Turisas + Finntroll @ Nosturi (Helsinki)
Amorphis + Swallow the Sun + Insomnium @ Nosturi (Helsinki)
Pain @ Tavastia (Helsinki)
Apocalyptica + Stam1na @ Linnahalli (Tallinn)
Kupio Rockcock
Ilosaarirock

Nightwish @ Jäähalli (Helsinki)

Sauna Open Air

.. Sauna Open Air ..

Sauna this year didn’t exactly honour its name, and forced us to wear several layers of clothing instead. In addition to that, the threat of rain was rather constant throughout the whole weekend, though people managed to enjoy the long-awaited first Finnish summer festival, which opens the season for all the rest.

One of our few complains about this festival actually happened right at the beginning, as the lines for collecting the accreditation were so slow that many media representatives had to wait for almost an hour to get theirs, which made it so that some of us photographers didn’t manage to make in on time for some of the first bands. Nevertheless, the rest of the festival went really smoothly, and the free hot tea and food in the backstage was greatly appreciated by the weary and half-frozen media.

..

Amorphis was the first band we managed to check on Friday, one of our very favourites in Finland and with an always powerful live act (even though frontman Tomi Joutsen slipped during “House of Sleep” and started to sing a little bit before time). Duff McKagan, bass player of Guns n’ Roses, was one of the attractions of the day, and even though he made it clear that grown up men can still raise the screams of several teenager girls around him the gig happened to be rather dull, or at least a bit disappointing if one would be expecting something as lively as Guns n’ Roses. The Finnish band Medeia replaced Messhuggah due to the band cancelling their gig in Sauna at the very last moment. Their gig turned out to be fast and furious, to the point that some photographers had to risk their “integrity” while trying to get some shots of the moshpit. The headliner of the night, Apocalyptica (without Antero this time), invited an almost undercover Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica (we’re certainly most used to seeing him on stage wearing almost any colour but black) to sing along during three of the songs, and he actually managed to not only sing out of time but also forget the lyrics during “Life burns”. Many fans around would probably have been able to help him out with that.

..

Saturday started without rain, but not any warmer than Friday, even though Profane Omen seemed to be good enough of a reason to make it to the festival early, as their life shows are always so energetic and appreciated. Hammerfall was one of the last bands to hit the stage on Saturday, long awaited after 5 years without visiting Finland. Luckily enough for their fans they promised visiting again soon, as festival gigs usually don’t last as long as most of them would want to and most of them were probably left craving for more. Finntroll also hit the stage after a rather long absence (without counting they just had another gig in Helsinki the night before), it must be said Finnish fans have lately been neglected by promoters when it comes to being able to enjoy Finntroll at their own country. By the time Mötley Crue hit the stage, the area in front of the main stage was as crowded as it could probably get, but the photopit was empty except for the security staff. And why so? Because photographers were forced to shoot from the platform for disabled people next to the technicians’ tower, which meant that we bothered them in the first place, and in addition to that we also bothered each other while trying to get some crappy shots from far away, all stuffed into such a small space. Our congratulations go to all big and “important” bands that don’t loose common sense just because they are supposed to be a legend, and don’t make our work such a hassle.

..

Sunday finally brought some sun to the festival, and the beer gardens were at its fullest, with people enjoying the good weather and a nice cold drink. The line up for the day quite happened to fit with the mood, as it seemed to be the official “power metal” day of the festival, with bands such as Kamelot, Stratovarius and Nightwish. Kamelot are for sure highly appreciated in Finland, and they promised visiting soon in the beginning of next year, as they will be heading straight into the studio to record the next album, and won’t be touring again until then. The Swedish band Bullet managed to win the public with their music and live show, with vocals reassembling AC/DC and lots of good vibes and smiles. Stratovarius hit the stage to present some of their new songs, just before the legendary band from the states Thor came to play their very first show ever in Finland, together with lovely LouLou D’vil and Cherry A. Dorable from The Tease Queens, who joined the band for the first songs as their own personal Valkyries. The last band of the day, Nightwish, somehow brought Apocalyptica’s gig into mind, as Marco Hietala managed to forget the lyrics to “The Islander”, even though it seemed to be a bit easier to understand in Tony Kakko’s case. After all, he was singing a song from another band, but Marco was not only singing a song from his own band, but even a song he had written himself! This probably proves that not even the most experienced are safe from committing errors on stage. We must as well comment that Anette surprised us once more with her outfit and hairstyle, as is was so close to that of Lady Gaga that for a moment we almost expected her to sing “Poker Face” instead. Luckily this didn’t happen, and the audience managed to enjoy the gig (forgotten lyrics aside), which included lots of pyrotechnics, just as it fits with a proper headliner power metal band.

The rest of the pictures can be accessed by clicking below:

Amorphis
45 Degree Woman
Duff McKagan
Medeia
Soilwork
Viikate
Apocalyptica

Profane Omen
Sparzanza
Poisonblack
Hammerfall
Finntroll
Mötley Crue

Omnium Gatherum
Kamelot
Bullet
Stratovarius
Thor
Nightwish

Ane Orue-Etxebarria

.. Nightwish @ Jäähalli (Helsinki) ..
01-01-2008

If the last night of 2007 had already been good, with Finntroll and Turisas in Nosturi, the first night of 2008 wouldn't stay behind. Nightwish played the last gig of their successful European Tour in Helsinki (which will still be continued during this year, with more concerts in Europe, America, and even countries such as Japan, China and Australia).
The expectation created by the announcement of the new singer has certainly been big, and there have been all sort of opinions about it. Thus, this was possibly an appropriate chance to experience how the choice of Anette Olzon in replacement of Tarja Turunen has affected the band. The venue was completely sold out already weeks before, and the new album "Dark Passion Play" has already sold over 100,000 copies in Finland.

..

The intro consisted of almost ethereal feminine voices, which were soon silenced by the roaring of the public when the band came on stage and the first notes of "Bye Bye Beautiful" and "Cadence of Her Last Breath" could be heard. One of the most awaited moments of the evening came when Anette sang the first couple of "old songs" of the night, "Dark Chest of Wonders" and "Ever Dream". It's possibly not easy having to "fit into the shoes", so to say, of a classically trained opera singer as Tarja, but Anette decided to adapts the songs to her voice in such a way that they sound fresh and new. Obviously some people might be missing the opera-like element, but trying to create a copy would possibly have been a complete mistake.
The gig went on with some more songs from the new album, such as "Amaranth", "The Islander" (which started with dim lights and torches, as Marco and Emppu sat on a couple of high chairs) and "The Poet and the Pendulum". Another clear difference between Tarja and Anette could be appreciated in the outfit, while Tarja used to wear no less than 3 or 4 different ones every night Anette decided not to change at all. Maybe another way to try to make a difference? She did add a tiara to her hair during "The Islander" though, but it also disappeared soon enough after the song was finished. After the next older song of the night "The Sacrament of Wilderness", Anette took the microphone to entertain us a bit with some Finnish lessons. Some sentences seemed to be more cliché-like ("Minä rakastan teitä kaikkia" or "Anteeksi, että olen ruotsalainen"), but she certainly made the whole stadium laugh with "kiva, kivempi, kives", which would be translated as "nice, nicer, testical". Actually, she was really fun to listen to during the whole show, and her performance on stage could possibly be pointed out as one of her strong points, letting aside the fact that, even though she is not an opera singer she does have a great voice.

..

The gig went on with "Sahara" and a couple of older songs more, "Higher Than Hope" and "Nemo". Anette had the chance to joke a little bit about the "this is the last song" sentence (which Marco had used to introduce "Nemo"), and let us know that whatever happens in the backstage is not so mysterious anyways and the band always comes back in the end. When the song was finished she exclaimed "now we can go to the toilet!" before leaving herself, which was once more welcomed with laughs among the audience.
As promised, the band came back after the break, and played "Seven Days to the Wolves", "Wishmaster" and "Wish I Had and Angel" before leaving for good. The last song was used by Marco to let us know that (with a Finlandia bottle on his hand, totta kai), even though it was the first gig of the year, it would also be the last one for Tero Kinnunen, who has been part of their crew for several years, and Anette thanked everybody for coming on such a "krapula day", which proves that she is really learning all the basic words a person should know in the Finnish language.
Overall a great gig, with lots of fireworks and good vibrations, and proving that even though the singer has changed, the music still keeps the main elements that define Nightwish and make any of their songs suitable for the soundtrack of an epic movie.

The rest of the pictures can be accessed by clicking below:
Nightwish

Ane Orue-Etxebarria

.. Turisas + Finntroll @ Nosturi (Helsinki) ..
31-12-2007

The Christmas period in Finland is full of concerts covering all sorts of music, and basically anybody can find gigs and events to fit their taste. The offer is wide and varied even among a "not so mainstream" genera as metal, also including the annual Helldone Festival, organized by HIM, and the Raskas Joulu tour, which features some of the best voices of the Finnish metal scene covering classic Christmas carols. The choice tends to get even tougher in New Year's Eve, with gigs in basically every single venue, pub or bar, but this year we considered Nosturi's offer to be the most appealing for us, with the gig of Turisas and Finntroll.

..

The place was already swarming with people quite long before the first band (Finntroll) was supposed to hit the stage, and face paint seemed to be one of the most popular complements among the younger attendants. When the lights dimmed and the first notes of the intro started to be heard, the crowd welcomed the band (with 7 band-members on stage, as Henri Sorvali joined Aleksi Virta on the keyboards) with a deafening roar. The gig's beginning followed the first three songs of the last album "Ur Jordens Djup", "Gryning", "Sång", and "Korpens Saga". The public also enjoyed with old classics such as "Jaktens Tid", "Nattfödd", "Det Iskalla Trollblodet", "Aldhissla" and of course, some more songs from the newest album, such as "Ormhäxan" (which Hennu seemed to be enjoying quite a lot himself), "Nedgång" and "En Mäktig Här" (which was introduced as "seuraavana karibialaista rokkimusiikkia" or something similar, it was difficult to understand on top of all the noise).
The gig got to its higher point with the long awaited "Trollhammaren" though, possibly the public's very favorite, and the whole Nosturi seemed to reassemble the party at the cave that can be seen in this song's video. This was especially true for the non-drinking area, that had completely turned into a huge moshpit. It was pretty clear that the band itself enjoyed the gig as much as the public, and it was possibly one of the best performances Finntroll has lately had.

..

At midnight, the other band of the night, Turisas, hit the stage with "To Holmgard and Beyond", the first song of their successful new album "The Varangian Way". The Finnish band is enjoying a particularly sweet moment lately, with only two full-length albums out they already have a completely sold out headlining tour ahead in the UK, a headlining European tour, and even a North American tour in spring, together with Ensiferum, Tyr and Eluveitie. Certainly impressive achievement, but their great performance on stage makes it easier to understand how and why they have managed to get to such a point.
After a couple of songs, the singer Mathias Nygård raised a beer and introduced the song "One More" to celebrate the new year. The atmosphere was indeed a huge party, and people seemed to enjoy every single song that was played that night. I specially liked the comment of one of my friends in the beginning of "In the Court of Jarisleif", when she exclaimed "venäläinen meininki!!" and was joined by some other friends in some sort of kalinka-like dance, which possibly represents quite well how the night could be described in short: pagan, carefree, and most of all FUN!!

The rest of the pictures can be accessed by clicking below:
Finntroll
Turisas

Ane Orue-Etxebarria

.. Amorphis + Swallow the Sun + Insomnium @ Nosturi (Helsinki) ..
01-12-2007

Nosturi hosted the last concert of the successful European Silent Waters Tour featuring Insomnium, Swallow the Sun and Amorphis, three Finnish bands that gather many of the qualities that have made Finnish bands so popular lately: good quality music with a twist, not just following the trends of the style their music is supposed to belong to, but adding little elements here and there, which makes it more complex and interesting, certainly deserving a second listening (and many more).

..

Thus, it's obviously not surprising that the tickets for this event sold out already a long time before the day itself, and the environment inside the venue had turned really warm, sweaty and crowded already by the time the first band of the night hit the stage (which is not so common, at least in Finland). Insomnium barely had the time to play some of their most famous songs, which included "The Killjoy", "The Elder", "Bereavement", "The Gale", "Mortal Share" and "Drawn to Black". The crowd received a little surprise gift though, when Mikko Kotamäki from Swallow the Sun hit the stage and joined Insomnium to perform a cover of the song "Blinded by Fear" of the Swedish death metal band "At the Gates", which was welcomed with cheers and raised arms. Insomnium finally left the stage with "The Void of Caring", and the band will now take a break (except for a last show in their hometown Joensuu, in January 2008) to enter the studio and begin the recording of the new album.

..

Next came the turn of Swallow the Sun. Strangely enough, instead of the classic intro from "Twin Peaks", they were welcomed on stage by a rather happy-humppa song, as the band members looked at each other quite amused. Later on we got to find out that they had themselves tried to convince the sound technician of Insomnium to play that song as an intro for Insomnium, but while they didn't manage convince the technician, they got it themselves in return. Swallow the Sun filled the place with the deep and dramatic melodies of their music, with songs such as "Hope", "The Morning Never Came", "These Hours of Despair", "Descending Winters", "Don't Fall Asleep", "The Morning Never Came" and "Swallow", making it clear that the great moment the band has lately been enjoying (the performed in Wacken 2007, had a tour in the USA and another one in Europe, and have already been confirmed for some important summer festivals in 2008) is not only due to the quality of their music, but also to their great live performance.

..

And last but not least, Amorphis came on stage in their hometown to provide the last act of the tour in which they have been presenting their successful new album "Silent Waters" throughout Europe. At this point, the lack of space in the surroundings of the stage was such, that the attempts to change one's position in the venue might at least have been considered foolish (my thanks go to whomever invented the fences for the photopit!), but the show proved to be way worth the money and troubles suffered. Tomi Joutsen proved once again what a great singer and performer he is, mastering not only the newest but also the older songs, and showing how good growling and clean vocals can be successfully combined by the same person. The band entertained the audience with songs from basically all albums, from the newest to some old rarities, including most of the "hits": "I of Crimson Blood", "Leaves' Scar", "Servant", "Alone", "Against Widows", "Drowned Maid", "Her Alone", "Silent Waters", "On Rich and Poor", "Sign from the North Side", "The Smoke", "My Kantele", "Perkele", "The Castaway", "Towards and Against", "House of Sleep" and "Black Winter Day".
About one hour and a half of great music, which also included a little "surprise celebration" of their own, when Aleksi Munter And Mikko Kotamäki from Swallow the Sun joined the band during "Drowned Maid", while their band-mates Matti Honkonen and Markus Jämsen jumped around the stage spreading balloons and ribbons all around.

Undoubtedly one of the best concerts we have been able to witness in Finland during this year, some pictures of the event are available in our gallery:
Insomnium
Swallow the Sun
Amorphis

Ane Orue-Etxebarria

.. Pain @ Tavastia (Helsinki) ..
14-11-2007

A few months after their successful performance in two of the biggest Finnish summer festivals (Tuska Open Air and Ruisrock), the Swedish band Pain returned to Finland in order to continue the promotion of their latest album “Psalms of Extinction”, and played a couple of shows in Tavastia (Helsinki) and Lutakko (Jyväskylä). LoudArts had the chance to enjoy the show in Helsinki, and take a few pictures of it.

Wednesday in Tavastia, the average rate of attendance on such days is usually not too high. Nevertheless, and as the time for Pain to go on stage was getting closer, the venue started to look rather packed, and it’s easy to believe it was completely sold out in the end. No wonder, as the show Peter Tärtgren’s band offered was worth the money spent, and the hours of sleep lost.

..

The band offered a compilation of new and old songs, heavy sounding music led by a powerful beat and almost ethereal electronic melodies, that are basically almost a trademark. The public jumped, waved arms and sang along songs such as “Same Old Song”, “Shut Your Mouth”, “Zombie Slam”, “Bye/Die”, “End of the Line”, “On and On” and “Nailed to the Ground”, or just enjoyed a couple of slower but touching pieces, such as “Just Hate Me”. And, of course, the band didn’t forget to play their very special cover of The Beatles’ song “Eleanor Rigby”, which the public welcomed with cheers and raised arms. That was almost the reaction to every single song they played though, and the satisfaction and surprise on the band members’ faces was clearly visible when they went back to the backstage for the first time.

..

They came back not long after though, to play some three songs more, including their hit “Bitch”, especially dedicated to all the ladies present in Tavastia at that moment. The public still hadn’t had enough though, and the continuous roaring and clapping managed to bring the band on stage yet once more, to play a very special song (and certainly a rarity on stage) from the so-called “first album”, a song from the very beginning of the band, with more punkish influences as Peter himself explained. Unexpected but really welcome surprise for the end of a great concert, now we can only wait for the summer festivals and hope they will visit us again soon!

Despite the lack of a security fence in front of the stage, we managed to take some pictures. Click the link below to go to the gallery:
Pain

Ane Orue-Etxebarria

.. Apocalyptica + Stam1na @ Linnahalli (Tallinn) ..
10-10-2007

Apocalyptica have just started their European tour with the recently released album "Words Collide", and the Baltic countries have been chosen for the first dates: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
LoudArts had the opportunity to attend the show in Tallinn (Estonia) last Wednesday, which counted with a big plus: the Finnish band from Lemi, Stam1na, opening up for them. Stam1na has supported Apocalyptica during all three dates in the Baltic countries, and will also be the support in Germany. Unfortunately the Finnish fans will have to wait until Spring 2008 to see this energetic band live in their own country, as they are currently in the process of recording the new album.

Linnahalli was certainly a bit controversial choice to hold such a concert. The fact that the gig was almost sold out explains why such a big place was certainly needed, but watching Stam1na and Apocalyptica from an armchair is possibly a concept difficult to understand, especially for a Finnish headbanger. Either way, Linnahalli proved to have a well-planned organization, the gates were opened exactly at the scheduled time (something not so common in the metal scene) and a wide variety of facilities could be found in the venue.
Stam1na could play not more than half an hour. Quite a shame, but support bands do not usually have the chance to play much longer, and time was well spent anyways. Six songs altogether, two from the first album ("Paha Arkkitehti" and "Kadonneet Kolme Sanaa"), three from the second ("Merestä Maalle", "Yksi Reittiä, Kaksi Suunta" and "Viisi Laukasta Päähän") and a song from their upcoming album. Fast and energetic show, with some talking in Finnish (the Estonian language is close enough, so most Estonian people can understand it well enough), and the cheers of some Finnish fans, who had traveled all the way from Finland to see Stam1na live for the last time this year.

..

After a break, the lights dimmed again and the few light points remaining let the tall silhouettes of the four chairs be seen as the first notes of the cellos started to flow around the theatre. Magical environment, which managed to bound all the audience under the charm and spell of the music, and was not broken even after the two hours and a half show. The first half of the concert consisted mostly of a mixture of songs from the new album and some few older ones, certainly presenting their new album in which they have counted with the collaboration of musicians such as Corey Taylor from "Slipknot", Cristina Scabbia from "Lacuna Coil", Adam Gontier from "Three Days Grace", Dave Lombardo from "Slayer" and the Japanese guitar player and composer Hotei. The new album is certainly pure Apocalyptica, covering the whole range of melodies and sounds that make their music so unique, from beautiful and touching balads such as "SOS" (no Cristina Scabbia in Tallinn, but the cellos' sound made up for her absence) to fast and franctic songs such as "Last Hope", which was described by Perttu as "a drummer's worst nightmare, or maybe wet dream". It would be interesting to know Mikko's opinion on this matter, but the fact is that his drumming skills improve in a notorious way in each album, and his performance in this song made clear that he's as awesome a drummer as his band-mates are playing cello.

..

In the second half of the concert older songs were played mostly, and the public went crazy with "old classics" such as "Seek and Destroy" and "Enter Sandman", or slightly newer pieces such as "Faraway" and "Fatal Error". Paavo, who had been sitting down in his chair as stuck during all this time (a rather unusual view it must be said), finally got up to play the "pizzicato" in "Hall of the Mountain King", a part he certainly always seems to enjoy.
When the band got back on stage after their first break, and the first notes of "Nothing Else Matters" could be heard, the few people who had managed to still remain sitting down on their chairs raised and started to wave their arms along with the music. This song is the perfect example to prove that covers aren’t always worse than the originals, and can sometimes even compete with them. If this weren't enough for an encore, they also played "Life Burns" and "Inquisition Symphony" before going backstage again.

The amazing reaction of the public got them yet once more on stage though, with the cellos in their hands and smiles in their tired faces. As a final goodbye and present for such a cheerful audience they played a true rarity (at least on stage), "Seemann" by Rammstein. Sublime end for an amazing concert.
Let also be said that even Antero got up in the end, and changed his cello for one with a flaming image of a skull and some sort of smoke-creating device it! New album and new times for the band it seems, in all levels.

More pictures of the gig can be found in our gallery:
Stam1na
Apocalyptica

Ane Orue-Etxebarria

.. Kuopio Rockcock 2007 ..

Certainly not as well known as other Finnish metal festivals such as Tuska, Sauna or Ankkarock, Kuopiorock has though the potential to become one of them. Nice bands and friendly cozy environment, even though the organization was quite messed up regarding some aspects such as the accreditation, and chaos ruled the place in some moments...

Friday 27^th July

The beginning of Friday was for sure one of the most chaotic moments. The tent from which accreditations could be collected opened at the same time the gates were opened, so journalists had to queu first to get the accreditation, and then to get into the area, as there was no specific entrance for media. All this caused that many of them weren’t able to make it into the area until some bands had already finished playing. In addition to this, accreditations hadn’t been printed beforehand, so names had to be hand-written (which also slowed down the accreditation-collecting process), and some people even ended up with accreditations that instead of their name had things such as “CHUBBY GUY” written on them. I guess I can consider myself lucky on this matter, as even though the girl in the tent didn’t feel like writing my surname (I guess she considered it too long and complicated) she still wrote my name right, so I ended up with an accreditation with a big “ANE” written on it. That’s me, the one and only!

Despite the little mess in the entrance, the great bands playing on Friday were more than worth the effort:

I was lucky enough to be on time for the first bands on Friday, which allowed me to enjoy Swallow the Sun’s live performance once more. Great show, listening to their music, full of delicate melodies, desperate growling and deep emotions, is always a pure delight. Next stop was Turmion Kätilöt, possibly one of the most controversial bands that Finland has given birth to lately. Considered by some people as “the Finnish Rammstein”, they have a unique sound though, and I would consider their performance even more shocking and transgressive than Rammstein’s. As an example, let’s just say that Spellgoth (one of the singers) spent the whole gig in Kuopio piercing himself on stage, by changing some surgical needles from a place to another of his body.

After Turmion Kätilöt I made my first visit to the backstage area, just to realize that the only drinks available there were beer and cider! After such a disappointment about not having found any lonkero backstage, I went to check the Estonian band Metsatöll. The public reacted with enthusism at both their music (epic metal, with some elements from the Estonian folklore, and the presence of some “unusual” instruments such as the bagpipe) and their efforts to communicate with the public in Finnish. The following band of the day, Entwine, gathered a relatively big amount of people around the Irc-Galleria stage, and they provided a nice and correct show.

The last band of the day though, completely filled the Teltta stage, and the air inside the tent started to alarmingly reassemble that of a sauna. Stam1na came on stage and were welcomed by a deafening roar from the public. No wonder, as this band certainly honoured their name and rewarded the public with an hour of frantically energetic music, headbanging and jumping around. Awesome end for the first day of the festival, including an spontaneous Finn jumping on stage naked for the last song, that’s the spirit!

But the day was not finished yet! Rumours had been spreading during the whole evening, that Sepultura would be playing in Henry’s Pub at midnight, which turned out to be true! The Brazilians decided to cover up some songs in exchange for free beer for their crew, and the place ended up completely crowded! An event that possibly will live forever in the memory of the people who managed to witness such an occasion.

Saturday 28^th July

Saturday started grey and rainy, and the bad weather stayed until the very end of the day. The cold and especially the heavy rain threatened to ruin the day, but despite all there were a few moments of sun and people managed to enjoy most of the great bands playing this day:

The festival had a strong and harsh beginning, with Pain Confessor, Deathchain and Rytmihäiriö, as if trying to prepare everybody for the main act of the day: Sepultura. They certainly did their job, as the public got more and more excited with each of them, so that by the time Rytmihäiriö came on stage the moshpit took almost a whole third of the total area inside the tent stage.

After Rytmihäiriö, the weather finally decided to give us a rest, but just barely enough to enjoy Amorphis. Quite lucky happening though, as the stage in which Amorphis played had no cover for the public, and it was in my opionion the other main act of the day! Absolutely amazing show, covering songs from their oldest albums to “Eclipse”, and also the single of their upcoming album “Silent Waters”, and driving everybody in the audience mad. Now we can only wait to have it released in the end of august, and listen to the rest of the songs... With the last notes of “House of Sleep”, the rain started to pour down heavily again, and didn’t finally calm down until almost the end, when Kotiteollisuus came on stage. The Finnish band, known for their furious heavy metal and outspokenness during interviews and live shows gave way to the eagerly awaited Sepultura. The Brazilians managed to gather a huge crowd around them with their powerfull thrash metal mixed with some elements reassembling Brazilian music, and showed how they can still kick some serious ass even without the Calavera brothers. Powerful ending for one of the most chaotic festivals I’ve ever been to.

Ane Orue-Etxebarria

.. Ilosaarirock 2007 ..

My arrival in Joensuu after 5 hours of train was a mixture of different kinds of emotions. Happiness (and weariness) about having reached my destination, and curiosity towards a festival to which I had never been before but about which I had heard a lot of comments. First of all, it should be said that Ilosaarirock (meaning “happy island”, or "Rokki", as it's often called) is not a "metal" music festival, but a festival which embraces music styles as varied and distant as reggae, rock, pop, hip-hop and metal itself. What does it make it so especial then? Possibly the mixture itself, which attracts a public as varied as its musical offer, open-minded and friendly people who soon enough show to be the very core of the festival.

The festival was divided into 5 stages, and besides the festival "itself" several "club-events" (klubit) were organized. Despite its size and the complexity of coordinating such an amount of stages, it all went really smoothly, which proves how well organized this festival is. As an example, we can mention the free booze-narikka, a system by which people could have their alcohol and drinks stored in the areas nearby the festival entrance and access them free of charge during the whole day. My first stop was Sulo-klubi on Friday, which was organized the day before the actual festival was supposed to begin. Unluckily enough, it started to rain already before the first band hit the stage but the public didn't seem to care too much and Sulo gathered a great lot of people. Line-up:

* Lapko
* The Ruby Foos
* Stella
* Tohtori Orff & Herra Dalcroze
* Ismo Alanko Teholla
* Jarkko Martikainen
* CMX
* Damn Seagulls
* Apulanta

Saturday 14^th July

Despite the rain had been going on during the whole night, the weather finally seemed to support everybody's wishes, and the sun shone during the whole day. Saturday's schedule looked as follows:

I had been looking forward to seeing Sara on stage again since I found out the would take part in Rokki, and they certainly fulfilled my expectations. This Finnish band, with lyrics sang completely in Finnish and music difficult to describe or categorize won't let you indifferent. The powerful live act, full of energy and delicate melodies creates an atmosphere that catches your attention and keeps you interested until the end. Next came Maj Karma. This Finnish band, with several years behind and mixing rock music with some punk elements, also gathered a great amount of people around the main stage, and entertained the public with a fun and lively show . The first foreigner band of the day, the Norse Stonegard, hit the kolmos stage and proved Norway has more to offer than just black metal. Thrashy heavy metal, without too many complications but enjoyable nevertheless.

After a little break, back to the main stage to check Sonata Arctica. The band had basically the same setlist they have had for the rest of the Finnish festivals, with classics such as Victoria’s Secret, FullMoon and Tallulah, and closed their show with The Cage. Lots of fireworks and a good performance of the new guitar player of the band, Elias Viljanen, who started replacing Jani during his military service but has finally been officially incorporated to the line-up. After Sonata Arctica, I went straight to the kolmos stage, in which Insomnium was about to begin, and are probably one of the best finnish melodic death metal bands nowadays. Their live act is something worth checking out, and Aleksi Munster from Swallow the Sun joined the band in some songs on the keyboards. The eagerly awaited Porcupine Tree didn’t let the public down either, and they unleashed their mixture of rock, metal and psychodelia among the numerous public that had gather under the tent of the Ylex stage. The final act for this day was given by HIM, undoubtedly one of the most famous Finnish bands ever and it was made clear by the amount of people gathered around the main stage and its surroundings. Correct performance, including old classics such as Join Me in Death among some newer ones like Wings of a Butterfly.

Thus the first day of the festival was finished. But the gigs were far from being over yet, so I decided to check Metelli in Jäähalli, with Decended, Impaled Nazarene, Amorphis and Finntroll, which provided a perfect closure.

Sunday15^th July

Sunday morning woke up grey and rainy, and so the weather stayed until the end of the festival even though the sun tried to come back now and then. Luckily enough most of the stages were in tents, which allowed people to watch and enjoy the bands as comfortably as possible, but the heavy rain managed to make the floor muddy even in some areas inside the tents. Line-up for this day:

The first band I saw on Sunday was Soilwork, and their energetic and powerful live act and music made us forget, at least for a while, the weather. The public certainly enjoyed the show, as could easily be proved by the frantic headbanging and moshing. Soon after that, the weather turned so bad and it started to rain so heavily, that I couldn’t find the energy to leave the covered area in the backstage until Opeth was about to begin and the rain stopped for a longer while. Also eagerly awaited, the Sweds presented their new guitar player in their only festival show this summer, but promised to be back in Finland when the new album is released. The last band of the day, TikTak, had to play with a male in their strictly female-consisting line-up due to the injury of their drummer. And so Rokki finished, with a rather surprising choice for the last band of the festival but lots of good vibes and fun despite of the weather.

Ane Orue-Etxebarria