On December 30, 2025, the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, hosted the Greek band 1000MODS, with the Cypriot band Stonus as the special guest. Believe it or not, this information alone was enough to know that the evening had to be spent at Downtown Live — a place where raw energy turns into some of the most vivid memories of the year.
To begin with, the location, lifestyle, weather, people, and many other aspects of Cyprus strongly contribute to the development of rock culture, and stoner music in particular. Fuzzy riffs and psychedelic, hypnotic sounds find strong support among listeners and continue to evolve.
Stonus
A clear confirmation of this is the band Stonus — originally from Cyprus, actively performing and promoting their distinctive sound. They kicked off the evening with “Aphasia,” the title track from their debut album released in 2020. This was not their first time sharing the stage with 1000MODS, and it was evident that the audience knew exactly what to expect: full immersion in slow tempos and dense soundscapes, where the atmosphere of the songs makes you disappear into the crowd.
The members of Stonus blend together beautifully, harmoniously mixing dreamy and melodic elements with heaviness. This combination helps listeners get lost in the groove, enhancing a reflective and almost meditative state. They performed most of the tracks from Aphasia, setting the right tone and charging everyone at Downtown Live for the next round of pre–New Year’s madness.
Usually, between bands’ performances, people step outside to smoke and chat, breaking the mood that later needs to be rebuilt. But not this time. Despite the difficulty of moving through the venue due to the growing crowd — making it nearly impossible to reach the bar without a fight — it turned out that I was the only one who needed a break. During the intermission outside, there were only me and the security staff.
1000MODS
immediately hit the crowd with their tried-and-true material, instantly blowing everyone’s minds. They opened with “Overthrown” from their latest album Cheat Death (2024) and, without hesitation, followed it with “Road to Burn” from their debut album Super Van Vacation, to the audience’s total jubilation.
In general, 1000MODS didn’t spend much time talking between songs. Instead, they communicated perfectly with the audience by seamlessly mixing tracks from different albums and eras. The set felt like a pulse wave, with the band masterfully controlling the mood inside the venue.
Then came “Electric Carve” from Repeated Exposure to… (2016), “Warped” from Youth of Dissent (2020), “Cheat Death” from the album of the same name, and “Claws” from the 2014 album Vultures. Everything flowed so harmoniously that the time gap between album releases completely disappeared. There was no sense of stylistic difference — only a loss of awareness of time, a frantic drive that pulls you in instantly, and involuntary contact with those around you, as no one stood still and everyone moved to the same rhythm.
If 1000MODS were setting the rhythmic pulse of the venue, then its heart was, as usual, in the middle of the crowd. At some point, things spiraled out of control: empty cups and caps flew through the air, someone danced so hard they lost their shoes, and suddenly a sneaker appeared above the crowd. I only looked away for a second before noticing a body crowd-surfing right in front of me.
Eventually, the band left the stage, and the realization set in that everything has a beginning and an end. The final encore featured familiar tracks from Super Van Vacation.
It was December 30 — a night marking the farewell of 2025. And honestly, there could have been no better way to close the year than with 1000MODS and Stonus together at Downtown Live.
Photos: Kateryna Anokhina
Link: https://www.instagram.com/kati.lime/
