There's never enough live music, and there never will be. But that being said I'm really happy with the amount of great shows I got to experience this year.
Of course there are still nights I regret having missed, like the not so well attended, but appearantly extra long and amazing club show of Arthur Brown in Hamburg or all the tours which just didn't came close enough to Northern Germany at all.
On the other hand some artists that had made the ranking in the past sadly couldn't meet my expectations, like Kamasi Washington or even Cynic.
Other shows many fans would probably expect in a list like this, were great, but just didn't make it up in the top, like Blood Incantation, Igorrr, Wormrot, Tangerine Dream, Lucifer, Macabre, Kanaan & Ævestaden, Chat Pile, Wyatt E., Ni, Wooden Elephant performing Björk and many more.
Thisquietarmy x Otay:onii even actually were club show number twelve for a brief moment, but then I decided to make it only a TOP 11 list in favour of having a longer TOP 14 of festival shows. And right there I admittedly downgraded Michael Gira, because I didn't want to reward his bully behaviour towards Kristof Hahn at their Roadburn show, even thought it undoubtly was contributing to the special intensity of that performance...
You see: Ranking is harte Maloche. So after litres of sweat and blood here's the result:
Of course there are still nights I regret having missed, like the not so well attended, but appearantly extra long and amazing club show of Arthur Brown in Hamburg or all the tours which just didn't came close enough to Northern Germany at all.
On the other hand some artists that had made the ranking in the past sadly couldn't meet my expectations, like Kamasi Washington or even Cynic.
Other shows many fans would probably expect in a list like this, were great, but just didn't make it up in the top, like Blood Incantation, Igorrr, Wormrot, Tangerine Dream, Lucifer, Macabre, Kanaan & Ævestaden, Chat Pile, Wyatt E., Ni, Wooden Elephant performing Björk and many more.
Thisquietarmy x Otay:onii even actually were club show number twelve for a brief moment, but then I decided to make it only a TOP 11 list in favour of having a longer TOP 14 of festival shows. And right there I admittedly downgraded Michael Gira, because I didn't want to reward his bully behaviour towards Kristof Hahn at their Roadburn show, even thought it undoubtly was contributing to the special intensity of that performance...
You see: Ranking is harte Maloche. So after litres of sweat and blood here's the result:
TOP 11 CLUB/SOLO SHOWS 2025:
- This came as a surprise. I had seen the Industrial metal legends in Wacken - where they had also been just one night before this show - a couple of times, lastly nine years ago, and I knew their performance would be great.
But just what a fucking blast it would be to witness Al Jourgensen and co. celebrating classic after classic plus even songs from the Synth Pop debut "With Sympathy" in the more intimate club setting - no, I can't say I was fully prepared for that. I already knew right then and there that Ministry were playing my favorite show of the year - and as you can see my opinion hasn't changed. - THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE / THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Lido, BerlinThe members of the Dutch Doomjazz group with the two aliases obviouly didn't know how much their return after twelve years of hiatus meant to some fans, who travelled to Berlin from as far as the other side of the globe. And it was heartwarming to see them enjoy the well-deserved waves of applause after a double-show of amazing Slow Motion Jazz / Ambient / Doom / Dub / Post Rock / Folk / Contemporary Classical beauty.
- SUNN O))) - Uebel & Gefährlich, HamburgSix Ampeg amps, twelve Model T's, a wall of speakers and two guitars. Enough to physically destroy me to a degree not even previous Sunn O))) or Swans shows had been capable of. My head and hearing needed days to recover.
Yet still the Drone Metal masters delivered a musically remarkably rich and transcendently meditative experience, which made me float from the birth of the universe to the core of Earth and back. - NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM "La Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu" - MS Stubnitz, HamburgIt was the already the second time I attended a full performance of Neptunian Maximalism's Blackened Drone Doom Raga monolith "La Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu". And with an interpretation emphasizing the Black Metal elements and an unbelievably mighty and pristine sound, which allowed you to dive into every single sonic detail, the show on Hamburg's finest ship was even more perfect than their 2024 Roaddburn Festival performance.
- CLIPPING. - Hafenklang, HamburgFor some reason Hamburg's Hafenklang venue has established itself as Clipping.'s home away from home outside of America. So once again the Experimental Hip Hop trio (plus premium stage guest Counterfeit Madison) burned the place down to the ground with a sudatory electrifying performance.
- DOOL - Logo, HamburgWhenever I see Dool live, the Dutch Dark Rock quintet will safely end up in these lists later; I guess that's an established natural law by now. Their last show in Hamburg hadn't been that long ago and this was already the third time I saw them with a relatively similar setlist in support of "The Shape of Fluidity". So this should get at least a little bit boring, right? No, not at all! One of the best live bands around for ten years now!
- SEVEN IMPALE - Logo, HamburgA dream come true! I've been wishing to see the Norwegian Prog/Jazz Metal Fusion sextet Seven Impale for ten years and even lost all hope during their seven years long hiatus. And now they finally played a mini tour of only two shows in Germany. And even though the Logo wasn't exactly sold out, this night was everything I wanted it to be. Fantastic!
- TEMPLE FANG - MarX, HamburgBenefitting from the fact that the Dutch are Roadburn regulars I had already enjoyed six shows of the fantastic Psychedelic Prog Rockers Temple Fang before. This time however was extra special - not only because of the strength of the "Lifted From the Wind" material, but because it finally was a headlining show without the time restraints of a festival. That meant almost two hours of epic Rock'n'Roll bliss.
- KOENJI HYAKKEI - MS Stubnitz, HamburgAt least in my mind my mouth is still permanently wide open in amazed disbelieve since I witnessed Japanese Zeuhl masters Koenji Hyakkei. No matter if you take the escalating Free Jazz drumming, the insanely fast and complicated vocal/saxophone unisono runs or outbreaks of metallic heaviness - very few performances this years came even remotely close to the joy of playing, the breathtaking virtuosity and the utter musical madness of these Magma worshippers.
- MONO - Knust, HamburgAfter decades of chair glue for their guitar players Mono are now standing on stage! Well, except for the drummer of course. Apart from that change the Japanese Instrumental Post Rock quartet still presented itself as a class of its own. Between heavenly elation and earthshaking force the sonic and emotional dynamics unleashed by their live performances are an experience I cannot imagine ever growing tired of or not being deeply touched by.
- HEDVIG MOLLESTAD TRIO - Hafenklang, HamburgHere come the Norwegian ladies in glitter dresses and their less fashion-conscious drummer! They brought a marathon Jazz Rock Metal Fusion show, which included the whole "Bees In The Bonnet" album and ended with the band leader lying on the ground amidst the crowd - before leaving with Led Zeppelin's "Rock'n'Roll" as the ultimate statement what the band is all about. After two amazing Roadburn shows this night confirmed that when the Hedvig Mollestad Trio comes to town, fullest dedication, blown minds and a shitload of fun are guaranteed.
TOP 14 FESTIVAL SHOWS 2025:
- In all its abstract nonconformist weirdness and pummeling heaviness Sumac's "The Healer" still is one of my favorite albums of 2024. And boy, did the full live performance of this Avantgarde Metal coloss live up to it! Right then and there I already felt that it had to be my unrivaled favorite performance of the festival. Present day me doesn't object.
- AUTOPSY - Stonehenge Festival, SteenwijkStrictly speaking the gory Death Metal legends' setlist was way too similar to their last oldschool-heavy Stonehenge appearance. Yet fuck it, because even with this sole critique it still was fucking Autopsy, man! And there's just noone like them. Bloody banger!
- ANGLES "The Death Of Kalypso" - Roadburn Festival, TilburgThe Paradox stage was as crammed as the rest of the room, when the octet Angles performed "The Death of Kalypso", their amazing self-proclaimed Jazz Opera in five acts. They alternated between different varieties of Vocal Jazz, minimalism, Classical interludes, Free Jazz freak-outs, Shirley Bassey grandeur and all kinds of displays of virtuosity earning spontanous scene applause. A truly special show.
- OTAY:ONII "True Faith Ain't Blind" - Roadburn Festival, TilburgFew artists are as exceptionally expressive and mesmerizing as singer Lane Shi Otay:onii. The Roadburn team knows that too and invited her for a triennium residence, which means she plays special shows in three consecutive years. The first of those saw her only with a grand piano, playing last year's album "True Faith Ain't Blind". A profoundly touching performance to make Diamanda Galas proud!
- ZOMBIE ZOMBIE - Roadburn Festival, TilburgTrippy trippy funky funky cosmic cosmic Kraut Kraut Disco Disco party party! Seeing the French two drummers plus electronics and saxophone trio Zombie Zombie was one of those Roadburn decisions I'm still giving myself pats on the back for.
- WITCH CLUB SATAN - Roadburn Festival, TilburgExtremely raw Black Metal and myrkurish atmospheric breaks. Theatrical antics and honest rage. Impressive crochet work and spooky nudity. Technical issues leading to a moment, which made this show of the Norwegian feminist trio Witch Club Satan even more special.
Finally a huge splash of blood spat right onto my face. That certainly was a memorable way to start into Saturday. I was there for it. - DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - Stonehenge Festival, SteenwijkThis year's Stonehenge Festival offered various moments of Death Metal nostalgia with bands I hadn't seen live for up to over three decades. The most anticipated and most rewarding of those shows was performed by the still to this day unique Avantgarde Death trio Disharmonic Orchestra from Austria. If only this could have been a bit longer...
- MESSA "The Spin" - Roadburn Festival, TilburgOuch, my heart is bursting! Why is Messa's mix of Doom, Hard Rock, Prog, Folk, Post Punk, Extreme Metal etc. so damn wonderful? Playing their recent album "The Spin" could only be a win. Guitar and muted trumpet duelling in the Jazz lounge during "The Dress" was one of the most memorable live moments of the year.
- INSECT ARK - Roadburn Festival, TilburgDana Schechter sings now. and appearantly it was exactly what the beauriful Drone Doom of her former solo project / then duo / now live trio Insect Ark needed. This was a show where performance, sound, atmosphere and personality came together under the perfect constellation of stars. You could feel it.
- GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE - Esbjerg FuzztivalEsbjerg Fuzztival in Denmark had a strong line-up with several electrifying shows only just missing a spot on this list. And even though the Japanese trio was sitting down most of the time, the sheer unhinged madness of their melange of Kraut, Punk, Avantgarde, Prog, emotional intensity and Psych'n'Roll made Green Milk From The Planet Orange the winner.
- EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD - Roadburn Festival, TilburgAtmospheric, Ambient, droning, minimalist, electronic, percussive, maximalist, post-rocking, abstract, trippy, jazzy, funny, funky, danceable... It would probably be harder to find anything the show of Ex-Easter Island was not than all the variety it had to offer. Performed on an incredibly experimental multi-instrumental set-up this quartet's show was unlike any other thing I've ever seen.
- MOEWN - Pink Tank Open Air, OsterrönfeldIn the grand scheme of things Moewn are just a short-lived and disbanded, relatively obscure German instrumental Post Rock band with a discography of two and a half (since one was a split release) good albums. But that's just what's on paper, because what a heavenly escapist treat was it to witness their one-off reunion show in celebration of the tenth anniversary of their debut!
- MISHA PANFILOV SEPTET - Überjazz Festival, Kampnagel, HamburgThe prolific Estnian Misha Panfilow came with electric and lap steel guitar and a whole Septet of musicians including a brass section of saxophones and flute to celeberate a relaxing, humorous and hypnotic performance of Spiritual Psychedelic Jazz mixed with Library Music and traces of Kraut Rock. This wasn't even the conceptually or musically most exciting act at Überjazz Festival, but the vibe, man! The vibe was just so... *chefskiss*
- SANCTUARIUM - Morbid Catacombs Fest, Neue Zukunft, BerlinThere are few things in Metal greater than when a Death Metal show widely opens the gates to a foul netherworld and the poisonous mist from that abyssal dimension really creeps into every cell of your being. At Morbid Catacombs Fest the rotten Doom Death of the Spaniards Sanctuarium unlocked this immersive, wonderfully abhorrent sick atmosphere and no shower has been able to clean all of the putrescine stench off me since.
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