We couldn’t imagine a more romantic way of spending the evening on February 14th, 2025, than with friends in the middle of Hamburg’s famous Reeperbahn, attending the Heathen Neverland tour featuring GREEN LUNG, UNTO OTHERS, and SATAN’S SATYRS. After this experience, it’s hard to understand how anyone could still claim that romance is dead. This lovely night brought us a package that—no matter how many good tours stop by Hamburg this year—will be difficult to top.
SATAN’S SATYRS, the quartet from Virginia, kicked off the evening and played for an already full Gruenspan. Their energetic performances successfully engaged the crowd, something that’s not always a given for opening acts, and perhaps even less for bands like them. In terms of composition, they were the most experimental act of the evening. Their doomy, psychedelic, punk-infused rock got the crowd going. For us, the blend of psychedelic elements with the down-tuned, doomy atmosphere, particularly in tracks like “Alucard,” stood out the most. However, their music is the type that truly needs a tight and good sound in order to thrive. Unfortunately, the sound didn’t quite match their energy this evening, but we’re determined to catch them live again as soon as possible.
Next in line were the American quintet UNTO OTHERS, whom we honestly believe everyone should know by now unless you have been living under a rock for the past six years. Whatever the reason, we urge you to fix that soon. For your own good, of course. Here’s where fans of classic and modern variants of Heavy Metal find common ground. UNTO OTHERS take signature elements of heavy metal, like twin guitars and galloping rhythms, and infuse them with a touch of melancholy, the energizing kind. This results in a sound that reaches peak infectiousness.
The evening started with a perfect example of that blend: Butterfly, one of the standout hits from their latest full-length album, “Never Neverland,” released last year via Century Media. This track works perfectly as an opener. As a ballad, with a slower pace than most of their compositions, it gave the audience a moment to ease into the show. But the cool thing about the song is that it still carries all the trademarks of their signature sound: the melancholic tone of frontman Gabriel Franco’s voice, the catchy melodic guitars, and the perfectly tight rhythm section holding it all together.
Now, honestly, we’re not sure what we expected next in the setlist, but it definitely wasn’t the second superhit of “Never Neverland.”
“Momma Likes The Door Closed Late At Night” followed and woke up anyone who was still half asleep in what seemed to be a sold-out Gruenspan. The audience got louder for this one, moving and singing along to the rhythm of one of their catchiest chorus lines, “Shadows dance across the floor.” The song is interesting, not only because of its horror punk influences, but also because it showcases the band’s sonic versatility. Particularly, Sebastian Silva’s talent shines here; his lead guitar work shows impressive range and a mastery of whatever style he sets his mind to.
Another remarkable aspect of their live performance is how the quality just keeps rising with every tour they embark on. And the crowds keep catching on to that, growing louder and bigger over the years. Honestly, we wouldn’t be surprised if, at some point in the future, we’ll only be able to see them live in a stadium.
Then came the time for GREEN LUNG to close the evening, and to keep feeding a fuelled crowd. Let’s be honest: we had only familiarized ourselves with their music a few weeks before the concert. While we found it enjoyable at home, it hadn’t hooked us quite as much as we expected, despite repeated encouragement from friends to give it a closer listen.
That actually made the live experience even more fascinating. It must have been around the time they played “Reaper’s Scythe“ that it finally hit us: the level of craftsmanship we were witnessing was unreal. We went from merely understanding the intention behind the music to experiencing a full-blown emotional outburst in just four songs. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time stoner/doom rock felt this invigorating.
Needless to say, the audience was wiser than we were; most seemed to know every word of every song. And it makes sense: the lyrical storytelling is so tight, some of the songs could honestly make it into a book of short stories. Now add to that the flawless vocal performance of singer Tom Templar, tastefully backed by the powerful voice of bassist Joseph Ghast.
But if we’re going to get specific about each member’s strengths, we might as well just say it straight: every single member of this band is a master of their craft, and the passion in their performance doesn’t suffer from that precision; it thrives because of it.
That’s what makes GREEN LUNG’s live show feel so massive. Their expert musicianship and outstanding songwriting make them a powerhouse, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
Text and Photos by Michelle R.
