashy, I saw them a few months back in San Francisco with Destruction.
And, aside from Arch Enemy, I haven't heard any other bands. My loss... There is more music out there than I can get, I have no choice but to be selective -- I try, though.
You'd still have a long way to travel to get to this, would you be going? Depends on where in Germany, I guess. Is it easy to cross Denmark/borders? Western Canada and Mexico are very easy to get in/out of.