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Book Review: Matti Laaksonen – Nach dem Sturm die Stille
Before I start talking about the book, here’s an important note: I’m writing this review in English, but the book is only available in German. German? Matti Laaksonen? Yes, German. Despite the Finnish (pen?) name, Matti is a German author and unfortunately the books are only available in German. I’ve discovered Matti on Threads because we’re kinda in the same bubble – we both share a taste in music, in Finland and, obviously, my reading interests align with Matti’s writing. Queer YA romance? I’m all in for it. Even more so if the author is a queer nonbinary person with Annisokay songs in their writing playlist. I’ve had Matti’s books…
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Shorts: Release Friday – 23 May 2025
I’m a bit late to the party this time, but here’s my personal overview with my favourite releases from this week. Not a Friday release is Lost Society’s new single Dead People Scare Me (But The Living Make Me Sick), which is the first release since their album If The Sky Came Down in 2022 (and the intro to „their new era“). Another favourite of mine is Electric Callboy’s new single Revery, which is thematically on the darker, heavier side while, stylistically, it kinda carries a Power Metal vibe (I’ve read a comparison to older Sonata Arctica and it kinda fits?). One of my favourite Finnish Gothic Metal bands For My Pain…, who have recently started being…
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Tour: Bloodred Hourglass announce special guests for their European tour 2025
News from Bloodred Hourglass: The Finnish Melodic Death Metal band finally announced the special guests for their upcoming European tour this autumn. They will be joined by the Finnish Modern Metal band Luna Kills. After supporting The Halo Effect on their tour in January, Bloodred Hourglass return as headliners this time – with a new album. In October, the two Finnish bands will play 16 shows in a variety of countries: All tour dates: 09.10.25 🇩🇪 Berlin, Cassiopeia 10.10.25 🇨🇿 Zlin, Masters Of Rock Café 11.10.25 🇭🇺 Budapest, Analog Music Hall 13.10.25 🇦🇹 Vienna, Chelsea 14.10.25 🇩🇪 Leipzig, Hellraiser 15.10.25 🇩🇪 Hamburg, Bahnhof Pauli 16.10.25 🇩🇰 Esbjerg, Tobakken 18.10.25 🇩🇪…
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Album review: Eluveitie – ÀNV
It took me a while to finally find the time to review this album, but here we go. I could not not review it, as Eluveitie’s been one of my favourite bands since … I don’t know, 2008 at least. I was waiting for this album with mixed feelings – excitement on the one hand, but also a little worried. Worried because after their decision to continue without a hurdy-gurdy player, I did not know what to expect from the new album. Also worried because when The Prodigal Ones was released, I didn’t quite feel like it sounded much like an Eluveitie song during the first listening. So let’s dive deeper into my final…
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Tour: Annisokay announce Special Guests & Support for the Abyss Pt II Europe Tour
It’s been a while since Annisokay announced their Abyss Pt II Europe tour. Yesterday there finally was a great update: Besides adding two more shows to the schedule, special guests and supports were announced. The entire tour will be supported by The Narrator. The special guest for the first leg of the tour (from 10 October to 25 October) as well as the UK dates in January will be Heart of a Coward. For the second part of the tour (20 November until 6 December), Annisokay will be joined by Our Promise. The two shows added are in Eindhoven (18 October) and Zlin (5 December). All dates: 10.10.25 FI, Tampere: Olympia 11.10.25 FI,…
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Shorts: Release Friday – 16 May 2025
Straight from my personal release radar, and put very briefly: Here are my favourite releases this week Fall of Mankind is a new project by Eluveitie’s Rafael Fella and Alain Ackermann. Portent in the Dark is their first release featuring Adrienne Cowan of Seven Spires. For their new single Break These Chains, The Rasmus have teamed up with Niko Vilhelm of Blind Channel (which is, basically, the first musical sign of life of a Blind Channel member since they went on ther break) Lorna Shore released a new single called Oblivion today, which is the first release from their upcoming album I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, announced for 12 September 2025. Saltatio Mortis…
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Concert review: Caliban, In Hearts Wake, Cabal & Assemble the Chariots, Dynamo Eindhoven, 6 May 2025
I bought the tickets for this show with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was super excited to see Caliban again. On the other hand, I was a little worried since the last time I saw them was at Free For All and it wasn’t exactly my favourite gig in 2024. Then again, I got even more excited when they finally released their new album Back From Hell, because this album is amazing. But also I wasn’t super into the idea of four bands in one evening on a week day. The alternative would’ve been buying tickets for their show in Cologne, but a) I don’t really like the Essigfabrik…
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Concert Review: Samurai Pizza Cats & Enemy Inside, Club Volta Cologne, 1 May 2025
It’s been a while since I last saw the Samurai Pizza Cats, and I think I’ve never been to a headline show before, so I was pretty excited about this one. The excitement grew even more when they announced that people coming to the show in a super hero costume would get a goodie. While I didn’t plan to wear a super hero costume myself, I expected this show to be fun. And it was – although it was probably one of the hottest days of the year.
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Concert review: Maelføy, Torrential Rain & Call It A Day, Helios37 Cologne, 24 April 2025
2025 seems to be a year full of headline shows of bands I’ve picked up either as support acts or at festivals during the last year. Especially this spring I had a lot of shows scheduled of smaller German bands that I’ve seen last year. One of those shows was part of Maelføy’s renewed tour this spring. For different dates, they had different support acts in tow and since I also really wanted to see Torrential Rain live, I decided to attend their show in Cologne this time (although driving to Cologne always gives me mild anxiety…). Here’s how it went.
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Album review: Annisokay – Abyss Pt II
Strictly spoken, this is not an album, just an EP – but I don’t care. This EP has been one of my most awaited EPs this year (maybe not only this year, I’ve been waiting for this since Abyss Pt I was published). And it was worth the wait.
