A very special night was the one on Friday September 25 2026 in Stockholm.
Almost one year back, as soon as I noticed that Crucified Barbara announced a reunification, since – I believe – 2016, the thought of seeing them performing live for the first time got stuck in my head. Then, I read that there is a gig scheduled in Stockholm.
That was it. The ticket was bought in a blink of an eye and I was almost counting the days for it. This is a band I have been following, not from Day 1, but from their early studio days and this anticipation to see them live on stage had hit high hopes!
Speaking about a special night, how many times does someone get the chance to see both Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth and Tobias Forge from Ghost, DJ-ing before and after a gig? I don’t think too many.. This was an extra reason to get super excited about this event and all of us were super lucky! They played some really cool tunes, warming up the crowd and getting to meet and greet the fans, that was definitely a highlight of the whole night!
Around 8:00 pm. The Crypt got on stage and unleashed their occult, doomy heavy metal show, captivating the audience on every song. This is a band relatively new so to speak, as their debut album was released in 2024, but they sure have made a name so far as their performances on scene prove their fame and justify their hype. Their singer (previously in the band The Heard with 3/4 of Crucified Barbara) has a unique outfit with a customized horns set up in her head which matches the theme of the band, the riffs and the overall atmosphere of their playing.
The whole band performed very solid, with robust and very good sound and I must say that I give extra kudos to their guitar player (who appeared as a guest, replacing their regular guitarist) and drummer as they both kicked ass with their inspired and really massive sound and playing, but the whole band exceeded my expectations as I had never seen them before. This is definitely a band that I would like to see again live!
Approximately a bit more than 9:00pm it was about time for Crucified Barbara to show up and they did it emphatically, entering the stage with the iconic ‘Crucifier’ getting us all on our feet and getting the excitement to the top! After all those years, the anticipation and the hope of being here, this is finally happening.. Mia, Klara, Nicki, Ida, what a performance that was! What a welcome back from the audience who screamed in every song!
With 4 albums already in their suitcase, they delivered an all star playlist with their most accredited tunes, such as: ;Rock me like the Devil’, ‘Electric Sky’, ‘Ghost Inside’, ‘Feels like Death’, etc. This is a seriously ass kicking band, with very heavy riffs, rock solid rhythm section and very charismatic vocals, which altogether add up to a hard rock band ready to leave no doubt about what they are capable to do. Constant headbanging, immense energy and a – there is no tomorrow – playing style is the band’s trademark all those years and this night could not have been an exception. A wonderful moment when Mia kicked off ‘My heart is black’ with the acoustic guitar, before the song got really heavy, a beautiful tune from every perspective..
Ending this awesome Friday evening in Stockholm was ‘In Distortion we Trust’, one of my all time favorites. This combination of the dirty/really heavy riffs, the vocals and the overall groove really making it standing out, as it has the band’s attitude and character of heaviness and raw power. Frenzy drumming, leads, solos, rhythm guitars, all simply amazing and, with a headbanging you never forget! I could not have asked for something better!
Thank you girls and hope to see you next time, including maybe (why not) a new album!
In Crucified Barbara I trust!
Live Report, Video and Pictures
by Antonis Mantzavinos
Playlist:
1. Crucifier
2. Play Me Hard
3. Rock Me Like the Devil
4. Feels Like Death
5. Shadows
6. Storm Rider
7. Lunatic #1
8. Blackened Bones
9. The Ghost Inside
10. Electric Sky
11. In the Red
12. To Kill a Man
13. Go Roffe
Encore
14. My Heart Is Black
15. In Distortion We Trust
