SUNDAY

Matti: No better way to kickstart the last day of festivities than to open it with a band that has already been regarded (by some) to be the so-called heir to the notorious Turbonegro. In layman’s terms: A live band at the top of their game.

With their highly regarded self-titled debut and balls-to-the-walls stage presence Kvelertak have already wrecked havoc across the European festival and club circuits. The sad news from back home were conveyed on stage in the form of black ribbons, but it did not stop the band from rocking the shit out of the audience into a good mood as retaliation.

Another highlight performance that left me almost gasping for air in the photo pit, as the singer Erlend Hjelvik decided to jump off the stage and into the audience and by doing so almost got me in a stranglehold with his mic cord. Sorry for the pun. If you want to see one hell of a live band, go and see Kvelertak. Do it now!

Mikko: I haven’t paid much attention to Kvelertak as I originally listened to their album at a completely wrong time, never giving it the opportunity it might have deserved. But, the world got back to its rails as the show they put out made an impact. A literal one as well, considering Erlend Hjelvik jumped from the stage on top of my back before escaping to the audience (whilst trying to strangle Matti at the same time). That’s what you get when you try to take a picture of the violent audience, rather than of the violent band. You get served. For a man with such a respectable physique, Hjelvik is a beast, flying all over the place like a furious animal. All the time. All in all, I take it’s only going to get better for the band as they get more material to craft great, dynamic shows with.

 

Mikko: Djent-forefathers Meshuggah took their eight strings on stage, full of concentration so that the fuck ups would be minimal. Singer—bald wincer—Jens Kidman seemed a bit uncomfortable on stage; due to the heat, due to the audience or perhaps due to the lack of sleep? Who knows, but despite it all, he did his job like a trooper, trying his best to spank a reaction out of the adoring audience.

Matti: I am so glad that I am not Jens’ neck. Doing the deadman’s eyes and a spasmic nodding move for 40 odd minutes can’t be that healthy for you. Call it the mid-day curse or what not, I felt it again as I tuned out to Meshuggah performance. They even played a good setlist, with plenty of their “hits” on it for me to enjoy! I was strolling around like a lethargic zombie on a Valium overdose. I watched disconnected as the circle pit kept spinning before my eyes and just kept drooling all over myself for no apparent reason.

 

Mikko: I was expecting GWAR-like shenanigans from Shining, but alas, no blood. Instead, Niklas Kvarforth put on a show that did its best to cover up for Tuska’s lacking black metal lineup. While it’s unclear if Spinefarm has put limits to Kvarforth’s theatrics, he did manage to chug whiskey on stage, use a lit cigarette inappropriately and snort white stuff off a paper plate…

Supposedly the band—who seemed more than concentrated on stage—has suffered from mixing issues on stage and unfortunately, the sound wasn’t the best at Tuska either. Yet, the intimate atmosphere made up for it. On the other hand, I suppose Shining are more of a ‘listen at home’ kind of a band, as the the music tends to suffer a bit from the live show-format, where songs from different albums are thrown in together to please an audience. It doesn’t quite reach the dwelling of album exclusive coherence.

 

Mikko: The Internet has been buzzing about Jex Thoth so I was expecting quite the show. From checking out some of the tunes from disc later on, turns out the missing keyboardist made the band seem much, much harder and aggressive on stage.

Aggression is a good word, as the gig also marked the third strike for me. Aside from hit & run incident with Kvelertak and being sprayed with whiskey by Kvarforth, I was at the receiving end when singer-slash-witch Jex (Jessica) Thoth decided to kick a bottle of water (didn’t see it myself, just felt the consequences) off the stage; naturally I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and got sprayed the second time. It’s not like I’m made out of sugar (even if I’m a sweet, funny and charismatic fellow) but it made me question the state of my karma.

• MM: Snap out and stop bitch ‘n around. You have to learn how to be a real man like your father. First you drink a bottle of Koskenkorva, then go behind sauna or outdoor toilet, where no one can see or hear you, then and only then you can break down and cry like a little baby.

None the less. The gig had all the requirements for a captivating performance. Moody lighting, band playing with vigor and Jex Thoth herself putting up quite the show with her trance-like movement and commanding swagger. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling the music at all as I didn’t have my doom-y groove on, due to all the shiny, happy mental bullshit that the sun and the vitamin D cause in summertime. Stoner works as does Neurosis, who performed at the festival few years back—in broad daylight, pushing me into a violent state of mind—but half way through Jex Thoth‘s set, I figured I’d go and check out the remainder of Agnostic Front‘s beat ‘em up workout.

Matti: The front of EMP Stage had tripled its security before Agnostic Front came out to The Warriors theme song. Serving fist full of hardcore, the band seemed to be on a good moods with Stigma smiling ‘n jumping and Roger Miret shadow boxing between songs, throwing an open challenge to any 47-year old to come out and box him. The added security measures turned out to be overexaggerated, as a big hole formed automatically about 15 feet from the stage, allowing the Oi! boys, tattoo suits and a few urban ninjas to do their bonding unhindered. The front of the stage seemed calmer. As for the show…you can’t blame the old band for not giving their all on the stage.

• MK: Yeah. Miret was in a talkative mood and the band seemed genuinely enjoying themselves, also reminding something along the lines of “Hardcore is about supporting one another.” I was also surprised to see Joey Tribbiani on stage. While the turnout in the audience wasn’t that huge, it compensated the headcount with sheer dedication. A refreshing act that might have gotten a better deal had they been assigned to the third, tent stage.

 

Mikko: I wasn’t that interested in seeing Amorphis but lo-and-behold, I found myself jamming. Compared to the days when Pasi Koskinen was the mainman, it’s like they’re a completely new band these days and each show seems to improve on the last.

Vocalist Tomi Joutsen is a certified showman and one of the better vocalist in the metal music business, considering how easy it is for him to switch between deep growls and cleans. The only thing that irked me was the guy’s microphone. He used to sport this classical looking, sparkling chrome microphone before but this time around, he had a new one that reeks of ‘excess’ and ‘compensation’. Speaking of non-musical things, the group had the biggest pyros of the weekend.

Matti: Amorphis is one of those bands that seem to tour like crazy, made more evident by the fact that their tour bus driver Pelle was a sad sight to behold. Poor guy was dragged on stage to introduce the band; “Why do you bother a guy with hangover…well…what’s the next band?” asked the tired man from the audience. After getting a strong reply back, he left the stage to sleep behind the wheel. What happened to “Hey kids. Don’t drink and drive”?

The setlist was, not surprisingly, mixture of old and new Amorphis with songs from the new The Begining of Times album thrown into the mix; “Battle For Light/My Enemy” served as openers, followed by “Sky is Mine” from Skyforger and “The Smoke” from Eclipse. “Song of the Troubled”, “My Kantele” and “Into Hiding” played the role of the oldies. The rest of the show comprised of the latest four albums.

Mikko: I saw a glimpse of Turisas at Sauna Open Air the month earlier and not surprisingly, the band was playing with a good attitude again. All the touring has really paid off, as the band has truly forged its shows into fail-safe entertainment. Yet, there’s still room for plenty of spontaneous deviation from the ultimate battle plan and the band was able to muster up a song outside of the original setlist. As jolly as the battle metal is to the ear and as overly entertaining as it is to watch, I already had my thoughts elsewhere and to adjust, went to see what Misery Index were up to.

On a positive note, accordionist Netta Skog took the time to meet and greet some fans pretty much right after the somewhat physical show, signing things and taking pictures with the (mainly female) fans. Seemed like there’s a certain family-ness to the band’s fanbase.

• MM: Yeah Turisas sure has come a long way. I remember hearing Jussi Wickström play King Of The Hill and other TV themes with his guitar during lunch breaks in my middle school. Then around 2000, I remember seeing one of their first gigs, where they were supporting relatively new acts named Moonsorrow and Ensiferum at some small venue.
• MK: I think it was Stormbringer 2002 or something…with Thyrane as the final act.
• MM: A lot has changed since those days. They’ve rightfully become a legit and entertaining export of the Finnish metal scene.
• MK: Apparently hard work pays off.

 

Matti: Misery Index was crushing and got some people riled into a state of frenzy. At one point, the circle pit formed around one fan trapped in a wheel chair. When a few tattooed guys started to practice their spinning kicks, hand-windmills and chain-picking dance moves, the pit security supervisor sent a personal gorilla to this guy’s protection. In the end, the goings got even more iffy and they had to take a wheelchair-bound headbanger to safety. He got to enjoy the band from the fenced sidelines right next to the stage. Nice work from the security for being alert and adaptive. The pit grew as the show went on and in the end, the band had taken a toll on its audience. Fatigued but happy.

Mikko: I slipped away from Turisas to see what I was missing and felt more at home at the tent than I did with group chanting — even though I’m a certified Manowar fan. When I arrived, the pit had already given their all, but the band the band kept pummeling on with neck-breaking riffs. It appeared the band had risen a few notches since the last time I saw them (in 2006, opening up for Fear Factory).

Overall, I’d say the security seemed to be quite good throughout the three days and what’s more, Tuska continued its tradition as a handicap-friendly music festival. The whole shebang ran smoothly and I didn’t get to witness any major incidents or wrong doings. The pits too seemed to spin full of mutual respect.

The same can’t be said about the Helsinki train station. As we were soaking up all the metal, a metro ride away a friend of mine got her wallet jacked by force by two Eastern European tourists. Indeed, the government’s badly organized cost savings are finally starting to show up on the streets on a more daily basis as the undersized police—facing even more cuts and layoffs—can’t keep up with the international crime that keeps pouring in tax free. Nor can the crippled public sector keep up with the internal social changes, with the only comfort being that “at least it’s not as bad as somewhere else”…not yet.

 

Matti: Amon Amarth was crowned with the honor to close the three day long metal festival and to open the closure a big bang was to take place on the main stage. Photographers were set to stand on the sidelines like a herd of lambs before sending them in to the slaughter during the first song. Even the security was not allowed to be in front of the stage, for there was to be a pyro so big that even the Gods would take notice. Or so it was written on someone’s epic poem to the stage security.

It was funny as hell to watch the expressions on the faces of the staff, as one measly bang and few added flames were set to the air in the middle of the first song “War of the Gods”. The look “What the hell was that weak shit?” was painted on the security supervisor’s face for about ten seconds after the spectacle and not soon after, the security radio channel was filled with “That’s it?” and “Are we go?” questions. We were and the press was unleashed to the pressure fenced front.

Mikko: When did Amon Amarth become such a huge act that it becomes the main attraction and the one band to put a closure to the whole festival? I’m not saying that like it’s a bad thing, just a tad surprising…but if the band’s shirts in the audience, and the turn out for the gig (despite a number of people already making an exit), was anything go by, it appears the band truly has elevated itself to a higher tier.

• MM: I say it’s all because of the new Marvel based Turd movie. I mean Thor. Vikings and Tor hammer amulets are fashionable now; they’re like the new pirates and bandanas. Where the hell was Running Wild when pirates were the bee’s knees?
• MK: I was going to say Sauna Open Air 2010, but I think I remember wrong.
• MM: Yeah, they had Grave Digger
• MK: Ah well. Pirates versus Vikings…FIGHT!
• MM: Win-NING.

What was to follow was a one and a half hour set that pillaged through songs mainly from the band’s latest albums. Amon Amarth was Amon Amarth, both good in bad, but the audience they had, got exactly what it wanted. Luckily so, as this was the band’s only stop in Scandinavia in a while; speaking to the volumes of the band’s rising international fame. Johan Hegg—trademarked drinking horn by his side—provided a manly presence on stage and some good spirited banter in between songs, perhaps elated due to the crowd’s visibly excited response.

After three days of metals and n+1 bands, I dozed off at around the halfway mark of Amon Amarth‘s set. It’s not that I wasn’t interested, the band was rocking on the stage after all, but I simply reached a point where I had had enough. It was time to bid farewell to Suvilahti, to Tuska and blended in with the mass heading out, content. Despite a slow personal start, the weekend turned out to be a good one.

• MM: Overall, the relocated Tuska experience was a good one in my books; the many highs outweighted the few lows; good gigs, good people, good job  —good times all around. I even managed to avoid getting into fisticuffs with the boss slash co-worker this time around.
• MK: Only because I spared you. Anyway, while the festival area was open and one could always move about freely, there’s still room for improvement, for example, with the bar areas. On a more positive note, I especially dug the addition of the fourth stage—the one inside the building—as it allowed certain acts to perform in a much more fitting setting, even if things got a bit cramped during a few shows.
• MM: Seeing how there was so much free space to roam around, makes me think that they will try to pump up attendance by tweaking it all…
• MK: I have to say, the amount of circle pits was a bit odd. It seemed like every band—no matter what genre—had at least few eager fans running around, hands raised in a family safe manner. Very little friendly violence…
• MM: I think it’s kinda hard to totally throw caution to the wind out there when you got concrete slabs to greet your face if you were to fall down. Also the “no private practiced alchemy on festival grounds” policy was more tighter from previous years. Oh…another thing about the concrete ground. After walking around for three days, the concrete made my feet ache like no Tuska before. I might be getting old and weak but goddamn! At some point on Sunday, I really missed the good old dirt and grass of Kaisaniemi park.
• MK: Well, at least this year you didn’t have to sneeze that black shit out of your nose and throat on the days after…

And seriously. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the photos.