April 19, 2025 will certainly go down in the history of heavy music in Brazil. Seven legendary bands will take turns this Saturday at Allianz Parque in São Paulo for the 30th anniversary edition of Monsters of Rock in the country.
Two years after its last run, the festival returns for its eighth edition, bringing names like Europe , Judas Priest , Scorpions , and many more. This Saturday, the marathon of shows kicked off with the melodic metal of Stratovarius , and all the versatility and technique of Opeth .
Stratovarius at Monsters of Rock 30 Years
Led by Timo Kotipelto , the Finnish band took to the stage on Saturday morning at 11:30 am, having the honor of opening the festival with the best of melodic metal.
The band brought to the event's stage a mix of their greatest hits and tracks from Survive (2022), their most recent album. Playing under a scorching sun and with the stadium already quite full, the group made the audience vibrate with excitement with each song on the setlist. The vocalist spoke a lot in Portuguese, saying "Bom Dia" (Good Morning) and the classic "Obrigado" (Thank you).
Hits like “Forever Free” and especially “Black Diamond” drove fans wild in an extremely heavy show, reinforced by the speed and technique demonstrated by guitarist Matias Kupiainen and keyboardist Jens Johansson
Finally, “Hunting High And Low” featured a dynamic where Timo asked everyone to sing the song's masterful chorus louder than him.
The audiences from previous shows on the continent, such as in Peru, Colombia, and Argentina, were also mentioned. The vocalist thanked those who arrived early to see the band and said he hadn't expected such a large crowd at that time.
Finally, the screen displayed the band's logo "dressed" in the Brazilian flag, leaving the stage to loud applause, showing that South America breathes power metal.
Check out the photos of Jéssica Marinho:
Opeth at Monsters of Rock 30 Years
The second band to perform, in the early afternoon, Opeth brought tracks from their newest work, the concept album The Last Will And Testament (2024).
In an extremely technical performance, the Swedes showed why they are considered one of the leading names in progressive death metal today.
The audience's excitement was less intense than the previous act due to the complexity and length of the tracks, such as "§1" and "Ghost Of Perdition," for example. Vocalist and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt joked about this several times during interactions, even saying that some songs "lasted two days" and that they didn't have hits like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by Scorpions.
Akerfeldt also greeted the other bands – especially his compatriots from Europe – and thanked the Brazilian audience for their hospitality.
The arrival of drummer Waltteri Väyrynen perfectly complemented the group's vision. The Finnish drummer has one of the best blast beats in the genre today, and he also strengthens the band's rhythm section with bassist Martin Mendez .
The performance concluded with “Deliverance.” Next Monday, April 21st, the group will perform at Espaço Unimed alongside Savatage – tickets are on sale .
Check out the photos of Jéssica Marinho:
