Tribulation opened for Ghost at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland on November 28, 2019. We caught up with them for an interview  (link at the end of report) and saw their show! Here’s what happened….

Tribulation entered the stage in a cloud of green smoke.  They began with their strongest (in my opinion) song of their latest album “Nightbound”. Right after that, one of their best songs all around, “Melancholia” and continued on with a mix of songs from their last two albums Down Below and The Children of the Night. The backdrop hung mid-stage to give them a smaller area to perform on, which worked best, seeing as they were quite spread out as it was. Johannes (Vocals,bass) kept his place mid stage most of the show, occasionally wandering back to Oscar (drums), while Jonathan and Adam took over the rest of the stage. Its interesting to compare their individual stage presence over the years. While Adam and Johannes have seemed to become more cool and refined, Jonathan has become more eccentric and theatrical. However, it could also be the setting, festival gigs versus this bigger arena tour. Either way, the mix of visuals like lighting, smoke and their backdrop and side banners complimented the four piece, their stage presence and music perfectly. Another addition to these aspects was the signature incense they use in their gigs. It really adds to the experience of watching them and listening to them play live. I was able to smell it well up front in the photo pit but once I went to my seat it was completely lost in the arena. It was a very noticeable absence too, at least for me. It was also interesting to experience things like Johannes’s interaction with the audience from up close and then far away. All of the guys for that matter. Watching him talk to the audience from the seats seemed kind of bleak. At that time, there weren’t many people in the arena, so it was a bit disheartening to see such a powerful and striking performance being consumed by so much empty space. I really wished they had gone on second. I, personally think they fit better and had a much more unique and impacting performance than All Them Witches who felt, to me, like any generic groove/stoner rock band from the States. But Tribulation was my main interest that night anyway, so I am biased. If it were up to me, they would have been the headlining act!

Setlist
Nightbound
Melancholia
The Lament
The World
Cries from the Underworld
The Motherhood of God
Strange Gateways Beckon
Across the Universe

Photos, report and interview by Serena Solomon