Heavy metal has always found fertile ground in the grandeur of classical music, and the affinity with the orchestral format has produced some of the genre's most epic moments. The 2020 edition of SWR closed on a high note thanks to the STEELHARMONICS orchestra, which took the weight of metal to a new symphonic dimension. The philharmonic band from Minho delved into the genre's immortal repertoire and treated the audience to ravishing renditions of classics such as "Thunderstruck", "Raining Blood", "Painkiller" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls". A medley of Black Sabbath and the anthemic "Fear of the Dark" reappeared grandly, until the apotheosis with Moonspell's "Alma Mater". We can only wait for the surprises in store for us at SWR 25, but there's one thing we're sure will be repeated: the communion between the metalheads and the young musicians of the philharmonic, like the fusion between the raw energy of metal and the solemnity of the orchestral arrangements, will be one of the most memorable moments of the festival.
