Having only recently discovered that metal didn't die in the 90s and turn into complete growling-death, I'd hate to finally get to start attending the festival only to have to listen to a lot of growling. I guess if a death band hits the stage that would be time to stretch the legs, get a snack, bathroom break, etc.
Somehow I just missed the boat on this whole growling death thing.. I just don't get it, LOL.
Bands like Epica just rip me up. The beauty of the female voice, the melodic complexity of the musical arrangements...the "I'm turning this crap off" feeling that overtakes me when growling intrudes on an otherwise goosebump-inducing song...sigh. Maybe it's just all different live.
A friend of mine got into Mercenary recently after he attended last year's festival, and that was a little too much growling for me listening to some of his CDs.
I guess I'm definitely a power vote too, because I'm left thinking Threshold seems a little soft. I don't have any of their CDs, so maybe I'm catching bad samples.
I'm more of a Judas Priest/Queensryche/Brainstorm/Silent Force/Communic/Sonata/Pyramaze/Hammerfall/Primal Fear/Falconer/EdGuy/Galloglass/Heimdall kinda guy