Albums 2025

This year I see how diverse my taste in music is, haha. There are so different things in there, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So here we go. 

Wardruna - Birna

Wardruna cannot do much wrong to be honest. Another awesome album full of rhythm, deep sounds and feelings. It will always remind me of the awesome concerts I saw them at. 

Ghost - Skeletá

This is maybe even more pop, in a way, than previous albums. But oh dear, it is so catchy, so awesome music that I can’t get enough of! Despite all the hassle around this band, they are simply unbelievably fun and entertaining live.

Rotting Christ - Live at Lycabettos

35 years Rotting Christ, and it was celebrated on Lycabettos hill! And I was inside this crazy mob of people! Of course I had to buy this, it was just too good to be true!

Waelyth demo

Another huge Mortiis fan here, with her first demo! Awesome dungeon synth, off to a good start!

Mortiis - The unfolding of the gates live 1998

While we are waiting for the new album to hopefully come out early 2026, we get some other goodies! For example this live recording of a Mortiis show of 1998.

AFI - Silver bleeds the black sun

AFI.. I owe them so much. They have found me at a dark period in my life and they have saved me. It was an experience I will never forget, of which the huge AFI community plays a gigantic role. Many years now I kept listening to their albums and they were ok, but nothing too special. Now this comes around and every song is absolutely perfect. I was listening to it nonstop and I can’t really say how much I fell in love with them again.

Faun - HEX

I just got to know them last year at their Athens concert and now the new album came out! Not only are there parts in Welsh and Finnish, I about freaked out with joy, but also the book to the album explains the lyrics, stories to the songs.. absolutely fantastic. 

Sakis Tolis - Everything comes to an end

The name of the album kind of scares me a little, although knowing Sakis he will not stop making music until he falls over, haha. Another solid album, in the well known Sakis-style of the last few years.

Blackbraid III

What is this!! Third album from Blackbraid and it is just as ground breaking as the first two albums. It rocks serious balls. I am in love with this and the album was on a rotation every day for several months, until the AFI album came out, haha!

Omen:Code - Alpha:State

This is my former colleague Agi with his new project! You remember Banshee? Well, this is Agi again and the album is fantastic! great, driving industrial sounds. Love it!

Concerts 

Pagan at KNE festival

This was the revelation of the year! They played two hours, on a festival and they were absolutely breath taking. They live up to their name. The performance of the singer is like an archaic ritual, the sounds wrap you in and almost get you into trance, until another song’s beats have you sing, stomp your feet and dance. What a surprise for me, that it would be this kind of experience. 

Alice Cooper - Floor Jansen - Zeal and Ardor at Rockwave festival

My only summer festival this year. And it was absolutely awesome. Great ticket price for these three artists. Alice Cooper was such an capturing show! Everyone singing “Poison” was worth everything. After seeing Floor with Nightwish, it was a joy to see her again! And Zeal and Ardor were fantastic, too. Neck was surely sore afterwards!

1349

When Satyricon came to Athens last time, I was 8 months pregnant. So I decided to go see 1349 to at least see Frost! Although I do not know the band very well, it was enjoyable, lots of head banging, and seeing Frost battering his drum kit to smithers was all the fun hehe!

Blackbraid 

The sensation for me. I basically decided last moment to go and I am so glad I did. I fell in love right away. The kind of black metal I love so very much! It was an experience I almost lack words for, it was part ritual, part pure force and beat. No speaking between the songs, just pure metal. Met the guy after the concert and it was my metal highlight of the year. 

small mentions… :D

André Rieu with my mom in law. It was actually really fun! This guy is a hell of an entertainer. 

Antonis Remos sings Mimis Plessas with my friend Giota. Wonderful greek songs, we had a fantastic time together, singing along, tearing up with the songs that speak to your heart. 

Song of the year 

Blasphemy and Excess - AFI

yep.. that is the one. Absolute pure bliss for me, this song. There are other gems on this album, but for me, this is the peak. Thank you AFI, for giving us this album, really needed this to find my love for you again! 

PAGAN

This band has made a new fierce fan, me. And this on a festival with so many other music styles and a much diverse audience. But people flocked to pagan, who began playing at 0.30am and played two hours straight until 2.30am! Holy smokes.

Yes yes.. pagan are not black metal. But as you can see in my blog I also include some aspects of black metal, that can be considered roots, influences, or generally having the black metal spirit. 

Last night I witnessed pagan at parko tritsi. They are liked by Sakis tolis. Pictures on their Facebook page promised much and boy, did they deliver. 

Their singer is like a nymph, a muse, a witch!! She dances, she acts, she screams eerily, she sings most beautifully.. it was something to behold!!

Everyone was entranced. They claim to be awakening Dionysos and I can tell you they surely woke him and much more!! They embody the pagan spirit, which is so essential for black metal, too. They make you sing, dance, sway and feel connected to earth, nature, your ancestors!! Things that are being suppressed in today's society. 

Rockwave 2025

 This year release did not interest me so much. So I decided to go to rockwave, although it's much further away, more difficult to get to and as such more time and money consuming. But I couldn't say no. A really crazy ensemble of so different bands.. who the hell thought of that?? Zeal and Ardor, Floor Jansen and Alice Cooper!! 

So I boarded a bus to the festival grounds. There was heavy traffic and we delayed 30 min. I was weeping inside the bus, knowing Zeal and Ardor will already be playing. I managed to see about half the set, basically running from the bus to the festival grounds 😆 I loved their set! I had seen them in Athens before, at a small club gig and it was of course so different. Still I enjoyed it so much, my neck was sore for 2 days from 30 min non stop heavy headbanging 🤣 awesome to have them here and although there weren't so many people yet, still enough fans really into their avant-garde afro black metal 🖤 

Next up was Floor, while it slowly got dark. I was determined to get my 3mile walk Garmin badge that evening so I basically walked around the huge festival grounds in circles, many times again and again, whilst singing and gently headbanging haha! Floor had been in Athens with Nightwish and now it was so awesome to see her again. She is a very remarkable person with a fantastic voice. 

And lastly on the bill, after I got my 3 miles in, Alice Cooper!! I admit I wasn't familiar, except for poison, school's out and bed of nails, but boy, he was just phenomenal!! 77 years old and still as witty, edgy, charming as ever!! Lots of theatrics, costumes, fantastic solos by the band, Nita being the huge star there, and of course great songs. Immediately you wanted to sing along. And during poison the whole malakasa area was just one big party. I'm so happy I went, it was worth every penny and with 50 euro for the ticket and 14 euro for the bus really cheap considering other festival prices in europe. Ate fried cheese with spicy sauce for 4 euro. You can't beat that!! 👍 All in all a truly unforgettable evening.

No concerts planned for now, but I'd like to see yoth iria in September and I have tickets for Metallica next may 😉

1349

When satyricon stopped by Athens the last time, I was 8 months pregnant and didn't go. Ever since, 7 years have passed, they haven't come around again and I really hope they'll do so with the new album. 

So what are we gonna do in the meantime? Wait until Frost comes here with 1349!! Actually it was their first time in Greece and of course I had to go see them. I must admit their black metal is not exactly my favourite style and I haven't listened to them much, hence I'm not super familiar with songs etc. 

Ravn is a great frontman. He's energetic, he's charismatic. I did enjoy his presence a lot and he made the evening absolutely worth it. The guitar bass brigade was a well oiled team and then there is Frost. What a machine, what a beast on his drums! It was pretty enjoyable to see him at his preferred seat, behind the drum kit! 

It was worth it and I'm glad I went. Blackbraid was of course more enjoyable for me and I totally freaked out haha, but also with 1349 I found some good headbang-fitting songs and time went by in a blink!! Frost greeting us after the show.. awesome. I'm happy I could see such a legend of Norwegian black metal live. 🤘

Blackbraid

It's been a bit quiet here but I'm returning to the black metal concert game with a real banger. Blackbraid! I wasn't even sure if I want to go and decided last minute to do it. Boy, did I chose well. 

Blackbraid basically is a one man band, with a touring band of course, but everything written and arranged by Jon aka Sgah'gahsowáh. It is black metal but lyrically concerned almost exclusively with native American lore and struggles. Jon also uses some indigenous instruments, mostly the flute that he also brings on stage. There might be others involved in the studio.

Now how to describe this show.. it was phenomenal. Real raw, energetic, in your face black metal, perfectly headbang worthy, absolute fantastic. No talks with the audience, just Jon and his band giving all they have and more! A perfect voice, screams, growls argl!!! Ah I was entranced. This is new fresh blood in black metal and exactly what I needed!! 

Did I right away buy a full sleeve? Yes. Both CDs and a patch? Yes. Did I also linger around to wait for Jon to maybe come out? Oh hell yes!! And it was a pure joy to meet him and thank him for coming all the way from the US to give us this unbelievable night!! 

Now I'm not going to slow down.. in a few days I'm gonna see 1349!! Ahhhhh!! I so hope to see fire breathing Frost!! And in summer I'll go see Alice cooper, floor Jansen and zeal and ardor. Can't wait!! 🖤🤘

Album list 2024

 Album list 2024

this one will be a short one, haha xD 

rotting christ - προ χριστου

rotting christ cannot do anything wrong in my opinion. yes, they have their distinctive style and they are recognisable immediately. but i love where they are going with their music lately and it has become so ritualistic and deep. this is a solid rotting christ album. maybe not as overwhelming like rituals, but still a fantastic listen. 

kawir - κυδοιμος

i love these guys so much!! for me they are, i have said this before, together with rotting christ and aherusia the unholy triarchy of greek black metal. this again sounds so so awesome and i’m happy how they have shaped their sound and still find their inspiration in greek mythology. 

project pitchfork - elysium

oh i was waiting for this so very much! ever since i saw them in leipzig a few years ago i have been in a project pitchfork craze. it’s sometimes ebbing a bit and then it will come crashing in again, haha xD i love this one so much, too. i feel so fortunate to have seen them many years ago in cologne after already having been a fan for years. they are my favourite german band of all times. 

mortiis - crypt of the wizard (live)

ever since mortiis started to return back to his era 1, he has found a new love for this material and it shows. the shows for era 1 are fantastic, i was so lucky to see him once in athens with his era 1 set. and now he also released one of his shows from 2022 as a live album. really love this!!

darkthrone - it beckons us all

i didn’t get the physical copy since bowel of noise had sold them all and were waiting for new copies.. but at least I heard it on spotify and i like it very much!! also darkthrone have now found a distinct sound and for the last few albums they have kept to it. love how the norwegian landscape is formed in your head when you listen to it. 

apocalyptica - plays metallica vol.2

this is the second time i saw apocalyptica with their plays metallica set and it’s just simple perfection!! i cannot say it in any other way. i was waiting for this back to the roots stuff, ever since i had seen them in lindau those many years ago, probably 2001? i had lost interest in them with all the strange stuff they did, but this return to pure cello metal? yes. yes yes yes, sign me up!! 

live shows 2024

Emperor 

this was long awaited, this was a huge surprise and joy. of all the things that i expected, it was thousand times better. ihsahn's voice blew me away. it was a once in a lifetime experience with songs that i have been longing so much to hear live. 

Kawir 

it was so great to see them again!! their set was fantastic and there were so many of their best songs that i love amongst them. xaire bacche in the end was like the highlight of a pagan ritual and it was an experience like you seldom witness. 

Rammstein

i wanted to see them at least once in my life. finally the chance came and i cannot even say how awesome it was. i literally was left with my mouth open, it was something completely capturing. also their love for the fans was everywhere and this surprised me so much! danke, rammstein.

Rotting Christ

and one more time!! one more time! can never get enough of rotting christ. on newly renovated lycabettos hill. a huge party, moshpit, jumping, screaming, celebrating. this never gets old. can do this every year :D they are announced for this years rockwave. need. to. go. xD

Behemoth 

back to my personal black metal roots! they started it all in 2015 when i decided just out of the blue to go see them and i was blown away by this satanic, mystic, ritualistic black mass. this time at release athens, it was very different, but a joy to see them again, i owed them this much since they gave me a whole genre to explore! 

Black Eyed Peas

free live concert during the opening ceremony of the robotics stem competition! how awesome was that! in kallimarmaro as well! this was fantastic. danced throughout their set and had the best of times! 

Heilung 

This band has captured me fully. The concert was an otherworldly experience that cannot be described with words. It was something that felt so real, part of a ritual for nature, for the earth, for our ancestors. the rhythm vibrating through the body, the drum sending one into trance. words cannot really describe it. 

Faun

this was soooo fun!! didn't think faun would be so much humour, so much dancing and singing and laughing, haha! awesome folk music, lovely voices and interesting instruments. so happy i decided to go see them!!

Song of the year 

Heilung - Anoana

Behemoth at Release

 The end of festival season is upon us once August comes around. Because in August Greece is on holiday! So the other release dates didn't interest me much. I was a bit sad because I had enjoyed Release Festival so much last year and so it was a huge joy when behemoth was announced. 

The band that everything started with in 2015!! The band that gave me new horizons! I had to go. The two other bands, testament and pestilence didn't interest me much. I arrived in time for Behemoth, the last band of the night and this year's release festival. 

I must say it was quite different from 9 years ago. From a mystical and ritualistic club gig we went to a huge festival show! It was still brilliant. Very diverse setlist and great crushing sound. Perfect vocals from Nergal. The cathartic o father o satan o sun in the end was just as mesmerising as last time. 

It was fantastic to see them again and on the big screens too. With Rotting Christ, Rammstein and behemoth my festival summer also came to an end. Next up in September, Apocalyptica!! 

Rotting Christ at Rockwave nights

 Ahhh Rotting Christ. This is my fifth time seeing them, this year for their 35 year anniversary. Also in the newly renovated lycabettus theater. Of course I had to go. My husbands nephew was going to come, too with a friend and we met while varathron was playing. 

I have seen them before and we heard them just fine so we decided to stay further away and came into the pit after they had finished. Also met Hyperion quickly! Great to see him again.

Please see the above pic on how awesome it looked like inside. Fantastic!! Rotting Christ decided to play unusual songs. Songs that haven't been heard for maybe centuries.

People were going absolutely nuts with flares being lit, with circle pits opening up here and there. I was in the midst of a lot of shoving, screaming, headbanging and singing. Absolutely breathtaking. It was a long night and my toe which I had hurt on my fall down the stairs was not amused but I powered through haha!! 

It was once again am experience that will stay in my memories. A great venue, a hungry and wild audience, Sakis having his 52nd birthday and us serenading, him being the great person he is. The above pic is of course during non serviam. I did miss some songs but that was to expected, they had announced it as such

 The whole experience was simply overwhelming once again. Thank you Rotting Christ for everything!! 

Under the pagan moon III

 This is the third installment of this festival which is, I believe, always headlined by and also created by Kawir. The first one was in 2017, the second in 2020 and now the third festival!! This time it was scheduled for two nights even with Kawir playing one evening all songs from the new album and the second night a old school set with guests. 

I couldn't go to the first night because I was working late until 11. Also for the second date I wasn't sure if I could go because of the week before Easter. But I brought my daughter to bed and then left haha 

I'm so so happy I went. Not only did I get the new CD and a shirt, but it was an experience I will hardly ever forget. It was like a pagan ritual just before Christian Easter and it made it such a strong message in a way. I missed all other bands and came for Kawir only. 

Four dancers came on and this was an idea what was to come. Awesome songs, so much headbanging, guest "priests" who gave the whole show that deeper concept. Horns, frankincense, wine, ancient instruments.. it was absolutely brilliant. Especially during hail Bacchus, which went on for ten minutes or longer, it was like a meditation and ritual. 

My favourites were Artemis, Dionysus and the death of Achilles. Just a bit before one the show came to its end and there were 12 people on stage, pretty crowded haha!! Kyttaro should have been full, that's the only negative thing I have to say. Other than that this night was perfect. 

Emperor

 What could I possibly say here.. a legend of black metal, stopping by Greece for the first time since 1997!! How absolutely breathtaking!! Needless to say I had my ticket from day one 😁 

I had seen ihsahn a few years back and I remember how much I was in awe to see this icon of black metal and right away falling in love with his stage personality and his singing/screaming style. Now of course it was the main course after the aperitif haha!! 

First up was Greek Lucifer's child featuring Giorgos of formerly rotting Christ. I managed to see a couple of songs. I would have liked this!! Sadly I couldn't come earlier but at least I got a taste. The changing time was quite short and Emperor came on. The place was going to erupt. 

I have to say that the crowd was simply amazing. The "Emperor" shouts were heard all the time, people were so into it and ihsahn commented on it a few times. Now I need to say again how ihsahns black metal screams are perfect. Absolutely perfect. Really enjoyed how he changes from screams to clear singing. 

My favourites were of course "I am the black wizards", "thus spake the nightspirit", "curse you all men!" and "inno a satana". How perfect was this night!! After the show you could see people in endorphin highs, buying merch and posters haha!! The keyboard player Jørgen came out after a while and I asked for a selfie with him 😊 with that I will close this blog post and with a huge message to everyone: if you get the chance to see the mighty Emperor, do not fricking miss it!!! 

Daedin

Album list 2023

well, what can i say.. i am sure i forgot so many things but checking my iTunes and other sources, these are probably the only new albums i listened to, haha! here we go then.. 

echoes of wizards chamber 

A compilation of Mortiis cover songs! first of all it is amazing this exists. secondly, it is really good! the packaging actually really did it for me. beautiful layout and illustrations/pictures. worth every penny for any mortiis fan

mermaids + just a girl single - florence and the machine

a compilation came out and these two new songs. since i finally saw her live this year, i was absolutely in a trance and needed more new music. as always absolutely ethereal and capturing.

phantomime - ghost EP

YESSS new ghost!! also saw them live again this year and oh dear, it was one of my absolute highlights. do i have to say anything here? i love them to bits and pieces. I got a ghost christmas sweater, i am in love, haha!

apocryphal spells - rotting christ 

also rotting christ I managed to see live this year!! and then this compilation of B-sides and unreleased tracks. so so so awesome. they always deliver, they always just burn the place down. they are for me the probably most loyal and unique and legendary black metal band ever. 

the seven seals of the apocalypse - ΧΞΣ 

this is sakis tolis, of course, with his solo material. it is just as good as the rotting christ stuff. absolutely smashing it with this one, too. i'm very happy that it seems he's not slowing down at all and on a roll here!

cruxshadows 

the cruxshadows released a few songs on their website with a free/open for donations system. go check it out. Rogue is one of my favorite people and i will support everything he releases 

twice born EP - ihsahn

hell yea. Ihsahn is again at it and it's his faster stuff, guttural singing, lovely. i do like his other songs, too, of course, but i love how this is again pure power here. 

Eisenwald - label compilation

you can get this for one euro. do not miss this!! extreme dark pleasures for your ears. love it. 

concerts 

nightwish - insomnium - in flames

okaaaay! this here is just absolutely great. insomnium and in flames for the first time for me. highlight: sakis tolis on stage with insomnium. hell yea. in flames for old times sake, haha. and then nightwish. i had seen them in 2004 and 2005 three times, i think. always with tarja. and since then I have never seen them live again. i missed anette completely but really wanted to see them with floor again. and then they announced this and floor was heavily pregnant and still managed to absolutely entrance the place and headbang her ass off. big hats off to her. it was emotional for me to see them again. so beautiful. 

candlemass - rotting christ - ghost

oh my goodness. a fantastic triple. i had never seen candlemass before and i really loved this since they are doom metal pioneers! fantastic set. then rotting christ! what a perfect bonus. the place went absolutely bonkers as always with them! fantastic pyro show. and then ghost. what can i say? i had seen them once before in 2016 i think in manchester with my sister. it was so so awesome. now they had an overwhelming stage setup, the sound was perfect. papa changed outfit, flirted with the crowd, an absolute joy. blasted ghost 666 dollars into the crowd. it was unforgettable.

florence and the machine 

i love her! her words, her kind spirit, her beautiful soul, dancing, singing, dancing, sharing love, receiving love, sharing her energy.. i can hardly put into words what an experience this was. thank you florence. 

she past away - absolute body control - sisters of mercy 

i only got a bit of she past away, but they sounded really interesting! absolute body control where awesome. i danced myself into a small frenzy there, haha! and then the sisters. now they are a bit complicated, i know it. andrew is eccentric and will play his set, no matter what the people want. i really enjoyed it, though! enough of the awesome hits that we all know and want to hear and a few songs that need some time to get into it. still the sisters are legends to me and i enjoyed it seeing them again.

books of the year

agalloch - pale folklore

the reprint features also a book and this did it for me, i needed to have it. awesome album and awesome accompanying book with interviews, information, pictures. perfect. 

the 69 eyes - biography (in finnish)

so the 69 eyes finally got a biography this year. they played a big role in my musical path towards dark, doom and black metal. i have seen them several times live and although i had at some time lost interest in them, i recently started to listen to them again since their newer albums are again a really cool dark rock mix with different influences and I really like it! the awesome thing about this book is that we get an overview of the rock scene back then in helsinki and that was fun to read! enjoyed this book a lot and can only recommend it.

swallow the sun - biography (in finnish)

finally!! members of the band used to be freetime drinking buddies basically every weekend in jyväskylä, haha. those were awesome times. i was a student and my ex was also a musician and knew the guys and they just had the first album out and he played it for me and i loved every second of it. so happy to see this book was finally written now and i got the edition with signatures. did not read it yet, cannot wait to do just that.