Category: Photography 2026

TÆL, Steriili Tila & Constant Pain live at Meluhaitta,Pori (Finland) 4.4.2026

Meluhaitta put together a full night of powerviolence at Annis in Pori, something the city has not seen in years, possibly even a decade. Three bands took the stage: TÆL, Steriili Tila and Constant Pain.

Opening the night was Constant Pain from Jyväskylä. Fresh off the release of their first demo, they made a strong impression and showed their full potential to the crowd that had gathered early.

The middle slot went to Steriili Tila, a long-running powerviolence bulldozer from Oulu. Unfortunately, their vocalist and drummer could not make it to the show, so the bassist handled vocals and a substitute filled in on drums. Despite the setbacks, they delivered a solid performance.

Headlining the event was the Norwegian “bassviolence” duo TÆL, closing out their short Finnish spring tour. Their set was packed with energy and constant interaction with the audience, which kept things lively. There were a few issues with the saxophone, but they didn’t take away from the overall performance.

All bands played very short sets, under 30 minutes, which made the waiting between them feel a bit long. Still, the organization was smooth and the night as a whole went well.

Here some photos by Cristina Gregori.

Pridian Video Interview

Estonian modern metal band Pridian has been on a rapid ascent. After releasing their debut EP, Cybergnosis, in 2023, the band took a major step forward by signing with the prestigious label Century Media Records in 2024. Their first full-length album, Venetian Dark, further refined their sound and ambitions, solidifying their position in the international metal world and highlighting the increasingly vibrant Estonian metal scene.
Coming off a series of shows in Poland, the Netherlands, and Germany in 2025, Pridian show no signs of slowing down. Before taking the stage in Helsinki, Finland, Martin and Jörg sat down with us to discuss their music, their live shows, and much more.

https://pridianband.com/

Bloodred Hourglass, Pridian & Deathropy live at Korjaamo, Helsinki (Finland) 28.3.2026

Bloodred Hourglass brought their acclaimed We Should Be Buried Like This tour to Helsinki last Saturday, March 28th, delivering a powerful night of modern metal at Korjaamo. The evening featured two energetic opening acts: Finnish melodic death metal Deathropy and Estonian metalcore Pridian.

Deathropy, though only a few years into their career, performed with the confidence and precision of a seasoned band. Their collective live experience showed in a tight, high energy set that immediately pulled the audience in. Their melodic yet aggressive sound set the tone for the night, and the crowd responded with enthusiastic headbanging from the first riffs onward.

Pridian followed with a darker, heavier atmosphere. The Tallinn‑based quartet has carved out a distinctive identity built on crushing grooves, commanding vocals, and cinematic melodies layered with electronic textures. With their debut album Venetian Dark strengthening their international presence, the band proved they are just as compelling on stage as on record. Their performance set the room ablaze, sparking incessant circle pits.

The night culminated with Bloodred Hourglass, one of Finland’s most respected modern metal bands. Following the release of their latest album We Should Be Buried Like This on October 3, 2025, the band is touring select Finnish cities throughout spring 2026. Their Helsinki show blended fresh material from the new album with fan‑favorite tracks from earlier releases. The result was a dynamic and impactful performance that had people jumping, shaking heads, forming circle pits, and even creating “trains” throughout the venue.

From start to finish, the evening showcased the strength and diversity of the Nordic metal scene. It was a night where the music’s intensity and warmth resonated deeply with everyone in attendance, leaving fans with the kind of shared experience that lingers long after the final note.

Here is the photo reportage that Cristina Gregori put together.

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.