2025? Well, had I seen HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and hadn’t Ricky Armellino stayed out of the ICE NINE KILLS European tour, it would have been PERFECT! Yeah, that’s how happy I am with the past year, even though, obviously, I’ve endured quite a few bands that I wouldn’t have minded not knowing about their existence at all. On the other hand, MY BOYS HILLS HAVE EYES ARE BACK! Or more or less back, if one show counts… It counted a lot for me, even if it was a festival appearance and not a headlining show. But let’s check the numbers first: 107 shows performed in 13 events, in 7 cities of 3 European countries. More shows and less events than the previous year because Vagos Metal Fest had one more day than usual, and this year it will have TWO MORE DAYS. Thinking of ordering a batch of energy drinks for those days and a spa session afterwards…

Even without Ricky, ICE NINE KILLS topped my list of gigs I’ve enjoyed the most – funny enough, in the same city (different venue though) as they did in 2024:

1st – ICE NINE KILLS – Stodola, Warsaw (PL)

2nd – CRASHDÏET – Debaser Strand, Stockholm (SE)

3rd – HILLS HAVE EYES – Vagos Metal Fest, Vagos (PT)

I knew all three bands in the unexpected-amazing-shows category – had even seen KILLUS live once, ten years before – and was sure I’d have a great time, but DAMN, wasn’t counting on such greatness:

1st – THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – LAV, Lisbon (PT)

2nd – TX2 – Stodola, Warsaw (PL)

3rd – KILLUS – Comendatio Music Fest, Paço da Comenda (PT)

Then the disappointments, either because I was hoping for something better, or hadn’t any expectations at all and still they failed to meet them:

1st – QUEEN OF SPADES – Laurus Nobilis Music Fest, Louro (PT)

2nd – BLACK FLAG – Vagos Metal Fest, Vagos (PT)

3rd – BROTHERS TILL WE DIE – Laurus Nobilis Music Fest, Louro (PT)

Listened to a fair share of new music, but mostly singles, so picking favorite albums was quite tricky, but here they are:

1st – PARADISE LOST, “Ascension” 

2nd – THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, “Give Us The Moon”

3rd – PAULA TELES, “Entre Paredes”

And finally the mini-movies commonly known as music videos:

1st – ICE NINE KILLS, “The Great Unknown”

2nd – TX2 x BLACK VEIL BRIDES, “The End Of Us”

3rd – ALTERED REVELATIONS, “Corrupted”

HILLS HAVE EYES played the aforementioned gig, and been posting some rehearsal videos on their social media, so I think I’m not being naive to include their infamous 4th album in my 2026 expectations, but we’ll see…

Got a ticket for a small festival in Kraków (yep, Poland again ) to see HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and one for the 40th anniversary of EUROPE‘s “The Final Countdown” in Madrid I’m sure I’ll have the time of my life in both, for different reasons, and then there’s MOTIONLESS IN WHITE in Lisbon. I don’t know many of their songs, but I’m curious about their shows. And since the one in Lisbon is on a Saturday… Yeah, I think 2026 will be another great year in music experiences.

Love,