Knust, Hamburg, Germany19th February 2026
Universum25 - “Die Maschinen wollen leben” Tour 2026 - Support: SOAB
Hamburg became the starting point of UNIVERSUM25’s “Die Maschinen wollen leben” Tour 2026 - and what a powerful beginning it was. As the first city on the tour schedule, the Hanseatic metropolis carried a special weight: not only did it mark the live launch of the new album ‘Die Maschinen wollen leben’, released just days ago, but it also set the tone for the entire German run.
Both Hamburg and Stuttgart were completely sold out, underlining the growing momentum behind this still relatively young, yet already artistically uncompromising project. The Knust was packed to capacity - in front of the stage, there was hardly any room to move. A fitting scenario for a band whose sound feels like controlled collapse in the best possible sense: apocalyptic, urgent, but never hollow.
SOAB
Opening the night were SOAB - a young, high-energy Punk outfit that proved to be a remarkably well-matched support choice for UNIVERSUM25. Blending raw German Punk attitude with modern alternative elements, SOAB bring a directness that feels both confrontational and refreshingly unfiltered. Their current work circles around themes of alienation, anger, and restless self-assertion - all delivered with biting irony and sharp hooks. In 2026, SOAB are accompanying UNIVERSUM25 as support in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Berlin - a strategic and stylistically coherent pairing. Where UNIVERSUM25 operate on a darker, more dystopian Electro-Metal axis, SOAB inject youthful volatility and stripped-down Punk urgency. https://www.instagram.com/soab_official
Music & Performance
SOAB used their support slot with visible determination and intensity. From the very beginning, it was evident that they were not treating the evening as a mere warm-up, but as an opportunity to assert their own presence. Their sound was raw and immediate - distorted guitars collided with driving drums, creating a constant sense of forward momentum. Throughout the set, the band performed several of their characteristic tracks, including ‘Beiß Ab’, ‘Hausverbot’ and ‘Scheißegal’. These songs carried a distinctly uncompromising German punk attitude, built on punchy structures, sharp riffs, and chant-ready refrains that resonated well with the early crowd.
Their interpretation of Nina Chuba’s ‘Ich hass dich’ stood out as a bold stylistic shift. The pop original was reworked with heavier guitar textures and a more aggressive edge, transforming it into something far more abrasive and live-oriented. Songs such as ‘Maulmische‘ and ‘Alles Was Mal War‘ hinted at a slightly more melodic layer within their otherwise direct approach, while ‘Gib Mir Zeit’ and ‘Mit Jedem Kilometer‘ introduced dynamic variation and emotional undertones without sacrificing intensity. SOAB embody youthful urgency - restless stage movement, direct audience engagement, and a garage-born punk authenticity. As support for UNIVERSUM25 in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Berlin, they delivered a stylistically coherent and high-energy opening that effectively prepared the audience for the headliner.
Universum25
UNIVERSUM25 is a supergroup formed by musicians deeply rooted in the German alternative and metal scene. At the centre stands Micha Rhein - widely known as the charismatic frontman of IN EXTREMO - whose unmistakable raspy vocal timbre gives UNIVERSUM25 its emotional and sonic anchor. With their debut album and the striking cover of ‘Der Traum ist aus’, the band already made clear that this project is more than a side endeavour.
Now, with the freshly released ‘Die Maschinen wollen leben’, UNIVERSUM25 enter a new phase - musically refined, thematically sharper, and sonically more cohesive. The album is a grand and confident statement. It addresses existential fragility, technological alienation, isolation, and the human desire for connection - without slipping into moralizing rhetoric. Instead, it creates a post-apocalyptic soundscape that feels cinematic rather than preachy. https://universum25.com / https://www.facebook.com/universum25official
Music & Performance
Hamburg witnessed multiple live premieres that underlined the importance of this opening night. ‘Wenn Roboter träumen’, ‘Ich geb dir mehr’, ‘Einsamkeit’, ‘Zu deiner eigenen Sicherheit’ and ‘Gardinen zu’ were all performed live for the very first time - a bold move at a sold-out tour opener. ‘Wenn Roboter träumen’ immediately established the album’s sonic architecture: heavy, mechanical guitar riffs intertwined with atmospheric electronics. ‘Ich geb dir mehr’ carried emotional urgency, driven by Micha’s gravelly vocal intensity. His presence remains magnetic - the same gestures, the same commanding posture, the same unmistakable rasp that has defined decades of stage history.
What becomes increasingly evident is that UNIVERSUM25 does not stand in the shadow of IN EXTREMO. The project holds its own identity. The crossover between Electro textures and Metal weight feels deliberate and conceptually coherent. ‘Einsamkeit’ unfolded as one of the emotional highlights - layered, dark, introspective. ‘Zu deiner eigenen Sicherheit’ added a sharper rhythmic edge, almost industrial in its execution, while ‘Gardinen zu’ closed the regular set with an almost claustrophobic atmosphere that translated perfectly into the dimly lit club setting.
Visually, the new music videos accompanying the album emphasize dystopian aesthetics: cold colour grading, urban decay, fragmented human-machine imagery. These visuals mirror the sonic themes - alienation, urgency, controlled chaos - and enhance the conceptual unity of the release. The covers - ‘Irgendwann’ (Fiddler’s Green), ‘Ebbe und Flut’ (SLIME), ‘Manchmal frag ich mich’ (Nr. 13), and especially ‘Der Traum ist aus’ (Ton Steine Scherben) - were not nostalgic gestures, but contextual bridges. They reinforced the band’s political and artistic lineage.
By the time the encore closed with ‘Am Morgen danach’, the Knust felt electrically charged. Under the stage lights, sweat, condensation, and collective euphoria merged into a dense atmosphere. Completely sold out. No space to breathe. Exactly the right environment for a band dissecting modern collapse with volume and conviction.
Setlist
01. Wenn Roboter träumen (Live debut)
02. Irgendwann (Fiddler’s Green cover)
03. Ich geb dir mehr (Live debut)
04. Die neue Zeit
05. Harte Kost
06. Wir warten
07. Einsamkeit (Live debut)
08. Ebbe und Flut (Slime cover)
09. Manchmal frag ich mich (Nr. 13 cover)
10. Genug
11. Zu deiner eigenen Sicherheit (Live debut)
12. Lichtgeschwindigkeit
13. Vor deiner Tür
14. Nur wegen dir
15. Horizont in Flammen
16. Gardinen zu (Live debut)
---
17. Der Traum ist aus (Ton Steine Scherben cover)
18. Am Morgen danach
All Pictures by Iryna Kalenska
