Summer has passed, and all the concerts and festivals we attended now remain in memory as beautiful moments. Some of the very best highlights of summer 2025 were undoubtedly experienced at the Golden R. Festival. This is one of the most historic festivals in our country, and this year once again it brought together a host of remarkable artists and bands who more than honored the stage in Nea Anchialos, Volos! Let’s dive right into reliving this year’s Golden R. experience!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
DAY ONE (1)
The first day of the festival took place on August 29, 2025. We arrived well before the scheduled start time of 5 p.m., giving ourselves the chance to get familiar with the area and organize our coverage of the event. The stage was set just a few meters from the beach of Nea Anchialos, and the festival grounds were spacious and comfortable, with everything arranged just as it should be. Still, despite the seaside location, the heat was intense, and by late afternoon the sun was blazing! But nothing could stop us!
Braveride: The first band of the festival was Braveride, the Greek epic power metallers who stormed the stage and showcased their impressive material. They played with passion, displayed tight cohesion, and handled the technical challenges of their songs with ease. As for the vocals, stepping in at the mic was Mike Livas, who, due to various circumstances, filled the role — and he absolutely nailed it, managing to learn the band’s demanding songs in just a few days. Braveride have a majestic, cinematic style in their music, which I really enjoyed! For me, this live show was the perfect opportunity to get to know them better.
Speedrush: Next up on the billing were the Greek Speedrush. I’ve seen this speed/thrash metal band live before, so I knew exactly what to expect — fast, aggressive, and relentless metal from a group of musicians with incredible songwriting skills, tight rhythm section and full command of what they do on stage! Once again, Speedrush were unstoppable, proving their mastery of the genre, showcasing a repertoire full of strong songs, and demonstrating real vision as a band. With the help of great sound, their performance was flawless, forcing us into nonstop headbanging! This is exactly the kind of band the metal scene needs — hardworking, down-to-earth, and passionate about what they do. Speedrush and total mayhem!
Order of the Ebon Hand: Order of the Ebon Hand are one of the most historic bands in the Greek extreme metal scene, so I was eagerly looking forward to seeing them live. Under the blazing sun — which hardly suited their dark sound — they delivered their sinister black metal with precision, frontman Orestis giving it everything he had. However, he went way over the top! We witnessed him repeatedly spitting into the photo pit right next to the photographers, slamming the microphone stand into the pit with enough force to risk injuring someone, climbing onto the speaker railings in a way that could have caused damage or accidents, and even throwing a cup into the crowd — again, a serious risk of hitting someone. Naturally, I was furious! Thankfully, nothing bad happened, so we can move back to the music… Order of the Ebon Hand put on a powerful performance, satisfied their fans, and got us fired up for what was to come.
Acid Death: Another key band in the Greek scene, Acid Death have been around for years, and as expected, they made sure we had a great time during their set. Indeed, Savvas Betinis and his crew stormed the stage with full force, unleashing crushing riffs and grooves, captivating us with their outstanding thrash/death metal. Their setlist featured selections from their extensive discography, but they also treated us with material from their upcoming, yet-to-be-released album. From this performance, one thing was clear: the Athens-based band is in top form — their sound was explosive, their chemistry flawless, and their energy absolutely contagious! Acid Death are ready to take off — and it’s about time!
Sons of Damnation: According to the information we had, Sons of Damnation was meant to be a project by the legendary Jim Mutilator (bass, Yoth Iria, ex–Rotting Christ), in collaboration with Andreas Vingbäck (Heljarmadr) and Thomas Eriksen. However, what we actually saw on the Golden R. stage was something different — a live collaboration between Mutilator and several other Greek musicians: Vasilis Stavrianidis (drums – Yoth Iria, Ignominous), Christos Kosmidis (guitar – Ignominous), Iordanis Sidiropoulos (guitar, vocals), Orestis (vocals, Order of the Ebon Hand), and Marios Iliopoulos of Nightrage. This lineup came together simply to have fun, performing covers of well-known rock and metal songs. While not exactly what we expected, we still had a great time with “Sons of Damnation” … enjoying solid, faithful renditions of Uriah Heep, Judas Priest, Metallica (“Enter Sandman” sung by Marios), Motörhead (“Killed By Death” sung by Orestis), and more. There was energy, emotion, and pure excitement — both onstage and off — and together we experienced something truly special. But now, it was time for the next act!
Iron Savior: Iron Savior is a band that proudly represents the Teutonic/Euro power metal scene. Led by Piet Sielck (vocals, guitar), the Hamburg outfit hit the stage without fuss and dove straight into their melodic brand of power metal. Full of energy and confidence, Iron Savior delivered both older and newer tracks flawlessly, much to the delight of their fans. As one of my favorite bands, this was actually the first time I had the chance to see them live, which made it even more special — especially when I realized that on rhythm guitar (temporarily) was Matthias Lange from Metalium, a musician I already knew! I also really enjoyed Sielck’s positive energy, his interaction with the crowd, and of course the setlist choices, which included gems like “Atlantis Falling”. If only they had played “Watcher in the Sky” too!
Fabio Lione’s Dawn of Victory: The creation of Dawn of Victory by none other than Fabio Lione filled me with joy, especially when I saw they would be coming to Greece! This is the band that once again gives Lione the chance to perform the classic songs of Rhapsody and Rhapsody of Fire! He is joined by his longtime bandmates Alex Holzwarth (drums), Patrice Guers (bass), and Dominique Leurquin (guitar) — a lineup we witnessed headlining the first day of the Golden R. Festival. Without delay, Dawn of Victory hit the stage, and the atmosphere instantly transformed the moment Lione appeared! What can I even say? The Italian singer was at the very top of his game — singing even better than in past times I had seen him live — and absolutely stunned us with his performances! His positive energy was obvious, he gave his voice an even more operatic dimension, and he nailed both the high and low registers flawlessly. It was a recital of pure lyricism and epic grandeur, with a fantastic setlist: “Land of Immortals,” “Dawn of Victory,” “Unholy Warcry,” “Holy Thunderforce” and more. The fans gathered at the front were completely blown away by the majesty of Lione’s voice and the sweeping melodies of the music. One of the most powerful moments of the set was Lione’s heartfelt tribute to Christopher Lee. Words cannot truly capture what we saw, heard, and felt that night. Thank you, Fabio!
With this impressive finale, the first day of the Golden R. Festival came to a close. It’s worth noting, however, that the turnout was not particularly large…
