Category: Photography

Stam1na & VOV live at Verstas, Nakkila (Finland) 13.3.2026

Following the release of their eleventh album, Apnea, Stam1na are currently touring across Finland, and last Friday they brought their energy to a sold‑out show at Verstas in Nakkila. Before their set, the local band VOV had the chance to warm up the crowd on a smaller stage.

VOV, a Finnish metal band founded in 2023, delves into the darker corners and shadows of the human mind, wrapping their stories in a dark, modern, and melodic metal sound. Their 40‑minute performance leaned into symphonic metal, with vocalist Karoliina McLoud taking center stage with her versatile mezzo-soprano voice. Their setlist also included well‑known covers such as Nemo and Over the Hills and Far Away, which the audience welcomed enthusiastically.

Stam1na took over Konehalli with a set that blended fresh material from Apnea with beloved classics like Vereen Piirretty Viiva, Puolikas Ihminen, Enkelinmurskain, Maalla Merellä Ilmassa, Panzerfaust, Sirkkeli, and Lääke. The new songs proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions live, amplified by striking use of lights and smoke that intensified the atmosphere.
During one of the final tracks, front-man Antti “Hyrde” Hyyrynen stepped off the stage and made his way to the bar area, performing up close with the fans.
As expected, the show was filled with wild headbanging, and the audience formed circle pits a couple of times. Overall, it was a great show in a unique venue; the only downside was the overwhelming heat inside.

Here are some photos from the show, brought to you by Cristina Gregori.

MonoMassive Spring Edition 7.3.2026, Pori (Finland)

MonoMassive is back, the festival dedicated to the heaviest metal held for the third time as the main event of the spring in Satakunta on March 7, 2026 at the Winston in Pori.
Four bands performed: Cumbeast, Sewer Altar, Unborn Generation and Whisper.
Crawling from the depths of Helsinki, WHISPER plays old-school death metal, spiced with prog and melodic death metal, offering a fresh yet gritty take on a genre that has been rotting for decades. Founded in 2023, the band’s EPs Xenogenesis and Gravemind have garnered praise for their brutal yet multi-dimensional approach. The band’s sound combines the atmosphere of early Finnish death metal, Finnish prog and the most modern cosmic influences. Despite being an emerging band, they performed with impressive confidence and technical skill.
UNBORN GENERATION has been delivering dirty grindcrust since 2002. The music combines the ruthless expression of grind, the energy of crust, and a hint of northern gloom in the form of melodies. The trio delivered the shortest set of the night — a tight, 30‑minute burst of pure energy.
SEWER ALTAR, a viscous entity of blistering grind, grimy breakdowns, and d-beat human tornados. The band delves into death metal themes of defilement and horror, intertwining them with the pervasive malaise of sociopolitical inequality. Jumping in as last‑minute substitutes for Unknown Subject, the trio rose to the occasion with a tight, well‑performed set.
CUMBEAST – brutal and grooving led metal from Turku since 2005. The band is known for its unique style: Heavy and grooving guitar riffs and strange tricks with a fretless bass combine with funky and pounding drums and inhuman, visceral vocals in an inexplicably tickling way. The green glow of Cumbeast’s RGB LEDs has illuminated festival and gig stages all over Europe and the ridiculously brutal energy of the gigs and the hit songs have infected the audience time and time again to mosh, dance and laugh. With their stage presence, audience engagement, technical skill, and sheer passion for performing, Cumbeast truly delivers the complete experience.
Here are a few shots from the night, captured by Cristina Gregori.

Endfest: Taste of Moth, AherA, Kantør, Fatal Renal Failure & Guts live at Annis, Pori (Finland) 21.2.2026

Endfest is a volunteer-run festival for all ages, focusing on underground heavy music. This year it was held at the Pori Cultural Center Annis on February 21st. The event featured six bands from across Finland, representing styles ranging from alternative metal to death metal and goregrind.
The band performing on this year event were: Taste of Moth, AherA, Kantør, Fatal Renal Failure, Guts & Corpsume (we have not see this last band).
Taste of Moth‘s music has harsh riffs and a gray world. The band’s prog-tinged alt metal will surely appeal to fans of Katatonia, Muse and Gojira.
AherA is a progressive groove metal band from Jyväskylä, founded in 2024. Their broad genre palette inspires and drives music forward purposefully on its own path. You can hear nuances of groove, black, thrash, death and progressive metal, as well as reggae, jazz and funk. That unique palette takes the listener on a journey through anger, despair, purification and melancholy. The soundscape is colored by frustration with our society and how far humans have fallen from the natural.
KANTØR is a young, fresh and powerful goth-death metal band from Turku. Founded in 2020, the band has grown from a shared passion of friends to an emerging name in the Turku metal scene, aiming for bigger stages. Their music combines melodic death metal and gothic metal with industrial, cathedral and symphonic elements, creating a dark but catchy sound that has been compared to Amorphis, Sentenced and Type O Negative, among others. The band is known for their intense live performance and energetic stage charisma, which has taken them to metal festivals and several cities around Finland.
Founded in 2025, Fatal Renal Failure plays tight and old school style Extreme Death Metal. The band is made up of 3 young guys.
Guts is a Death Metal band from Turku. Their music focuses on mid-tempo rhythms, as well as grooving and trotting riffs. The band has already released 2 rock-hard albums, Decay and Nightmare Fuel. These works, which respect the old school vibe, have gained appreciation among the scene.
The bands featured were very interesting and musically skilled, and most of the audience was under 18. As a reporter, I spotted a couple of bands that could grow internationally in the future. Below are some shots from the evening, credits: Cristina Gregori.

Metal Pizza Night: Artkills, Eartheria, What Awaits Us, Lust For Lily & Memoria live at Annis, Pori 7.2.2026

A free music event called Metal Pizza Night to celebrate my 40th birthday, was held at Annis Cultural Center in Pori on February 7.
Five metal bands performed; Artkills, What Awaits Us, Eartheria, Lust For Lily, and Memoira.
The event was live-streamed and can be watched on YouTube.
The evening was a success. Aside from a technical issue during one band’s performance, everything went smoothly. The bands delivered excellent performances, showcasing their talent.
Here some photos from the night.

Meluhaitta presents: KYY, Karhunvartijan Tyhjiö & Uhrattu live at Annis, Pori (Finland)16.1.2026

Meluhaitta kicked off the year with a midwinter-like atmosphere, playing black metal at Annis in Pori, Finland. The headliners were KYY from Lahti, who have already shared the stage with some well-known bands, while Karhunvartijan Tyhjiö from Turku, who play raw pagan black metal, warmed the benches, and Uhrattu, a new name on the local scene, played their debut show.
Here some photos from our reporter Cristina Gregori.

Isomäki Rocks: Turmion Kätilöt, Stam1na & Nyrkkitappelu

The best of Finnish heavy music performed at the Enersense Arena in Pori last Saturday, November 22nd, featuring Stam1na, Turmion Kätilöt, and Nyrkkitappelu.

The punk rock band Nyrkkitappelu opened the evening, bringing their catchy melodies, electric guitar riffs, and high energy to the stage with a frenetic and energetic performance.

Next up was Stam1na, one of Finland’s best metal bands, celebrating the first two decades of their career with the 2005-2006 Skargelin karkelot tour. The setlist offered a glimpse into the band’s early years, featuring classic tracks from their debut and Uudet kymmenen käskyä albums. The band did not disappoint, delivering an energetic show as only they can.

Closing out the evening was the flagship of Finnish industrial metal, Turmion Kätilöt, who are best known for their intense, sold-out live shows, and also this time they delivered a truly incredible show.

Photos by Cristina Gregori.

Bloodred Hourglass & Luna Kills live at Brummi, Rauma (Finland) 14.11.2025

Bloodred Hourglass released their seventh album, “We Should Be Buried Like This,” last October. After promoting it with a European tour, they’re now promoting it in their home country as well. Opening for them on this tour is another promising Finnish band, Luna Kills, who released their debut album, DEATHMATCH, last April via SharpTone Records.
We at The Offering had the opportunity to attend the show at Brummi in Rauma.

Luna Kills warmed up the audience with their energetic and engaging show. Talented singer Lotta Ruutiainen captivated the audience with her versatile voice and a stage presence worthy of the most experienced artists.

In addition to playing their new album, Bloodred Hourglass also performed some older songs. The crowd loved every second of their show, forming mosh-pits and fully participating in every single song.

Both bands delivered a flawless, high-quality show that left us wanting to see them again immediately.

Photo by Cristina Gregori.

 

Omnium Gatherum Video Interview

Omnium Gatherum will release their tenth album, “May The Bridges We Burn Light The Way,” on November 7th. The band, founded in 1996, also has a North American tour planned for November and December, a Finnish tour in January, and a European tour in February and March.
We had the opportunity to chat with frontman Jukka Pelkonen and learn more about the upcoming album, tours, and much more.

OMNIUM GATHERUM | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY

Kneel Before The Death & ASHEN SKY live at Meara Klubi, Pori (Finland) 27.9.2025

Meara Klubi returns after the summer break with two bands that are making inroads into the Finnish scene: ASHEN SKY and Kneel Before The Death.

ASHEN SKY’s music blends elements of both modern and traditional metal. Catchy riffs, powerful choruses, and crushing breakdowns infused with deathcore influences merge with melodic and melancholic tones, creating a striking contrast that channels both aggression and deep emotion. Known for their intense, energetic, and unpredictable live performances, ASHEN SKY delivers a unique and memorable experience for their audience.

Finnish Kneel Before The Death mixes death metal, deathcore, symphonic metal, black metal and electronic music to produce their unique sound. In 2023 Kneel Before The Death started a new chapter in their story with the release of the single Eternal Sleep. Their vision was to create art with an aggressive, theatrical and epic approach. In late 2024 the band released first full-length album.

Both bands were a blast, the energy was clearly palpable, and the audience responded more than positively. Two bands to keep an eye on because they are sure to be talked about.
Here some photos taken by Cristina Gregori.

Sacrilegious Impalement & Kuusuo live at MonoMassive III Warm Up, Winston Live Pori (Fin) 23/8/2025

Unfortunately, this year’s Pori extreme metal festival MonoMassive was canceled, but the Warm-Up evening was held on Saturday, August 23rd at Winston Live. The bands featured were Sacrilegious Impalement and Kuusuo.

To open the evening Kuusuo, an atmospheric black metal band formed in 2016 by Korvus Luna. Kuusuo’s sound consists of cruel vocals, melancholic melodies, dark lyrical themes and effective synth usage with crunchy guitar sounds. The band released their new EP last January. Band’s guitar player Diaemus Turso / Paavo Laapotti is known for being the frontman in a legendary melodeath band Before The Dawn.

Sacrilegious Impalement is a black metal band from Lahti, Finland, known for their destructive, misanthropic, and satanic themes. Formed in the early 2000s, they have released several albums and EPs and are known for their dynamic, atmospheric, and underground Finnish black metal.

Both bands brought darkness and atmosphere to the stage with their music, and the audience appreciated quality black metal.

Here some photos by Cristina Gregori.