The news that Gothic metal act POISONBLACK disbanded in 2015, was very sad for many metal fans across the world. When the band announced a couple of comeback shows in September/October/November throughout Finland to celebrate the 20th anniversary of POISONBLACK‘s debut effort, “Escapextacy,” we knew we had to be there. We headed to the local On The Rocks venue in Helsinki, Finland on October 1st, 2023, to take a walk down memory lane with countless other fans of the band.
The anticipation of the show was palpable as a lengthy queue formed outside the venue with fans eagerly awaiting the douts to open 1-2 hours beforehand for what promised to be a night of unforgettable Gothic metal nostalgia. We noticed that most of the audience had come from all corners of the globe, as these shows proved to be a unique opportunity to hear the album played live from beginning to end. As a result of the queue, the floor was pretty much packed and it was impossible to see anything really if you had joined late. As a small person, for me, it was quite a no-go from the start and I decided to just immerse myself in the music, rather than focusing on what was happening on stage. Starting off with “Home Is Where the Sty Is,” provided fans with the electrifying energy that POISONBLACK was most known for, so it served as a great opener to the show.
After a kick-ass start, POISONBLACK treated their dedicated audience to a selection of their greatest hits, setting the stage for the main event. The atmosphere inside the venue crackled with excitement as fans sang along to familiar tunes and basked in the melancholy together. We were happy to have the band include so many songs from across their whole discography. In total, this part lasted 8 songs, yet, the most exciting part for many in the audience – judging by the many screams as vocalist J-P Leppäluoto got invited to the stage – was still the main course of the evening, playing through “Escapextacy.”
The band, enriched by Leppäluoto‘s charismatic stage presence, embarked on a journey back in time, delivering a solid live rendition of the album that has practically gained cult status amongst Gothic metal fans. The band kept faithful to the original tracklist order of the songs and thus made the evening even more magical, my highlights being “Exciter,” “With Her I Die,” and “The Kiss of Death.” What was a total surprise to me was that the band was blown away by the response of the audience (that Finnish modesty again) and they were really surprised that so many people showed so much support for their shows in general.
As the final notes of the album faded into the night, it was clear that POISONBLACK‘s 20th-anniversary celebration of “Escapextacy” had exceeded expectations. For the fans who had come from near and far, it was a night of pure Gothic metal bliss, a journey back in time to the roots of a band that had left an indelible mark on the genre. The band came back for a two-song encore, after which I almost only saw smiling faces; one for the books!
If there is one complaint about the show as a whole, is that I don’t understand why this band got booked in such a small venue, when I am sure that they could have sold out larger venues. Venues such as On The Rocks for popular bands are always a struggle because once the venue is packed, it’s next to impossible to see just about anything unless you are extremely tall. Thankfully, for those, who like me, struggled with seeing anything, there is another opportunity to catch the band live in Helsinki: Tavastia on November 2nd, 2023, and a few dates at the end of October across Finland!
Photos and text by Laureline Tilkin
- Home Is Where the Sty Is
- Mercury Falling
- Scars
- Soul in Flames
- Buried Alive
- The Living Dead
- Bear the Cross
- Left Behind
- Interlude (Escapexstacy intro)
- The Glow of the Flames
- Love Infernal
- The State
- All Else Is Hollow
- In Lust
- Exciter
- Lay Your Heart to Rest
- With Her I Die
- Illusion/Delusion
- The Kiss of Death
- Bleeding Into You (Encore)
- Rush (Encore)
