Photo report: Talvihelvetti – January 10, 2020 in Tampere, Finland –
Lord of the Lost, Torchia, Fear of Domination, Vorna, Insomnium and Machinae Supremacy.
This one day festival took place in Tampere, Finland during the darkest days of Winter. Bands included both foreign and local acts, as well as a diverse array of genres. Lord of the Lost, hailing from Germany, opened the night on the main stage, while Machinae Supremacy from Sweden closed the night on the small stage. Other bands ranged from Melodic Death Metal, Industrial Metal, and Thrash. Fear of Domination had a quick lineup change due to illness which also prevented them from continuing on to Seinäjoki, where most of the other bands continued on Saturday for a second night of mid-winter madness.
Marduk, Attic and Unlight took over Apollo in Turku, Finland on December 16, 2019. While Marduk and Unlight delivered a pretty straight forward black metal show, full of power and rawness, filling the venue with an uncommon atmosphere, Attic were a bit different. One of the most unique metal performances I’ve seen at Apollo, complete with a ritual type alter, and candleabra’s alight with (surprisingly) real flame. Though their aesthetic is pure black metal, their sound is largely heavy metal influences, which didnt peak my interest much when checking them out before hand but live, completely changed my mind. Here are some photos…
About a month has passed and here are another bands confirmed. All fans of softer spiritual stuff will be happy because Alcest will visit the fortress with their new album. Is it shoegaze, blackgaze, post metal? Just words which does not matter at all. It is going to be fabulous. Another atmospheric stuff will be given to us by melodic doomy music of NAILED TO OBSCURITY. Much darker mix of atmosphere, death, doom and black metal will be presented by Gregor from PARADISE LOST, but now with STRIGOI.
More brutal death metal in its traditional way shall be performed by the American classic – OBITUARY and SUFFOCATION. FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY will grand us some electronic and industrial vibed stuff. Electronic stuff is used by other band, which is also inspired by noise, rock, grind and is much weirder. It is Japanese MELT-BANANA with characteristic vocal of Yasuko.
Not for the first time here, guys from EXHORDER will pummel some thrash metal into us. Not that much famous, but they also were probably the inspiration to legendary and newer PANTERA. Last time when EXHORDER were here, was damn awesome.
Children of Bodom played one of their last gigs with the current lineup at Logomo in Turku, Finland on December 12, 2019. Bloodred Hourglass opened the night with a no nonsense all out energy packed show, followed by Brymir who played my personal favorite gig of theirs this year (out of 3-4 gigs). Bodom started out a bit rocky, and later than schedule, but it smoothed out through out the show. The guys took breaks often but looked like they were still into the music, though you could tell the dynamic had shifted a bit. There was no proper encore, and the set seemed a bit short, but it was a satiating performance, and brought back an air of nostalgia and a touch of melancholy knowing that would be the last time to shoot the band as it is and has been for years. I’ve personally been shooting them since 2011, eight different times in two different countries and six different cities. It’s been fun! Thank you for the music!
Moonspell put on a dramatic show at Apollo in Turku, Finland on December 1, 2019. Starting with the extremely eccentric and theatrical Silver Dust with their antique props and virtual stage guests, to the Rotting Christ, who packed all the power and metal of the night into one set, to Moonspell ending the night with a few interruptions and words about the venue not being up to par with their epic show.
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
