In all these years of blogging I’ve been out-of-date a few times, but this is the first time I’m running on a 4-month delay. As it wouldn’t make much sense to post the 2017 balance by Easter, I’ve decided to do it now, without the usual links to the matching articles.

2017 in numbers: 29 events featuring 105 performances, played in 12 cities of 3 countries. Among those, the gigs that meant the most for me:

1st W.A.S.P. – 25th anniversary of “The Crimson Idol” – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London (UK)

2nd INFRAKTOR – SOTZ’s “Tzak´Sotz'” release party – Metalpoint, Porto (PT)

3rd EQUALEFT – 25th anniversary of HEAVENWOOD – Hard Club, Porto (PT)

The gigs I wasn’t expecting to enjoy so much:

1st MADDER MORTEM, Hard Club, Porto (PT)

2nd LEGACY OF CYNTHIA, Cave 45, Porto (PT)

3rd FINAL MERCY, Laurus Nobilis Music Famalicão, Louro (PT)

And the gigs I was expecting more of, or something else:

1st BOOBY TRAP, Metalpoint, Porto (PT)

2nd SHADOWSPHERE, Hard Club, Porto (PT)

3rd COUGH, Vagos Metal Fest, Vagos (PT)

From the stage to the studio, what I’ve enjoyed the most:

1st PRIMAL ATTACK, “Heartless Oppressor”

2nd MOONSPELL, “1755”

3rd THE END OF GRACE, “Infinite Shadows Of Memories”

… and what disappointed me the most (to the point that I didn’t even bother to review the first):

1st DEAD BY APRIL, “Worlds Collide”

2nd dEMOTIONAL, “Discovery”

3rd OVERKILL, “The Grinding Wheel”

Last but not least, the videos:

1st MOONSPELL, “In Tremor Dei”

2nd HILLS HAVE EYES, “Never Quit”

3rd ORPHANED LAND, “Like Orpheus

Now what goodies I expect 2018 will bring:

INFRAKTOR‘s “Exhaust”! 

The follow-up to the mind-blowing single “Never Quit” by HILLS HAVE EYES!

BREAKING TODAY‘s “Dropout” and hopefully the chance to see them live.

Whatever CRASHDÏET will release with new singer Gabriel Keyes (the single “We Are The Legion” sounded pretty promising).

And the second full-length record of EQUALEFT – if the eagerness was big enough before, now that I’ve heard two of the new songs, “We Defy” and “Overcoming”, it’s simply overwhelming.