There truly is no “rest for the sickest,” as thrash metal act LOST SOCIETY saw the release of their brand new album “No Absolution“ earlier this year and like many other bands around the globe, had the bulk of their shows canceled. In Finland, the course of the sickness has progressed mildly in comparison to the rest of the continent, making it possible for venues to organize shows with restricted capacities, complying with other safety and hygiene measures. While their original album release show was cancelled and thus held online, then concerts were postponed as a result of drummer Taz‘s hand injury, the band was schedule to play two shows at Tavastia on Halloween, 31 October 2020. We decided to attend the early show at 16:30. Check out our photo gallery here.
A safety announcement filled the venue in both Finnish and English, marking the beginning of the show. “This Is Why We Ride” by BODY COUNT soon filled up the venue as an intro and tensions were rising and came to a climax when the intro for “Nonbeliever” started player. This track probably is the best choice the band could ever make to start their show, the intense riffs were played heavier than ever, making for an energetic start. During their livestream concert, it was clear to me that its live rendition is a lot faster and more aggressive than its original and that was once again, the case this time around. The four-piece followed with “My Prophecy,” again keeping up spirits high. During the track, guitarist/vocalist Samy Elbanna‘s guitar strap got loose, but he nonetheless continued slaying the remainder of the track before he had the chance to fasten it once again.
With the strap once again in place, Elbanna made up for the lost energy during “Deliver Me”; while this song again is mostly oriented towards groove metal, midway through, a thrash metal assault hits you right in the face. In a live setting, this section is even more powerful, especially when followed by incredible solo work by guitarist Arttu Lesonen. While in normal times, “Blood On Your Hands” would have caused a swirling circle pit or aggressive mosh pit, people mostly respected the rules and instead, banged their heads like there was no tomorrow. The furious track is definitely one of the songs on the album that sounds the most fun live.
While most of the setlist was focused on their new album, “No Absolution,” there is one track that LOST SOCIETY probably should never pull out of their setlist: “I Am the Antidote,” which is definitely one of their most killer tracks. For this album cycle (even though there have barely been any shows), the band has chosen to do it a little bit differently. A lengthy piece of guitar mastery serves as the intro to this groove inferno, showcasing the incredible skills of both guitarists. While personally, this track for me will always be a banger to finish the setlist with, the spectacle surrounding it does really highlight their skillset, even though it somewhat slows the performance down. Nevertheless, it serves a little bit as a breather before all the other intense tracks of “No Absolution.” LOST SOCIETY continued their set with “Mark Upon Your Skin,” with its groovy and chugging rhythms manages to keep the spirits high. The radio-friendly “Artificial” offers the audience a little bit of a headspace after all the intensity. The four-piece sticks to the order of their album with follow up “Pray for Death” and “Outbreak (No Rest for the Sickest).”
After all the intense tracks, the band opted for the emotional “Into Eternity,” which recently reached 1 million streams on Spotify; an extremely beautiful piece that does serve a purpose so late on in the set, which is to regain strength during a slower track to blast into an epic finale. With the penultimate track of the evening, “Riot,” it almost felt like the band was challenging us not to bang our heads or trash the whole venue. Even though there may not have been any riots during this track due to the restrictions, the atmosphere was incredible and by the end of the last track, “No Absolution,” LOST SOCIETY showed the audience no mercy. With smiles on their faces, it was clear that the only place this band is meant to be is on stage. The future for live music might be grim for the remainder of the year, but when the four-piece will be able to tour again and hit your town, you’ll be blown away by their precision and energy.
Except for “Worthless,” the band played through their whole new album, leaving not much room for any tracks of other albums. The setlist, thus, was an incredible bundle of energy and for those who had been eagerly waiting to see these new songs live, well worth the while. While the stage look was kept quite minimal, it’s clear that these guys don’t need much to deliver an incredible, flawless show; just give them their gear and let them do their thing, it’s always a guaranteed success. If I have one small complaint, it’s that the rules that were set by the venue were not really followed strictly, which ultimately means that having restricted capacity defeats its purpose, since not everyone is keen on keeping their distance.
Finally, we may not know when we will be able to see LOST SOCIETY again or any concert for that matter but concerts like these, make you at least forget the rest of the world out there for a little bit and stresses out the importance of live music even more.
Photos and article by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- Nonbeliever
- My Prophecy
- Deliver Me
- Blood on Your Hands
- I Am the Antidote
- Mark Upon Your Skin
- Artificial
- Pray for Death
- Outbreak (No Rest for the Sickest)
- Into Eternity
- Riot
- No Absolution
