A couple of friends of the site are bringing something quite new to Finland with Ankea Festival, to take place next summer in Tampere, giving a space for music that isn’t as much represented at festivals overall with a focus on alternative rock and progressive metal! The first dozen of names confirmed is already pretty impressive with Ihsahn, God Is An Astronaut, Oranssi Pazuzu, Kaelan Mikla, Green Carnation, Circle, A.A. Williams, Bruce Soord, Earthside, Ihlo, Vermilia and Virta!
To celebrate the 1-year anniversary of ‘The Last Will and Testament’, Opeth unveiled a brand-new animated video for ‘§3’! Catch them live next year on tour in the North America early 2026 and in Europe during summer festival season with for instance a headline spot at Hellsinki Metal Festival!
Progressive act Phendrana announce new album ‘Cathexis’ to be out in February 2026 and shared the title track with a mesmerizing video!
Melbourne progressive metal visionaries Black Sea Of Trees return with their powerful new single ‘Servant to the Sun’!
Rising LA metal band In Virtue unveiled their brand-new music video for ‘Karma Loop’, featuring Charlotte Wessels and a track from their album ‘Age of Legends’, available now everywhere!
The Gloom In The Corner announce new studio album ‘Royal Discordance’ to be released in February 2026 via SharpTone Records and unleashed the new single and video ‘Angel’s Wrath Whiskey’!
Dutch progressive metal pioneers Textures returned with ‘At the Edge of Winter’, featuring Charlotte Wessels and the second single from their upcoming new album ‘Genotype’, set for release in January 2026 on Kscope, right before they go on an extensive European tour as special guests for Jinjer!
Legendary progressive metal pioneers Savatage announced their “Prelude To Madness 2026 Summer tour” taking them all across Europe to festivals like Wacken and Alcatraz, but also several special headline shows!
Soen unleash the crushing second single ‘Mercenary’ from their upcoming new album ‘Reliance’, set for release in January 2026 via Silver Lining Music! Catch them live next summer at the already confirmed European festivals like Ilovaari Festival and Alcatraz Festival!
Tunisian progressive metal band Myrath are back with their stunning new single ‘Until The End’, featuring Amaranthe’s Elize Ryd, and are announcing their new album ‘Wilderness of Mirrors’ to be released in March 2026 via earMUSIC!
V’s Metal Media organised their first festival and invited us to experience ‘V’s Metal Fest’ and we were only too happy to drop by and support a budding organisation! With 10 Cats Down, #40Something, Noord, Narsic, Behind the Veil, Fabulae Dramatis, Promise Down, ArseA, Primal Creation, and No Apologies.
Katatonia came to Tampere, Finland on November 11 for an emotional show. Together with Evergrey and Klogr they managed to fill Tavara-Asema even on a cold and rainy Tuesday.
Moon Shot, RØRY, and Stam1na took over Rockfest’s Red Stage and Black Stage with unforgettable performances, and we captured it all.
In mid-May, Ääniwalli became a vortex of technical brutality and progressive intensity as Born of Osiris brought their tour to Helsinki. With support from death metal and deathcore juggernauts Ingested, the genre-bending Entheos, and Portugal’s The Voynich Code, the night unfolded as a showcase of modern metal’s most forward-pushing acts.
Rivers of Nihil took over Tavastia in Helsinki a couple of months ago and absolutely blew our minds at the end of our weekend back then with the help of Cynic, Beyond Creation and Dååth!
Opeth released an absolutely brilliant new album with ‘The Last Will And Testament’ last year, and now they brought it to the stage all over Europe. And we in Helsinki were honored to be the first stop of the tour back in February, getting a first taste of their new work live. And with Grand Magus to warm us up, this was a brilliant night for the (metal) music lovers among us! An event by Fullsteam Agency
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!
Finland’s band of misfits King Satan released their latest album ‘The Devil’s Evangelion’ via Noble Demon, and such an epic album deserves a proper release tour of course. With them, they brought their friends of the dark elektro duo Miseria Ultima to open the night, and doomy outfit The Abbey as direct support at the Helsinki stop. An excellent night of great music and friends, and with all bands in absolute top form!
We caught Vola before on their European tour when they visited Finland. But on this night we managed to see them again, this time in Eindhoven, Netherlands. And with their special guest Charlotte Wessels playing somewhat of a home show, the night turned into an unforgettable one for sure!
On the back of the release of their latest album ‘Friend of a Phantom’, VOLA embarked on an extensive European tour and dropped by Vanha Ylioppilastalo in Helsinki, Finland in November to repeat the amazing performance they had at Tuska this past summer! With them, they brought the ever enchanting Charlotte Wessels and Feather Mountains. An event by TuskaLive.
