What a three-day run that was! Seriously, what did we all just live through? It was one metal-filled weekend after another. First and foremost, we can't thank the Stagepass team enough for the invitation. Thanks to them, I got to experience one of the best concerts I've ever attended. The moment this whole run of shows was announced months ago, my heart was already racing.

Let's start with Friday. The adventure began the moment I booked the first flight of the morning. First the delay, then Istanbul Airport—I found myself stuck in one headache after another. Maybe it's because it was my first time using Istanbul Airport, but I just couldn't warm up to the place. It's a pain to get there, and it's a pain to get anywhere once you're there.

Anyway, I somehow escaped the chaos and headed straight to the hotel. By the time I got there, it was already well past noon. The first thing I did after checking in was get the crew organized and start pestering everyone who was supposed to be at the show all over again. Honestly, it's one of my favorite things to do. Because, man, I love the concert scene in Istanbul and Ankara. Those places—and the friends I've made there—are basically my only social life. I'm glad every one of you is around. You guys keep me going (family comes first, of course).

Once everything was sorted, my first stop was meeting up with my doctor—and newly minted biker—my brother Cihan. We had a great meal, solved the parking issue in no time, and headed straight to the venue. There was a massive line. I'm not exaggerating—it had to be around 1.5 to 2 kilometers long. I honestly hadn't expected the show to be this packed, so it caught me off guard. Then again, it made perfect sense. After all, LAMB OF GOD were returning to the stage after 16 years. Before them, there was one of the hottest rising bands around, ORBIT CULTURE, and of course our own bundle of energy, Tuna Vural and the BLACK TOOTH crew. Just look at that lineup—of course it was going to be packed.

After a few phone calls, we finally got inside. Since we were in the general admission area, the stage was seriously far away. Like, really far. I've never liked this whole front-of-stage versus back-of-stage thing. This is metal, man—what's with the class and status divide?

Showtime arrived, and BLACK TOOTH hit the stage. Tuna is an unbelievable frontman. Without question, he's one of Turkey's standout frontmen. He grabs hold of both the stage and the audience so completely that the mosh pits never stop. And that's not even enough for him—he sings and then jumps straight into the pit himself. The guy's completely insane! That's what a performer should be like. He doesn't fear his audience. Remember, this is the same madman who broke his hand after diving into the crowd at Bosphorus. Didn't even care. He showed up the next day with a cast on, shrugged, and simply said, "Metal."

People call BLACK TOOTH Turkey's answer to PANTERA, but more importantly, they've built a loyal following of their own. Above all else, they're genuine. What you see is what you get. Even if they screw something up, they don't hide it. They'll flat-out say, "Guys, we messed up," take feedback from the crowd, and even stop a song if they have to.

Unfortunately, exactly that happened at Parkorman. And I say unfortunately because the sound was genuinely awful. If I remember correctly, Tuna had to complain two or three times about it, shouting that there were no guitars and no vocals coming through. I don't know how it sounded up front, but where we were in general admission, the sound was terrible. I was really excited to hear the new songs live, but that excitement ended up going nowhere. Still, their command of the audience made up for everything. We ignored the sound problems and had a blast watching them anyway. Bless them. I love every single member of that band.

The band I was most curious about that day was actually ORBIT CULTURE. Before coming, I'd checked them out thinking, "Who are these guys?" Yeah, seriously, putting one of the hottest bands around right below LAMB OF GOD was a great move by Stagepass. Credit where it's due. These guys are operating at a seriously high level. They've got some killer songs too—the kind made for smashing heads. Naturally, that also makes them a perfect live band.

I'd watched some of their other performances on YouTube. These Swedish guys absolutely rip, so naturally I expected the same here. But then... what happened? Another disappointment. Seriously, why was the sound so bad? All you could hear was kick drum and bass. Everything reaching the general admission area was just a wall of chaotic noise. Ulaş (Hacetomp), Cihan, Tahir and I wandered all over the place trying to find one spot where the sound was actually decent.

Now here's the real story. Parkorman is basically one huge dirt field. Tahir called us over, saying, "The sound's better in the middle." So we headed there. Big mistake. The crowd had grown massively by then, and several different pits had broken out. Before we knew it, we were standing right in front of one of them. You'll see it in the videos—the dust clouds were unbelievable. Half the time you couldn't even see through the camera. My phone screen was covered in dirt, and we could barely breathe.

The younger crowd should have fun. This is exactly how concerts should be—people looking out for one another while going wild together. Honestly, seeing everyone that happy makes me happy too. But after a while, it became impossible to stay there any longer, so we bailed. Later, Tahir told us to pay special attention to "While We Serve." Turns out he was absolutely right—it was the song the crowd went craziest for. For better or worse, they delivered their set. They're not entirely my thing, but I've made a mental note to catch them again under better circumstances.

And now for the headliner of the day: LAMB OF GOD. They were finally back after 16 years. They may not be my usual style, but they're still one of my favorite bands. Those groove riffs, Chris's phenomenal drumming, Randy's incredible vocals—they had me hooked from day one. Missing this show would have crushed me, so I was grateful to have the opportunity thanks to Stagepass.

When I saw the setlist, I was a little disappointed, but the moment they opened with "Ruin," all my doubts disappeared. Then reality hit. The sound. Again. It was so unbelievably bad that I ended up playing every song in my own head just to follow along. "Laid to Rest," "Omerta," "Memento Mori," and "Into Oblivion" from the latest album—I heard every one of them in my mind while losing my mind in the crowd.

I also have to mention Cruz. It was my first time seeing him live, and I don't know... something felt off. Maybe it was where I was standing, maybe it was his playing, but I just couldn't make him click as part of LAMB OF GOD. I mean, when you've got Randy and Willie standing in front of you... I don't know. I'll just chalk it up to it being an off day.

They played 15 songs, but thanks to the sound, I left genuinely disappointed. The only consolation was getting to see these guys with my own eyes once again. Sixteen years ago, things were different. The country was different, and the band still had Chris Adler behind the kit. In my eyes, they never surpassed that performance.

And I've got something to say to Parkorman... Seriously, do you guys not know how to run an event, or was I just noticing every little thing? The management was poor, plain and simple. The state of the toilets was beyond words. The drink prices were beyond words too. Come on—a bottle of water can't cost 100 TL. Even the airport isn't that much of a rip-off.

Anyway, to sum it all up... BLACK TOOTH are exactly what we've always known them to be: a high-energy live band that knows exactly how to fire up a crowd for whoever comes next. ORBIT CULTURE are absolutely on my radar now, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them. As for LAMB OF GOD... what can I say? It ended up being a reunion with an old friend under disappointing circumstances because of the sound. They're still alive and well, and I'm sure we'll meet again.

Will I go back to Parkorman? Honestly, I don't know.

The best moment of the day, though, belonged to Tahir. Some idiot—except for his parents, of course—managed to dump two full cups of beer all over my head. I'd just come from 44-degree weather, so I was dressed in nothing but a tank top. Once I was soaked, my ass started getting cold. Tahir showed up like Hızır himself and handed me his jacket. That's the kind of kindness you don't forget.

Watching ORBIT CULTURE and LAMB OF GOD alongside Ulaş, Cihan and Emrah (PBP) was an absolute blast. The conversations we had on the way back made the day even better.

All in all, it was a concert day that gave me plenty to take away, both personally and as part of the team, despite all the highs and lows.

One last time, it's worth saying: huge thanks to Stagepass for the support, and much love to all the friends who were part of the experience.

HÜS