This should have been posted in the beginning of the year, but I had a huge backlog regarding my journalistic activities and I couldn’t post this before the previous post (you’ll soon understand why).

So, the statistics for 2014: 113 bands in 25 events that I attended in Mangualde, Porto, Göteborg, Stockholm, Moita, London, Paços de Ferreira, Düsseldorf, Vagos, Madrid and the Baltic Sea. And the gold, silver and bronze medals for “favorite performance” go to:

1st SONIC SYNDICATE, Zakk, Düsseldorf (DE)

read report here

2nd THE END OF GRACE, Valand, Göteborg (SE)

read report here

3rd SKID ROW, The Underworld, London (UK)

read report here

Just like in 2012, I’ve felt the need to list a Top-3 just for the national (Portuguese, that is) bands:

1st R.A.M.P., Canecas Bar, Paços de Ferreira (PT)

read report here

2nd EQUALEFT, Metalpoint, Porto (PT)

read report here

3rd MORE THAN A THOUSAND, Hard Club, Porto (PT)

read report here

The best unexpected thrills:

1st VITA IMANA, Vagos Open Air, Vagos (PT)

read report here

2nd HILLS HAVE EYES, Hard Club, Porto (PT)

read report here

3rd RECKLESS LOVE, La Riviera, Madrid (ES)

read report here

On the other hand, the top disappointments:

1st KERBERA, Rockbitch Boat, Baltic Sea

read report here

2nd LOS HERMANOS MASCARADOS, Hard Club, Porto (PT)

read report here

3rd ATTICK DEMONS, Hard Club, Porto (PT)

read report here

This was live on stage, now it’s studio time. Favorites:

1st SONIC SYNDICATE, “Sonic Syndicate”
read review here

2nd CALIBAN, “Ghost Empire”
read review here

3rd EQUALEFT, “Adapt & Survive”
read review here

… and disappointments (yeah, this year I was able to come up with this kind of list. Wish I hadn’t…):

1st EKTOMORF, “Retribution”
read review here

2nd DEAD BY APRIL, “Let The World Know”
read review here

3rd IN FLAMES, “Siren Charms”
read review here

Last but not least, the videos:

1st FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, “House Of The Rising Sun”

2nd DEATHSTARS, “All The Devil’s Toys”

3rd BATAAR, “Riskbreaker”

EXPECTATIONS FOR 2015:

The THE END OF GRACE and PLAN THREE releases were put on hold, so they’re both once again on my list for this year. Plus WEB, HILLS HAVE EYES, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR and THROUGH THE CRACKS. Nick from BLOWSIGHT has recently informed that his brain is swarming with new song-ideas, but didn’t give a clue about when they should be put on tape. I can only hope it to be this year, which can be considered an expectation, yes?

I’m also counting on seeing SONIC SYNDICATE live again, in a proper promotional tour for the latest album, as the gig I attended last August, despite AWESOME, was more of a “best of” kind of gig, where they only played two new songs – the singles released by then. I obviously want more.

HARDCORE SUPERSTAR have announced a few dates regarding the promotion of the new album, but sadly I can’t make it to any. Waiting for more shows later on. Now ff THROUGH THE CRACKS schedule their live debut, I’ll move mountains to be there! But one thing that I won’t miss (unless I’m at the hospital or the morgue, that is) is WEB‘s release party in May.