Photo Reports

On Friday March 6, Finnish melodic death metal band Omnium Gatherum brought their European tour to DVG Club, delivering an intense evening of melodic metal to a packed crowd. The night opened with two strong support performances from American progressive death metal band Fallujah warming up the audience, followed by Swedish melodic death metal outfit In Mourning, whose powerful set prepared the crowd perfectly for the headliners. The show was part of Omnium Gatherum’s European run in support of their latest album and tour campaign.

Sadly, longtime vocalist Jukka Pelkonen was unable to participate due to health issues after being diagnosed with lymphoma, forcing him to step away from the tour to focus on treatment. Stepping in as a temporary frontman is Henry Hämäläinen, known from bands like Shade Empire. Despite the circumstances, the substitute singer quickly won over the audience in Kortrijk with a confident and energetic performance. During the show, he shared a fun detail about life on the road with the band: every member of Omnium Gatherum has a number printed on their shirt. As the newest temporary member of the lineup, he joked that he had been assigned number 007 — “the James Bond of the band,” as he laughingly told the crowd.

The Kortrijk show demonstrated that the spirit of Omnium Gatherum remains strong and fans are already looking forward to welcoming the band back once their regular vocalist returns to the stage.

It was a Monsters Ball on Tuesday March 10th, 2026 at Piere’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana with Butcher Babies, Lylvc and Remember Me crashing into town and melting our faces for the night!

Remember Me warmed things up for the evening! They are a 4 piece metalcore band based out of Indiana! They are not strangers to playing at Piere’s as they formed their band a couple of years ago and have been gracing the stage ever since. The band’s lineup consists of: Chris Storm[Vocals], Jonathan Ensz[Drums], Nathan Valdez[Guitar] and Justin Robbins[Bass].

Up next was Lylvc  (pronounced “Lilac”) a rock/hip-hop fusion band based out of North Carolina. After speaking to both vocalists prior to the show, I was so excited to see them perform. Energy and connection with their audience is important to them and it showed throughout their performance! They gave it their all and it was fun to witness. They also value the importance of mental health which I greatly appreciated. They played a cover of Papercut(Linkin Park)which they did amazing on. They also played their new single Starless. The band’s lineup is made up of: Alyse Zavala[vocals], Oscar Romero[vocals], Cameron Gillette[keyboard/synth/rhythm guitar], Seth Morgan[lead guitar] and Lee Hutt[drums].

Butcher Babies, heavy metal band based out of LA,  headlined for the night and they delivered a power packed performance! Vocalist Heidi Shepherd is one of the most energetic and dynamic artists I have ever seen. She commands the room and this show was no exception! Their crowd interaction and relentless energy is a force to be reckoned with! At one point near the end of their set Heidi entered the crowd and sang from the center of a circle pit! That was so fun to witness live. After this tour ends, the band is headed to Europe and then playing a couple of festivals here in the United States. If you like metal and intensity, you will love Butcher Babies!

When 3 of the biggest bands of the modern/symphonic/melodic metal scene join forces for one massive European tour, you know you have to make sure you’re there when they have a stop near you. Amaranthe and Epica put together the “Arcane Dimensions Tour” where they were co-headlining, and brought with them as special guest the lovely Charlotte Wessels. It simply was an amazing night filled with stellar music and emotional highlights!

HEIMAT OVER EUROPE 2026 brought a thunderous night of extreme music to Stuttgart, showcasing a lineup that spanned continents and generations of heavy sound. This was warming up every extreme metal and metalcore fan’s heart. Opening the evening were FROZEN SOUL from Dallas, USA, one of the most exciting newcomers in modern Death Metal. Their icy riffs and crushing groove immediately ignited the unfortunately smaller crowd due to the early stage time.

They were followed by THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER from Michigan, USA—long‑established Melodic Death Metal veterans whose technical precision and relentless energy remain unmatched. Their set was a whirlwind of blastbeats and razor‑sharp melodies, the first major peak of a long night.

Next came THE HALO EFFECT from Gothenburg, Sweden, a band formed by seasoned musicians deeply rooted in the classic Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal tradition. Their warm harmonies and anthemic choruses offered a powerful contrast, turning the hall into a massive sing‑along.

Headliners HEAVEN SHALL BURN from Saalfeld, Germany—true Metalcore/Melodic Death  Metal heavyweights with decades of experience—delivered a visually stunning and politically charged performance. Pyro bursts, towering light walls, and a ferocious stage performance sealed the night as an unforgettable highlight. Heaven was burning for sure this night!

A triumphant celebration of Europe’s metal identity.

Stan’s Room at Piere’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana was ablaze as Shallow Side and Above Snakes rolled into for a pop-up show while out on tour with No Resolve. The Kickbacks (aka TKB), Fort Wayne locals, were also on the bill for the night. It was truly a special evening! 

The Kickbacks have been rocking the regional scene since 2014 with their post grunge vibes and high energy! This 3 piece band was high energy and well put together.

Above Snakes hail from Boston, Massachusetts. I love their Nu Metal/hard rock blend of music and energetic stage presence! This was my 2nd time seeing them and I will definitely be keeping an eye on this band.

Shallow Side, from the great state of Alabama, just simply brought things home for the night! I had heard nothing but great things about them and they did not disappoint. I really love their hit The Worst Kind! They played a fun mashup, Separate Ways(Journey) and even threw in some country. They were very entertaining and loved the crowd and the crowd loved them. 

Overall, what a gem of a show this was and no better way to spend a Thursday night!!

On Thursday, 12 February 2026, Swedish metal provocateurs Avatar brought their “In the Airwaves” tour to Ancienne Belgique (AB) in Brussels, Belgium, delivering a powerful night of riffs, theatrics and pure metal energy as usual.

The full report by Annet can be found here

Swedish prog masters Soen released a brand new album with ‘Reliance’ and of course they had to celebrate that by doing a tour in the country that has shown them so much love from the beginning. After 5 days of shows in Finland, they landed in Helsinki to play one more show at Vanha Ylioppilastalo and with them, they had the symphonic metal icons Xandria and openers Vulkan, for what turned into a mesmerizing night of great music!

The “INERTIA Tour 2026” brought a night of high-energy alternative music to Helsinki as grandson took over Kulttuuritalo with his explosive blend of rock, hip-hop and socially charged anthems. Before the Canadian artist hit the stage, local alt-metal outfit Rioghan warmed up the crowd with a powerful performance that once again demonstrated why they have become one of Finland’s most promising rising acts.

From intimate moments to all-out chaos, the evening offered plenty to remember. We were there to capture the energy, emotion and connection between artists and audience throughout the night. Dive into the gallery below and relive grandson and Rioghan‘s Helsinki performances.

Jinjer finally played their first headlining shows in Finland, it’s almost unbelievable considering that they needed a special permission from the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to be allowed to travel as cultural ambassadors, to even make their ‘Duel‘ tour through Europe and North America possible. After their gig in Helsinki they, together with Textures and Unprocessed, tore down the sold out Tavara-Asema in Tampere on the 25th of February.

On February 21st, 2026, Hiraes stormed the small venue of DVG Club in Kortrijk. The venue houses both a large and a small hall. This show took place in the more intimate setting. It wasn’t officially sold out, but the space felt perfectly alive: full enough to radiate energy from wall to wall, yet open enough for fans to move freely, headbang, and lose themselves in the music.

The Kortrijk date followed closely after Hiraes’ appearance at the legendary metal cruise festival 70000 Tons of Metal just a couple of weeks earlier in the USA. Bringing that same explosive momentum back to solid ground, the band delivered a razor-sharp set, every song hit with precision. After the show, Hiraes took their time to meet fans, pose for photos, and sign whatever was handed to them — albums, shirts, posters, and more.

A special highlight took place in the venue’s hallway, which is lined with striking artist portraits painted by Brecht Carton. In this continuously growing gallery of musicians, Carton recently added a portrait of Britta Görtz to the collection. After the show, she signed her newly placed artwork — turning it into a lasting memory.

The evening kicked off with Nopreachers.