Meara Klubi Vol. 38, a metal club organized by Meara Music, an independent and alternative record label/programming agency/event producer, hosted two death metal bands on the stage at Winston Live in Pori on the evening of April 26: Devenial Verdict and Wretched Path.
First on stage were Wretched Path, a five-piece band that combines traditional and modern death metal in an aggressive and engaging way. Their latest album, “Sea of Death”, was released last month. They managed to warm up the crowd with their death metal and headbanging.
Devenial Verdict is a death metal band that offer a fresh approach to the style, especially with their dissonant inclinations. Their music managed to captivate the audience in Pori with its intensity, breadth and atmosphere.
The night was a success despite the club not being full due to other concerts that were on at the same time.
Here some shots from our report Cristina Gregori.
Category: Photography
LUNA KILLS & Awake Again live at Monttu New Level, Pori (Finland) 17.4.2025
Last Thursday at Monttu New Level in Pori two bands made the audience jump and sweat with their performances. The first to take the stage were Awake Again, a four-piece post-hardcore band that fearlessly blends metal and pop elements into their music. The band with its wild stage presence, melodies and the right amount of heaviness won over the audience from the first notes. The back and forth with the audience spiced up with jokes made the show even more entertaining. The singer’s vocal versatility was highly appreciated, someone from the audience shouted “this guy has an amazing voice”.
And now it’s time for LUNA KILLS, the most innovative modern metal band on the scene, combining alternative and nu-metal vibes with electronics inspired by video game soundtracks. The band led by frontwoman Lotta Ruutiainen, with her incredible fry scream voice, managed to put on an energetic and intense show thanks also to the use of lights that made the show more cinematic. Apart from some technical problems with the bass, the show was flawless. The band made the audience jump, wave their arms to the beat and sing along.
Here some photos taken by Cristina Gregori.
Gorgoroth + Aeternus + Death Rattle + Archaic Live @ Audiodrome (Turin – Italy) 27/03/2025
The great wait for Gorgoroth has come to an end and we were all waiting for their show, including me, as it was my first time seeing them live. In the audience, many fans stood out from the rest of the crowd with their faces painted in a cadaverous way, creating a certain macabre scenography. Here is the intro with an orchestral version of Chopin’s “Marche Funèbre”, the band goes on stage and the musicians’ appearance has remained more or less the same as in the nineties: very marked corpse painting, exaggerated studs and inverted crosses around their necks. Their set immediately begins with “Bergtrollets Hevn” from 2011’s “Antichrist”, an imposing start that heralds a unique performance of highly twisted evil intent. “Aneuthanasia” and “Golgoroth” follow without a break to get to another dated track like “Katharinas Bortgang” from 2011, while for the most recent part of the setlist we listened to “Kala Brahman” from “Instincts Bestialis” from 2015. In fact, the only song from their long career that they didn’t play was “Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam” from 2006. During Gorgoroth’s performance, the sound of excited voices filled the air of the Audiodrome, often shrouded in the thick fog of smoke machines and the unholy din of the pagans. On stage, a rain of red and blue lights constantly fell on the members, making their music even more bloody violent. The fact that the live singer kept swinging his microphone stand was almost menacing and dozens of pairs of eyes in the front row followed his every move. During “Destroyer” and “Incipit Satan”, clawed hands emerged from behind the barriers as the frontman shouted the lyrics. Some fans then came alive from behind the barriers, causing them to shake wildly. All in all, a high-adrenaline and frenetically entertaining closing set for Gorgoroth, who closed at 10:55 PM with only an hour to go with the track “Unchain My Heart!!!” from their 2000 album “Incip Satan”. From the first track to the last, the audience was extremely receptive, which is understandable considering they are a historic band in their genre. Having them here in Turin on a warm spring evening feels like a real gift from Satan. The band has had significant lineup changes and problems with the law, but this is still Gorgoroth. They simply hint at a magnificent aura of gravity. They feel big, they feel exuberant and they completely filled the Audiodrome hall. Black metal at its best.
GORGOROTH
AETERNUS
DEATH RATTLE
ARCHAIC
Northern Genocide & Roju live at Monttu New Level Pori (Finland) 11.4.2025
On April 11th, Northern Genocide and Roju performed on the Monttu New Level stage in Pori. The night started with the energetic nu-metal of Roju, whose sound combines the old era of nu-metal with a powerful mix of metalcore, djent and modern metal. The show was a bomb of energy accompanied by the theatricality of the singer who is able to convey strong emotions through the use of various vocal techniques and body movement. Northern Genocide continued the night, combining industrial influences and melodic death metal in their music. The band stood out in their live performance for their technicality and energy with inevitable headbanging.
Here some photos taken by our reporter Cristina Gregori.
Ikinä & Kalmantach live at Monttu New Level, Pori (Finland) 5.4.2025
Opening the evening at Monttu New Level in Pori was the progressive death metal band Kalmantach. The band did their come back in 2022 and last year release and EP “F60.2: Remissio”. The band did an impeccable show, which managed to warm up the audience before the main act.
Ikinä, embracing the dark and the versatility of their two vocalists, claims the throne as the leading Finnish-language metalcore band. The band has an incredible energy that captivates the audience live. During the performance of their latest single “Jumalatar” (which was recorded with 16 guest female vocalists) the audience went wild. The band was able to make the audience moshpit, which is often difficult to engage in in Pori.
Here the photos taken by our reporter Cristina Gregori.
The Dead Daisies, The Treatment – March 8th, 2025 Live @ Phenomenon in Fontaneto d’Agogna (Italy)
The Dead Daisies are back in Italy with their Euro Tour 2025 with two unmissable live dates. The hard rock “super band” stopped for the first Italian date at the Phenomenon in Fontaneto d’Agogna (Italy) on the evening of March 8th, and then continued, the following evening, in Padua. With this tour the band also gave us some new music. In fact, on February 14th, the new single ‘Love That’ll Never Be’ was released, a rock ballad with a typical 70s sound with strong references to the blues of that period.
The Dead Daisies showed up with their massive lineup consisting of singer John Corabi, who returned to the lineup in 2023, guitarists Doug Aldrich and David Lowy, bassist Michael Devin and drummer Tommy Cluefetos. This powerful lineup, usually accustomed to gracing large stages around the world, was no less so in the Italian club, which also offered songs from their latest full-length album ‘Light ‘Em Up’ from 2024 with a set that was nothing short of energetic.
To my great surprise, the evening opened at 8 pm with a band called Nastyville. I only knew of two bands, but that was a good thing because the Italian band was able to warm up the audience with a remarkable grit of pure and hard rock’n’roll.
Nastyville formed in 2012 from an idea by Danny Boy (drummer) and Dave (guitar) with the intent of giving a new face to rock. The first album ‘Viva hell-A’ (2015) presented old-school riffs and the bite of the best street/glam rock, with Lex on vocals, Kruska on bass and Manuel on guitar. After the exit of Lex and Kruska they continued their journey with Mark Lee on vocals (great frontman) and Fabian Anderchen, releasing ‘Glam Caramel’ in 2017, with a heavier approach. The latest album, ‘Songs of Threesome’ in 2022, sees another line-up change with the addition of Dega on guitar and Paul on bass. The following year Christian Tabeat joined on drums bringing a more reasoned sound and now, they are working on the new album.
The set list proposed at Phenomenon opens with ‘Sex Crime’ and continues with ‘I Can’t Stand Your Ego’ (from ‘Viva Hell-A’). Unfortunately, the space available to them was cut due to time constraints. The guys from Omegna are great and I sincerely hope to see them again soon on stage at some other big event.
The evening continued with the second support group, the English The Treatment, who we have already enjoyed in Italy opening for Steel Panther, Aerosmith and Alice Cooper. They are a group of virtuoso and refined musicians, who showed the Italian audience all their talent. The Treatment‘s songs are well structured and with well-crafted choruses that are a pleasure to listen to. The band on stage was perfect in every way, without any flaws, giving a series of emotions and reactions. The show was pure fun, which showed guitarist Tagore Grey to be a master of entertaining the audience. Great stage ability, as they used to do once upon a time, which reminded me of the raw power and joy of rock n’ roll, and that’s why The Treatment are an engaging and irresistible live proposal, also paying homage to the legends of the past. They are here to have fun and want to drag us all along… and that’s exactly what they did!
After their performance, the anticipation was all for the evening’s headliners. Greeted by a warm welcome from the enthusiastic audience, The Dead Daisies started with ‘Long Way to Go’ (from the 2016 album ‘Make Some Noise’) to kick off their rousing show. With returning frontman John Corabi, already known for his time with Mötley Crüe, the eager crowd didn’t need much encouragement to make some “noise” right from the big start of the show.
Immediately after the drum solo Corabi gets ready with his classical guitar playing the first chords of their latest single ‘Love That’ll Never Be’, a song that has been a huge success among the audience, to then resume on electric with the following ‘With You And I’, to then arrive – after other songs – to the characteristic introduction of the band followed by a medley of classics to introduce in a brilliant and creative way the other members of the band, together with funny anecdotes by John about each of them. David Lowy paid homage to AC/DC with ‘Highway to Hell’, while Doug Aldrich who churned out the immortal ‘Whole Lotta Love’. Drummer Tommy Cluefetos paid homage to the White Stripes with ‘Seven Nation Army’, and Michael Devin unleashed ‘Heaven and Hell’ by Black Sabbath. Frontman John then concluded the introduction with a version of ‘Living After Midnight’ by Judas Priest.
Next up, The Dead Daisies performed their recent ‘Crossroad’ (a cover of the famous bluesman Robert Johnson) which previews their new blues album due out this year demonstrating how much more great music is yet to come from the band. As the show draws to a close, David Lowy gives a brief introduction to the song he will be playing on the microphone for, ‘Get a Haircut’. A couple more songs and after an explosive set packed with burning rock anthems, the band returned to the stage for a two-song encore, starting with ‘Ressurrected’ and concluding with a Beatles cover of ‘Helter Skelter’.
The show by the super The Dead Daisies was magnificent and the whole evening was flawless. It was an honor for me to see such an incredible group of musicians perform in a small town in Piedmont. With The Dead Daisies there were no egos. The band performed as one, with no one at the center of the stage, and with a class like few others.
Bloody Falls & Progeny Of Sun live at Monttu New Level, Pori (Finland) 15.3.2025
Bloody Falls and Progeny of Sun, both in the roster of Death Agency, performed at Monttu New Level in Pori on March 15th.
The explosive sound of Bloody Falls combines all kinds of elements of the most extreme metal genre, including explosive drums, epic passages, melodic solos and memorable guitar riffs. In April 2024 the band released their LP “Amartia” via Art Gates Records, which was a great success and opened new horizons for the band.
Progeny of Sun is a multifaceted mix of different metal genres, forged primarily around death metal. Sustained fire of hypnotic riffs balanced with imaginative melodies, drums that bring constant blast beat assaults along with roaring bass lines, thunderous vocals that range from bottomless growls to hellish shrieks, all turning the entire mutilation into a musical act. Their debut album “Throne of Desolation” was released in late 2023 and the second album will be released this year.
Both bands gave an excellent show on the stage in Pori, inviting the shy audience to go wild with headbanging.
Here some photos taken by our reporter Cristina Gregori.
MonoMassive Spring Edition, Pori(Finland) 1.3.2025
Meara Music, after the success of the two summer editions of the MonoMassive festival, opted for a spring edition to satisfy fans of extreme metal music. The festival was held at the Annis culture house in Pori, the bands that played were Putrid Defecation, Inferia, Cannibal Accident, Bob Malmström and Rotten Sound.
Putrid Defecation, founded in Espoo in 2019, proclaims the good news of toilet humor with heavy riffs and a relaxed attitude. The band released their first full-length in early 2025.
Founded in 1989, INFERIA from Lahti is one of the original Finnish death/grind bands, still active today. The band’s grindcore is based on Napalm Death, Deicide and Cannibal Corpse-style rough-and-tumble, mixing their own distinctive death metal and hardcore into this broth. Inferia is characterized by erotically nuanced lyrics, in the porndeath/grind spirit.
Cannibal Accident is a Turku-based hybrid of old-school grindcore, death metal, d-beat hardcore and mosh parties, founded in 2007. The discography includes four albums and a slew of other releases. The fifth full-length, Disgust, was released in February 2025. Live, the orchestra delivers with a fiercely tight and merciless energy.
Bob Malmström, The one and only, The true originators and crowned kings of borgarcore.
Originally from Vaasa, Rotten Sound has been hammering out their relentless grind for 31 years, with no intention of calming down or slowing down. Their latest album “Apocalypse” brought a whole new energy to their live shows. Numerous tours, festivals, albums, EPs and club gigs have honed Rotten Sound into a diamond that sets off car alarms in nearby neighborhoods and forces pits to extreme speeds.
The whole festival was a mix of extreme music, fun and pure energy.
Here some shots taken by Cristina Gregori.
Trollfest – 03/06/2025 – Chicago
I’m really not sure what to say about a group of dudes coming out in pink tutus and dressed like pink flamingos featuring a saxophone player other than, ah that must be Trollfest. All that aside, I’ve never actually seen Trollfest live before, and all I can say is, wow, what a blast. These guys came out rocking during their own unique style. The fan interaction was great with the world’s longest conga line and having half the crowd sit down and half of the crowd jump and then making them switch several times and lastly having the entire band randomly just lay down and play dead on the stage mid song. The music was great, the atmosphere was great, and the show was great.
Dance Like a Pink Flamingo
Flamongous
Essenfest
Ave Maria (Charles Gounod cover)
Twenty Miles an Hour
Kaptein Kaos
Illsint
Renkespill
Piña Colada
Kjettaren mot strømmen
All Drinks on Me
Espen Bin Askeladden
Helvetes hunden garm
Ensiferum – 03/06/2025 – Chicago
Ensiferum has finally returned to us. Not having performed in the Chicagoland area since January 12, 2019 at Joliet’s The Forge. The band was received with a roaring welcome. They came out though like it was just yesterday and went straight into a rocking set. You could tell the fans loved that they came back with the slow trickle of bands that have been making their returns since the “dark times” when bands didn’t tour in the US from overseas. It was a sad time and we are so glad that bands like Ensiferum have returned.
Aurora
Fatherland
Twilight Tavern
Treacherous Gods
Winter Storm Vigilantes
Lai Lai Hei
The Howl
From Afar
Andromeda
Leniret Coram Tempestate
Victorious
Wanderer
Rum, Women, Victory
In My Sword I Trust
Two of Spades
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