Concert Reviews - Finntroll & FME

Trying out something a little different this time, since last weekend was a whole pile of concerts.

Finntroll

Let's start with Finntroll. This was the third time I've seen them now, and each time I've been to Finntroll, I've watched from a different place. The first time was in Calgary and I was on a small rise that keeps people out of the mosh pit but is still on the main floor. The second time was at the Virgin Oil Co. and I was front-row. This time I ended up being relatively directly in the mosh pit.

It is impossible not to be involved in the insanity when you are bordering the mosh pit at a Finntroll concert. You are either pushing the moshers back, or you are being pushed aside by people entering and exiting the pit. It can be irritating if you want to just watch the show but once you have accepted the fact that unless you move, that's how it's going to stay, it opens up worlds of fun for you.

The pit at this show was quite big. It took up almost the entire floor of Nosturi with sweaty shirtless men and crazy metal girls, all in there going insane. The music was upbeat and fast, with Finntroll all being drunk and high and having a good time on stage. They played the usual favorites, like Korpens Saga and Trollhammaren, but also played some new stuff, like Under Bergens Rot and Solsagan to make up for taking out some others. I was actually a bit disappointed that they removed Forsvinn Du Som Lyser and En Mäktig Har from the repertoire because they were some of my favorites and were awesome live.

As far as release parties go, this was a great show though. Everyone was having a blast, the crowd was insane, and the music was awesome. You can't ask for much more than that at a folk metal show.

Fintroll again

Year: Feb 2010
Opening bands: Armour, Barren Earth
Who I went with: Juho, Marc, Garance, Jari, Ilkka, and anyone else who was there!
Location: Nosturi, Helsinki



As for the Finnish Metal Expo, that was an interesting thing indeed. I've never been to a metal expo before. Promotional stuff everywhere, free/cheap CDs and singles, signing sessions, band members walking around everywhere signing and taking pictures with people who recognise them, interviews, and more. It's general madness and you can want to be in about three different places at once at times.

Korpiklaani

The first show I watched was Korpiklaani. We were a bit late arriving and they had already started. Holy hell, energy. Their songs are quite fast normally and they really cranked it up a notch live. The sound quality was too loud and rather poor as a result, which was unfortunate, and I felt like Vodka was actually too fast, truth be told. However, I also thought that some of their other songs were better at a faster pace, such as Saunas & Cottages. And they played all the obvious favorites, like Wooden Pints, and finished off with Happy Little Boozer.

They're a ton of fun to watch, too. Jonne Järvelä is the cutest man in the world with a great voice and his awesome dimples. Whenever he sings "here comes the womanizer" in Vodka I can't help but smile. The guitarist likes to shuffle around happily on stage and Jonne joins in with him sometimes. Their bass player has such a friendly smile as well; they all look so happy on stage (except the violinist, he looks very dutiful). It was a fun show and I'd like to see them play a real show sometime now!

I didn't watch much of anyone else on Friday but did catch a glimpse of Doom Unit. It didn't impress me so we didn't watch for long. We missed out on Satyricon and Amorphis because it was late and we were tired from Finntroll, wanting to save energy for Saturday.

Due to a late start, we missed Insomnium and the Finnish Metal Awards, but the winners were as follows:

Leverage

Band of the year: Insomnium
Record of the year: Insomnium
Vocalist of the year: Tomi Joutsen, Amorphis
Musician of the year: Alexi Laiho
Cover art of the year: Skyforger, Amorphis (Travis Smith)
Newcomer of the year: FM2000
Demo band of the year: Ghoul Patrol

Insomnium only played for 30 minutes, so it wasn't a huge loss. I've seen them about four times now anyways.

Juho and I checked out Leverage's 30-minute show (though I ducked out for a signing session for a bit of it). Leverage is just a ton of fun to watch live. They're so silly that it's awesome and I can never get over their singer's hair. It's too much. He must spend so much time getting it to look like that beforehand! It was fun though, as it always is.

Swallow the Sun

We caught the end of Swallow the Sun, which was about the same as always. Good music, good live show, but doom metal really has a hard time drawing me in live because it doesn't have a lot of energy. It's not the fault of the musicians - it's just the style. It doesn't mesh well with an active crowd and for me, it's the kind of music I listen to before I go to sleep.

The big ones of the weekend, of course, were Apocalyptica and Swallow the Sun. Apocalyptica was awesome. They played all sorts of favorites, like Bittersweet (instrumental) and had a guest vocalist whom I have so far been identify to name singing I'm Not Jesus and I Don't Care. They had Mikko come down from the drums and play the stand-up bass for the first time ever too, which was really something else. They played a slow instrumental that might have been a new song too. Their live performance is always so exciting, especially since they play such big instruments that require such immense control to keep a good sound. Phenomenal, as always. Something cool that I noted was the lighting in their show - it sometimes flashes back and forth so you can't see the drummer, and then switches so you can only see the drummer, and goes back and forth, creating a really cool effect with the music.

Apocalyptica - Mikko on bass

Apocalyptica - guest vocalist

And then there's Sonata Arctica. This was my third time seeing them live and I never get sick of it. Tony Kakko is always so engergetic and he was really talkative (though I had no idea what he was saying). They played the obvious favorites, like Don't Say A Word and Fullmoon, but threw in a whole lot of new stuff, like The Last Amazing Grays, Flag in the Ground, As If The World Wasn't Ending, and Juliet. It was awesome to hear some new stuff and the sound was great. The stage show was really exciting too, with fire and sparks and all that good stuff designed for the sole purpose of pumping you up (and totally suceeding).

Sonata Arctica

All in all, the whole thing was a blast. I met a ton of musicians, like the guys from Sonata, Apocalyptica, and Amorphis, got a ton of autographs and pictures, got to meet some of my heroes, like Tony Kakko and Marco Hietala, and got to see a couple of the guys from Swallow the Sun get really excited over my moth tattoo (which is their design). It was definitely a good time and I'd recommend it to any metal fan; especially those who are into the Finnish brand of metal!



Year: Feb 2010
Bands Seen: Korpiklaani, Leverage,
Who I went with: Marc
Location: Nosturi, Helsinki

Concert Reviews - Swallow the Sun w/Insomnium

I finally made up for that missed show back in Calgary. STS was the last show I missed before moving to Europe. I pretty much didn't want to pay to see them open for a band I had never heard of, since I would have been paying $35 or so and STS isn't one of my ultimate favorites. So, I was pretty stoked to hear about STS playing at Tavastia for only 9 eu. My elation was increased when I discovered that Insomnium was opening (and if you read these reviews, you know that I love Insomnium).

Niilo, looking a bit like he's in pain

I was actually a bit late for the Insomnium show but I did manage to wander right up to the front and see one of my favorite live melodic death metal bands. I've reviewed them twice in the last month or two and I ensure you that the show was equally as impressive as it was each other time. The only difference is that Jules Näveri from Profane Omen was not at this show, so when they played the new songs, one of the guitarists was doing the clean vocals. He wasn't very good and I don't think he was feeling very confident singing them. However, you must make due with what you have. It was still awesome and would've been worth the 9 eu alone.

The girls in front of me left, leaving me right at the front for Swallow the Sun. I really didn't know what to expect from this show because I am not really big into doom metal and had no idea what a doom metal show would be like. I was pleasantly surprised.

Mikko looking dramatic

For starters, I sort of expected a really... boring show. Like, I expected everyone to be really dreary. I was shocked to see that not only were they all really into it, but they were VERY active and the two in front of me (Juha on guitars and Markus on keyboards) were particularly into it. Juha has a lot of style and Markus looks like he is angrily destroying his keyboard at all times. Mikko (singer) sort of passionately clutches his mic and growls and he's pretty excellent. The man has a great voice. The drummer from Wintersun is playing with them at the moment too and he's pretty darn good.

The music itself was not bad. Their playing was really clean and good. The sound was great but the vocals I found to be too quiet (though I'm not sure if that was due to me having earplugs or not) and they had a girl come in to do guest vocals on one song, which was really nice, but again, couldn't hear her well enough. I have no idea what her name was though. The song was 50% nice and 50% thrashy, so I was on the fence on it.

The set was nice, they didn't play anything too long, which was good, and they played a couple songs I did know, including Don't Fall Asleep. However, most of the stuff was off the new album (which has the most unfortnate name based on the fact that the new Twilight movie just came out). If you want to hear a fun story about my aquisition of a setlist, check out the latest post in Amy's Barbaric Adventures. Here are the tracks:

These Woods Breathe Evil
Falling World
Out of this Gloomy Light
Plague of Butterflies
Sleepless Swans
Lights on the Lake (Horror pt III)
Don't Fall Asleep
Servant of Sorrow
New Moon
EC The Giant
EC Swallow (Horror pt I)

Overall, I liked it. I'd probably go again if you asked me. I'd like to know the music better next time though.

Mikko and the guest singer

Year: Nov 2009
Opening bands: Insomnium
Who I went with: me, myself, and I; encountering Ilkka, Daniel, Jaakko, Valtsu, and Marko in the process
Location: Tavastia, Helsinki, FI

Concert Reviews - Insomnium w/Profane Omen & Omnium Gatherum

This may sound a little familiar... did I not just see this show a week or two ago? Yes I did, only last time it had a crappy thrash band and not Profane Omen. Also, I missed Profane Omen on Friday because my family went to Tahkovuori and I had to go with.

So, a note to all the readers out there... tonight marks a special occasion (sort of) - Omnium Gatherum now wins the prize for band I have seen the most times, sitting at thrice, and is tied with Insomnium for seen in quickest succession, since they're touring together.

Omnium Gatherum

Omnium Gatherum is always a treat to watch. I've figured out my issues with the band too. As always, the music was fantastic, Toni is growing a goatee now and I didn't recognise him at first, and Aapo looked less bored than last time.

My problem with them is that, while I love watching Jukka and his antics and ways of making the first couple rows smile, his voice isn't that great. With singers like Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium) to compare with, Jukka sounds like he's not well trained to do growls and gives off the impression that he probably has a sore throat and pukes blood after a show.

However, the show was great, as it has been the last 2 times I saw it, and I was pleased to see Jukka come down to the crowd and shake hands with everyone in the first row. He's such a personable guy. Loves the crowd, and I think that's a great thing. Shame his vocals aren't better.

Profane Omen - Jules Näveri

Profane Omen was next. What I had expected to hear was an acoustic show, but that was not the case. It was very loud. I actually got earplugs for the first time (mom should be happy) and I'm damned glad I did because something about the cement venue of Finlandia-talo (Finlandia house) is insane.

I haven't listened to much Profane Omen but I had intended to see them with Marc that one night so it was nice to get a chance to see them live. I was really really REALLY impressed with their energy; particularly Jules Näveri. He doesn't connect directly with specific people the way Jukka does, but he really gets in there and makes you want to put your fists/horns in the air and be part of it, getting everyone revved up. Oh, and they did wall of death. It was epic, but I stayed out of it.

The music was great - a bit thrashy but really solid. Jules has a great voice and his growls are pretty awesome too. He's a pretty good looking guy... got a bit of a Brad Pitt thing going on, only skinny and Finnish and metal, hah. They were all very active and put on a great show.

Profane Omen

One of the guitarists broke a string at one point so they did some little fun things to kill the time. I'm not sure what song they played to pass the time but it was fun. And the drummer got up and asked where his mom was (they're from Lahti) and then wished her happy birthday. It was pretty cute. As a side note, that happened in Finnish and I understood, so give me a few cheers too!

Insomnium - Niilo Sevänen

As for Insomnium, well, I openly welcomed another flawless performance. I spent a lot of time thinking about Niilo's vocals and wondering why I like them so much while other bands not so much. I've concluded that it is great because it sounds natural and effortless, and when you hear it, it's gentle and not overbearing. It flows perfectly with the music, and I adore it. Also, he dresses really nicely and it makes me happy - simple, but looks totally metal. Insomnium has to now be one of my favorite melodic death bands. Of course, that means that the playing was sensational as well.

What a bonus to be touring with the band that hosts your clean vocalist. Jules (Profane Omen, does the clean vocals on the tracks off the new album) and Niilo's voices just flow so beautifully together, making absolutely perfect harmony and Profane Omen's show had a lot of growls, so it's great to hear Jules with more clean vocals. The man has an unreal voice and he should use it more.

Insomnium with Jules

Their stage show is more laid back than Profane Omen's, but that's fine, the result is that they just look badass. Everyone has great hair to bang around as well. The only unfortunate part was that about half to three quarters of the way through the set they started to get some reverb in some of the songs.

Overall, spectacular show (again), and I just discovered that they're playing with Swallow the Sun next month, so bonus for me! That'll bring them up to tie with OG for band I've seen most, and I couldn't be more pleased with the fact!

Insomnium

Setlist for Insomnium:
Equivalence
Down With the Sun
Drawn to Black
Last Statement
The Harrowing Years
Where the Last Wave Broke
Medeia
The Killjoy
Lay of the Autumn
The Gale
Mortal Share
Devoid of Caring
EC The Day it All Came Down
EC Weighed Down With Sorrow

Year: Oct 2009
Opening bands: Omnium Gatherum & Profane Omen were opening for Insomnium
Who I went with: me, myself, and I
Location: Lahti - Finlandia-klubi (Finlandia-club)

Concert Reviews - Insomnium w/ Omnium Gatherum

Another weekend in Helsinki, another bunch of shows.

Before I get into Insomnium, I want to mention that I happened to catch Eternal Tears of Sorrow on Friday night with Jari and Ilkka. I can't say I know many (or any) of their songs, but it was a good show, unfortunately ruined by absolutely brutal sound quality. At the stage it was so loud it made your ears bleed and at the back you could only hear the drums. It was unpleasant. Stage show was good though and so was the music. Glad we opted to check it out.

So we went earlier than I had wanted to check out the show. I didn't know anything about Axegressor but Jake had told me that they were terrible. He was right. They were just really bad thrash. Anyone who knows me knows I don't like thrash, but I can at least appreciate a band that's got some style and that sort of thing. I don't mind Stam1na, for example. But this band was just plain with a pretty awful vocalist and I found myself thinking "mennä kotiin" the whole time.

Next was Omnium Gatherum. If you're following, you know I've seen these guys before once and I liked it. My latest decision about this show is basically the same but I have some new points to add.

Omnium Gatherum

First off, it was a good show, nice performance, and their music is quite alright - nothing mind-blowing but nothing offensive to my ears at all, making for an enjoyable experience. Jukka Pelkonen is a rare type when it comes to fronting a band too. While he can look a bit ridiculous onstage, I appreciate that he is always REALLY into the show and does his utmost to connect to every person in the crowd, searches out the person who isn't smiling and MAKES them smile, and gets right in there (even literally at one point) to get the crowd going.

The rest of the performers are also great. However, we were noticing this time around that Aapo (keyboards) did not seem to be doing that much and even seemed bored at times. He was, of course, still rocking out, but I felt like every time my attention was drawn to him that he wasn't playing much.

Omnium Gatherum

OG is just one of those bands that I can watch to put me in a pleasant mood. Something about seeing a show by these guys puts a smile on my face.

Insomnium was the main attraction, of course. When I had mentioned the consideration of going to this show, my friend Valtteri told me I should listen to Insomnium because they're great. A few other people seconded his notion, so I decided to do it, and I was really pleased with what I heard. Their last album was very highly acclaimed and their newest album really captured me, so I became really enthusiastic about this show. And I was certainly not disappointed.

Insomnium

We were watching from upstairs on the balcony across from the stage, where the sound quality wasn't at its prime but wasn't too bad either. I have to give utmost praise to what was an absolutely flawless performance. The vocals were incredible, the music was well played, the performance was outstanding, and Jules Näveri (Profane Omen) stepped in to do the songs from the new album, Across the Dark, which really pleased me considering I am really loving their new album. That guy has a great voice and really flows well with Insomnium.

Insomnium w/ Jules

The set was also incredible, with some favorites, such as a recent song of the day of mine, Where the Last Wave Broke. Another cool thing was that they played two intros... Equivalence to open up but also The Gale into Mortal Share (Mortal Share being one of the songs I was dying to hear). The encore was performed after a surprisingly short wait (that's a good thing in my opinion, I hate waiting 5 minutes for an encore to start) and they performed two more songs before finishing up.

Overall, outstanding performance, with Niilo Servänen's vocals and stage presence really creating good and solid union with the rest of the band, for a spectacular show.

Insomnium's setlist:
Equivalence
Down With the Sun
Drawn To Black
The Killjoy
Daughter of the Moon
The Harrowing Years
Where the last Wave Broke
The Lay of Autumn
Medeia
The Gale
Mortal Share
Devoid of Caring
EC The Day It All Came Down
EC Weighted Down With Sorrow

Insomnium w/ Jules

Year: October 2009
Opening Bands: Axegressor and Omnium Gatherum
Who I went with: Mikael, and met up with Markus and Valtsu
Location: Helsinki - Nosturi