Photo Reports

On 20 November 2025, Norwegian prog visionaries Leprous brought their almost-wrapped up European Tour to Antwerp.

One of the evening’s standout moments was the band’s performance of their newly released a-ha cover, “Take On Me.” The track, recorded earlier in the year during their North American tour, originated from their appearance on Musora’s On the Spot series—where artists are challenged to learn and record a cover song blindly, within just a few hours. The Leprous rendition quickly became a fan favorite and was later released as a digital single, making its live performance a particularly special treat.

Fans were highly interactive throughout the night, with one audience member loudly requesting “White”—a deep-cut favorite. The band, however, kept to their planned setlist and did not include the song.

The evening’s support came from Gåte, whose Nordic folk rock energy set an atmospheric tone for the night. Unfortunately, many attendees—including us—missed the promising Finnish opening act Royal Sorrow, due to exceptional heavy traffic that reportedly caused delays of up to two hours.

Antwerp, 12 November 2025 — Electric Callboy returned to Antwerp with a show that proved once again why they have become one of Europe’s most entertaining live acts. Their evolution toward a more techno-driven sound may have taken them a bit away from their metalcore/electronicore beginnings, but the energy they brought to the stage made it impossible for the crowd to stand still. With strobe-heavy drops and their trademark hyperactive chaos, the band transformed the venue into a full-blown rave.

Fortunately for fans craving a dose of pure heaviness, the main support Bury Tomorrow delivered exactly that. The British metalcore veterans fired on all cylinders, offering crushing riffs and the kind of pit-igniting breakdowns that reminded everyone what modern metalcore can still be at its best. Their set balanced the night perfectly—melody and muscle before Electric Callboy’s neon-colored madness.

The evening kicked off with Wargasm.

As part of their European tour in support of ‘Utopie’, Aephanemer brought their melodic death metal vision to On The Rocks in Helsinki, delivering a set that balanced precision, melody, and momentum. The club setting allowed the band’s sweeping leads and tightly woven arrangements to hit with extra clarity, pulling the crowd fully into their world.

With Dark Oath and Valhalore rounding out the lineup, the evening offered a varied journey through modern metal from dark intensity to epic flair, all bound together by a shared sense of drive and purpose.

For their 25th band anniversary, SALTRATIO MORTIS embarked on a grand jubilee tour through the German-speaking regions of Europe. The tour offered everything that SALTATIO MORTIS and medieval folk rock stand for: elaborate stage designs, dance performances, pyrotechnics, and fire in abundance. We were able to photographically document the penultimate concert and the actual tour finale in Ludwigsburg.

For this very special tour, SALTATIO MORTIS, led by singer Jörg ‘Alea Saltatio’ Roth, came up with a unique gag: they acted as their own support band under the name BAD LOVERZ. Dressed in 1980s hair and glam rock outfits complete with wigs, they performed and reinterpreted rock songs from the 80s. Nothing was safe from their tongue‑in‑cheek self‑parody, with a repertoire ranging from ROXETTE (‘You Got The Look’) to BON JOVI (‘Livin’ On A Prayer’).

Afterwards, the band took the stage as themselves and presented a cross‑section of their work spanning two and a half decades. The spectacular stage designs and fire show thrilled the audience in the nearly sold‑out venue. Instead of the usual crowd surfing in a dinghy, singer Alea was carried over the crowd in an inflatable Viking boat, turning it into a truly wild rodeo ride. On top of that came the crew’s pranks (as is customary at a tour finale), including a raffle of German Schlager songs instead of long‑unplayed titles and funny elf costumes.

SALTATIO MORTIS impressively proved that they belong among the greats of this genre — and that they can also laugh at themselves.

Bloodred Hourglass are currently on their ‘We Should Be Buried Like This‘ tour around Finland and came around to Tampere’s Tavara-Asema on November 13. Together with Luna Kills and Shereign they delivered a sweaty hot show that kept fists up in the air and hairs flying.

V’s Metal Fest: A Promising First Edition With Room to Grow

The very first edition of V’s Metal Fest, organised by V’s Metal Media, took place recently—an ambitious debut that brought together 10 metal bands, nine of them hailing from Belgium. The sole foreign act, ArseA from Italy, flew in only a few hours before their set. Despite a warm welcome, the band had its share of challenges: sound issues persisted throughout their performance despite the sound engineer’s best efforts. Their singer, attempting to address the crowd in French, enthusiastically shouted “Bonsoir, Bruxelles!”—a charming and innocent (double) mistake that drew some smiles from the audience.

While the musical lineup was strong, turnout unfortunately wasn’t. Only a modest number of metal fans made it to the venue, a tough blow for an organiser launching a brand-new festival. With their own merch and even their own festival beer (we tried it, and we liked it!), V’s Metal Media clearly invested both passion and resources into the event. Hopefully, they’ll find channels to sell the remaining stock and soften the financial impact.

One thing became clear: 10 bands in a single-day festival might be a bit much, both for organisers and attendees. The schedule stretched from 13:40 all the way to 03:00, and by midnight most of the audience had already left. Even we didn’t make it to the end and missed the final two performances—fingers crossed there were still people present for those closing sets, assuming they played as planned.

Despite the challenges, V’s Metal Fest showed heart, dedication, and the kind of underground spirit that keeps the metal scene alive. We sincerely hope V’s Metal Media bounces back, learns from this first tough edition, and returns next year with an even stronger festival—and a bigger crowd. After all, every major event started small. The key is surviving that first edition.

Here’s hoping for V’s Metal Fest 2.0—louder, stronger, and packed with fans. Fingers crossed!

Australian metalcore legends Parkway Drive stormed the Helsinki Ice Hall on November 12 2025, celebrating their 20-year anniversary. The Ice Hall was charged with energy all night as Parkway Drive unleashed a fiery live show — complete with impressive stage production and their signature earth-scorching flames.

Supporting the headliners were two fellow Aussie powerhouses: deathcore juggernaut Thy Art Is Murder and metalcore mainstay The Amity Affliction. Together, they delivered an intense, no-holds-barred evening of modern heavy music – a fittingly fierce celebration of Parkway Drive’s two-decade journey.

Katatonia came to Tampere on November 11 for an emotional show. Together with Evergrey and Klogr they managed to fill the Tavara-asema venue even on a Tuesday evening, that was almost as cold, dark and melancholic as their music.

On their “Sleepless Empire EU/UK Tour 2025”, Lacuna Coil brought their dark elegance to Tavara-asema in Tampere, turning the venue into a pressure cooker of atmosphere and emotion. The intimate setting proved to be the perfect backdrop for the band’s balance between heaviness and melody, with the crowd locked in from the very first notes.

With Nonpoint setting the tone as special guests (and their first time ever in Finland), the night carried a relentless energy that never dipped. Up close and personal, this was Lacuna Coil at their most commanding, reminding everyone in attendance why their live presence remains such a defining force.

Stopping at Jäähalli in Helsinki, Arch Enemy’s “European Blood Dynasty Tour” brought together a lineup that felt as much like a statement as a celebration. Touring in support of their latest release, Arch Enemy delivered a powerful, high-impact performance that commanded the vast space of the arena with ease.

Joined by Finnish icons Amorphis, folk metal legends Eluveitie, and rising death metal force Gatecreeper, the night traced a broad arc through modern heavy music from melodic grandeur and folkloric textures to unfiltered aggression. A packed Jäähalli bore witness to a tour package that balanced scale, precision, and sheer force.