Extreme metal band CHTHONIC, which has toured large stages in the Far East, Europe and the United States, ended its long silence in March by releasing the single Endless Aeons, accompanied by a very opinionated video.
Today, the band releases the MEGAPORTAL 2425 live EP, which also features the song Endless Aeons. The EP contains a total of five songs recorded from this and last year’s gigs at the Megaport Festival. These gigs have a recurring theme of breaking the boundary between reality and illusion and creating virtual time and space on stage. In 2024, technology was used that allowed virtual characters to be presented in real time on a large screen. In 2025, the characters appeared physically on stage and interacted with the characters on the screen.
“The concert screen acts as a ‘time and space tunnel’, or in time travel terms, a gateway. Virtual time and space connect to the real world through these gateways. We see the virtual character through the screen, and the character sees us in the real world. When we performed the song Endless Aeons, the character traveled through the gateway and appeared in reality,” says Freddy Lim.
In addition to Endless Aeons, the theme of time and space is also evident in other songs on this live EP. The opening track MEGAPORTAL INTRO layers different versions of the song Takao, creating a chaotic and exciting atmosphere. Quell the Souls in Sing Ling Temple is about the battle between this world and the afterlife. During the acoustic song Defenders of Bú-Tik Palace, Finn, who has appeared in several CHTHONIC music videos over the past decade, was seen on stage. He performed the classic scene where the characters shout the lyrics of the song. Finally, tens of thousands of fans sang the chorus of Takao together, bringing the concert to a perfect conclusion.
CHTHONIC says they will focus on making a new album next, and have no plans to tour in the short term. This live EP is a delicious snack the band serves up to their international fan base, who are eagerly awaiting the band’s next releases and the shows that follow.
MEGAPORTAL 2425 tracklist:
1. MEGAPORTAL INTRO
2. Quell the Souls in Sing Ling Temple
3. Endless Aeons
4. Defenders of the Bu-Tik Palace (acoustic)
5. TAKAO
They say rock can change the world, and Freddy Lim made that a reality during his two terms in parliament, pushing for reforms. He promoted legislation that made Taiwan the first country in Asia to recognize marriage equality, and he pushed for better protection of indigenous rights. He also supported budgets that provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine. He pushed for transitional justice, demanding that the government open secret documents from the authoritarian era so that truth and justice could be realized in society.
In 2023, these declassified archives unexpectedly revealed the tragic and previously unknown history of Freddy Lim’s family. Combining history and mythology, it seemed no coincidence that Chthonic’s music had previously told the sad but courageous stories of Freddy Lim’s grandparents. Freddy was deeply shocked to learn of the news. In a whirlwind of emotions, he decided to end his eight-year parliamentary career and announced that he would not run for office again. He paused to consider the direction of his life and where his music could still take him.