Winston Live hosted a night dedicated to the NWOFHM (New Wave of Finnish Heavy Metal). Three rising acts, each bringing their own take on modern Nordic heaviness, turned the stage into a battlefield of riffs, speed, and local pride.
Chainline set the tone with their signature “melodic powercore” assault, unleashing the metallic chaos they had promised tight breakdowns, sweeping Scandinavian melodies, and a sound honed in the rehearsal room alongside sound engineer Sami Soukkio specifically for this occasion. Stranded Mind followed with a blast of thrash metal reminiscent of Metallica and Megadeth. For them, it was their first ever performance in Pori, marked by the live debut of an unreleased track. Finally, it was the turn of hometown heroes The Reality Machine, fresh from winning the “Porilaine bändi 2026” competition, to kick off the club leg of their tour with an energetic headlining set, alternating between older tracks and new material.
All in all, these three bands delivered a night that felt less like a standard local gig and more like a statement of intent, the new wave of Finnish heavy metal has arrived: loud, ambitious, and ready to cross the country’s borders.

Here the photoreport by Cristina Gregori.