Hard rock Styx helped further cement heavy rock in the Midwest as a form of stadium rock. In 1978, Van Halen emerged from the Los Angeles music scene with a sound based around the skills of lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen. He popularised a guitar-playing technique of two-handed hammer-ons and pull-offs called tapping, showcased on the song "Eruption" from the album "Van Halen", which was highly influential in re-establishing hard rock as a popular genre after the punk and disco explosion, while also redefining and elevating the role of electric guitar. The opening years of the 1980s saw a number of changes
Rock Hard Festival at the Rhein-Herne-Kanal in the Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen. The amphitheater has a maximum capacity of 7,000 people. The festival was the only festival with international metal bands in the Ruhrgebiet area until the "Rock am Ring" offshoot "Rock im Revier", which was organized by the Nürburgring operating company "Deutsche Entertainment AG" (DEAG), took place in Gelsenkirchen in 2015. Kreator canceled the show at "Rock im Revier" for their headlining appearance at the smaller "Rock Hard Festival". Rock Hard Festival Rock Hard Festival is a heavy metal festival organized and sponsored by the "Rock Hard" magazine. First established in Lichtenfels, Bavaria,