Live report CEMETERY SKYLINE & ROYAL SORROW, Bahnhof Pauli, Hamburg – May 15th, 2026

Cemetery Skyline isn’t a band that plays many shows, which is of course due to the various other commitments and obligations of the five band members plus the initial idea of recording just one album without playing live at all.

Mikael Stanne, Markus Vanhala, Santeri Kallio, Victor Brandt and Vesa Ranta formed Cemetery Skyline in 2020, bringing them together through their shared passion for gothic-based metal with catchy melodies and a dark heart. The band launched with the album “Nordic Gothic”, which was released in late 2024, and it is this debut album that shapes tonight’s setlist.

The Scandinavian five-piece mainly played festival shows at the time, while club shows were a rarer affair. It is all the more exciting, therefore, to experience the band live at a smaller venue and Cemetery Skyline have embarked now on a smaller tour, which brings them to Hamburg tonight to play a show at Bahnhof Pauli.

Before fans can enjoy the dark soul of Cemetery Skyline’s music, there is another band with just one album to their name. Royal Sorrow are a young band from Finland, and “Innerdeeps” is the title of their debut album. Tonight, they have the opportunity to perform their songs live, and their repertoire fits perfectly with the sound of the main act. Royal Sorrow offer a fusion of progressive metal, combining thunderous guitar power with melancholic vocals and wild screams. The result is an intriguing blend of catchiness and intense outbursts that fill the room tonight with fans appreciating the four-piece’s efforts.

Royal Sorrow deliver a set featuring well-crafted songs, performed with enthusiasm and energy. Combined with expressive, and sometimes theatrical, stage acting, the fans present tonight clearly enjoyed the performance, as evidenced by the applause that followed each song. Royal Sorrow are a young band to keep your eye on.

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The moment Cemetery Skyline enter the stage, a wave of enthusiasm runs through Bahnhof Pauli. “Behind the Lie”, with its great hooks, is the perfect opener. Tonight is actually the first time Cemetery Skyline are playing a show in Germany, and playing the first concert in Hamburg is something that another band has proved to be very successful in the past, says Mikael Stanne with a twinkle in his eye.

As the five-piece band from Scandinavia have only released their debut album, it’s a given that we’ll be listening to all the songs from “Nordic Gothic” tonight. As well as the ten tracks from the original album, Cemetery Skyline also present songs from the extended version. With “Dream Delusion” and “Nothing from This World”, the guys add two extra tunes to the setlist, both of which come from the “Nordic Gothic” sessions but didn’t quite fit the flow of the album. Yet they are great tracks that help to maintain the high level of enthusiasm tonight.

Fans have been looking forward to seeing the band live for a long time, which leads to big applause and cheering. This wave of excitement is also evident on stage, with the band clearly enjoying the performance and being overwhelmed by the very warm welcome they receive in Hamburg in particular.

With “I Drove All Night”, the band performs a cover of the Roy Orbison classic, starting the song with a Type O Negative-esque darkness before evolving into another highlight of the show. Additionally, “When Silent Speaks” even inspires some fans to some spontaneously dancing.

“In Darkness” is undoubtedly one of the band’s greatest songs, and this is very apparent tonight. The crowd goes wild when the first notes fill the room, and the dark heart of rock ‘n’ roll beats faster.

The more emotive side of the band is represented by “Alone Together” — the final song of the regular set. After leaving the stage for a couple of minutes, the band returns and the sound of a chiming bell kicks off “Violent Storm”, the grande finale tonight.

As mentioned, Cemetery Skyline had no initial intention of playing these songs live, but thankfully they changed their minds. These songs are just too good to be confined to an album, and since everyone was so enthusiastic about “Nordic Gothic” a second album would be much appreciated by fans. Cemetery Skyline has grown quickly from a friendship project into an important player in the rock and metal scene. It feels like this band has come to stay, and the positive impression they made tonight will resonate in people’s minds for a longer time.