Vltimas – Corruption – Synapsa 29–30 January 2026 Szczecin

At the end of January, I once again headed toward Poland, as Vltimas took the stage in three Polish cities—Szczecin, Gdynia, and Kraków—organized by Gryf Events. It had been more than a year since I last saw them, so it was definitely time. This was the 8th time I managed to see them live.

Over the past 14 months, there hasn’t been a single month when I wasn’t on Polish soil—often several times a month—so it almost feels like home by now. The atmosphere of the concerts, the sound, and the lighting are all much better than in Budapest. I don’t know what exactly is (or isn’t) going on at Klub Kosmos in Szczecin, but that venue guarantees a 100% concert experience. So, if anyone can only attend one show on a given tour and that show happens to be at Klub Kosmos—go there.

Another huge positive about Gryf Events shows is that they don’t publish the concert schedule at the very last minute. Not like in Budapest, where in a good case you find out 3–4 days before the show, maybe a week if you’re lucky, or in the worst case just 24 hours in advance. With Gryf Events, you know very early when doors open, when each band starts, and when the concert ends. This makes planning easy for those arriving from other cities or even other countries—and that is extremely important.

Another major plus: you get a colorful, collectible ticket at their concerts. Not just sometimes, not only if you’re lucky and they felt like printing 100 copies—but always. Every purchased ticket is nicely designed and collectible. And these aren’t expensive shows either—this isn’t happening with 20–30,000 HUF ticket prices, but with tickets costing around 7–8,000 HUF. Their attitude is completely different from what I’ve experienced elsewhere. Sure, in Vienna I’ve occasionally encountered organizers with a more human approach—but not like in Budapest, where everything is neglected and money comes first. People, sound, lighting—nothing really matters once tickets are sold.

The way Gryf Events approaches concerts is the most human I’ve ever experienced. You can feel that there is heart and soul behind their shows, not just money.

As for the concerts themselves: in Szczecin, the tour started with a slight delay, but in Gdynia everything was right on time. Despite the delay, early arrivals were let into the lobby so they didn’t have to freeze outside in -10°C weather. While people couldn’t go to the stage area yet, they could buy drinks and visit the merch booth during the waiting time—so no one had to stand outside freezing.

The evening was opened by Synapsa, a Polish death metal/core band from Wrocław. I’ve encountered them several times before, even at their own festival—yes, there is a Synapsa Fest that they organize. Still, I haven’t quite managed to connect with their music. They are enthusiastic, musically solid, but I just can’t really place them. In Szczecin, there were relatively few people during their set, while in Gdynia there were clearly fans who enthusiastically jumped and shouted throughout their show. I can’t really explain why I couldn’t fully enjoy them live. On this tour, they had about 30 minutes of stage time. For those interested, I recommend checking out their latest album Hate Awareness, released on 5 July 2024.

The second band of the evening was Corruption, a very well-known band in Poland. They started their career in the early 1990s and currently play stoner metal. I believe this was my first time seeing them live. They came on stage, the intro started, and I was scratching my head thinking, “WTF is this going to be?” Then the band appeared—and the singer looked like the Polish version of Rob Halford. Musically, it’s not my world. BUT the way they stand on stage, with so much heart and soul, enjoying every second of what they do—I absolutely loved their concert. I saw the same enthusiasm on both nights.

Their lyrical themes are basically about booze, sex, drugs, metal, and having fun—and they deliver every second of it accordingly. They live on stage: smiling, laughing, joking around, constantly moving—really alive. For me, a good concert is one where I don’t check my phone, don’t start working online, and don’t keep looking at how many minutes are left until the headliner. They were exactly that kind of band—on both nights.

At first, I thought it must have been the secret energy of Klub Kosmos that made the show so captivating—but the next day it was just as good on the stage of Klub PODWÓRKO.art / Scena UCHO. By then, the audience had already grown, and people were really into their performance. After the show, the band casually came out to the merch booth, where people could take photos and chat with them.

Corruption released their latest album, Tequila Songs & Desert Winds, on October 3, 2025. The setlist was mainly built around this album, but they also played songs from earlier releases. Overall, regardless of musical style, their concert left a lasting impression on me—in a very positive way.

Corruption – Setlist:

1. The Trail

2. Red Demon

3. To Hell’n’Back

4. 99% of Evil

5. Candy Lee

6. Tequila Favoures

7. Lucy Fair

8. Freaky Friday

9. Tequila, Mezcal

10. Hang’n’Over

11. Devileiro

Finally, it was time for the band I came for: Vltimas. Vltimas are a dark extreme metal band. Members: Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (Norway), David Vincent (USA), Ype TVS (Netherlands), and João Duarte (Portugal). This time, the drummer was Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski, replacing Paweł Jaroszewicz—both from Poland.

I have to say: this was the best Vltimas show I’ve ever seen at Klub Kosmos. And that says a lot—I’ve seen them twice in England and four more times in other countries. This was the best. They are a band that truly gives 100% at their concerts.

David Vincent’s between-song speeches are particularly interesting and attention-grabbing. He introduces Nature’s Fang by saying that Mother Nature is angry with us, and as her revenge, we will feel what it’s like when she drives her stinger deep into us. Dave’s deep, almost demonic speaking voice fits perfectly into the world they create—he is a truly charismatic frontman. But in this band, every single member is a strong character on their own.

The drumming never slows down for a second. Daniel is an exceptionally good drummer, masterfully blasting through the entire set without losing intensity. Rune’s killer riffs set the perfect atmosphere. The audience fully connected with the band, shouting along: “HEY, HEY,” “MANIFESTO,” and “DIE – DIE – DIE.” In Gdynia, a pretty impressive mosh pit formed during their set. That actually surprised me—I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mosh pit at a Vltimas show before. Then again, this was the first time I saw them as headliners, and the crowd clearly consisted of dedicated fans.

I highly recommend that anyone who wants to see a truly great concert should travel to Klub Kosmos for it—it will be a completely different experience compared to what they might be used to.

Vltimas – Setlist:

1. Epic

2. Praevalidus

3. Invictus

4. Manifesto

5. Exercitus Irae

6. Sorcher

7. Nature’s Fang

8. Total Destroy

9. Monolilith

10. Miserere

11. Diabolus est Sanguis