Photo Reports
Shortly after the pandemic ended, people were hungry for live music and events. And out of that you could see some new organizers and events popping up to satisfy that need. We were back in 2022 highly impressed with the first edition of Desert Hel in the middle of Helsinki center, gathering bands of certain genres under one roof for two long nights that hadn’t really been seen before in Finland. Think of the infamous and massive Desertfest festivals that take place in several European countries every year, but on a smaller scale and a focus on mostly the fuzz-laden, stoner, and desert rock sound, with here and there a little sidestep into doom or even metal. The formula of a very solid Finnish line-up topped with a killer name from outside the country seems to be one that works really well, and for their 3rd edition they did exactly that again. This time in the Tiivistämö building on the Suvilahti area a bit outside Helsinki center, on the first day they brought together from Finland the stoner rockers of Heezer, doom metal from Orbiter, and proggy, psychedelic rock from Polymoon and Kairon; IRSE! with the captivating Italian doomsters of Messa topping the bill!
Orbit Culture is probably one of the fastest growing bands right now. They’ve been steadily expanding their reach and popularity and have been touring through Europe on the “Descending Into Madness” tour right on the back of other tours that took them throughout different continents. After a long trek through Europe already behind them, they dropped by at Vanha Ylioppilastalo in Helsinki to come play in front of one of their favorite crowds: the Finnish people! At the same time, the show at this venue was the biggest headline show they’ve had and it was simply amazing! Support came from the Swedish metalcore outfit Bite Down!
What better way can you think of to celebrate Easter weekend than getting into a massive party with the Finnish drunks of Rytmihäiriö and the troll misfits of Finntroll? It’s probably hard to come up with anything, right? The 2 highly popular acts joined forces and embarked on a small tour within Finland named “Jesus är dod, nu ska vi dricka”, which translates sort of into “Jesus is dead, now we drink”. And what a party it was! The legendary rock club Tavastia was absolutely packed, and this straight from the start, showing how popular both bands are. And they even had a hilarious tour shirt designed for the occasion.
On the last day of March 2024, there was a wonderful German punk rock evening taking place at Stuttgart’s LKA Longhorn.
For the third time, the closing concert of a SCHMUTZKI tour, under the name ‘Schmutzgart’, took place in Stuttgart, the trio’s hometown. As always, in this happened in a packed venue: SOLD OUT!
Before the local heroes took over the stage, BERLIN 2.0 and DREI METER FELDWEG kicked off the colourful evening. With a radically minimal stage setup, all bands got to work. Focus on the music and the lyrics, rather than on pyro, fog, and other special effects.
Musically, it started a bit less punky with BERLIN 2.0, whose music styles the band itself describes as ‘Death Rock’. A solid performance that set the mood, even though the stage lighting was slightly neglected.
DREI METER FELDWEG, who have been accompanying SCHMUTZKI as openers throughout the entire tour, added even more to the party with their party punk rock. The first broken nose from the mosh-pit appeared among the paramedics. It was wild — the band convinces with fast and catchy grooves, sing-along melodies, and even some critical lyrics. The audience was quickly fully engaged, already in the best party mood, and having a lot of fun – echoing the song ‘Ich mach ne’ kleine Party’ from the band’s latest album ‘Durak’.
Last but not least: SCHMUTZKI themselves. Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing the guys live before knows that they can tear down any venue properly. With the first notes, there was no holding back in the self-titled ‘Schmutzki Mob’. Whether on stage or venturing into the audience to perform, there was no holding back. The hall was boiling and raging to the last corner. Whether it was ‘Die beste Bar der Stadt’ or ‘Rodeo’ — dancing and singing along was simply mandatory.
SCHMUTZKI delivered — in full force, offering a more than worthy conclusion to their tour. Including the announcement of ‘Schmutzgart IV’ in 2025! We’re already looking forward to it!
Enjoy our photo gallery!
You know it’s a party when Turmion Kätilöt comes to town. But first it’s time for some darker tones from Marianas Rest. Followed by some Japanese black metal from Sigh. Pakkahuone is slowly but surely filling up and by the end of the evening I bet to say that it was probably pretty close to being sold out. By the time that Turmion Kätilöt begin their show the beer and the sweat is running. If you’re not sucked into in by their weird but energetic show, you’re probably doing something wrong.
By the age of 60, Sami Yaffa has worn multiple hats in various different bands such as Hanoi Rocks, Pelle Miljoona OY, New York Dolls, The Hellacopters, just to name a few but now in his 60s still going stronger than ever this legendary bassist just released his only second solo album in his illustrious career titled Satan’s Helpers, Warlazer Eyes & The Money Pig Circus which the packed house of Tavastia – where Mr. Yaffa himself has a lot of history – heard this fantastic album in its entirety. A night filled with hilarious stories from his multiple decade long journey in the music business to performing older classics from his back catalogue, this night was filled with pure rock ‘n’ roll brilliance. Check the pics of it down below!
For the third event of the year, GRIMM invited Powerstroke, Hudič and Beyond Our Sight to play at Asgaard.
Beyond Our Sight kicked off the event. It was a special night for the band because it was their last gig ever. Beyond Our Sight is a band from Ghent, Belgium, with members hailing from bands like Poseydon and The Breathing Reflex. They bring a style of metal heavily influenced by metalcore, death metal and thrash Metal. Where many other bands operate with a frontman who at times gets vocal support from a bassist or guitarist, Beyond Our Sight has two full-fledged frontmen on stage. The vocal connection between the two vocalists gave the set an extra boost. Working with two singers, who can both stir things up well, does the trick. The influences of thrash and metalcore can be heard. The guitar parts complement each other nicely, and the vocal lines are an enrichment and stimulate the melody of the songs. The band went full throttle from the start and the audience went crazy and gave them an open curtain. It was a fantastic show, too bad that the curtain fell. Isn’t that a pity?
Next in line was Hudič. If you know that Hudič is Slovenian for devil, then you can already deduce what to expect. It is a Belgian metal band founded in 2017 that combines different styles (doom, black and death metal) into one soul devouring machine! Apparently, the band members don’t want to be recognized, because they perform in monk’s robes. At the intro, the singer walked among the audience, while literally incense the people with a censer! The tone is immediately set. A show of Hudiç is dark and obscure, my cup of tea. Hudič‘s sound is varied. Sometimes exhilarating, sometimes leaning back, but always threatening. Many styles of metal are forged into a beautiful whole, where not one style is dominant. Those who like a portion of modern metal with extreme tones, will love Hudiç. The vocalist has a fine voice. Deep and low when possible, vicious and sharp when necessary. This makes for a pleasant change. They gave a solid performance and the audience loved it. Their new single “WHEN THE STARS ALIGN” has been dropped on March 1st ! Check it on Spotify and immerse yourself in the dark and powerful world of Black and Death Metal.
The headliner was Powerstroke: Originally a thrash/hardcore combo that rose from the underground, crushing yet grooving in a unique way. Through the years, they as a band created a musical brand on their own. They have been booked as support act for Life of Agony, Body Count, Suicidal Tendencies, Crowbar and Pro-Pain. Powerstroke is a very productive band that has built up a very solid live reputation because of their intensive shows and their heavy and groovin’ live sound. They didn’t disappoint us. The band raced over the crowd like a truck and the crowd went nuts. The five-piece from Meetjesland doesn’t care about uniformity and browses through every corner of the metal genre: nu metal, death, thrash, hardcore, anything goes. Brutal uppercuts leave room for breathers and fragility. Powerstroke manages to keep all genres in line and the group never loses sight of cohesion. The multitude of styles also makes the band timeless. The show was spot on. This band deserves a bigger stage.
On the vibrant night of March 26th, metal enthusiasts descended upon El Corazon, the iconic music venue in the heart of Seattle, Washington. The anticipation was palpable as fans eagerly awaited the arrival of one of the most influential bands in the black metal scene: Rotting Christ. The lights dimmed as the clock struck the appointed hour, and the crowd roared in anticipation. The stage came alive with a burst of energy as Rotting Christ emerged, shrouded in darkness yet radiating a magnetic presence. With their signature blend of melodic riffs, thunderous drums, and haunting vocals, they wasted no time captivating the audience.
Amaranthe and DragonForce took Brussels with an electrifying performance on March 17th, 2024, at the Ancienne Belgique. The venue buzzed with the excitement of metal enthusiasts. The evening promised an extraordinary lineup, including the opening act Infected Rain, whose dynamic set laid the groundwork for a night of high-energy music. Unfortunately, due to an unexpected hiccup with our photo pass, we were unable to access the photo pit in time for Infected Rain‘s performance (first three songs you know). This slight setback, however, did not dampen spirits as we managed to capture the essence of their show from the vantage point of the balcony, ensuring that also their vibrant presence was duly documented.
We were happy to witness this show and captured some photos so that those who were unable to attend can experience the unique atmosphere of the evening as well.
AUGUST BURNS RED, the metalcore giants from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, are currently storming across European stages as part of their ‘Death Below’ tour. They are accompanied by THROWN and DYING WISH.
The first performance of the evening features the relatively new band THROWN. This Swedish quartet surprises with robust and concise songs. With a song length that is reminiscent of the RAMONES. Their blend of metal core and hardcore sets the audience in first motion.
In the subsequent act, DYING WISH, things get even wilder. Led by Emma Boster on the mic, this group from Portland, Oregon, USA, pushes the boundaries. Despite vocals that were less convincing that evening due to a not optimized sound mixing, the band manages to impress, thanks in part to the songs from their current album, ‘Symptoms of Survival’.
When ABR (August Burns Red) takes the stage, the venue ignites. The quintet has the crowd in their grip from the very first beat, not releasing them until the last note fades away. Sound, lights (amplified by four light towers on stage), and stage action demonstrate why they are the headliners. The audience fully engages in circle pits, mosh pits, and the wall of death – every move initiated by Jake Luhrs on stage is gratefully received. It’s a grand and exceptional metal core spectacle, and their extensive experience in the business is evident.
It was a highly successful evening with an outstanding lineup!
Enjoy our photo report!
