Running Free Festival VIII proved once again that it is not just another stop on the heavy metal calendar, but a true celebration of music, community, and the unbreakable brotherhood that defines our scene. Across two intense days, fans gathered to experience a lineup that blended legendary names with rising forces, delivering a weekend of passion, fury, and unity.
The first day set the tone with a lineup that perfectly captured the spirit of Running Free. Leatherhead and Gallower ignited the flames, charging the crowd with raw energy and uncompromising riffs. Mezzrow brought their sharp thrash edge to the stage, fueling the mosh pits and reminding everyone why classic thrash never dies.
Desaster stormed in with their signature blackened thrash chaos, unleashing a set that was as unrelenting as it was powerful. But the night truly belonged to Coroner, the swiss technical thrash legends, who headlined with a masterful performance. Their precision, intensity, and musicianship left the audience in awe, closing day one on an unforgettable high.
If day one was fire, day two was pure destruction. Unbaptised and Diabolic Night tore through the early slots with youthful ferocity, setting the tone for a relentless day. Intöxicated kept the energy raging, while Nocturnal and Schizophrenia brought the kind of old-school thrash savagery that gets the crowd moving as one.
The brutality continued with Deströyer 666, whose feral mix of blackened thrash struck like a storm, and the legendary Asphyx, who took the headlining spot and crushed everything in their path. Their death/doom mastery was heavy enough to shake the earth, closing the live appearances of the festival in colossal fashion.
The night though was not over as there was an after party until the early hours of the next day with an oldschool dj set by Filhty Ferret Crew who closed the festival.
What makes Running Free Festival truly special is not just the great lineup, but the atmosphere. There’s a unique sense of belonging here – strangers become friends, and friends become family, all united by the music we love. In every raised fist or hand with devil’s horns, every circle pit, and every chant, the brotherhood of metal was alive and thriving.
Running Free is a reminder that metal is more than sound – it’s spirit, passion, and community.
With Running Free Festival VIII, the organizers proved once again that they know how to deliver an event that honors the roots of heavy metal while pushing it forward. The memories of these two nights will echo for months to come, but one thing is certain: Running Free Festival IX will be even bigger, louder, and stronger.
If you want to experience true brotherhood in metal, make sure you’re there next year. Running Free isn’t just a festival – it’s home.
For RockOverdose: Apostolos Pantazoglou
Photos by Elpida Chokmetidou
Article & Leatherhead photo by UnholyUnion Vision Of Evilness
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