The biggest surprise at the most recent Graspop festival was undoubtedly Helmut Lotti's rock performance. The media and the public are still raving about the live whirlwind Helmut unleashed on the unsuspecting crowd in Dessel.

The audience was captivated from the very first notes, jaws dropping in amazement. The media was smitten with the superlatives, and the ever-critical metal community did what it always does: reward quality and embrace artists who deserve it.

The performance on that sunny June day proved to be the start of a new musical chapter for Lotti. It all began almost a year ago with that cover of Iron Maiden's "Run To the Hills" that stunned everyone.

Helmut feels completely at home in the rich repertoire of artists like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, AC/DC, and others. And now there's a full-length album, recorded live during that already legendary concert. Helmut seems fully prepared to write a fascinating new chapter in his long career, one that once again confirms him as one of the most versatile and successful Belgian artists of the past decades. The one-off concert at GMM seems to be growing into a real hype. Newly announced concerts are selling out in no time.

Everyone wants to be part of Hellmut Lotti goes metal. Hats off, horns on, rock on Hellmut!