Photo Reports
On March 21, 2024, The venue South of Heaven in Bilzen was electrified by the fervent energy of the “Vivid Black Over Europe” tour headlined by the Hungarian metal band Ektomorf. The evening was made particularly special, thanks to an invitation from our Slovenian friends, Inmate, who served as the opening act. They proudly introduced their upcoming CD, “Let The Dead Bury Their Dead,” set for release on April 9, to an eager audience. The night was further enriched by performances from Serpents from Poland and Tag My Heart from Germany, each adding to the unique ambiance of the event.
However, Tag My Heart’s performance took an unforeseen turn when Isabel, the lead singer, had to exit the stage after just two songs. Despite her brave attempt to push through, illness made it impossible for her to complete the set, much to her and the fans’ regret.
Nonetheless, the atmosphere among the audience remained understanding and respectful. The anticipation for Ektomorf built up, and as soon as they took the stage, the previously calm vibe completely transformed. The band, known for their explosive performances and deep musical connection with their audience, did not disappoint. Their energy and passion electrified the venue, shifting the crowd from calmly observant to wildly enthusiastic.
It was clear the headliner was the heartbeat of the evening. Ektomorf’s performance affirmed their status as a must-see act in the metal scene.
Two mastodons of the metal scene joining forces to take over venues all over Europe is something we usually don’t let pass us by. So when modern metal giants Amaranthe and power metal titans Dragonforce announced their massive co-headline tour, we knew we had to experience what was sure to be quite the spectacle. So off we went on a Saturday night to Helsinki’s Black Box in the Ice Hall venue…
The Australian metalcore outfit Polaris has been steadily growing in popularity and fame. Rightly so, because with every single album they release, they seem to take leaps forward, delivering stellar modern metalcore music every time. So no wonder that about 5 years after their last appearance in Helsinki, they’ve climbed the ladder from playing a supporting show at a rather small club to headlining a pretty big concert hall show! And with them, they brought some very interesting company… The Californian metalcore band Silent Planet managed to create a cool atmosphere with their progressive take on the genre, countrymates Thornhill killing it with their pop-infused version of metalcore, and openers Paledusk kicking off the night properly with a highly infectious blend of genres, lovingly called “chaos-core”, like only Japanese bands can! What an excellent night for fans of modern metal and metalcore!
Antwerp’s Kavka Zappa witnessed a spectacular evening with Orbit Culture headlining and Defects opening the show. For Orbit Culture, this marked not only their first headline tour but also their debut under their new record label Century Media Records. The night unfolded with a series of intense moments, as smoke filled the venue, mosh pits erupted, and crowd-surfing became commonplace. In an unexpected turn, both bands even found themselves amidst the audience, playing their songs in the midst of the mosh pit, creating a unique intimacy between the artists and the crowd. Amidst this chaos, the raw energy of Orbit Culture’s music was undeniable, with frontman Niklas Karlsson’s commanding vocals soaring above the tumult, captivating the audience.
What added to the magic of the evening was the sight of a large portion of the crowd headbanging simultaneously, their movements synchronized with the pounding rhythms emanating from the stage. Additionally, they were singing along fervently, their voices blending with Karlsson’s in a chorus of shared passion. The excitement was palpable as fans were swept away by the energy of the music. For Orbit Culture, this is just another step in their rapid ascent to the top of the metal world. With their amazing music, uncompromising approach and captivating live performances, they continue to prove why they are quickly gaining recognition as a force to be reckoned with.
Skálmöld has made regular stops in Belgium on their tours over the years, both on big and small stages and we love to see them coming. This was their first performance at the DVG Club in Kortrijk since the move and revival of the venue. Located on a former industrial site and not that easy to find for first time visitors (follow the rainbow road!), the venue was nevertheless packed for the night.
The Icelandic viking metallers brought support from across the pond on this tour, with Atavistia from Vancouver, Canada and Seven Spires from Boston, USA. Atavistia kicked off with speedy riffs, screams, and a clear determined attitude not to be held back just because they were the first band of the night, pumping their energy into the room. Seven Spires followed to rile up the crowd up to the first small pit of the night. Frontwoman Adrienne Cowan showed impressive range from feral screams to soft ballads and powerful clean vocals, excellently combined with the versatile style changes from her fellow band members.
By the time Skálmöld took the stage, the place was full and hot. The stage set for what Björgvin Sigurðsson aptly described as “A real old school punk rock party”. There was moshing, there was singing along, lots of sweat and overall much enjoyment to be had. Skálmöld were clearly having fun on stage, which always makes for the best shows in my opinion. Their consistent quality, wall of sound and the fact that all members of the band sing continues to impress. Skál!
Another night of madness at the Backstage in Munich to welcome Australians Polaris. Paledusk open the show. Charged with enviable energy, the Japanese unloaded everything on stage and the audience loved it. Australians Thornhill were the second act. With a slightly slower pace than their predecessors, they managed to capture everyone’s attention with their more drawn-out songs, longer, more hypnotic guitar riffs and more melodic vocals. The third act of the night, veins of the USA. Silent Planet mix electronica with heavy sounds and do it all impeccably, with the presence and power of Garrett Russell, the band’s lead singer, standing out. Polaris are a phenomenon from across the ocean. The friendliness, strength and interactivity of this band with the audience that loves them is incredible to witness. The band shows that they are overcoming last year’s devastating loss every day and released the excellent new album “Fatalism” last year. It feels so good to see a band that gives so much of themselves on stage, thank you!
Hello and welcome back to another photo report of some of the most earth-shattering, ear drum bursting, metal greats in a line-up suited for the great halls of Valhalla. Cattle Decapitation came, hatchets wielded, to another sold out venue. This time coming to destroy Red’s Bar at Northumbria University’s Students Union. The hype on social media was real and with four bands on the roster, the students union’s ceiling strength was sure to be tested.
First up on the bill was Vomit Fourth, a band with so much self hype they did not fail to get the crowd warmed up. Followed by 200 stab wounds, a band which had ferocious, thrash metal like vibes on stage, the crowd was (download festival quote) sufficiently sweaty right about now. Then came the one, the only, Signs of the Swarm. Being a fellow deathcore fan and having the same record label as one of my favourites I was crying like a child on Christmas Day. I could not believe the pure projection of vocals mixed with planet busting instrumentals, to which I struggled to take pictures without having a little mosh of my own!
For the final boss at the black gate, we have the mighty Cattle Decapitation. A band which I honestly haven’t had a lot of experience with have opened my eyes to the wealth of experience and precision that they have gathered over the years. I can say that I now have a new favourite on Spotify. Speaking of which, why don’t you guys go and listen to these bands on your favourite streaming site and have a look at the photos below to immerse yourselves!
Enjoy!
Back in February on a cold Sunday evening, things in Tavastia got quite hot when a massive horror show took over with Wednesday 13 playing old Murderdolls tunes in the memory of Joey Jordison, culminating in with the headliner act, British extreme metal legends – Cradle Of Filth. The whole venue was absolutely packed to the brim – surprisingly though some spots were left empty after Wednesday 13 performance, which seemed to be the main event for some, since it had been over 10 years since we’ve seen him in Finland, and over 20 years since he has played any Murderdolls on Finnish soil. That didn’t take away from the incredible performance of the headliner. After over 30 years of going strong, Cradle Of Filth still sounds as good as ever. Check out the pictures down below!
Sonata Arctica started off their ‘Clear Cold Beyond‘ Tour at Tampere’s Pakkahuone a good week ago. In addition to several songs from their newest album like ‘Angle Defiled‘ they of course also played some of their classics such as ‘Broken‘, ‘Tallulah‘ and ‘Fullmoon‘. While the show wasn’t sold out, it was still well filled with excited people. And even already during Temple Balls there was a decent crowd at the venue.
Sometimes it’s fun to just try something completely different. In honour of the Sámi National Day, G Livelab Tampere organised this event that then had to be postponed due to public transport strikes. I first got interested when I saw that Brymir‘s Patrik Fält was also the drummer for Trio Boogiemen. I’m not really into rap and the fact that the lyrics would be partly in Sámi language meant I wouldn’t really be able to get much of the meaning of the songs, but in the end my curiosity succeeded.
The gig was split into two sets consisting of original songs from Áilu Valle and AMOC as well as selected songs from other artists. And while I as suspected didn’t really understand any of the words I still had the feeling that I was understanding the general message of the songs. Overall it was an interesting new experience.
