On Friday, July 10th, 2026, Helsinki’s On the Rocks hosted a familiar yet highly anticipated double bill. Having already witnessed OCTOPLOID and SUMEA sharing the exact same stage a couple of years prior, returning to the basement venue felt like the perfect opportunity to see how both projects had evolved since their earlier days.
Opening the night were SUMEA, whose progressive and psychedelic stoner/doom metal sound had already caught my attention during their past performance. This time around, their heavy, fuzzy atmosphere felt even more cohesive and commanding, bolstered by the inclusion of brand-new tracks that hinted at an exciting direction for the band. Following them, the stage belonged to OCTOPLOID, the progressive death-metal project driven by AMORPHIS bassist Olli-Pekka “Oppu” Laine. Backed by a powerful lineup of scene veterans, with Mikko Kotamäki handling the vocal duties for this performance, the headliners delivered a massive, atmospheric set. With the band currently working on their sophomore album, the evening served as both a celebration of their debut material and a compelling preview of what is to come next.
Taking the stage at 21:00 sharp, SUMEA were greeted by a dedicated crowd that clearly showed its loyalty. A significant number of people in the audience were wearing the band’s T-shirts, offering a solid display of support. After a semi-instrumental intro, the singer introduced the band before launching into “Paniikki,” a track released as a single back in 2022. That riff-driven, atmospheric, and desert-infused tune has been stuck in my head ever since.
Once again, their magnetic stage presence really impressed me, and the newer tunes they performed left me hoping for a full-length album release in the near future. “Noitapiiri,” released back in May 2025, stood out as a clear highlight; driven by heavy, prominent doom undertones, the track instantly shifted the energy in the room. The vocals were reminiscent of what Chris Cornell from SOUNDGARDEN would sound like if he were born again in Finland, and this was not even the first time I got this feeling when witnessing what Tuomas could do on stage. Driven by heavy, prominent doom undertones, the track instantly shifted the energy in the room; the crowd around me was fully engaged and singing along, highlighting a very real, tangible connection between the band and the audience.
The contrast in each member’s attitude was a particularly interesting detail: while frontman Tuomas and bassist Lassi tended to be more dynamic, guitarist Sampsa proudly showed a more nerdy (in a good way) approach, focusing intently on pedals, effects, and gear. Meanwhile, the energetic drumming provided by Ilja served as the pulsing heart of this finely tuned machine.
The following song heavily recalled early ALICE IN CHAINS, a band I never had the chance to see live, making it a welcome, not-so-unexpected surprise. Next in line was “Kaukana Rannasta,” a track that sounded instantly familiar, having been released both as a single and as part of the “Muinainen” EP back in mid-2022. A couple of unreleased songs followed, building up to the closer, where Tuomas grabbed a tambourine and a drumstick to inject some extra groove and immersive, high-energy vibes into the performance. By the end of the track, he was lying on the stage floor, completely overwhelmed by the intense energy that everyone in the room could feel flowing. It was a truly captivating moment. SUMEA left the stage at 21:45, leaving a buzzing atmosphere behind them.
After a 30-minute changeover pause, it was time for OCTOPLOID to take over the night. Visually, Mikko was sporting a white Ozzy Osbourne long-sleeve, a fitting homage to the late Prince of Darkness, who passed away nearly a year ago, while Oppu wore his signature hat.
“The Dawns in Nothingness” served as the perfect opener, mirroring its role as the introductory track on the album. From the very beginning, guitarist Peter Salonen showed off both his impressive skills and strong stage presence, stepping up to the center of the stage multiple times. Next in line was “The Hallowed Flame,” a track that, in my opinion, suited Mikko‘s vocal delivery particularly well and sounded even more massive in a live setting.
This connection peaked during the third song of the set, “Human Amoral.” As the first-ever single published by the band, the track clearly holds a special place in the hearts of the fans, and the crowd enthusiastically clapped along to the beat right from the intro. A major highlight of the performance was the song’s atmospheric interlude, where keyboardist Antti Myllynen completely transported the venue back to the 1970s with a brilliant vintage vibe.
However, that collective energy shifted into curiosity right after, when Mikko announced the fourth song, “Shadow of the Sun,” explicitly introducing it as a brand-new track. Being unreleased, the audience obviously didn’t know it yet, but the crowd’s focused attention spoke volumes. A standout element of the performance was Oppu‘s stellar delivery on backing vocals, which added a great layer of depth to the live sound. Based on this first live delivery, the song felt like an incredibly promising teaser and a great taste of what is to come on their highly anticipated sophomore album.
The band also had a brilliant surprise in store for us when Mikko announced that RAPTURE frontman Petri Eskelinen would be taking over the microphone for “Monotony.” Since Eskelinen is the original vocalist who tracked the studio version of that specific song, it was a fantastic treat for the fans to witness the piece delivered live by its legitimate voice.
The instrumental title track, “Beyond the Eons,” followed, paving the way for a stellar double-header of covers. First up was AMORPHIS’ “Relief,” where the keyboards and guitar took absolute center stage, weaving the song’s signature melodies and driving the crowd wild as everyone got completely swept up in the groove.
For both of these instrumental pieces, Mikko had stepped off the stage, but he returned in grand style for the second cover: BARREN EARTH’s “The Leer.” This performance took everyone back to the era when Oppu, Mikko, and keyboardist Antti Myllynen were all part of the band. It was the kind of moment that makes you feel a bit old or, let’s face it, just wonderfully retro.
“A Dusk of Vex” worked as the perfect closer. Its catchy chorus was sung along by everyone in the room, driven by the pace of the amazing drummer Mikko Pietinen. Right before the long, instrumental outro, Oppu introduced Mikko Kotamäki as the shaman, and well, who can argue with that?
Although they left the stage, they returned after just a few seconds to the crowd’s relentless demand for more. The guitarist was the first to step back out, delighting the audience with a deeply emotional solo. Once the full band rejoined him, Mikko thanked the crowd and announced that the final song of the night would also feature on their upcoming album. The excitement in the room was tangible as we let “Call me a River” work its magic, guiding us to the end of this journey.
Honestly, it is impossible to find any visible flaws in such a performance. This is likely because the band members are simply some of the finest musicians Finland has to offer, and their music clearly stems from a place of genuine passion. I am eager to hear OCTOPLOID’s next chapter, and I truly hope there will be many more gigs like this to come. SUMEA did a fantastic job setting the stage, delivering an intense performance that made the evening feel complete, leaving us eager for a (double?) release party in the near future.
Written by Licia Mapelli
Photos by Mirko L.
Setlist
- The Dawns in Nothingness
- The Hallowed Flame
- Human Amoral
- Shadow of the Sun
- Coast of the Drowned Sailors
- Concealed Serenity
- Monotony
- Beyond the Aeons
- Relief (Amorphis’ cover)
- The Leer (Barren Earth’s cover)
- A Dusk of Vex
- Call me a River
