Photo Reports
It was a night of legends and rock and roll at The Token Lounge in Westland, MI on Saturday June 14, 2025! Close Enemies featuring music veterans Tom Hamilton [bass – founding member of the amazing Aerosmith], Tony Brock [drums – The Babys and Rod Stewart], touring veteran Peter Stroud [guitar – Sheryl Crow and Don Henley], Trace Foster [guitar – Angus Young of AC/DC’s guitar tech] and Chasen Hampton [vocals – singer since age 11/Mickey Mouse Club and The Party].
Opening acts for the night were Portal 27, Faded and Most Wanted! All 3 bands did a fantastic job warming the crowd up. I have seen Faded before, and they have a really cool retro vibe with a bluesy vibe.
With such a stacked lineup, I knew Close Enemies were going to bring it, and they did without a doubt! If you like a good ol’ rock n’ roll, you will like this band. You can tell they are having fun with this project-which is refreshing to see with a super group such as this. They are long time music industry veterans-they have seen and played it all! It made me smile to watch them doing what they love and having a blast while they do it! They have some tour dates on the horizon in the late summer and fall-if they come to your area, make sure you catch a show! You will be pleasantly surprised with their original music but also get to hear a couple of Aerosmith covers which is just the cherry on top!
The second day of Rockfest 2025 in Turku shifted the atmosphere once more, offering a diverse main stage lineup that moved effortlessly between spectacle, nostalgia, and sheer power. Friday’s program brought together the dark theatrical world of Till Lindemann, a celebratory set from Bullet For My Valentine marking 20 years of ‘The Poison’, and a triumphant homecoming for Finnish heavy and power metal heroes Battle Beast.
From explosive visuals to singalong anthems and unapologetic metal energy, these moments captured the many faces of Rockfest’s Friday — as seen through our lens.
Away from the main stage spotlight, Rockfest’s second day offered a different kind of intensity across the Red and Black Stage. Friday saw a varied and compelling lineup, moving from the modern metal hooks of Dead By April and the raw energy of Awake Again, to the technical precision and crushing power of Jinjer, and the brooding, atmospheric darkness of Cemetery Skyline to wrap our day up fittingly.
These performances showcased the breadth of contemporary heavy music at Rockfest: intimate in scale, fierce in delivery, and driven by an audience fully locked into the moment. Here’s a visual recap of how Friday unfolded beyond the festival’s main stage.
The first day of Rockfest 2025 in Turku kicked off under bright summer skies, setting the tone for a weekend packed with riffs, nostalgia, and high-energy performances. The main stage brought together three generations of heavy music — from the timeless legends of Judas Priest, still commanding crowds with effortless power, to Sepultura, delivering what was likely their final show on Finnish soil as part of their farewell tour, and Sweden’s own H.E.A.T., radiating pure rock ’n’ roll spirit.
Helsinki Vampires The 69 Eyes celebrated in grand style their classic breakthrough album ‘Devils’ 20th anniversary at Ääniwalli playing all the classic songs you would want to hear from their back catalog and of course ‘Devils’ in almost in its entirety. Great night of goth rock ‘n’ roll from the legendary The 69 Eyes! Check the pics down below!
We continue our Rockfest coverage with a closer look at three standout performances from this year’s edition in Turku. From the emotionally charged delivery of RØRY and the soaring, radio-ready energy of Moon Shot to the chaotic, unmistakably Finnish force of Stam1na, the Red Stage and Black Stage came alive with variety, intensity, and personality.
Dive into the gallery below and relive some of the most memorable performances of the first day of Rockfest’s weekend.
Wildfest 2025: ‘End of the Road’ – A Final Celebration of Glam, Sleaze & Melodic Rock
Organizers expressed pride in the festival’s journey, reflecting on its growth and the global community it built. They acknowledged that while ending the festival was a bittersweet decision, the ever-growing support for the genre and the broader scene made this the right moment to close the chapter on a high note.
Of course, no one wanted it to end. The fans, the artists, and the international community that returned year after year all hoped Wildfest would continue. But even though the decision is hard to accept, it must be respected. The organizers gave their heart and soul to create something truly special, and their decision deserves understanding and gratitude.
For those who missed me, I have to say that I am back. Now in a place far away from Europe and our headquarters in Europe.
Mexico, especially San Luis Potosi (SLP), will now be the new point of contact. From here I will try to bring you the latest on what is happening in these part of the world. The first experience with the German band Lacrimosa, in the presentation of the “Lament World Tour 2025” which has in Mexico the largest number of scheduled dates, no less than 22 concerts. This leads us to assume that there is a special love for this country and for this fans.
The presentation of the event was carried out by the event promoter, Cantodea Producciones, (www.cantodeaproducciones.com) , on 11.06.2025, in a very prestigious and central restaurant/bar, called “La historica, cantina de autor”. Here the promoter explained very well what would happen on Saturday, and at the end of the question and answer session the press was treated to a nice snack. For reasons related to the safety of the spectators, artists and technical support material, the show had to be postponed to Sunday, June 15th.
As a result of this postponement, the show scheduled for Zacatecas had to be cancelled, and the event promoter organized initiatives to facilitate transport for spectators from that city to gather and attend the SLP show. The band itself, feeling very bad about the cancellation of Zacatecas, decided to give everyone a special 3-hour show in San Luis Potosi.
The Cinateca Alameda, was chosen as the new presentation venue. Well-packed to welcome the duo Tilo Wolff and Anne Nurmi, who are on this “Lament World Tour”, accompanied by: Yenz Leonhardt, Henrik Flyman and Julien Schmid.
The vibe and energy of the people of SLP was strong from start to finish, showing affection and admiration for the experienced German band.
“Lament” is a special album, which closes a thematic trilogy and Tilo makes a point of sharing this information with his audience in a humble and sincere way, eye to eye. Everyone’s years of experience on stage, makes everything seemingly easy to present live, but without a doubt, we have to highlight the technical support team, who were impeccable, taking everything to a higher level.
May there be more nights like this, we look forward to more, yes, Cantodea Producciones!
The undoubted kings of psychedelic death metal of today, Blood Incantation destroyed – quite literally since even the house PA couldn’t handle the music – Kulttuuritalo last April during their “Absolute Elsewhere Tour” making a stop there. This was originally planned for Ääniwalli but since the tickets were in such high demand, it was moved to the legendary Kulttuuritalo and the place was packed! Great night of astral blast beats to make you levitate to outer space, check the pics down below!
Wildfest 2025: ‘End of the Road’ – A Final Celebration of Global Friendships and Rock
On May 23 and 24, 2025, Wildfest bid farewell with its eighth and final edition at JC De Spiraal in Geraardsbergen, Belgium. Known for its dedication to glam, sleaze, and melodic hard rock, the festival brought together fans from around the world.
The 2025 lineup featured many bands that had previously graced the Wildfest stage, including on the first day The Treatment (UK), Wildheart (Belgium), Blackrain (France), Kickin Valentina (US), and All I Know (Belgium):
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