Powerwolf unleashed the live version of ‘Armata Strigoi’, which will part of their upcoming monumental live album ‘Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle)’, out in February 2026 via Napalm Records! If you want to experience them live in real life yourself, catch them on their “Wake Up The Wicked Tour” in 2026 or next summer headlining European festivals like Wacken and Alcatraz!
German power metal heroes Victorius are back with brand-new single ‘Raptor Squad Attack’, out with an arcade games inspired video and part of their upcoming album ‘World War Dinosaur’, set for release in April 2026 with Perception – A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music!
Alcatraz Festival just gave us an early christmas present by adding 32 more bands to the 2026 lineup, making it almost complete with another nice selection of metal icons, underground greats, up-and-coming bands and artists from its own Belgian soil!
Finnish outfit Metal De Facto join forces with Reaper Entertainment, creating a power metal alliance for the ages! Their take on the CoB classic ‘Lake Bodom’ will be the first release with the new label, out next week!
Swedish powerhouse Bloodbound unleashed their second single ‘As Empires Fall’ from upcoming album ‘Fields Of Swords’, set for release with Napalm Records next month!
Last week, Beast In Black announced an extended European headline tour in 2026 in support of their upcoming album and bringing along Sonata Arctica and Frozen Crown! Not all shows are announced yet, so keep an eye out if your country and city gets added to the list!
Finnish powerhouse Battle Beast released their new album ‘Steelbound’ with Nuclear Blast last week and celebrated the occasion with a music video for the track ‘Twilight Cabaret’!
Elettra Storm pays homage to 80s melodic metal in their style with the new single ‘Hero Among Heroes’, another track leading up to the release of their upcoming album ‘Evertale’, set to come out next Friday via Scarlet Records!
Italian melodic power metal stars Cristiano Filippini’s FLAMES OF HEAVEN unveiled the new single ‘The Archangel’s Warcry’, a third track shared from the upcoming album ‘Symphony Of The Universe’, out next month via Limb Music!
The 18th edition of Alcatraz is shaping up to be historic with headliners Arch Enemy and Alestorm, legends like Soulfly, Saxon, Body Count, Rose Tattoo, extreme assaults from Immolation, Internal Bleeding, 200 Stab Wounds, Sanguisugabogg, and modern favorites like Kittie, Northlane, Animals As Leaders, The Ghost Inside.
We’re especially thrilled to see the Belgian flag flying high again with Channel Zero, Amenra, Enthroned, Psychonaut and Mantah on the bill. And let’s not forget our longtime Finnish favorites Luna Kills, making a big step onto the Alcatraz stage!
On top of that, the Prison Stage opens already on the Thursday for the first time ever, and day ticket prices are lower than 2025 right now!
Sabaton took their show to a new level with a new stage concept and more focus on their actors, but not any less explosive power. They almost blew the roof off the Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart when they came to town together with The Legendary Orchestra a couple of weeks ago!
Battle Beast celebrated their biggest headline show to date with a big party of a show at Tampere’s Nokia Arena on November 21st. The fans were warmed up by support act Dynazty.
We caught up with the “Tourslayer Europe 2025” tour back in October at Trix in Antwerp, Belgium for a great power metal evening was by the hands of Angus McSix, Orden Ogan and Wind Rose!
What happens when two of the most well known power metal bands of the country tour together as co-headliners? Sold out gigs like the one at Tavara-Asema in Tampere last Friday is what happens. Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius, together with support act Arion, made sure to create an evening to remember. An event by Grey Beard Concerts & Management.
With 3 bands being shining lights for (the future of) metal, and all 3 of them having a brand-new album in their pocket, Amaranthe, Dragonforce and Infected Rain turned Black Box Helsinki into a true celebration of heavy music about a month ago!
One of our reporters got to fulfill her dream to see a show at the legendary Palladium on Time Square while she was in New York City and caught great shows from Dragonforce, Amaranthe, Nanowar of Steel and Edge of Paradise ripping it up, turning the night into a celebration of heavy metal!
After a long wait we finally got a regular Sonata Arctica gig again in Finland as they kicked off their “Arctic Storm Finland tour 2023”. At the end of September, they hit the stage in Tampere’s Pakkahuone, together with Reckless Love and Luna Kills. A great night organised by TuskaLive and Grey Beard Concerts and Management.
Sabaton’s “The Tour To End All Tours” is hitting Europe right now, bringing their biggest show yet to fans all over the continent with support from BABYMETAL and Lordi! And we simply could not miss out on that. Not only did we had a chance to interview Tommy Johansson but also to witness this show in Amsterdam before it’s hitting the Antwerp Sportpaleis this Saturday.
Kamelot struck down in Helsinki to give us a proper “awakening” on their European tour, and brought with them some excellent support through Myrath, Eleine and League of Distortion! A night of absolutely excellent music that left a positive feeling with anyone who attended the show at Vanha Ylioppilastalo at the end of March!
This night was one big party! All the bands came to deliver their part of the party and the crowd was in for a good time too. If you missed this night, Alestorm, Gloryhammer and Wind Rose are coming to Alcatraz festival in Kortrijk this summer. Rumahoy sadly won’t be seen there.
Sabaton played a close to sold out show at the SchleyerHalle in Stuttgart, Germany together with The Legendary Orchestra a couple of weeks ago. Full power from start to finish.
Battle Beast played a visually stunning show in front of over 5000 fans at Nokia Arena in Tampere on November 21st together with Dynazty as the dedicated warm-up band.
Day two of Tuhdimmat Tahdit brought Michael Monroe, Moon Shot, Black Devils, Hardcore Superstar, Turmion Kätilöt, Battle Beast and the legendary Blind Guardian to Tampere’s Eteläpuisto on the second day and was great yet again! We surely will be back at this festival in the future.
We, yet again, had a blast enjoying this year’s edition of Tuhdimmat Tahdit, which brought Finntroll, Kilpi, Mustasch, Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus, Lordi, Amaranthe and HammerFall to Tampere’s Eteläpuisto on the first day!
New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal organised a Vappu after party with Crimson Day, Everlore and Neverfade at Maanalainen in Tampere. An overall fun event full of heavy music discoveries.
At the end of March it was time for a fantastic rock and metal opera in Stuttgart’s Schleyerhalle, Tobias Sammet’s multi musician project Avantasia held court. A fantasy stage layout built the base for a 3-hour spectacle that was packed with a long line of guest vocalists.
Last Friday, Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica came to Tampere’s fully packed Tavara-Asema for their “Nordic Power Titans tour 2025”. In addition, they also brought along Arion to warm up the room for them. While the sound wasn’t always quite on point, that didn’t stop the evening from being a great amount of fun. An event by Grey Beard Concerts & Management.
Unleash the Archers on tour in Europe with their latest album ‘Phantoma’, released last year with Napalm Records, dropped by in Kortrijk, Belgium to deliver an excellent power/heavy metal night supported by Striker and Seven Kingdoms!
Every year we like to look back at the amazing shows we captured, and in 2024 Anna/ScarletMemory Photography covered bands like Vola, Apulanta, Marko Hietala, Cyan Kicks, Stam1na, Kotiteollisuus, Blind Channel, Cyhra, Sigh, Everwave, Sonata Arctica, Neonfly, Altamullan Road, Avatar, Raskasta Joulua, Beatrix, Battle Beast, Steve ‘n’ Seagulls, Áilu Valle, Amoc and Trio Boogiemen mostly in Tampere, Finland!
The tradition at GrimmGent is for all photographers to set up our personal collection of our favourites. Always an illustrious collection, sometimes with shots that haven’t even been published here. This is my Tom Treuten selection of highlights in 2024.
