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.

SET LIST
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.

SET LIST
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

Korpiklaani – 03/06/2025 – Chicago

Korpiklaani returned to the greater Chicagoland area less than a year since their last show. This time opting to play at The Outset in Chicago after that previous May 3, 2024 show in Joliet at The Forge. In recent years, Korpiklaani had greatly reduced their number of bouncy “party” songs in their set opting instead to play more of slower, deeper material. These songs are great in their own right, but lots of fans that were coming out for the drinking and partying had made comments that they missed that side of Korpiklaani. This tour, or at least on this show, Korpiklaani opted to return to a greater mix of the party songs and there was definite pleasure amongst the crowds demonstrated heavily in the pit by circles of fans doing interlocked kick lines and dancing. All in all a great show.

SET LIST

Rankarumpu
A Man With a Plan
Saunaan
Happy Little Boozer
Ievan polkka
Rauta
Aita
Oraakkelit
Kalmisto
Tuli kokko
Vaarinpolkka
Leväluhta
Gotta Go Home (Boney M. cover)
Iron Fist (Motörhead cover)
Viima
Metsämies
Sahti
Tequila
Vodka

Havron – 03/05/2025

Havron is a fairly new band to the Chicago scene having moved to here in 2022, but they have been progressing in leaps in bounds, already playing on bigger shows such as this. The band features some players that are know from their other endeavors including: Lariyah from Iron Wings Tattoos, ViaOmega Magazine, Darkadya Books as well as her other current band Dieve Noire. Josh from bands Akhlys, Aoratos, Havron, Avgrum and Dieve Noire. And Mike from Novembers Doom, Among The Living and formerly from Degredation and Hollowpoint. With that much talent behind the band, it is no wonder that they come out as an opener, but the fans don’t behave like they’re an opener with them jumping and screaming along. All in all, Havron put on a great show.

Aether Realm – 03/5/2025 – Joliet

Set List
Tarot
The Emperor
Death
The Magician
Should I?
Swampwitch
She’s Back
Guardian (With Tyr)
TMHC
The Sun, the Moon, the Star
(Outro)

Tyr – 03/05/2025 – Joliet

Tyr returned to the Forge in Joliet holding the heather hammer high. Although I will admit that I haven’t been getting out to shows lately as much as I’d like to, I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t caught a Tyr show since they played The Pearl Room way back in 2009. I have to say I was quite impressed and will be seeing them again on their next US Tour. Tyr delivered a phenomenal performance coming out strong with the fan favorite, “By The Sword In My Hand” and continued their Pagan/Viking set list and had the crowd moving, moshing and crowd surfing along with the best.

SET LIST
By the Sword in My Hand
Axes
Ramund hin unge
Shadow of the Swastika
Evening Star
Ragnars Kvæði
Hammered
The Lay of Thrym
By the Light of the Northern Star
Hail to the Hammer
Regin Smiður
Dragons Never Die
Blood of Heroes
Encore:
Sinklars vísa
Play Video
Hold the Heathen Hammer High

Tyrantti & Irvikuvat live at Monttu New Level, Pori (Finland) 1.2.2025

Finnish band Tyrantti released their album “Ihmispyramidi” last November, to promote it they went on a tour that touched several Finnish cities including Pori, where our reporter Cristina immortalized the band with her photos. Their performance did not disappoint the fans who crowded under the stage, an explosion of energy and virtuosity accompanied by fun and surprises. For this tour the band has grown, during the live shows in addition to the official members there are the keyboardist Koobra Kovanen (absent for this date) and the bassist Janne Viitanen. To replace the drummer who for family reasons is absent on this tour, in Pori Patrik Fält (Brymir) took care of it. In support the local Irvikuvat, who with their rock/metal alternated with comedy sketches, knew how to do the honors and warm up the audience.
Here the photos taken by Cristina Gregori.