LIVE REPORTS

Up The Hammers XIX Day 2 – Titan Force, Demon, Wings Of Steel, Demon Bitch, Royal Altar, Iron Griffin, Writhen Hilt, Tower 8/3/2025 @ Gagarin 205

11/03/2025

The second day of Up The Hammers found me dragging my exhausted body toward Gagarin. Truth be told, the crowd waiting for the doors to open was noticeably smaller than on the first day, which was evident during the early performances as I observed the venue from my usual balcony spot. I took my senate seat, took a deep breath, and prepared for what was to come.

When it was announced that Tower would be part of the Up The Hammers lineup, I thanked myself for having already secured a ticket—mainly to see Demon on the festival’s second day. You see, with all these maniacs out there, UTH tickets need to be grabbed early.

Just as early were Tower’s set time—at 15:30—opening the day in the best way possible. Having practically worn out the digital version of their upcoming Let There Be Dark—until the vinyl arrives, of course—I knew exactly what to expect. And what I saw and heard left me completely satisfied. The New Yorkers hit the stage with force, sweeping everything in their path.

High Priestess Sarabeth Linden had no trouble stirring up the crowd at Gagarin, even those still weary from the Warm Up show and the first festival day, instantly pulling them back into the festival’s energy. Philippe Arman stood out on bass with his heart-shaped sunglasses and an array of eccentric rings, while James Panzo absolutely tore it up on guitar. Blood Moon was a storm, and with their phenomenal performance, they secured a place in the pantheon of UTH. Their return is a must, Manolis! And please, higher up on the lineup next time!

(*)

Germany’s Writhen Hilt kicked things off. Essentially the second incarnation of Booze Control—featuring the same four members—their style has evolved considerably. In the time they had, they delivered tracks from their EP along with a stunning cover of “Deliver Us” by the titanic Warlord. Hopefully, this new chapter for the band will see greater success than Booze Control did.

Next up were Finnish epic doomsters Iron Griffin. The band consists of two core members—the drummer, who plays all instruments in the studio, and the vocalist—while session musicians handle their live performances. Unfortunately, their sound felt too basic for my taste, and they failed to truly captivate me. In my opinion, they were the weakest band of the festival.

Then came Royal Altar. I’m not sure how many people truly grasped the significance of what we witnessed. Their bassist/vocalist, in peak form, brought to life the material from the legendary Ageless Wisdom. This performance was perhaps the hidden gem of the entire festival—not because there weren’t other outstanding bands, but because of its sheer historical importance. It was an emotional moment, with the band delivering a masterful recital on stage. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing them revisit these songs in the future (a suggestion I shared with the band).

And then we arrived at Wings of Steel. With just one EP and one full-length album, the Americans have already made a serious impact. Naturally, I was eager to see them live—and, my gods, what a performance! Hailing from the great U.S. metal tradition, they carried themselves like champions, both in presence and skill. Beyond their perfectly styled hair, they proved beyond doubt that they are one of the most promising rising stars in the U.S. metal scene. Their fire-fueled guitars wreaked havoc, while their frontman, despite battling a cold, apologized for his voice—only to leave us wondering if we were being pranked, because he still sounded phenomenal. They rightfully earned a huge round of applause, and I fully expect great things from them in the future.

Endless love for the legendary Demon—a band that may be classified under NWOBHM but whose sound and discography transcend the movement’s usual boundaries.

With Dave Hill in great form, delivering his signature on-stage performance as a madman-possessed, and the band absolutely on fire, it didn’t take long for chaos to erupt. The microphone was turned to the crowd frequently, where the fans, in a state of pure euphoria, passionately sang along to every lyric.

With their limited set time, they focused on their first two albums, played a new track from the recent Invincible, and treated us to the excellent Life On The Wire from Breakout. The theatrical choreography that kicked off their set was a real show-stealer, taking us back to another era. Naturally, Don’t Break The Circle caused absolute mayhem, and if I’m not mistaken, we even got the only crowd surfing of the entire day!

The takeaway? Demon remains a timeless force—stay strong, Dave! With their current lineup, which includes former Saxon member Paul Johnson and Magnum’s keyboardist Rick Benton, they’re taking no prisoners. Their songs and legacy speak for themselves, but with such a powerful performance, unmatched energy, and commanding stage presence, their career is truly honored in the best way possible.

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The night would conclude with pure American steel—this time, courtesy of Titan Force. For seasoned festival-goers like myself, their name alone guaranteed quality without a second thought.

With Tyrant in high spirits (as always), they delivered a relentless performance, playing tracks from their two legendary albums with absolute precision. As if that wasn’t enough, they surprised us with In the End at the finale and, for the first time ever, Toll of Pain. Of course, the set wouldn’t have been complete without epics like Chase Your Dreams, Master of Disguise, New Age Rebels, and many more. Let’s be honest—this is a band that has never written a mediocre song, let alone a bad one.

Drummer Stefan Flores was sensational, pounding away for the entirety of the set. Not that the rest of the band weren’t also outstanding, but his performance was particularly remarkable. It’s truly a shame that Titan Force never got the follow-up success they deserved after their two classic albums.

Regardless, they closed the festival in spectacular fashion. Even though it was well past the hour, I don’t think a single soul left before the final note rang out.

And so, another Up The Hammers comes to an end. But next year marks a special occasion—an anniversary edition of the festival. See you all then!

Michael Ntalakos

(*) Yiannis Dolas