Besides starting the new year properly looking to the future, this month we’re also still looking back at all the awesomeness that 2023 brought us. One of those awsome things was the already 3rd edition of the by Bloodred Hourglass curated festival Black Box Mikkeli. They were able to bring a killer line-up again on the 2nd day of their event with besides a fantastic show by themselves, Insomnium, Gaerea, Balance Breach, I Am Your God and Lastout!
Our Benelux and France head of accreditation and most active photographer in that region, Tom VM, made his own selection of favorite pictures he took in 2023, including some new stuff that wasn’t shared on our site before with Biohazard, Bleed From Within, Brutal Sphincter, Brutus, Electric Callboy, Michael Schenker Group, Sepultura, Arion, Blackrain, Overdrivers, Avatar, Winery Dogs, Charlotte Wessels, Devin Townsend, Dream Theater, Extreme, Ghost, Michael Angelo Batio, Arch Enemy, Doodseskader, Halestorm, I Prevail, Powerwolf and SKYND!
The year wrapping up means that we’ll be looking back at the amazing things we’ve experienced, and “album of the year” lists. We’d also like to give some attention to our talented concert photographers who go out and cover shows for us. So here is a first in a series of articles where our artists pick their favorite pictures of 2023 with Anna/ScarletMemory Photography who mostly roams around in Tampere, Finland and pictures from bands like Pain, Sólstafir, Eleine, Myrath, Battle Beast, Brymir, Sabaton, Mors Subita, Lordi, Metalite, Shereign, Diablo, Before The Dawn, Wolfheart, Sonata Arctica, Deathstars, Brother Firetribe, Psychework, Apocalyptica, Voidfallen, Poets of the Fall, Amorphis, Lost Society, and Everwave!
Pictures of yet another excellent show by the legendary Finnish metal band Amorphis at the gorgeous Kulttuuritalo venue in Helsinki!
Vanir issues a tribute to those who fight for freedom and to defend their own with the single ‘One Man Army’! A track from their upcoming album ‘Epitome’, set for release in February via Mighty Music!
Waidelotte, the extraordinary new music ensemble with members from Soen, White Ward and Solar Kollapse among others, has been conceived on Ukrainian soil and joined Debemur Morti Productions to release their debut album!
Amorphis managed to captivate our reporter once again when attending to their stop at Pakkahuone in Tampere on their “Halo Finland 2023 Tour”, a wonderful night hosted by TuskaLive and Greybeard Concerts & Management.
Yet another great gig of the Amorphis “Halo Finnish tour” at Tampere’s Pakkahuone last week, in front of an almost full house. An event hosted by TuskaLive.
German melodic death metal act Hiraes unleashes music video for brutal new single ‘We Owe No One’, a 2nd track from their upcoming album ‘Dormant’, set for release next month via Napalm Records!
Japanese samurai metal unit Ryujin released heaviest single yet with ‘Gekokujo’, another track from their upcoming epos ‘RYUJIN’, set for release next month via Napalm Records!