Photo Reports

During the high time of the festival summer frenzy in 2025, THE GHOST INSIDE stopped over between all the festival gigs at Stuttgart’s LKA Longhorn on June 24 for one of two club shows in Germany. The concert dates have sent a shockwave through the scene once announced, due to being the first tour appearances of the band since the tragic bus accident in 2015. Wedged between all their festival shows, this intimate headliner gig for sure was a big contrast to the large festival stages: raw, unfiltered, and back to basics of sound and light. No high-tech stages, only sweat dripping from the walls and being close to the fans as can be.

Support was provided by the German metal core band HALF ME, which prefers to perform in a rather dark stage environment. Nevertheless, their performance already added a few degrees of heat on that hot summer day.

THE GHOST INSIDE delivered at full throttle and set the heat volume in the venue to maximum: Jonathan Vigil roared himself through ‘Engine 45’ and ‘Death Grip’ like his life depended on it, while the crowd kept singing all the lyrics right back like an echo. The room crackled with electricity—a massive intensity that often gets lost at open air shows. Especially haunting was the emotional punch of ‘Aftermath’, which hit hard in that close, charged space.

This wasn’t just a filler between festivals—it was a statement. THE GHOST INSIDE proved they thrive not only at mass audiences but within the intense intimacy of a tight clubroom. For the fans, it was a night to remember. For the band, it maybe felt like a homecoming. This is what metal core sounds like when it is in your blood, and what it should be like.

While the main stage commanded attention on Saturday, Tuska 2025 continued to deliver compelling moments across the Radio City Stage and Nordic Energy Stage. Day two’s lineup on these stages balanced precision, aggression, and melody, offering a sharp contrast to the grand spectacle unfolding elsewhere.

From the visual kei intensity of JILUKA, through the relentless modern hardcore of thrown, to the melodic death metal mastery of The Halo Effect, these performances captured the depth and diversity that define Tuska beyond its biggest stage.

The second day of Tuska 2025 brought a darker and more imposing atmosphere to the main stage. Saturday’s lineup leaned heavily into power and spectacle, pairing modern heaviness with grand, theatrical metal.

From the crushing force of Slaughter To Prevail, through the cold precision of Orbit Culture, to a commanding headline performance by Powerwolf, day two delivered a relentless succession of intensity, ritual, and crowd-commanding moments. These images capture the scale and energy that defined Tuska’s Saturday on its largest stage.

Antwerp, June 24, 2025 – Guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai set Antwerp’s Stadsschouwburg on fire. With their performances as the SatchVai Band, the two virtuosos shared the stage in Belgium for the first time, a long-awaited moment for fans of instrumental rock. Originally scheduled for the Lotto Arena, the show was moved to the more intimate Stadsschouwburg due to slower ticket sales. But what the evening lacked in size, it more than made up for with energy and sheer musical firepower.

The SatchVai core duo was joined by heavyweights Marco Mendoza on bass, Kenny Aronoff on drums and Pete Thorn on guitar.

Vai and Satriani‘s history goes back nearly five decades, when Vai was a teenage student under Satriani‘s mentorship. That connection has since evolved through many G3 tours, culminating in a full-fledged world tour as the SatchVai Band. After all the great classics from both virtuosos had passed and the show had come to a close, the audience gave thunderous applause and standing ovations, leaving the band with no choice but to perform a smashing encore

First came “Crowd Chant,” a perfect sing-along that brought the entire theater to its feet with raised voices and hands in the air. This was followed by a thunderous cover of Metallica‘s “Enter Sandman,” followed by a soaring version of “Born to Be Wild” to end the evening in true rock and roll fashion. For many in the room, it was the fulfillment of a decades-long dream to see two of the greatest guitarists of all time share the stage together.

The support act was Ned Evett, known for playing the fretless, glass guitar. Ned played a solo set, which is brave, but if you ask us, it could have sounded much better with a backing band.

While the main stage drew its share of attention, the first day of Tuska 2025 also thrived across the Radio City Stage and Nordic Energy Stage. Friday’s lineup on these stages highlighted the breadth of contemporary heavy music, moving fluidly between sharp-edged attitude, dark pop sensibilities, and emotionally charged metalcore.

With standout performances from Blood Command, SKYND, Bambie Thug, and Imminence, these stages offered their own distinct atmosphere — intimate, intense, and driven by artists unafraid to push boundaries. Captured here are the moments that unfolded beyond the festival’s largest platform.

The first day of Tuska 2025 set the bar high from the very beginning. Friday on the main stage delivered a powerful cross-section of modern and extreme metal, opening with Finland’s own Horizon Ignited and steadily ramping up the intensity throughout the day.

From the long-awaited main stage arrival of Electric Callboy, finally claiming their place in front of a massive Tuska crowd, to the dark theatrics of Cradle of Filth, the uncompromising force of Knocked Loose, and a commanding headline set by In Flames, the opening day made it clear that Tuska 2025 was off to a formidable start.

Beyond the stages and spotlights, Rockfest 2025 was shaped just as much by the people standing in front of them. From the first rows at the barricade to faces lit up by anticipation, sweat, and sheer joy, the frontline crowd carried the energy that powered the entire festival.

These moments capture the human side of Rockfest — dedication, emotion, and that unmistakable connection between artists and audience that only truly exists in a live setting. A small gallery, but one that tells a big part of the story.

The final day of Rockfest 2025 on the main stage leaned heavily into legacy and attitude. Saturday’s program brought together the raw street rock energy of Demolition 23, the timeless swagger and dark mystique of The Cult, and the emotionally charged anthems of Manic Street Preachers.

While the night was ultimately crowned by headliners Muse, our lens focused on the artists we were able to capture — three performances that set the tone for Rockfest’s closing day and kept the main stage alive with character, conviction, and connection.

The final day of Rockfest 2025 brought a raw and uncompromising edge to the Red and Black Stage. Saturday’s lineup leaned into confrontation and catharsis, moving from the modern metal aggression of GHØSTKID, through the brutal intensity of deathcore powerhouse Immortal Disfigurement, to the stripped-down, confrontational punk legacy of Black Flag, who brought a mostly new line-up with youngsters who weren’t born yet when the band started.

Far removed from polished spectacle, these performances thrived on immediacy and impact — loud, visceral, and unfiltered. Here’s a visual look at how Rockfest’s closing day unfolded beyond the main stage.

Viikate is a band that has somehow managed to stay under my radar for a very long time. While I had heard their name before I still had absolutely no idea about them until two years ago when I by coincidence stumbled into a Solo gig of Kaarle Viikate. I decided back then that I wanted to check this band out, but as you can see it still took a long time for me to finally make to one of their shows.

For their recent gig in Tamperes Tavara-Asema Viikate went with a different approach with what they called a quiet concert. This included calmer songs, a half-time break the fans were also asked to stay seated as much as possible and to keep quiet during the songs.
Of course not everyone was happy with this: One disgruntled fan asked after the first half of the set “What is this, a theatre play? You used to be a band.” Kaarle just countered back with “Well and now we’re a theatre play. Didn’t you listen at all in the first half? Guess what, I bet you’re going to be even more disappointed with the second half.” I for my part really liked the chill and relaxed atmosphere of the gig and was happy that I could fully focus on listening to those songs for the very first time.