Release Athens 2025 welcomes Dream Theater, on Wednesday July 23rd at Plateia Nerou. With the complete original lineup in place, after the grand return of Mike Portnoy, the mighty Americans celebrate 40 years of a glorious career that has left an indelible mark on progressive metal with the biggest show they have ever played! Alongside them, Mastodon, one of the most important metal bands of their generation and iconic progressive metal band from Britain, the mighty Haken.
When John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and John Myung met at the world's leading music school, Berklee College of Music, in 1985, no one could have imagined what they would create together in the years to come. Over the past four decades, Dream Theater has done it all, selling over 15 million records, winning a Grammy (for "The Alien"), topping charts all over the world, but most of all, being recognized as the band that elevated and established progressive metal as an important subgenre of the scene.
Their impressive discography includes milestones in the history of heavy metal, since among them are undisputed masterpieces that are not reduced to the legendary "Images And Words" (1992), "Awake" (1994), "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" (1999) and "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" (2002), but also include the more recent "The Astonishing" (2016) and "A View From The Top Of The World" (2021), that not only received critical acclaim from music experts and fans, but they were also huge artistic and commercial achievements.
And if the above were enough to characterize their upcoming performance at Release Athens 2025 as "highly anticipated", Dream Theater return with new material, this time - after almost 15 years – together with Mike Portnoy, who besides being a jaw-dropping drummer and founding member of the group, was one of the main compositional cogs of the band's golden era. "Night Terror", the first sample from "Parasomnia", the 16th album of their career, to be released on February 7th 2025, surpassed 1 million streams in the first 24 hours of its release, causing a frenzy among their diehard fans, who are about to celebrate four decades of incredible intensity and creativity with Petrucci, Portnoy, Myung, Labrie and Rudess. On Wednesday July 23rd, the loyal home crowd will be lucky enough to see this huge group with all their "weapons" at their disposal.
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Mastodon have quietly evolved into one of the most influential and iconic bands of the modern metal era. Since emerging in 2000, the Atlanta band have defied every boundary and categorization of the scene by pursuing an uncompromising vision unlike anything else in music.
This mindset manifested over the course of an impressive and impeccable discography that includes instant classics such as “Leviathan” (2004), one of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time", and “Crack The Skye” (2009), one of the best albums of the 00s. Alongside their artistic acclaim, Mastodon have also enjoyed significant commercial success, with three consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 (“The Hunter”, “Once More 'Round the Sun” and “Emperor of Sand”) and six Grammy nominations, with “Sultan's Curse” winning in “Best Metal Performance” category in 2018.
Their latest album is the most ambitious project of their career to date. "Hushed And Grim” (2021), confirms that Mastodon remain an unpredictable and trailblazing band who continue to write awe-inspiring epics.
Their impact on the modern music scene is undeniable, as their music has been heard everywhere from DC Comics movies to Game of Thrones (where they had the top cameo in the most watched show of the century) and, of course, at the world's biggest music festivals such as Hellfest, Wacken Οpen Αir, Download, Coachella and Bonnaroo.
This year they are planning their next step, with recordings expected to be completed later this year, and at the same time they will be doing a big tour (the first without Brent Hinds) that will bring them to Athens after many years, where they will mark the finale of Release Athens 2025 together with Dream Theater.
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If you’re talking about modern progressive rock and don’t bring up Haken, you're doing something wrong. Since the south English sextet started jamming together in 2004, they’ve been one of their genre’s most loyal yet, simultaneously, adventurous forces.
Every album they’ve released is distinct from all the rest, but they’re all tied together by the same fearless compositions and majestic vocals. Their debut album, “Aquarius” (2010), breathed new life into the British progressive scene and instantly established them as one of the most exciting and experimental bands in the genre. With standout albums like “The Mountain” - an avant-garde masterpiece that united the best traits of Metallica and Soft Machine to create something new - and the innovative “Affinity” (2016), which dabbled in 80s synths, Haken have built a career based on constant progression.
Their latest album, “Fauna” (2023), the most diverse and conceptually fascinating album of their career, confirms their undisputed position as one of the most important progressive bands of their generation, and we are especially happy to welcome them in Athens, at the right time, for the very first time.
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Tickets sales continue.
Also, limited VIP tickets are available.
This category includes the following premium benefits: open-bar, priority of access to the venue, private parking, separate toilets, festival souvenir.
- Separate raised area with stands & stools for everyone
- Open-bar
- Separate Entrance Gate
- Private parking
- Separate toilets
- Festival Souvenir
Furthermore, one Release Athens 2025 combo ticket is available for those who wish to attend three days of the festival, benefiting from a significant discount:
Dream Theater, Mastodon, Haken (23/7, Plateia Nerou) + Avenged Sevenfold & more tba (7/6, Plateia Nerou) + Gojira, Lacuna Coil & more tba (19/7, Plateia Nerou)
Tickets Available:
By Phone: at 211770000
Online: at www.releaseathens.gr / more.com
Retail: https://www.more.com/en/physical-spots/
For all information (prices, line up, access etc.) visit www.releaseathens.gr
Tickets / Availability for People with disabilities.
The Festival ensures accessibility for People with Disabilities by providing a designated area with an unobstructed view of the stage. This special area is wheelchair accessible and offers seating, dedicated restrooms, and free parking.
To purchase Disability Access tickets, please email your request to support@releaseathens.gr, and attach your disability card. This card must be presented upon arrival at the Festival to gain access to the designated areas.
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