A special thank you to the Wave Gotik Treffen organization.
DAY 1
Leipzig, this beautiful city, and another return to a festival that makes us happy every year. Wave Gotik Treffen 2025, here we come.
After receiving the accreditations, we headed towards the pagan village, also known as Heidnisches Dorf. On this first day, we determined that what best suited our readers would be to follow the events from this place, so we headed there.
The first band we saw take the stage was Mythemia, a German folk-rock band whose songs deal with fantasy and medieval times. Although they had already released three albums, the setlist was based on their last two. After a brief intro, “Wechselwind,” “Nymphenquelle,” “Nimmerland,” “Feenstaub,” “Der Barde” (the only song from their first album they played), “John Ryan’s Polka,” “Phantom,” “Absturz,” “Setzt die Segel,” and “Nebelmeer” energized the crowd. As it was still a bit early, the venue wasn’t full. But this gave the audience more space to dance and let loose spontaneously to the cheerful folk music.
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The next band to play on the first day in Heidnisches Dorf was Mila Mar, a German alternative band that blends rock, folk, gothic, and electronic music. With 31 years of existence and the charismatic vocalist Anke Hachfeld at the helm, this group delivered an exemplary concert, where the more ethereal passages offered by the cello were quickly replaced by more upbeat music thanks to the percussion section and electronic sounds. During the previous Mythemia concert, more people arrived, and judging by the reaction of those present, this seems to be one of the most anticipated bands.
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Next up were Coppelius, a very unique German band; they play metal on the drums, but the rhythm section is provided by cello, double bass and clarinets.
Right at the start of the concert they revealed that one of the members couldn’t go on stage due to illness, but that they weren’t going to cancel the show and that they were going to give it their best. And how well they played!
Dressed in old-fashioned clothes inspired mainly by the Victorian era, the concert was somewhat theatrical, with a few jokes told between songs, which led to a very relaxed atmosphere among the band members and the audience.
Being a band formed in 1997 with an extensive discography, the setlist featured a bit of music from each album. They opened with a cover of “Rightful King,” setting the tone for a pleasant afternoon. The setlist continued with “Nur für Dich,” “Risiko,” “Operation,” “Black Is the Color,” “Musenkuss,” “Schöne Augen,” “Radio/Video” (the first of two System of a Down covers they played), “Urinstinkt,” “Contenance,” “Murders in the Rue Morgue” (an Iron Maiden cover), “Time – Zeit,” “Welthentrubel,” “Kein Land so schön,” “Der Luftschiffharpunist,” “I Get Used To It,” and closed with their final System of a Down cover, “Chop Suey!”, which got everyone jumping.
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The last band from the pagan village this day was Nytt Land, a Nordic folk band from Siberia composed of two members, husband and wife, who, after signing their last two albums with Napalm Records, have been gaining considerable prominence at various folk and pagan festivals across Europe. The music can be considered shamanic, ritualistic, and hypnotic. Vocalist Natalya even ventures into throat singing while playing frame drums.
It could be said that after the storm of the previous bands came the calm with the more ritualistic and ambient sounds and the vocalist’s on-stage dancing.
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Since we still had time, we went to Agra (which isn’t far from the pagan village) to attend the Alphaville concert, that iconic German synth-pop band that gained popularity in the 1980s.
Upon arriving, the first thing we noticed was that the place was completely full, as if the Alphaville concert was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for those present. And they didn’t hesitate to give a concert that will surely remain in everyone’s memory.
“Romeos,” “Dance With Me,” “Big in Japan,” “Heaven on Earth,” “Carry Your Flag,” “I Die for You Today,” “To Germany With Love,” “Summer in Berlin,” “A Victory of Love,” “Sounds Like a Melody,” “Forever Young,” and the encore “State of Dreams” led many of those present to return to the past.
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DAY 2
Entry to the venue was delayed by more than half an hour due to the sound check taking a long time, but when the first band started playing, we understood why.
The first band to play was Faetooth, an American sludge/doom/post-metal band of three young women. We have to say that the sound barrier created by the three band members was intense. The distortion was so intense that the wooden floor seemed to vibrate beneath our feet. (the pool area was covered with wood). They played some songs from their first album (like “She Cast a Shadow,” “Echolalia”, “La sorcière”…) and some new songs that will be released on a new album later this year.[metaslider id=”46172”]
Since they released a new album in 2024, the setlist was in support of this new album; almost the entire last album was played, mixed with some songs from the past, but with a more current sound. “The Ghosts Of Another Broken Life”, “No Bringer of Light”, “Concluding the Dive of Centuries”, “One Thousand Lights”, “Cover Me With Your Eyes”, “To Meet You In Those Dreams”, “The Bells”, “Of Times and Unknown Waters”, “Your Mountains Will Drown Again”, “A Certain End Of Everything” echoed through the walls of Leipzig’s old municipal swimming pool.
Strangely, after that show, many people left the venue to go to other events, and the next two bands played to only half the house.[metaslider id=”46200″]The band that followed was Resplandor, a Netherlands-based shoegaze/post-punk band founded by Peruvian Antonio Zelada in the 1990s, while still in Peru at that time. Despite the modest audience, they gave a good concert.[metaslider id=”46226″]
The second-to-last band was Midas Fall, a Scottish female rock duo founded in 2008, but which features more members live. This duo combines elements of electronica, post-rock, and alternative-goth, along with a great vocal performance. Throughout this second-to-last concert, we noticed that more people started entering the building, and the atmosphere of the concert began to get warmer. We also noticed, judging by the t-shirts of the newcomers, that the audience was more into metal than rock; even so, they applauded Midas Fall when they finished. They were there for the last band of the night: In The Woods.
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The Norwegian band In the Woods started as a black metal band, but over time transformed into a gothic/progressive metal band, a far cry from the band’s initial vision. If they lost some, they gained others, as demonstrated by most of the people who were in Stadtbad when In the Woods began to play.
Since they released a new album last April, the concert’s setlist revolved around songs from their new album Otra, interspersed with songs from 2022’s Diversum.
After “Heart of the Ages”, the first song, they moved on to more recent works with “The Coward’s Way” from the album Diversum, before launching into the new album with “The Crimson Crown,” followed by “A Misrepresentation of I,” “Empty Streets,” “We Sinful Converge,” “The Things You Shouldn’t Know,” “A Wonderful Crisis,” and “Let Me Sing.” Only in the last song did they return to the past with the emblematic “In The Woods,” ending the concert in the best possible way.
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DAY 3
On the third day, we returned to Heidnisches Dorf, where the metal concerts were taking place. Since most of our readers are predominantly fans of this extreme music, we obviously had to be there and do the corresponding reporting.
This festival goes beyond simply attending concerts and events; it’s also an opportunity to socialise and make new friends. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we arrived a little late and missed the first band’s concert.
Therefore, we begin our report on this third day with the second band taking the stage: Alvader, a Dutch Pagan Metal band where some of its members were former members of the famous Dutch band Heidevolk.
Since it had rained in the morning and the floor was a bit muddy, there might have been few people to watch the concert, but the opposite turned out to be true. The venue was quite full, which galvanised the band for a good performance. They played all the songs from their only album to date, “Hereniging,” which was released last year. Since they had more time on stage than the album contains, they played three songs from their former band Heidevolk: “Krijgsvolk,” “Saksenland,” and “Ostara.” The more folk-oriented songs thrilled the audience, who left the show in high spirits.
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Then came the band Gernotshagen, a German Pagan-Folk-Black metal band that has been active since 1999. Their lyrics deal with nature, paganism, history, mythology, and battles, and are written in German.
They delivered a very powerful concert where vocalist Daniel Möller (nickname Askan) played a key role in galvanising the audience: a strong stage presence, with his face and arms painted black and wearing a hood. Since they haven’t released a new album in a while, the setlist was a selection of their best songs from all their albums, a kind of live “best of” that left everyone satisfied.
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The fourth band to take the stage (but the third we saw and photographed) was the one almost everyone was waiting for: Finntroll, who need no introduction in the metal community.
During Gernotshagen’s set, the venue filled up, and when Finntroll’s first guitar riffs began to be heard, the place was packed with people.
They began the concert with “Solsagan” from the 2010 album Nifelvind, then went back in time with “Nedgång” from 2007. They then moved on to the track “Ylaren” from 2020. A balanced setlist, playing both newer and older songs. “Blodsvept”, “Forsen”, “Skövlarens död”, “Den frusna munnen”, “Ormfolk”, “Trollhammaren”, “Nattfödd”, “Mordminnen”, “Skogsdotter”, “Under bergets rot”, “Mask” and “Midvinterdraken” were some of the songs heard, which sometimes led to dancing and moshing among the public.
The last band on Sunday and the third day of the festival was Kalandra, a band whose sound is completely different from the previous ones that played.
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Kalandra is a Swedish folk-rock band with many atmospheric and ambient passages. The band combines elements of melancholic Nordic folk with rock and alternative pop, creating a cinematic atmosphere.
Perhaps that’s why many of those who went to see Finntroll left after the show. But those who stayed witnessed a very moving show with a huge emotional impact. Katrine Stenbekk’s extraordinary voice, combined with the talented musicians who accompanied her, delivered a concert to remember.
“The Waiting Game,” “Slow Motion,” “Naive,” “I Am,” “Borders,” “Untie the Knot,” “Segla,” “Emson,” “Are You Ready?”, “It Gets Easier,” “The State of the World,” “Helvegen,” “Brave New World,” and “Bardaginn” were some of the songs that echoed through the pagan village. Special mention goes to the outstanding light show that contributed to the magical atmosphere that was experienced during the hour-and-a-half concert.
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DAY 4
On the last day of the festival, we decided to follow three heavyweights of music, three world-renowned musical references but of different styles, who would be playing in Agra. Namely, the bands: The 69 Eyes, Camouflage, and New Model Army.
Before heading to Agra, we went back to Heidnisches Dorf (as it was on the way) to check out the Letzte Instanz concert, a folk-rock band that combines heavy guitars with violin and cello.
A large crowd could be seen in the venue when they started playing.
The first song was “Für immer und ewig”, and they immediately captivated the audience. Next came “Maskenball”, “Flucht ins Glück”, “Kalter Glanz”, “Krieger”, and when “Der Garten” started, we left the venue to head towards Agra, which isn’t very far.
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We arrived in Agra shortly before The 69 Eyes’ show began. This Finnish gothic rock band from the late 80s started their performance, after a brief introduction, with Devils. It’s incredible how little vocalist Jyrki Pekka’s voice has changed over time.
Many of their anthems were played, such as “Feel Berlin,” “Betty Blue” (the first of several songs where the audience joined Jyrki in the choruses), “Perfect Skin,” “Drive,” “The Chair,” “Never Say Die,” “Gothic Girl” (this one brought the audience to a frenzy), “Wasting the Dawn,” “Brandon Lee,” “Dance d’Amour,” and “Lost Boys” (what better way to close the concert). The place was full, but that didn’t stop some from dancing, here and there, to the most catchy songs.
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Next up was Camouflage, a German synth-pop band from the early 80s that is still active. This band achieved great notoriety with two songs, “The Great Commandment” and “Love Is a Shield,” but for those who like the genre, their entire musical catalogue should be listened to.
First, I must say that I found the sound too loud throughout the Camouflage concert. And I think many other people had the same thought, as many left the venue and stayed outside in the back to listen to the concert. And I think they lost a bit of empathy with the audience because of that.
They started with “Crime,” a song from 1993, followed by “That Smiling Face,” “Me and You,” “Suspicious Love,” “Everything,” “We Are Lovers,” “Shine,” “The Great Commandment,” “Strangers’ Thoughts,” “Neighbours,” “Perfect,” and ending with the classic “Love Is a Shield.” A diverse setlist spanning various eras of their long career.
Despite the excessively loud music, many people seemed not to mind, as they recognised the songs and danced to them in the clearings that could be seen inside the place.
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The last band to take the stage, and the last one we witnessed at this Gotik Treffen 2025, was the legendary New Model Army, an English band founded in 1980 that wanders between rock and post-punk.
Under the leadership of Justin Sullivan, the band’s vocalist and main songwriter, the band delivered an excellent show featuring several classics from their extensive career. “White Light”, “Echo November”, “First Summer After”, “Winter”, “Devil’s Bargain”, “Never Arriving”, “Do You Really Want to Go There?”, “Before I Get Old”, “Angry Planet”, “See You in Hell”, “Here Comes the War”, the classic “Vagabonds” with violinist Shir-Ran Yinon joining the band on stage to play, “Purity”, and finishing with “Wonderful Way to Go”, a wonderful way to close an intense concert and this festival.
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We want to thank the Wave Gotik Treffen organization for once again allowing us to follow this event, and thus be able to share with our readers the diverse events we witnessed, and to convey all the extraordinary effort the organization makes to put this event together.
Visit Leipzig, enjoy the Wave Gotik Treffen. See you next year.
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