The last heroes: Omnium Gatherum and the resurrection of the Saturday night gig in London

There’s something truly special about a Saturday night gig in London, and it’s starting to feel like it’s becoming a rare find. You know how it is—mid-week can feel like a slog, especially when you’re heading to venues on a rainy Tuesday. You’re glancing at your watch, hoping to catch the last tube, all while trying to manage that pre-emptive hangover for the office the next day. But this one was different.

The opportunity to really “shake the week off” during the weekend felt like a special treat—a unique moment when the city’s bustling vibe matched beautifully with the deep, melodic excitement of a tour finale. As we stroll toward The Dome, there was this unmistakable buzz in the air. It was that “last day” vibe, a thrilling blend of excitement and achievement, along with a deep sense of perspective that only the metal community really gets.

In Mourning

1. Song of the Cranes
2. Silver Crescent
3. North Star
4. Sovereign
5. The Sojourner
6. Colossus

Starting the night with In Mourning felt like the ultimate calm before the storm. Their set was a beautiful, mellow intro—if you can call Swedish death-doom mellow—that felt less like a support slot and more like a high-end “dinner served hot.” There’s a sophistication to their musicality that draws you in rather than pushing you back.

A massive shout-out has to go to the Omnium Gatherum bassist, Mikko, who stepped in to pull double duty for the night. Watching him anchor two entire sets back-to-back was a testament to the tour family vibe of this run.

The absolute highlight, though, was the finale. Seeing the Fallujah vocalist, Kyle Schaefer, leap onto the stage to join them for “Colossus” was pure tour-closer magic. It turned their most epic track into a collaborative celebration, proving that even the masters of melancholy know how to have a blast on their last night out. Their songs are a beauty to witness and sing along to, and their tight set served as a fascinating showcase of the very best in their repertoire.

Photo: Benedetta Baldin.

Fallujah

Then Fallujah showed up, and they were undoubtedly my favorite part of the night. I’ve been wanting to see them for ages, and catching them in this supporting slot was the perfect way to finally tick them off the list. Their performance feels less like a typical show and more like a perfectly calculated equation of musical precision. While they treated us to fan-favorites like “Radiant Ascension,” the meat of the set really highlighted the growth in their more recent material, especially tracks from their latest album, “Xenotaph”.

There are so many layers, textures, and minute technical details coming at you—largely thanks to Scott Carstairs’ fluid, ethereal guitar work—that you really don’t have a moment to pause and reflect; you just have to dive headfirst into the experience. Kyle Schaefer is a powerhouse on vocals, maintaining an incredible intensity while the band weaves those intricate, shifting time signatures behind him.

Their stage presence was electric, too. They don’t just stand there executing complex riffs; they move with a jagged, high-energy purpose. The fog machines were cranking so hard they nearly concealed the entire band at times, making them look like shifting silhouettes in a technical-death-metal haze. But even through the smoke, you couldn’t miss the sheer complexity of tracks like “Xenotaph” and “Kaleidoscopic Waves.” They demand your absolute attention, and for me, they were the undisputed highlight of the night.

Photo: Benedetta Baldin.

Omnium Gatherum

1. The Last Hero
2. Gods Go First
3. Slasher
4. The Darkest City
5. Frontiers
6. Walking Ghost Phase
7. The Unknowing
8. My Pain
9. Reckoning
10. Ignite the Flame
11. Skyline
12. Luoto
13. New Dynamic
14. New World Shadows

Omnium Gatherum is simply a show that cannot be missed, regardless of how many times you’ve seen them. However, this time around hit differently. With the news of Jukka Pelkonen’s health battle, his absence was a heavy weight in the room. We all wish him a speedy recovery, and the London crowd made sure that energy was felt.

Stepping into the spotlight was Henry Hämäläinen, and calling him a “replacement” feels like an understatement—he was a beautiful addition to the lineup. His energy felt completely natural, locking into the band’s chemistry as if he’d been there for years rather than weeks. His vocal range was nothing short of spectacular, bringing a grittier, blackened edge that provided a fresh sound while still maintaining the band’s signature melodic warmth. It was his own unique way of paying respect to Jukka: not by imitating him, but by delivering a world-class performance in his honor.

The set leaned heavily into their 2025 masterpiece, “May The Bridges We Burn Light The Way,” which has been hailed as a return to their more muscular, high-speed roots. Opening with “The Last Hero,” the band set the tone for the night ahead which immediately had fists in the air.

While the new tracks like “Slasher” and “My Pain” brought a punchy, aggressive muscle that cut through the room, it was “The Darkest City” that stole the show. Sprawling over seven minutes, it acted as the emotional centrepiece of the night. It’s a storytelling song that showed the deeper side of their sound; seeing it live, you could feel the layers of the song and shifting time signatures building into a massive crescendo. It was a perfect contrast to the high-tempo tracks, proving that OG can be just as heavy when they’re being pensive and atmospheric.

The set eventually closed with “New World Shadows,” shifting the room from aggressive energy to something almost spiritual. It was a storm and a sunrise all at once—a reminder that even when a brother is fighting a battle off-stage, the metal family shows up, stays loud, and finishes the tour together. The guys gave everything they had, leaving every last drop of sweat on that stage for this final tour stop.

The night took a wonderfully personal turn toward the end when Markus Vanhala took over the mic. In true tour-finale fashion, he spent nearly 10 minutes thanking absolutely everyone—from the crew to the support bands and every single member of the OG lineup. It was a moment of genuine vulnerability and gratitude that peaked in the most unexpected way: the band breaking into a jam of James Brown’s “Sex Machine.” I went in expecting a crashing show and on-point energy, and they didn’t disappoint.

Photo: Benedetta Baldin.