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A gorgeous, sunny Saturday morning was perfect for a stroll around Stykkishólmur with journalist and sociologist Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen, who shared stories, anecdotes, and the history of Icelandic metal. That Stykkishólmur itself is a…

Friday morning at Sátan offered one of the more interesting talks, delivered by the collective Nornabrunnur (Giorgia Sottotetti and Kári Pálsson, also a member of the local black/viking metal act Fortið), which organizes events on…

My wife (back then still my girlfriend, or rather — ahem, more age-appropriately put, my partner, hehe) and I fell head over heels for Iceland when we first visited almost five years ago. Since then we've been back four more times and…

Finally, a Friday night show! And not just any show — the return of American thrash veterans Testament, accompanied by Canadian thrash weirdos Voivod! The show had sold out well before the event itself, though once again things didn't…

Several months had already passed since Iron Maiden announced they would be kicking off their colossal new The Future Past tour right here in Slovenia, and after the whooping celebrations that followed, Arena Stožice sold out in record…

King DudeSaturday, 29 April 2023Ljubljana / Menza p. k. / Slovenia Dirty Skunks have clearly passed on their sharp nose for the concert scene — and for the acts they've brought to Slovenian stages over their long years in the game —…

Kino Šiška hadn't hosted a proper metal package of big-name acts for quite a while — until last Friday, when the Wilderun/Soilwork/Kataklysm trio rolled through and wrapped up the working week in fine style. First up was arguably the…

After last month's celebrations and shenanigans at the Dirty Skunks' birthday party, the first weekend of February saw label On Parole reach American legal drinking age. They should have celebrated the round 20th anniversary, but like so…

The annual, traditional celebration of the stink — that is, the birthday of our most active concert organizers, Dirty Skunks — has somehow become synonymous with the first major post-New Year's event. The Dirty Skunks mini-festival turned…

Aaah, December — the month of predictably awful Christmas music blaring from every other speaker, and the month of hyper-consumerism, all while the world crumbles right before our eyes. I couldn't have imagined a more fitting time to catch…

We sat down with the duo Črt Batagelj and Matej Ahlin, better known as Dirty Skunks, to talk about the premiere of Tolminator, the new metal festival coming to Tolmin. It goes down at the well-known venue in Tolmin (and Sotočje) from July…

Last Friday, most of Slovenia was probably busy gorging on duck, mlinci and red cabbage washed down with young wine, while those hungry for a dose of brutality poured into Orto bar for a deathcore package the likes of which we probably…

Human history is riddled with dark prophecies about the end of the world — and its eventual rebirth — whether you're talking Norse Ragnarök, the Mayan apocalypse, or the biblical end times. The new studio record from Slovenia's thrash…

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland — the second-largest island in Europe — is the northernmost capital city in the world. It is also the economic, political, and cultural hub of Iceland, a country of only around 370,000 people, nearly half…

Label: From the VaultsRelease date: August 19, 2022Rating: 8.5/10 A solid five years have passed since the last studio transmission from Slovenian thrashers Eruption. Cloaks of Oblivion is the album that, in my opinion, finally crowned…

Yeah, it's been two "fucking" years since it was announced that metal deity Judas Priest would return to Ljubljana for the first time since 1991. Then, for reasons we all know, one cancellation hit, then another — and it wasn't hard to…

Performers: Heathen / ToxikVenue: Ljubljana / Orto Bar / SloveniaDate: 5 June 2022 Summer is usually a dead zone for concerts — or at least the action shifts to outdoor stages and festival grounds. This year, for reasons everyone knows,…

Just over ten days ago, Ljubljana was hot not only because of the summer weather, but also because, under the wing of Dirty Skunks, the hellish duo of Night Demon and Midnight came thundering into town. Despite their genre differences, the…

After last year's string of cancelled shows, the scene has finally come fully back to life and is picking up some international flavor again. This past Sunday, organized by Earsplitter/Dirty Skunks, Danish death metallers Baest paid a…

It was almost surreal, a couple of weeks back, to walk into Orto bar again after months away — for reasons we all know — and it felt almost as strange writing these lines, which is why this review is running a little late. And not just any…

When you think of Malta, you think of sun, heat, seafood and pretty much anything but the gloom and melancholy of death/doom metal. And yet this Mediterranean pearl has a relatively small but mighty metal scene (and in that respect it's a…

If there's a silver lining to be found anywhere in the last two shitty years, it's at least this: bands haven't let their creative energy die out despite the complete live music blackout, and new album releases have been coming thick and…

We're lucky that the live music scene is at least barely alive right now, even if it's just scraps of what a normal gig calendar looks like. The damage that the coronavirus pandemic (and the complete inaction of those in charge) has left —…

This was probably one of the last shows — if not the last — before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared and the state of emergency that followed, two weeks ago at Orto bar. As if the crowd could sense that life was about to change…

As far as Mondays go, Garfield is absolutely right: they suck. But a concert evening like the one that went down last week at Ort makes starting a new week a whole lot easier. German technical death metal heavyweights Obscura returned to…

"Bottom line — an unforgettable, marathon night, and here's to many, many more years of Dirty Skunks!"

Performers: Septic Order, Constrictor, Challenger Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar / SloveniaDate: Thursday, 16 January 2020 2019 is already history and 2020 is already in full swing. Sadly, the first week of the new year wrapped up…

For those of us who just don't enjoy getting force-fed Christmas hits, a concert by Canadian veterans Voivod and American monsters GWAR was the perfect antidote for the pre-holiday season. Especially the latter, who deliver a heap of…

An already packed December concert calendar got one final, unexpected Krampus surprise for all the naughty ones — Swedish doom merchants Tribulation. They're currently touring Europe with the megalomaniac Ghost, and it's great to see a…

Music isn't always serious business, sometimes its whole mission is just to have fun. And the biggest party is often thrown by bizarre masked weirdos with made-up backstories, over-the-top costumes and strange, off-the-wall themes. Just…

Venue: Ljubljana / Orto bar / SloveniaDate: Saturday, 16 November 2019 A rainy Saturday is the perfect excuse to lounge around and binge something good — and there's no shortage of options these days — but not last Saturday! Last…

You simply can't talk about Swedish death metal without mentioning Entombed, who in 1990 unleashed their monstrous debut Left Hand Path — arguably the most important Swedish death metal album ever made. It gave the Swedish scene its own…

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is the famous Hamlet quote that has become synonymous with describing a corrupt, rotten society. To paraphrase it, something rotten was also born over thirty years ago in Denmark's northern…

On a rainy Friday evening, a nicely packed Orto welcomed the trio that likes it slow — Oceanwake, October Tide, and Swallow the Sun.

Ahead of Saturday's marathon of established local champs and promising young forces of the Slovenian metal scene, we're putting their videos in the spotlight. Make the wait for Support the Scene Fest go faster by checking out the videos…

When Death Angel are anywhere nearby, it's a "you know the drill" situation. And when they're playing Ljubljana, on a Friday no less, showing up is mandatory. For at least the last decade, Death Angel have been synonymous with how thrash…

Tampa, Florida is synonymous with death metal, since that's where the genre was spawned by Death, Morbid Angel, Obituary and Cannibal Corpse (the latter moved to Florida from Buffalo a bit later). Sadly, in the shadow of the bigger and…

Coroner are a cult Swiss trio who brought technical thrash metal to European soil in the mid-eighties and wrote themselves into history with legendary releases like R.I.P., Punishment for Decadence, No More Color and Mental Vortex. On…

I can't remember a band that has climbed into the ranks of the more prominent names in the Slovenian metal scene as fast as Ljubljana heavy metallers SkyEye. Last November they crowned their journey so far, which began with the EP Run For…

The time when Gonoba were at their peak was a time of innocence: the legendary Metal Mania nights in Komen, Jordan's "braveheart" moment, pasta in the urinals at Tribute to Miki gigs, and other shenanigans like that. It was also a time…

With a show featuring Beyond Creation, Gorod, Entheos and Brought By Pain, fans of extreme and progressive metal got a hefty dose of musical satisfaction. The solid turnout proved that good times are ahead for bands serving up more complex,…

date: Friday, 9. 11. 2018 location: Orto Bar, Ljubljana Heavy metal lives! The proof isn't just the packed halls and sold-out stadiums of giants like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, but also the many young bands carrying on the legacy of the…

Last Friday, Medvode's Jedro hosted the traditional Metal med vodami, with SkyEye, Eruption and Cowboys From Hell on the bill.

"The band is surely not going to call it quits anytime soon. That much is certain. But if Judas Priest ever do decide to, it'll make perfect sense and be totally in order. They've done their thing. They have nothing left to prove. The only…

"A concert of superlatives that once again proved Iron Maiden are simply the biggest of the big."

"So, to draw the line under it all: the first open air edition of Metaljot raspaljot will go down as a very warm memory. The festival's organization was top-notch and there were really no major shortcomings to speak of. The lineup was…

Location: Vienna / Arena Open Air / AustriaDate: June 30, 2018 Everyone who goes to concerts has a list of acts they simply have to see live at some point. For me personally, and I'm sure for plenty of others too, one of those is…

A little over a week before Judas Priest's first show on Slovenian soil since 1991, at Metaldays 2018 (Thursday, July 26, 2018), it will be 28 years since the events that could very well have ended the career of one of the most influential…

"If I may close with a bit of basketball lingo: this was at least a triple-double with a 63 efficiency rating, and quite possibly one of the top contenders for gig of the year."

It's been almost thirty years since Nihilist first cranked their Boss HM2 pedals up to 11, and the flag of Swedish death metal is still flying high today. But a pretty big hole opened up in the genre when Dismember, one of the big four of…

Location: Tolmin / Sotočje / SloveniaDate: Tuesday, 07/25/2017 After Monday's downpours we were all hoping Tuesday would feel a little less like Judgment Day, and luckily that more or less came true. So in the early afternoon we got…

Location: Ljubljana / Arena Stožice / SloveniaDate: Tuesday, 06.06.2017 The American giants Green Day last set foot on Slovenian soil way back in February 1998, and first two years earlier, when the mega-successful Dookie had them…

"This time Vincent earns a 3+ for what he showed us, and if he comes back next time with the full lineup, that grade could go a lot higher."

Performing: Havok / Warbringer / Gorod / ExmortusLocation: Ljubljana / Orto bar / SloveniaDate: Thursday, April 20, 2017 Anyone who claims thrash is dead and played out should have been at Thursday's show (mainly for Warbringer,…

Location: Zagreb / Tvornica kulture / CroatiaDate: February 12, 2017 Genius? Madman? As the saying goes, there's only one small step between the two. Canadian music wizard Devin Townsend is said to be both, though as he himself…

"Enslaved proved once again that they're world-class musicians who've got pretty much no equal in Norwegian black metal."

"The sad thing with Bobby is that nobody knows how much longer he'll be shambling around stages in anything resembling 'good health', so Pentagram are a band every fan of the genre has to see live at least once in their life."

"The Iron Maiden crew breathes with one set of enormous lungs, powered by the indestructible Harris, the contagiously grinning Murray, the masterfully solemn Smith, the prankster duo Gers and McBrain, and the superb Dickinson, so the fact…

"Kvelertak stopped by Ljubljana on a day off from their tour with Slayer and Anthrax, and the band once again proved they're in killer live form and simply one of the best live bands around right now."

Yes, there are festivals with bigger reputations, better lineups, fatter budgets and plenty of other things Metaldays doesn't have, but there's only one Metaldays, and coming back to Tolmin every year feels like coming home. The year flew…

" despite the obviously too-early finish, Body Count successfully proved they're not just a "nostalgia act" but a band that still has something to say, and I hope the follow-up to Manslaughter arrives sooner than in eight years."

"Blind Guardian had no choice but to gift Šiška the phenomenal Majesty too, and it's been a long, long time since a band here gave the crowd three encores, and after a solid two hours the goodbye was a sweet one."

"Overkill served up a fitting cross-section of thirty-five years of making noise, then closed out eight hours of Day of Metal with a classic cover and the perfect send-off for the night: Fuck You!"

"Kvelertak aren't some wimpy little Harry Potter owl, they're an owl that listens to Motörhead, AC/DC and Darkthrone and guzzles beer!"

"Two years ago, Iron Maiden decided to revive this important chapter of their history with the Maiden England World Tour 2012-2014."

"Helstar said goodnight after an hour and a half with the legendary classic Run With the Pack, and even though this gig never came close to the unforgettable madness of Helstar's first visit to Bazen in Kranj, you know you can count on…

" Suffocation prove again and again that they are and remain an unstoppable death metal force, firmly planted on death metal's bloody throne!"

"Jarnbyrd or Under Isen from the album I Krig would have fit in nicely, but Vreid completely skipped it this time. Still, the Norwegian wrath-bringers easily washed away the bad taste of the dismal middle of the night, and at the same time…

"The Pumpkins are no doubt one of Germany's biggest bands and will always be welcome here, but they're capable of way better, and that setlist could really use a serious shake-up. Gamma Ray, on the other hand, blew everyone away."

Label: AFM RecordsRelease date: 14. 12. 2012Production: V. SanturaAlbum length: 54.58 minGenre: Thrash MetalRating: 9.0/10 Charly Steinhauer is without a doubt one of the most tenacious figures on the German metal scene. In 1986…

"Dark Roots of the Earth is without a doubt one of the strongest contenders for album of the year, and there's no way anything thrash-wise is topping this beast this year. Forget the Big Four (Dave Mustaine can go cry in Lars Ulrich's lap),…

Location: Tolmin (the confluence of the Tolminka and Soča) / SloveniaDate: August 6, 2012 We moan every year, and we moan all year long. We (rightfully) complain about a lineup that looks like the roster of Nuclear Blast and/or the…

Location: Belgrade / Ušće / SerbiaDate: Friday, 06/29/2012 Friday morning greeted us with a slightly spinning head, but mostly with impatient anticipation of the evening ahead. The afternoon was reserved for sightseeing and sampling…

We kind of missed I Don't Want to Change the World and Mama I'm Coming Home, which Ozzy played everywhere on this tour, and I honestly don't know why they got skipped. So the show flew by a bit too fast, but it was great to see the legend…

"We haven't hosted a package of bands this good in a long time. It's genuinely rare for every act to be excellent, from the first opener onward, which makes it all the sadder that there were barely more of us in Gala hala than members of…

"I never thought anything could surprise me after Cynic, Atheist and Pestilence played here. And then they casually announce that Fates Warning are coming to Orto bar"

"The future of Judas Priest is still a bit shrouded in fog, even though they're promising a new record. But if this was Judas Priest's farewell, it won't be bitter, it'll be sweet! Thanks to the metal gods who wrote the book of heavy…

Location: Ljubljana, Cvetličarna MediaPark, SloveniaDate: 10.03.2011 The Power of Metal tour brought Finnish power metallers Thaurorod to our shores for the first time, Denmark's Mercenary back once again, and, for the first time…

"Ljubljana succumbed to hordes of corpses and took on a lovely stench of death, and you could feel the thunder of intellectually refined Antichrists and heretics in the air. "

"There's no need to stress that Helstar are masters of their craft. Bazen came alive again with them in that old-school 80s vibe, and Helstar played, without a doubt, one of the best gigs on our soil in recent memory."

Label: EMI RecordsRelease date: September 29, 1986Producer: Martin BirchAlbum length: 51:18 minGenre: Heavy MetalRating: 10/10 After the groundbreaking Powerslave, the standard-bearers of British heavy metal Iron Maiden had probably…

"Catharsis is a record that took the best from guitar giants like Petrucci, Vai, Satriani, Hendrix and the like, then piled a heaping helping of uniqueness and individuality on top of the masters' lessons. With this release, Grega Habič has…

Label: EMI RecordsProduction: Martin BirchRelease date: September 3, 1984Album length: 51.12 minGenre: Heavy MetalRating: 10/10 Piece of Mind finally crowned Iron Maiden as legends and the biggest heavy metal band of all time. With…

Label: EMI RecordsRelease date: 4. 2. 2008Length: 188.09 minGenre: Heavy MetalRating: 10/10 In August 1984, Iron Maiden set off on their most ambitious and longest tour to date. In just under a year, the World Slavery tour racked up…

Location: Vienna / Planet Music / AustriaDate: 20.10.2007 The most tempting lures for metal shows among our northern neighbors, Graz's Orpheum and Vienna's Planet Music, served up a gourmet treat for metal ears and a neck-muscle…

Label: Inside Out MusicRelease date: 24.09.2007Production: RiversideAlbum length: 55.51 minGenre: Progressive Rock / Progressive Metal Poland's champions of progressive rock and metal are back after four years with a new album,…

Label: EMI RecordsRelease date: May 16, 1983Production: Martin BirchAlbum length: 45.28 minGenre: Heavy Metal Rating: 9.0/10 Right around the corner after The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind was waiting in 1983. If The Number of…

Location: Veliko Ubeljsko (Postojna) / Sports field / SloveniaDate: July 14, 2007 Hell yeah, another year has rolled around, and it was time to give the sleepy little village in the embrace of Nanos, Veliko Ubeljsko near Postojna, a…

"Could the impossible actually happen, and we'll soon hear Ozzy and Dio together in Black Sabbath??? That would probably be asking too much, but hey, even bigger battle axes have been buried."

"With "The Number of the Beast," Iron Maiden reaped worldwide fame and crowned themselves the kings of heavy metal. "The Number of the Beast" is an immortal record that, 25 years after its release, still sounds as fresh as if it had been…

"Iron Maiden is a superb showcase of the evolution of the Iron Maiden sound and a historically important release, for the band, for the genre and for music history as a whole. Up the Irons!"

" Heaven and Hell is a real heavy metal wrecking ball! On Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath truly ditched the blues roots that dominated the Ozzy era for the first time in their career. Okay, I'm lying, but more on that later. Basically, with…