On November 4, 2025, Trix was packed to the brim for a sold-out show on the Death Above Life Tour. Orbit Culture returned stronger than ever, joined by the brilliant Atlas and the spellbinding Gaerea, delivering a night of intensity, emotion and unforgettable performances. Fans were treated to a full spectrum of sound : from crushing riffs to haunting melodies making it a show that will be remembered for a long time !
UNDER UKKO’S SKY : ATLAS RISE WITH EMOTION
There are nights when opening acts struggle to leave a mark. And then there’s Atlas. From the very first notes, the Finnish band completely wiped that notion aside, immediately pulling the crowd straight into their world!
Since August, Atlas have been teasing new tracks ahead of the Orbit Culture tour. Three of them made it into the setlist: : ‘Anodyne‘, ‘Salt and Sulfur‘, and ‘I Whisper Your Name Like a Curse‘, the latter just released on October 31. Darker and more melancholic than their earlier material, the track shows a clear evolution in their sound : a kind of controlled, gentle darkness, highlighted by the band’s vocal performance. The set also featured some of the standout tracks from their 2021 album Ukko, which remain essential listening.
On stage, Atlas impresses with both mastery and cohesion. Frontman Patrik Nuorteva delivers a stunning vocal performance, supported by guitarist and co-vocalist Leevi Luoto, whose harmonies add undeniable emotional depth. Those long soaring notes hang in the air left me speechless more than once. What makes them truly captivating is how they balance sheer power with moments of transcendence. Each song has its own identity, yet the set flows seamlessly, like a story unfolding track by track. Every member moves constantly, fully immersed in the music and the energy is to be honest quite infectious !
If there’s any doubt about their future, it’s gone now : Atlas is for sure poised to become one of the defining names of modern metal.
Setlist : Taivaanranta – Anodyne – I Whisper Your Name Like a Curse – Uni – Salt and Sulfur – Susi – Ukko – Uhri
FROM HELLBOUND TO MIRAGE : GAEREA TURN PAIN INTO RITUAL
After Atlas’ enchanting Nordic set, the Trix slowly descended into a darker dimension. The lights dimmed, a haze of smoke rolled across the stage and the atmosphere became almost ritualistic. The crowd, buzzing with anticipation, knew something more shadowy was about to emerge: Gaerea was in fact about taking the stage.
The Portuguese black metal band then entered masked under the infernal sigil of Asmodeus. They opened with ‘Hellbound’, a blast that immediately set the tone for the night. Everything about their performance was meticulously crafted: from the frontman’s sharp, contorted, almost possessed movements, to the guitarist’s choreographed gestures that created an eerie sense of harmony amidst chaos. On ‘Wilted Flower‘, the interaction between the two felt both desperate and romantic as almost a physical embodiment of the song’s lyrical despair. The way the singer alternated between violently gripping the mic stand and releasing it in a slow, almost graceful motion perfectly mirrored the melody’s ebb and flow and this more than once !
‘Hellbound’, taken from their upcoming album Loss (out March 20, 2026), continues Gaerea’s exploration of pure aggression tempered with refined melancholy and expressive nuance, the signature sound that has set them apart since day one. Another new track performed tonight, ‘Submerged’, confirmed their mastery of contrasts: a symphony of rage meeting the poetry of their lyrics, fierce yet hauntingly delicate.
Between songs, the frontman broke through the wall of mystique with a few heartfelt words thanking the audience and expressing his gratitude for sharing the stage with Orbit Culture and Atlas. His sincerity was undeniable, radiating through every scream, every movement. When he shouted, “You want something faster, Antwerp?”, the tension that had been building during ‘Wilted Flower‘ finally burst as they launched into ‘Mirage’ ! The set concluded on a near-theatrical note: as the last vibrations faded, a black curtain descended, shrouding the stage and plunging the venue into an almost religious silence. The darkness served as a perfect prelude for what was to come… The final act of the night: Orbit Culture.
SETLIST : Hellbound – Submerged – Hope Shatters – World Ablaze – Unknown – Laude – Wilted Flower – Mirage
DEATH ABOVE LIFE : ORBIT CULTURE CLAMING THEIR THRONE
After the haunting spell cast by Gaerea, the Trix was more than ready for the final onslaught of the night: Orbit Culture. Hailing straight from Sweden, the band hit the stage with relentless force. It’s crazy to think that on March 12, 2024 when they played Belgium at Kavka Zappa : the room wasn’t even sold out. Fast forward to November 4, 2025: the Trix was packed wall to wall and the atmosphere felt like a celebration of how far they’ve come. The growth is undeniable !
This time Orbit Culture’s set centered around their brand-new album Death Above Life, released just a few weeks earlier on October 3rd. The album follows 2023’s Descent, the breakthrough that first introduced them to many fans and pushed them into wider recognition. Old favorites like ‘Vultures of North’, ‘North Star of Nija’ and ‘While We Serve’ sent waves through the pit, while the new material such as ‘The Tales of War’ or ‘Hydra‘ showed just how confidently Orbit Culture is shaping the next phase of their evolution. Once again, the band proved why they’re quickly becoming one of the most commanding forces in the European metal scene.
As frontman Niklas Karlsson told Sam Law from Kerrang! in a recent interview :
Our goal for 2025 is to become the headline-standard band that we’ve wanted to be since 2013. There are certain things you have to do to get to that point, but I would never tamper with our music.
And that vision was on full display tonight, Orbit Culture know exactly how to control a room : from razor-sharp riffs to punishing breakdowns, every word felt intentional, every silence loaded with tension. And when Karlsson teased the crowd, joking that we weren’t screaming loud enough, the energy only escalated. Comparing Antwerp’s fire to that of their German neighbors became a playful challenge that the audience eagerly embraced. A bit of friendly competition, the kind that keeps the pit alive and roaring.
Speaking of which, the pit was chaos in motion: shoes flying through the air, fans diving forward to retrieve them before jumping straight back in. It was a beautiful mess where you could feel pure communion between the band and the audience. It was indeed intense !
SETLIST : Death Above Life – The Storm – The Tales of War – North Star of Nija – I, the Wolf – From the Inside – The Shadowowing – Bloodhound – Nerve – While We Serve – Hydra – Vultures of North
Orbit Culture brought the night at Trix Antwerp to a powerful close, showing that from Atlas’ and Gaerea’s opening riffs to the final screams for the headliners, the Death Above Life Tour is all about pushing the limits of modern metal live. A little curiosity for different styles of metal can go a long way and tonight, it definitely paid off !