What happens when two titans of Finnish metal like ENSIFERUM and SWALLOW THE SUN get together to play a plethora of newly released music? At the sold-out Turku venue Teatro, we got to find out. Both bands are embarking on major tours around the world, first together through Finland, then heading to North America and the rest of Europe separately to continue to spread the good word of Finnish heavy metal through the first half of next year.
Viking metal veterans ENSIFERUM just released their “Winter Storm” album on October 18th, 2024. Now that the weather in Finland is befitting the album, it’s great timing for them to be sharing how these songs sound live. Released on the same day, October 18th, 2024, SWALLOW THE SUN’s newest album “Shining” follows their two-decade track record for dark and emotional metal releases.
Starting off the show with dazzling lights and clad in their signature black hoods, SWALLOW THE SUN began their set the same way that their newest album begins, with the popular intro track Innocence Was Long Forgotten. About half of their set was material from Shining, which gave a good balance between new songs and previous favorites like Swallow or Woven into Sorrow. Nobody can engross a crowd in a uniting melancholic energy quite like SWALLOW THE SUN. Mikko Kotamäki’s vocals have a way of tugging at your heartstrings, it’s hard not to get swallowed into the raw emotion of their music (no pun intended). This was clear by looking at the crowd, who were quieter and less rowdy than your average heavy metal crowd, stricken by the captivating introspective quality of SWALLOW THE SUN. It was a major boon that they had a full hour and a half set, it gave them the opportunity to really dive into their new content. I will be surprised if they don’t add some of these new songs to their standard setlist for years to come. Regardless, Finland will definitely not be the only one to experience this set, SWALLOW THE SUN will be touring North America early next year with HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY and GHOST BATH before moving on to the rest of Europe with STAM1NA and BEFORE THE DAWN.
When SWALLOW THE SUN was finished entrancing people in their gloomy atmosphere, ENSIFERUM took the stage to whip the crowd back into a true Viking fury. From the very first song they played, their great new track Fatherland, they had the crowd chanting along with the chorus and starting mosh pits. Does this song give anyone else SABATON vibes? Anyways, they followed this up with their 2009 hit Twilight Tavern, which, in addition to being great for nostalgia, did an awesome job showing off how consistent ENSIFERUM has been when it comes to releasing fiery, high-energy tunes that really get a crowd moving. Like SWALLOW THE SUN before them, ENSIFERUM struck a careful balance between new material and fan favorites. One of the best moments of any ENSIFERUM show is when they get the whole crowd singing in on Lai Lai Hei, and this show was no exception. Speaking of singing, I have to mention Pekka Montin’s exemplary clean vocals that he has been bringing to ENSIFERUM lately. Especially on the new songs that were written with his clean vocals in mind, he absolutely killed it. His voice blends really well with Petri Lindroos’ classic harsh vocals that ENSIFERUM is known for, and it really pushes their music to the next level. Markus Toivonen’s guitarwork on the album also deserves a shoutout, it was performed excellently, and he always looks like he’s having an absolute blast on stage. It really feels like ENSIFERUM has hit their stride recently, and I’m glad more people will get to experience their music. They will be touring North America with KORPIKLAANI and TROLLFEST early next year and then touring Europe with ALESTORM, TYR, and HEIDEVOLK.
This concert really showcased the full range of both bands’ discography and the expertise they’ve gained over the decades as leaders of the Finnish metal world. Both October-release albums were executed really well and worked fantastically as live performance tracks. Despite the fact that I literally just saw these bands live, I’m already jealous of the rest of the world for the tours that are about to hit them, and with such killer lineups too. These are some very worthwhile experiences, whether you lean more towards the dramatic and sorrowful pull of SWALLOW THE SUN or the jaunty Viking battle songs of ENSIFERUM.
Written by Ken Kirwin
Photos by Magdalena Niemczura
