Finnish Metal Tour Review

Finnish Metal Tour: A Personal Review

February 15th, 2011

Writer: Lacey W.

The night appeared doomed to a slow start, with only a handful of people in line when doors were opened at eight. The frigid weather, made worse by a biting wind, may have factored into this but it seemed strangely appropriate for a night when four bands from Finland were slated to play. A quick stop at the merchandise table made me wish I was able to afford the price wanted for the hand drawn artwork of Finntroll guitarist, Skrymer.

            There was an abysmal lack of concert goers in the Starlite Room as Barren Earth took the stage. Although the music of Barren Earth was not particularly appealing to me, they performed a solid set, sounding somewhat like Opeth at times. By the time Rotten Sound made their appearance on stage, more fans had trickled in. The fast and heavy stylings of Rotten Sound served to energize the crowd, creating an atmosphere more appropriate to a small venue filled with loud music. All of those at the front were quickly caught up in the headbanging and those back a little further created an impressive pit considering the number of people participating. Rotten Sound knew exactly what to do to pump up the crowd, encouraging moshing that was equally as hard and fast as their music. Even those who were unfamiliar with the band seemed to thoroughly enjoy the set.

            Unfortunately the people behind me during Ensiferum made the set slightly less enjoyable but Ensiferum seemed to be the highlight of the night for many fans. (Perhaps because english lyrics are much more accessible than the Swedish language lyrics of Finntroll.) A friend commented that this was possibly the best set he had heard Ensiferum play on their numerous stops in Edmonton. Long time fans of the band were delighted to hear Token of Time, from the band’s self titled debut album. From Afar, Deathbringer From the Sky and Ahti were favorites with the audience, with many shouting out the words along with vocalist Petri Lindroos. Victory Song was another huge hit with the crowd, as well as the final tune, Iron. The beer was flowing and the crowd was rowdy and excited throughout the twelve song set. In the final minutes of the set, guitarist Markus Toivonen impressed the crowd by playing a solo behind his back. Ensiferum, with their trademark kilts and black war paint, were solid and crowd pleasing.

            As Finntroll took the stage, many people seemed content to sit back, drink a beer and watch the show. After using the song Blodmarsch as the introduction, Finntroll burst into a thundering rendition of Solsagen. Throughout the set, a handful of fans were screaming for Ett Norrskensdåd and Eliytres and left satisfied as both songs were included in the set. Although Finntroll’s drummer was apparently quite ill and other band members were recovering from being sick, one never would have guessed from the energetic set. Vocalist Mathias ‘Vreth’ Lillmåns demonstrated an impressive lung capacity, screaming and growling throughout the set. Although Finntroll are known for occasionally drinking too much before going on stage, it didn’t happen in Edmonton. Vreth didn’t hesitate to get down and scream right into the faces of those in the front row,  and touring keyboardist Aleksi Virta could be seen grinning throughout the show, which seemed a little uncharacteristic for a band with darker music, but it suggested that he was enjoying the show as much as the fans. As the end of the set approached, Lillmåns announced that there would be no encore due to the drummer being ill, but the ensuing antics of Maktens Spira made up for it. Drunken members of Rotten Sound ran out on stage, complete with oversized, glittery top hats, huge novelty sunglasses, and various funny masks; joining in on some of the vocals and making their own party on stage. Members of the other bands apparently found it as hilarious as I did, as Petri Lindroos could be seen laughing and snapping pictures from the side of the stage. Members of Turisas were apparently in the crowd as well, having played earlier in the night in Edmonton. Finntroll, and every other band on this tour, certainly didn’t disappoint and my only regret is that I was only able to catch one show. Overall, the show was excellent.