Tag Archives: Hellsinki Metal Festival

PHOTO REPORT: Behemoth, Satyricon and Rotting Christ


The Unholy Trinity Tour with Rotting Christ, Satyricon and Behemoth headlining hit Helsingin Jäähalli on Tuesday, April 22nd 2025. Although it felt like the entire metal scene of Finland was at the gig, it was surprisingly not sold out. Despite that, the anticipation of those who were there made up for the empty space. Three bands who never fail to play a flawless, powerful show.

My own personal experience has mostly seen these bands play at festivals, so the slightly more intimate atmosphere of the black box mode of the ice hall brought a new and more concentrated experience. The energy echoed louder and the pyros and light shows hotter and brighter. It felt somehow easier to really appreciate the bands visually and audially. Rotting Christ was full force from the start, maybe a bit more reserved than I have seen at the festivals but it worked in that atmosphere. Satyricon‘s production was way more than I expected, although the band itself kept a more mellow, cool steady stage presence. None the less epic and authentic. Behemoth hit all expectations in the best way possible. Tangible power and raw energy, epic stage setup and pyros, and a perfect setlist. All three bands played their hits, older gems and newer songs. It was interesting to hear Behemoth‘s fresh new singles being played live and see how the crowd reacted, which was mostly just as enthusiastic as when they play the classics. The only thing left lacking was possibly the length of the shows. Such a big production, albeit on a Tuesday, felt like it should have lasted longer (at least longer than festival shows). However, seeing as most of us at the gig are no longer in our youth, maybe it was more appreciated for the semi short but bitter play time.

Rotting Christ

Satyricon

Behemoth

photos by Serena Solomon

Hellsinki Metal Festival – Winter Edition 2024 Announcement


The Hellsinki Metal Festival, which sold out on its second day in August, is also expanding into a winter event. Hellsinki Metal Festival – Winter Edition 2024 roars on December 14 at Helsinki’s Kaapelitehdas, and the performers of the first indoor festival will be Dark Funeral, one of the best in Swedish black metal, Belphegor, Austria’s gift to lovers of blackened death metal, and domestic experts in the field Kyy and Omnivortex.

Kaapelitehdas was not chosen as the venue for the event by chance – metal has been celebrated in the same place during the years of the Finnish Metal Expo fair, and Hellsinki Metal Festival promoter Toni Törrönen also remembers those events fondly.

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SWALLOW THE SUN release first single and music video “Innocence Was Long Forgotten”


photo: Jussi Ratilainen

Finnish melo-doom metallers Swallow the Sun released the first single “Innocence Was Long Forgotten” from their upcoming album on July 2nd accompanied by a breathtaking video.

“All the new music from Swallow The Sun felt like an ice dagger through a sleeping heart. So we wanted to work with influential producer Dan Lancaster (Bring Me the Horizon, Muse, Enter Shikari etc.) to drive this dagger even deeper into our hearts.”

Those ideas and feelings were successfully portrayed in the single as well as in the music video directed by Vesa Ranta, which was a spot on visual representation of the sounds and lyrical themes. Stark duality of dark and light, new and old, familiar and foreign sounds all blend together to deliver a staggering ice bath of new music from the band. Many fans were taken aback, but are eagerly waiting to hear the new album in its entity.

Swallow the Sun have been torchbearers of melodic doom since 2000. Beauty in Gloom has been a running theme in their identity, lyrics and sound for almost twenty four years. Reaching global fame with fan-praised music videos (10+ million YouTube views) and streaming dominance (50+ million Spotify plays) and has played more than 900 gigs on four continents during their 20-year career. However this new single suggests their sound might have gone through some form of metamorphosis and will emerge with something new and unfamiliar yet no less visceral and striking as their previous music.

Their only current live date is at Hellsinki Metal Festival on August 9th. More info on future dates to come.

Swallow The Sun:

Juha Raivio –Guitars, Keyboards 
Juho Räihä – Guitars
Mikko Kotamäki – Vocals
Matti Honkonen – Bass
Juuso Raatikainen – Drums

Hellsinki Metal Festival will take place on August 9th & 10th in Helsinki


Hellsinki Metal Festival, organized for the first time this year, found its own place on the Finnish festival grounds on the second weekend of August in 2023. More than 11,000 visitors were able to enjoy a bold and versatile lineup of performers, which also included several bands that rarely visit Finland. The official aftermovie of this year’s event can be viewed here

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Hellsinki Metal Festival adds more acts to 2024 line-up


Hellsinki Metal Festival, one of the most talked about events this year, announced its first performers earlier this month. There were several highly anticipated bands, such as Mayhem, Satyricon and Doro.

Today, there is a new batch of acts added. See below!

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Helloween to star at the Hellsinki Metal Festival + The British band Monuments also announced along with full line-up


August 11–12 All the performers of the Hellsinki Metal Festival organized at Nordis have now been announced, and Friday’s main performer was Helloween, one of the legends of power metal. The band, founded in 1982 in Hamburg, has steadily forged its career forward despite crew changes. As proof of this, the gentlemen have already accumulated 14 gold and 6 platinum records. The band was also named to the Metal Hall Of Fame this year.

Continue reading Helloween to star at the Hellsinki Metal Festival + The British band Monuments also announced along with full line-up