The Finnish rock band POETS OF THE FALL are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and such a milestone deserves proper exposure. Hence, they embarked on a European tour, with the next-to-last date held in Helsinki at Tavastia on November 26th, 2023. Interestingly, this was an additional date that got added since the gig scheduled for the day before sold out in no time. The doors opened at 18:00, and the concert was scheduled for 19:30. We secured a nice spot on the stairs to ensure a good view of whatever might unfold on stage. The backdrop itself hinted at the upcoming 20th anniversa ..read more

Time to dress warmly as winter is reigning in many parts of Europe, including Finland from where melodic metal titans SONATA ARCTICA deliver the perfect soundtrack for the cold season with the stormy opus »Clear Cold Beyond« – stormy in the most positive way, of course. A fact that got cemented by select music journalists who could sneak an exclusive peek at the full record last month. Today, the quintet have unveiled yet another taste of their long-awaited new studio album which is due out on March 8th, 2024, through Atomic Fire. Touching, emotional and with ..read more

Italian melodic death metal band MIARA have unleashed their highly anticipated debut album, “Hungering Inside,” on November 17th, 2023, via Finnish Inverse Records. Founded in 2022 by Antonio and Francesco Grillo, The band started because they wanted to express the vulnerability felt during the pandemic. MIARA is characterized by a powerful, modern sound influenced by melodic connotations typical of the Northern European music scene. Their new single, “Ascending to Second Life,” not only marked their musical debut but also garnered immense acclaim across online platforms, setting the stage for ..read more

Emerging Swedish rock band THE GEMS have unveiled their new single, the emotional “Undiscovered Paths”, off of their upcoming debut album, “Phoenix,” out January 26, 2024, via Napalm Records! With their previous band, THUNDERMOTHER, the members of THE GEMS stormed the Official German Album Charts (reaching #6 with their last two albums) and commanded international stages – electrifying crowds at renowned rock festivals like Wacken, Sweden Rock, and Alcatraz, while supporting legendary acts such as the SCORPIONS ..read more

On the Rocks in Helsinki witnessed a dynamic performance by WITHOUT WARNING and FEAR OF DOMINATION, followed by a DJ-led after-show party on November 25th, 2023. WITHOUT WARNING emerged as a completely new name for me, but their stage presence and a couple of familiar songs quickly turned heads. Their music, a blend of soft melodic and dark electronic elements, created an intense yet inviting atmosphere, leaving an impressive launch for the night. FEAR OF DOMINATION, with a history dating back to their 2009 debut album “Call of Schizophrenia,” delivered a powerful performance. During the show ..read more

The Finnish melodic death metal band HORIZON IGNITED signs a worldwide record deal with REAPER ENTERTAINMENT. Finland is still considered “the land of metal” and regularly sends impressive bands out into the world. This undoubtedly includes the band HORIZON IGNITED, founded in 2017 by guitarists Johannes Mäkinen and Vili Vottonen. With their albums “After The Storm” (2019) and “Towards The Dying Lands” (2022), the guys already were able to impressively demonstrate this. The latter has now been streamed almost 4 million times.   The upcoming and yet untitled album is d ..read more

Norwegian iconic metal band SATYRICON will play two unique concerts in Grieghallen as Beyond the Gates artist in residence 2024.   Since the early ’90s, SATYRICON has been a flagbearer and innovator within the confines of Norwegian Extreme Metal – always searching for new ways to challenge themselves and the listener. From songwriting to visual art, production, and presentation – SATYRICON has always strived to be ahead of the pack. “Horns & Diadems” are two unique sets that celebrate the music and art of this treasured duo, as well as honoring their impact on Norwegian music his ..read more

Now that December has kicked in, Pikkujoulu [Little Christmas; Pikkujoulu is a Finnish traditional party held to anticipate Christmas] season also has started once again! How better to celebrate it than at John Smith Festival‘s winter edition, John Smith Frozen, to heat up our holiday season with some heavy metal tunes! We attended the festival on December 2nd, 2023, which featured bands like RED ELEVEN, KIUAS, FINNTROLL, TURMION KÄTILÖT, ORBIT CULTURE, and AMORPHIS. Check our photo gallery here… Red Eleven ..read more

Ever since the release of their new album, “How’s the Heart,” the Finnish melodic death metal outfit BLOODRED HOURGLASS has been playing numerous shows in Finland. One of their stops, on December 1st, 2023, was at Kannusali in Espoo. Since they brought along the killer alternative metal act LUNA KILLS, we decided it was the perfect time to attend another show in Espoo! The alternative metal act LUNA KILLS started five minutes later than planned, which was fortunate for me as I unfortunately got stuck in traffic and arrived at the venue a bit late. There were a few people sporting LUNA KILLS‘ s ..read more

Swiss modern metal upstarts ILLUMISHADE unveil their magical sophomore record and Napalm Records debut, “Another Side of You,” out February 16, 2024! Fronted by vocalist Fabienne Erni and guitarist Jonas Wolf (both of ELUVEITIE) and completed with orchestration and synths by film composer Mirjam Skal, bass by Yannick Urbanczik, and drums by Marc Friedrich, ILLUMISHADE skillfully balances all things both dark and light on “Another Side of You.”              On their new single cut from the n ..read more