The third day came, and people were not tired. The previous two days were filled with great shows, a sense of companionship throughout the festival grounds and a great atmosphere.
Coming all the way from Switzerland, Henriette B entered the stage before a reserved audience that, after some time, surrendered to the heavy and modern sound presented by the group. Under a scorching sun, the quintet led by the charismatic Nicolas delivered powerful riffs, consistently accompanied by excellent drumming. The band succeeded in winning over the audience while performing songs such as “Time Flies”, “One Percent”, “Face or Flee” and “The Poison”. Particular attention must be given to the closing song, “Utopia”, which proved to be the finest moment of the Swiss band’s concert.
Swedish band Ambush brought its Heavy Metal with Speed Metal influences to the festival with enviable professionalism. The audience responded extremely well to a band that appeared to have travelled directly from 1988 into the present day. The group divided its setlist across its three studio albums, although, curiously, the most recent record was the least represented. The 2020 album “Infidel” was represented by only two songs, “Hellbiter” and “Infidel”, while the band gave greater prominence to its debut album, “Firestorm”. From that record, Ambush selected an excellent range of songs, among which “Natural Born Killers” and the outstanding “Don’t Shoot (Let ’em Burn)” deserve particular mention. It was undoubtedly an excellent performance from the Swedish group.
The first Portuguese band of the third day then arrived: Dark Oath. The group brought with it a melodic Epic Death Metal sound filled with blast beats, singable verses and melodies that continued to echo in the mind after the music had ended. Led by the charismatic Sara Leitão, Dark Oath came to present the album “Ages of Man”, a cornerstone in the band’s history due to the significant qualitative leap it represents in comparison with their previous work. Of the seven songs performed, only one belonged to the previous album, “When Fire Engulfs the Earth”: “Land of Ours”. Meanwhile, the band shone through songs such as the iconic “Gold I (Dawn of Time)” and “Bronze I (Stolen Flame)”. Dark Oath are, without any doubt, a name to follow closely in the future, and this work confirmed precisely that.
Glasya, the second Portuguese band of the day, brought with them their most recent album, 2022’s “Attarghan”. The Symphonic Metal band led by Eduarda Soeiro appeared solid onstage. Through a cohesive performance focused almost entirely on the aforementioned album, the band displayed influences from groups such as Epica and even Nightwish during the period when Tarja Turunen was still a member of the Finnish band. They arrived and convinced the audience.
Next came another band that also speaks Portuguese, although from Brazil: The Troops of Doom, led by the well-known Jairo “Tormentor” Gudz, formerly a guitarist with Sepultura. During a devastating concert marked by Jairo’s highly friendly and communicative attitude, as well as the fury of the band’s drummer, there was time for the group to present the album “Antichrist Reborn” through songs such as “Chapels of the Unholy” and “Far from Your God”. When “The Curse” and its macabre spoken-word section were heard, followed by the iconic “Bestial Devastation”, originally released by Sepultura in 1985, chaos became a permanent presence among the audience. This Brazilian group has everything necessary to conquer the world metal scene by storm.
Finnish band Prestige entered the stage with no intention of making life easy for the audience. The opening was explosive and determined, establishing from the very first moments the aggressive nature of a performance entirely devoted to old-school Thrash Metal. “You Weep” continued the initial impact, while “Exit” introduced a different dynamic, beginning with a calm acoustic passage before returning to the heaviness that dominated the concert. The band also proved communicative and good-humoured, using a pause to offer the audience a brief lesson in Finnish. The conclusion was simple: apparently, the only truly indispensable word was “Perkele!” Following this brief linguistic introduction, the group continued with a song performed in Finnish, “Ei Ihraa Mun Lautaselle”.
“Maggots”, originally released in 1990, reinforced the older side of the repertoire and extended the wave of old-school Thrash Metal that ran throughout the entire performance. It drew a physical response from the audience, which quickly raised a dense cloud of dust in front of the stage. Prestige found a receptive audience and responded with an intense, rapid and uncompromising concert, demonstrating that the abundant presence of Thrash Metal on the Milagre Metaleiro line-up was far from being a problem.
The anticipation surrounding Icelandic band Skálmöld was visible long before the concert began. The band shirts spread throughout the festival grounds and the concentration of people near the stage made it clear that this would be one of the most eagerly awaited performances of the third day. The band responded to that anticipation with a performance characterised by an extremely positive atmosphere. The happiness visible on the musicians’ faces and the genuine manner in which they interacted with one another conveyed the impression that they were truly pleased to be performing at Milagre Metaleiro. Musically, Skálmöld guided the audience through a melodic and grandiose sound enriched by traditional Icelandic elements and a strong Folk identity. The use of the Icelandic language contributed to the distinctive atmosphere of the performance, symbolically transporting the audience towards the culture and landscapes associated with the band’s country of origin. Even without necessarily understanding every word, the audience joined the choruses and responded with enormous enthusiasm.
The sound was balanced, allowing the melodies, voices and traditional instruments to coexist without losing impact. As the concert progressed, the emotional intensity increased, culminating in a genuinely ecstatic reception. Skálmöld delivered one of the most engaging moments of the day, combining heaviness, melody and an infectious sense of joy onstage. They succeeded in winning everyone over through songs such as “Niðavellir”, “Að vetri” and “Kvaðning”, while “Ýdalir” was the most heavily represented album in the band’s setlist.
Arriving from Spain, Tierra Santa found an audience at Milagre Metaleiro that was particularly receptive to their classically styled Heavy Metal. The band attracted many of the more old-school fans present at the festival grounds, who enthusiastically welcomed a sound equally close to Hard Rock and traditional Power Metal. With an already extensive career and an established status in their home country, the Spanish musicians performed with the experience of a band fully accustomed to this type of stage. The sound quality was excellent, allowing the guitars, choruses and melodic component of the songs to reach the audience with clarity. The chosen setlist covered several of the most emblematic moments of their discography, with songs such as “Tierras de Leyenda”, “Sangre de Reyes” and “La Leyenda del Holandés Errante” receiving particularly enthusiastic responses. “Indomable”, “Pecado de Ángel” and “Por el Valle de las Sombras” also helped maintain the performance’s intensity, while “Drácula” and “El Laberinto del Minotauro” reinforced the band’s more narrative and epic side. Meanwhile, “Alas de Fuego”, “Legendario” and “La Canción del Pirata” contributed to a grand conclusion faithful to the group’s identity.
The atmosphere remained positive throughout the performance, with the band establishing a natural connection with the fans. Tierra Santa delivered a solid and celebratory concert entirely devoted to the spirit of traditional Heavy Metal, confirming that they possess every quality required to achieve even greater recognition among Portuguese audiences.
The entrance of Amorphis marked the arrival of the final major headliner of this edition of Milagre Metaleiro. The long anticipation preceding the concert quickly dissipated as soon as the first chords began to echo across the festival grounds. The Finnish band’s music thrives on the contrast between deeply atmospheric melodies and an intensity that never completely disappears. Even during the most serene moments, there is a sense of latent force, as though every melodic passage were constantly on the verge of transforming into an explosion of heaviness. Tomi Joutsen naturally occupied the centre of attention. His vocal performance alternated between clean, controlled and emotive registers and guttural vocals of considerable depth and power. Even more impressive was the closeness between his live performance and what can be heard on the studio recordings, as he maintained precision and consistency throughout the concert.
The remaining musicians contributed equally to the scale of the performance, displaying assured stage presence and careful execution. The strong sound quality and lighting design helped reinforce the almost transcendental character of the compositions, surrounding the stage with an atmosphere suited to the band’s musical universe. The setlist covered different phases of the group’s career, beginning with “Northwards”, which opened the concert in imposing and immediately engaging fashion. It was followed by “On the Dark Waters”, which received strong recognition from the audience, before “The Smoke” reinforced the heavier and more contemporary side of the repertoire. “The Moon” introduced a more melodic and contemplative register, contrasting with the more direct energy of “The Wolf”, which once again increased the intensity across the festival grounds.
One of the most celebrated moments arrived with “Black Winter Day”, introduced by “Magic and Mayhem”. This immediately evoked the band’s classic period and generated a particularly emotional response. Amorphis delivered an exceptional performance and one of the most memorable moments of the entire festival. It was an almost flawless concert in which technique, emotion and atmosphere combined with particular effectiveness.
Amorphis | Photo: @filipegomes.photo
The hour was already late when Kissin’ Dynamite entered the stage, but the German band quickly demonstrated that it possessed enough energy to prevent fatigue from driving the audience away from the festival grounds. From the first few minutes, the band’s confidence became evident. Their body language, stage movement and overall attitude conveyed the assurance of a group that perfectly understands the mechanics of a major Rock show. Their combination of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, frequently close to Glam, proved particularly appropriate for the time slot. The songs carried a festive, irreverent and deliberately exaggerated attitude, accompanied by lyrics in which humour, provocation and a certain degree of Rock arrogance form part of the group’s identity. Moments such as “Sex Is War”, “Love Me, Hate Me” and “My Monster” helped keep the energy high, while songs such as “Not the End of the Road” and “Raise Your Glass” reinforced the more celebratory side of the band and its direct connection with the audience.
Kissin’ Dynamite did not rely solely on the music to retain attention. The entire visual and performative component unfolded naturally, contributing to a lively and dynamic performance. Even after a long day of concerts, the festival grounds remained well attended, demonstrating the band’s ability to mobilise the audience. The group therefore confirmed the reasons behind its increasing visibility on the international scene. It was a difficult time slot, but it could hardly have been entrusted to a more appropriate band.
When Serrabulho took to the stage to close the festival, any expectation of a peaceful conclusion immediately disappeared. Even after several days of concerts, some energy remained, and the band transformed that final reserve into a completely uncontrolled celebration. Foam, mud, inflatables, soft toys, rubbish bins and unexpected characters successively occupied the festival grounds. Between unconventional circle pits and simultaneous events unfolding throughout the space, it became practically impossible to follow everything that was happening. Carlos Guerra aka Toká once again established himself not only as the vocalist, but as the principal conductor of the entire spectacle. His communication skills, sense of humour and physical commitment kept the audience constantly engaged, even when the musical component appeared to form only one part of a much larger celebration. The performance also included special moments, such as the presence of Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell, who was celebrating his fiftieth birthday and was invited onto the stage to receive a Grindcore version of the traditional birthday song.
At a Serrabulho concert, absurdity is not a secondary element: it is an essential part of the experience. Nevertheless, behind the comedy, foam and disorder, there was a clear demonstration of affection for the festival, the bands and the entire community that gathers in Pindelo every year. “Piss and Love” once again perfectly summarised the spirit of the occasion.
To close a festival built around closeness, friendship and the fulfilment of dreams, Serrabulho delivered a farewell that was as chaotic as it was emotional.
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