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„We love double the trouble!“. That’s probably what DELIVER THE GALAXY thought when they decided to repeat last year’s Bury Your Gods Fest at Leipzig’s Hellraiser. This time, however, they combined it with the kickoff of their first headlining tour to celebrate the release of their latest album, Those Who Came From Heaven. Such major events naturally call for a fitting setting. That’s why SOUL GRINDER, THORMESIS, and AYAHUASCA also graced the stage. Without giving too much away in the report that follows, we can say: It was a more than successful kickoff to the 2026 fall concert season!
Huge shout-out to the one, the only, lightinmirror.de who, again, provided us with these wonderful shots!
Soul Grinder
But perhaps we should start from the beginning: It all kicked off with SOUL GRINDER. The Bremen-based trio is just the thing for anyone who likes their death metal straight up. Their no-frills blend of death metal attitude and music reminiscent of bands like SUFFOCATION or VOMITORY was perfectly suited to set the tone for the evening: Straight from the speakers and straight into people’s heads.
The fact that the music was slightly old-school didn’t detract from it at all! If anything, it only underscored the atmosphere. Songs like Infernal Suffering already give the audience a sense of where this musical journey is headed overall.
The only downside, though, is that the small hall at Hellraiser was once again way too fogged up. I have no idea what the problem is, but after setting off two fog machines, that stuff just wafts all over the room, and personally, that just takes away from my enjoyment of the set. I want to see a live band, not just hear it!
Thormesis
But poor visibility couldn’t stop us from venturing into dark musical realms once again. That evening, THORMESIS was in charge of the darkness! Anyone who reads this regularly knows about our soft spot for post-black metal, so I knew even before the set started that this band from Bavaria would make my heart race.
And what can I say? Game, set, and match! The set was just perfect from start to finish. As you’d expect from a seasoned black metal band, there was minimal steady lighting, plenty of strobes, and even more fog—so much so that I couldn’t even see the drummer, for example. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to ask whether they use so much fog because they think their drummer is ugly and don’t want anyone to see him, so I’ll save that question for another time.
The atmosphere created by THORMESIS, however, was as melancholic as it was thoughtfully powerful. Songs like Elusive and Entzweit offered a good insight into the band’s artistic work. What absolutely surprised us, though, was the fact that the band has actually been around for 20 years. This experience became evident if you listened closely, and I’m not going out on a limb when I say that this won’t be the last time you read about THORMESIS here!
Ayahuasca
AYAHUASCA was the third band of the evening. Musically, the sound of this Cologne-based band can be described as a mix of progressive, death, and tribal. Much like the eponymous drug, AYAHUASCA takes us on an unparalleled trip that eventually ends in a hazy room full of strangers, leaving you wondering how you actually ended up there. Fittingly, the band also sells long papers in their Bandcamp shop!
Unfortunately, it wasn’t such a pleasant trip for us, and AYAHUASCA were only able to maintain the energy that THORMESIS and SOUL GRINDER had established to a limited extent. It just felt strangely disjointed, and at some point they even brought out a rattle—which, to me, just didn’t fit as well as I’d imagined… Overall, it was all just too chaotic for me, and I would have liked to see more coherence in the music.
Deliver the Galaxy
Eagerly anticipated and highly revered, DELIVER THE GALAXY finally took the stage at Hellraiser. At first, you could still tell the guys were nervous, but that faded after the fourth song, Dead Planet, and they were able to carry out their show with their usual poise and professionalism.
I was especially happy that they kicked off the evening with Aurora. It’s a song I’ve loved ever since I first heard it, and it simply brings together everything that makes DELIVER THE GALAXY special: catchy choruses, well-written lyrics, and music that comes from the heart!
The packed room also did its part to fuel the electric atmosphere. It never fails to fill me with joy to see that the guys are getting the recognition they deserve and that so many people made their way to Leipzig just to see them. Fittingly, Bleeding provided an emotional highlight of the show that still lingers with me to this day! It was also spot-on in this context to pick up the pace right before and after it, playing The Unknown beforehand and Serpent’s Lament afterward.
During the four-song encore, everyone pulled out their smartphones during Unsterblich, turned on their flashlights, and created a truly special moment of togetherness that none of us will forget anytime soon.
All in all, DELIVER THE GALAXY have proven what they’re capable of and ready to do: conquering the metal world to the horizon and beyond. For our part, we’re looking forward to sharing this journey with them—at least for a little while!
