On The Rocks in Helsinki hosted KYPCK and NOUMENA on January 12th, 2024. Admittedly, the new year did not start in the best way possible: a bad flu knocked us out for a while, but missing this concert would have made it even worse, so here we are. Two co-headlining bands gave the event an unusual shape, but it is worth mentioning that this was KYPCK’s very last show, at least as we know them. The band is going through a massive change: they will modify their moniker and switch to English instead of Russian for their lyrics, and there will be changes in their musical style as well. Back when we received their second album, “Ниже,” on its 10th anniversary, we stated that KYPCK is, in our opinion, “one of the best acts of the late 2000s in terms of originality and high-quality standards.” So, we totally trust that the changes will not affect the quality of their offering, and to be completely honest, we are quite curious. As for the other band playing, it was the melodic death metal act NOUMENA: they have just celebrated their 25th birthday, so it was the right occasion for them to share this milestone with their fans.
KYPCK’s set started a bit later than scheduled, so we had time to glance at the setlist: it looked promising, hence the hype was real! The instrumental tune “Ty Isportil Vse” [“You Ruined Everything”] worked as a perfect opener, as it is the first song on their most recent album “Prestupleniya Protiv Chelovechestva” [“Crimes Against Humanity”], released in August 2023. It is worth pointing out that S. S. Lopakka’s guitar is built around a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, a feature that stands out especially in a live setting. Bassist J.T. Ylä-Rautio (whose instrument has only one string) was standing at the center of the stage and made room for singer E. Seppänen as he joined his bandmates on the second song, “Kreshchenie v Novosibirske.” He took the stage dancing and inciting us, and the atmosphere got warmer and warmer, as it was clear that most of us had been waiting for that show to happen for a long time.
One of the numerous highlights was undoubtedly their performance of “1917,” taken from their debut album. Everyone in the front rows was singing along with passion, as the intensity of its chorus did not go unnoticed. Interestingly, this was the very first KYPCK song we ever listened to, and its melancholic vibe became even more dramatic since we knew that it was the last chance for us to see them play such an iconic song.
The setlist they chose was a full-fledged walk down memory lane, featuring the most significant songs from each of their albums. Placing “Rusofob” and “Alleya Stalina” back-to-back added a touch of style, and E. Seppänen did not miss the chance to actively involve us, especially during the choruses. On “Chernyi Bal,” he pointed to the drummer and shouted his name into the microphone in such an old-fashioned way that we weren’t sure it was the year 2024. We reacted by lifting our glasses in a shared toast with the band; after all, the song’s title means “dark party,” and the old-school vibe of the tune made the whole thing cool and kind of cute, if you ask us. The closure of the song saw us, the singer, and guitarist S. Kukkohovi, along with A.K. Karihtala, setting the pace with his kick-drum; magical.
The last song they played was “Demon,” which concludes their very first album; an interesting choice. The way they interacted with us was lovely: they eventually greeted us by shaking our hands, gave us their guitar picks and setlist sheets, and smiled at us with gratitude. It goes both ways, as this concert was very emotional for all of us.
Co-headliners, melodic death metal veterans NOUMENA, took the stage at 22:50. Founded in Ähtäri in 1998, they managed to earn a respectable place in the Finnish metal scene. The backdrop quite clearly stated that it was their 25th anniversary, and “Metsän Vihan Nostatus” was playing as an intro. On a side note: the backdrop depicted the band’s three different logos, one by one, throughout the show, highlighting the different stages of their career.
The seven band members came to the stage, greeted us, and took their spots. “Silent Words,” recently re-released as a single, even though it dates back to 1999, worked as a perfect opener, conveying a sense of nostalgia for the band’s long-time supporters. Female singer Suvi Uura joined her bandmates on the second song, “The Heralds of Fall,” taken from their debut album “Pride / Fall.” She was warmly welcomed by the audience, and we noticed how beautifully her voice blended into the aggressive yet melodic overall sound, adding an extra kick and a further touch of elegance.
Singer Antti Haapanen announced the following song, “Slain Memories,” which saw guitarist Markus Hirvonen and Suvi’s clean vocals harmonized. The result was excellent, and the audience reacted accordingly. The way they were interacting with us was spontaneous, heartwarming, and sweet, reflecting how important their fans are to them in such a meaningful event.
The unexpected arrangement on “Kohtu” was something special, as they managed to maintain the song’s melancholic, soft vibe by playing it with bass and guitars (it is a semi-instrumental intro whose main instrument is the piano). Suvi’s vocal line was very intense in its simplicity and led seamlessly to the following tune, “Ajaton,” which sounded very rich and colorful to our ears.
They did not miss the chance to premiere a new song called “Mania,” to which the audience reacted positively. After that, they all left the stage, and a video of some old pictures of the band was projected as a backdrop, with “Kaiku” as a properly nostalgic soundtrack. Quite emotional and also cute, we would say.
They came back, as they still had some more tunes to play for us. “Bleakest Essence” worked as a perfect closure due to its catchy and heartfelt melody. They eventually took a picture of themselves with the audience in the background because such a night should be kept as a precious memory.
In the end, we felt overwhelmed by the amount of emotions we witnessed: the two bands, as much as their audiences, could not be more diverse, but we realized that, in both cases, a true passion for music was the common thread, and this is not a minor detail.
Written by Licia Mapelli
Photos by Mirko Luparelli
KYPCK SETLIST
- Ty isportil vse
- Kreshchenie v Novosibirske
- Prostoi rasskaz – Ya sam soboyu
- 1917
- Kak filosofiya gubit samootverzhennykh, beskorystnykh byurokratov
- Rusofob
- Alleya Stalina
- Chernaya Dyra
- Chernyi bal
- Ya svoboden
- Krasnye pyatna
- Prorok
- Demon
NOUMENA SETLIST
- Silent Words
- The Heralds of Fall
- Slain Memories
- Misanthropolis
- Handful of Dust
- Kohtu
- Ajaton
- Murhenäytelmä
- Mania (Live premiere)
- Saatto
- Metsän Viha
- Sleep
- Triumph and Loss
- The End of the Century
- Bleakest Essence
