One should not miss the chance to see two of the most representative Finnish metal bands of all time, sharing the stage and celebrating the release of their albums, which coincidentally were both published on October 18th, 2024. I am talking about SWALLOW THE SUN and ENSIFERUM, who were playing a bunch of shows in Finland recently, starting from December 5th in Lahti, at Finlandia-Klubi, which is the show we attended.
Admittedly, I am way more familiar with SWALLOW THE SUN, having attended about twenty shows of theirs, in the past years. Their most recent album, “Shining,” kind of shocked their fanbase due to some new elements and a pop-ish production, and honestly it took quite a while for me to actually start enjoying the album, then I got to the point where I needed to listen to it at least once a day. I was incredibly curious to see how the new songs would turn out in a live setting, besides a genuine interest in witnessing how such different bands would affect the atmosphere, playing on the same night.
There were many youngsters in the audience, as there was no age limit for the event, and I even spotted kids with their parents, wearing conveniently small band shirts. Such a setting says a lot about metal music in this country, and believe me, as a foreigner, I still do not take this for granted. Speaking of, there were quite a lot of people traveling from abroad to attend this concert, which is always nice to hear.
About 3 minutes before SWALLOW THE SUN were supposed to take the stage, one of their new songs, “Velvet Chains,” was playing in the background. Its delicate, soothing vibe set the right mood as Juha, Matti, Juho, Mikko, and Juuso took their places. A female voice in the background was reciting the lines of the chorus of “Innocence was long Forgotten,” as a clear anticipation of what was about to happen. In fact, that was the opening tune, which is also the first song on “Shining.” Their music really has a certain something words cannot explain, as the intense feeling of being part of their world hits hard every single time. Guitarist and composer Juha Raivio, iconic as always, was pointing at us, and his hands seemed to my eyes as if they were drawing an invisible path in the air. Singer Mikko‘s stage presence and skills never disappoint, while bassist Matti‘s and guitarist Juho‘s energetic and engaging attitudes perfectly pair with Juuso‘s precise and masterful drumming. All of them were wearing hooded shirts, except for Juho (whose “thrash metal” attitude in moving his head to the beat works wonders in terms of overall stage presence) and Juuso.
“What I have Become” followed, and its addictive, extremely catchy chorus saw many people in the audience singing along to it: not bad for a pretty new tune, I would say… its thick bass line and the alternate growl/clean parts did stand out in such a live setting, and thinking that it was the very first time for the band to perform this tune, along with the other brand-new ones, was mind-blowing.
A fragment from “Lumina Aurea” (the part with the Gregorian choir provided by the members from THE FORESHADOWING) followed as an intro, right before the female voice recited some verses from “When a Shadow is Forced into the Light.” I really appreciated this trick, as it set the vibe according to what we should be prepared for. The title track from that album, released in 2019, incorporates many shades of the band’s trademark sound, and the screaming part reveals Mikko’s versatility once again. The emotional drive was very intense, on and off stage, and I felt grateful for being there and witnessing such a painful yet beautiful performance. I might have some sort of a cognitive bias, but I do see Juha Raivio’s ability to “speak” to his audience on a deeper level as a fact and, as hurtful as it can be to feel like he is telling a story someone can relate to, seeing his feelings turned into words and music delivered with such passion, bravery, and honesty is a gift I do not take for granted.
“Under the Moon & Sun” followed, introduced by the female voice. Its distinctive pop vibe on the chorus sounded great, paired with that unmistakable SWALLOW THE SUN trademark approach which makes the band one-of-a-kind, regardless of how many other acts have tried to imitate them and incorporate their unique style, no matter if we are talking about old or new songs.
There was complete silence and a discrete handclapping to the beat on the clean guitar intro of “This Cut is the Deepest,” from their album “Emerald Forest and the Blackbird,” which was welcomed with enthusiasm. “Woven into Sorrow” followed, from their previous album “Moonflowers,” which saw Juho, Matti, and Juha headbanging synchronically, while Mikko was holding the mic stand as if it was a helm, sailing with us in that sea of despair. Juho provided some excellent, gut-wrenching backing vocals, then they went back to the new album, with “Charcoal Sky” – which, I realized, sounds a lot like their earlier stuff, and “MelancHoly,” which I honestly consider among their most representative tunes ever, due to its narrative and musical features.
The female voice in the background started reciting some lines from “New Moon,” and I must admit that I had teary eyes at that point. Some tunes hit differently, as they carry feelings and memories that remain untouched throughout the years. This is the extraordinary power of art, and in case you were still wondering, SWALLOW THE SUN are absolute master at it. I also noticed that a guy next to me was singing along to the guitar solo played by Juho, and to be honest I did not see that coming…
“Night will Forgive Us,” the closing tune of “Emerald Forest and the Blackbird,” followed. Then I realized once again that they really give it all on stage, making every song a sort of small movie where they totally expose their deepest feelings and share them with us, in a cathartic exchange that brings us closer and closer to each other. They all left the stage, and then we were calling the band’s name out loud. Mikko thanked us and announced “November Dust.” Since the first time I listened to it, I have been wondering what this song would sound like in a live setting. The TYPE O NEGATIVE vibe was even stronger than I imagined, but still in a perfect balance with Juha’s unmistakable touch. The way he uses his whole body to interpret his own music, letting the music flow, transcends any regular live shows, as the audience can really feel where the tunes come from.
The closing song they chose was “Swallow (Horror pt. 1)” from their debut album “The Morning Never Came.” Needless to say, that one was a nice treat for long-time supporters, but I guess everyone really loved it. The alternate growl/scream chant, along with the incredible drum work provided by Juuso, did make the tune a full-fledged classic. Mikko thanked us once again, and then they left. Juha was the last one leaving, and I am quite sure they do know how much we have missed them…
It took about 30 minutes for ENSIFERUM to take the stage, enough time to decompress and get ready for that big shift in atmosphere I have mentioned before. “Aurora,” from their most recent full-length album, “Winter Storm,” worked as a perfect intro, during which the band members took their place, followed by “Fatherland,” from the same album, whose raw yet thoughtful energy took me off guard. The first thing I noticed about the band is that basically every member (except drummer Janne Parviainen, whose energetic style amazed me) is a full-fledged singer besides playing guitar, bass, or keyboards. The theatrical effect given by this specific feature was very strong, and of course, made a lot of sense if the peculiar themes of the songs are taken into consideration. Singer and guitarist Petri Lindroos encouraged the audience to participate, and we reacted accordingly. “Twilight Tavern,” taken from their fourth album, “From Afar,” followed, and I noticed there was a circle pit next to me. An intriguing blend of solemn and party vibes surrounded the place, and I was genuinely curious to see what they had in store for us…
Petri thanked us again and announced “Treacherous Gods,” mentioning guitarist Markus Toivonen as the songwriter. The song was taken from their self-titled debut album released in 2001, back then the lineup was totally different except for Markus, but it is always interesting to see how a band has evolved throughout the years with such crucial changes. The clean singing part was provided by keyboardist Pekka Montin, along with bassist Sami Hinkka, and Markus as well, which created an incredibly evocative effect. The harsh vocals provided by Petri were top-notch. He then announced “Winter Storm Vigilantes,” from their latest album. There were people sitting in the pit and rowing, nothing new for a folk metal show, but it was impressive to witness. Sami and Markus were switching their places, keeping the whole show lively and very dynamic.
The next song was “Lai Lai Hei,” which has a thick folkish vibe I really appreciated. It is an older tune, being that it is taken from “Iron,” released back in 2004. The first verse is in Finnish, and literally everyone around me was singing along. Bassist Sami incited us to sing along also to the chorus, and at that point, the audience was on fire. They thanked us, and I was genuinely happy to see that amount of mutual love and gratitude.
Another brand-new song followed, “Long Cold Winter of Sorrow and Strife,” which saw the clean singing skills of keyboardist Pekka giving their best. Many people in the audience were clapping to the beat, a nice first impression for a just-released tune. The lights got lower as the following tune was about to begin: it was “Victorious,” which closes the new album. The circle pit next to me got wilder and wilder, and I have a feeling that the guys on stage were quite happy to see that reaction. Petri announced “Andromeda” as the next song, from “Thalassic,” their second-to-last album released about 4 years ago. Sami was literally jumping up and down while playing his 6-string bass so effortlessly, and I noticed that many people in the audience were literally dancing, and they kept on doing it also during “The Howl.”
A significant change of mood occurred when they announced “Two of Spades,” as its punk-rockish vibe with a bit of disco, as described by Petri himself, was quite different if compared to the rest of the gig. The ABBA-like part, sung in Finnish, was absolutely hilarious. Someone in the audience shouted “Perkele,” and that was fun, too. Petri thanked us and said that they were about to play the last tune, “Victory Song.” Its long, instrumental intro was very solemn and welcomed with emotion by fans. Many people were singing along to the main melody, while Petri was facing the drummer in a bromance bandmates’ moment, then he took place at the center of the stage and delivered those epic lines.
They all left the stage after that, but came back immediately, playing some blues. I was shocked, in a good way. Petri announced “Iron” as the upcoming song, from which I learned that “there’s nothing that whiskey can’t cure” and “iron is stronger than death.” I will make the best use of these valuable life lessons. They bid goodnight and took a picture with the audience in the background, then they left the stage.
I have to admit ENSIFERUM was not the band I expected to see after a SWALLOW THE SUN show, but it was a nice experience on so many levels. The contrast in their worldviews and overall sound is huge, but these bands both represent Finland in such a passionate way I cannot help but praise both, and I do apologize, as I am well aware that Finns do not want to be praised. Hoping that they will forgive me, I also hope to see them soon again.
Written by Licia Mapelli
Photos by Mirko L.
Setlist Swallow the Sun
- Innocence was long Forgotten
- What I have Become
- When a Shadow is Forced into the Light
- Under the Moon & Sun
- This Cut is the Deepest
- Woven into Sorrow
- Charcoal Sky
- MelancHoly
- New Moon
- Night will Forgive Us
- November Dust
- Swallow (Horror pt. 1)
Setlist Ensiferum
- Fatherland
- Twilight Tavern
- Treacherous Gods
- Winter Storm Vigilantes
- LAI LAI HEI
- Long Cold Winter of Sorrow and Strife
- Victorious
- Andromeda
- The Howl
- Two of Spades
- Victory Song
- Iron
