2024 was a goldmine for killer records! One show that had my excitement dialed up to 11 took place at Vanha Ylioppilastalo in Helsinki, featuring not one, but two bands with albums that made my “unskippable” list. VOLA‘s “Friend of a Phantom” easily secures a spot among the best prog albums of the year—change my mind. And if Charlotte Wessels’ latest with her band THE OBSESSION isn’t a top contender for album of the year, I’ll eat my shoe. The addition of Danish prog metal marvels FEATHER MOUNTAIN, a band we weren’t too familiar with (but we never say no to getting to know one more prog band), tipped the scales. So, on November 6th, 2024, we headed to Vanha Ylioppilastalo to see if the live renditions of these cool new songs could live up to the hype.
FEATHER MOUNTAIN kicked off the night, and they turned out to be a delightful surprise. The Copenhagen-based progressive metal band had just enough time to pack about four songs into their set, but it was plenty to convince us that their 2022 album, “To Exit a Maelstrom,” was definitely worth a post-show deep dive. We had done our homework and listened to their latest single, “The Hedonist,” beforehand, and thankfully, they slipped it into their short-but-mighty set. Their sound had shades of TESSERACT, but with more solos and an extra dash of heaviness.
The show’s production was simple yet effective, with LED lighting columns adding a touch of drama. Granted, there’s only so much wizardry you can pull off at Vanha Ylioppilastalo, but even with the notoriously purple lighting (a nightmare for concert photographers), it looked pretty slick. At one point, the singer introduced the band, proudly announcing, “We’re Feather Mountain from Denmark,” before adding, “and we like your trams.” Fair point—our trams are pretty cool.
The last time I saw Charlotte Wessels perform must have been at Graspop Metal Meeting—either 2016 or 2019, or who knows, it feels like a lifetime ago anyway. In any case, it had been way too long. Fans of the powerhouse singer had been chomping at the bit to finally hear her belt out just about any notes on European stages again. And after what I can only imagine was the smoothest DM slide into VOLA’s inbox in the history of music, she was back!
Her band, aptly named THE OBSESSION, boasts an all-star lineup of familiar faces from the Dutch metal scene: guitarist Timo Somers, bass player Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije, drummer Joey Marin de Boer, and keyboard wizard Sophia Vernikov. Charlotte’s third solo album, “The Obsession“—the first to feature her full band—is definitely one for the books. Needless to say, this show was one to get excited about!
The band kicked things off with “The Obsession“’s opener, “Chasing Sunsets,” setting the stage for what would be a memorable night. Right from the first note, it was clear that Charlotte Wessels was simply born to be on stage, and after five long years away, it felt like a terrible wrong had been righted. She’s a burst of energy that effortlessly pulls the audience in and makes them feel like part of the show. Timo Somers, who I last saw crushing it at AYREON‘s Live Beneath the Waves, was equally entertaining—throwing down tight-as-heck riffs and interacting with the crowd like he was catching up with old friends. Meanwhile, Otto, Sophia, and Joey took a more chill approach on set, but the band’s chemistry on stage made it a hard-to-beat performance.
The setlist for the night was pure “The Obsession“—no detours into Charlotte’s earlier solo albums (well except for “Soft Revolution,” I guess.) And while it would’ve been a treat to hear a live rendition of “Human to Ruin,” the songs they chose flowed together seamlessly, especially given the limited stage time. They nailed all the heavy-hitters from the album, even playing “Dopamine,” which features Simone Simons on the record. I have mad respect for bands that don’t rely on taped backing tracks for guest parts, so when “Ode to the West Wind” came around without Alissa White-Gluz’s growls, it felt authentic, and honestly, they weren’t missed. That said, I may or may not have crossed my fingers hoping Alissa would have stuck around Helsinki one more day to make a surprise appearance—but alas, no such luck.
A standout moment of the set came when Charlotte introduced “The Crying Room.” She joked about the irony of singing a song about stage fright and decided to fully embrace the moment by making an ass of herself and pulling on a T-shirt that read “I Love Crying.” Cue me silently cursing the merch gods for not making that shirt available in Helsinki (it is now, by the way—where do I sign up?). She asked, “Who here loves crying?” and got an enthusiastic response from the crowd before casually tossing a random fruit bar into the audience. Turns out, Charlotte’s not just a talented singer; she’s also a snack-prepping genius with cargo pants full of lifehacks.
The show had plenty of highlights, but two moments took the crown: “Soft Revolution” with its stunning, almost magical light show, and the grand finale, “The Exorcism.” This track is just a powerhouse live, and the lighting—drenched in red as if a real exorcism was about to go down—was a brilliant touch. I heard from a few people who claimed the song gave them chills, and honestly, with Charlotte’s piercing vocals and her growls, I get it. Charlotte Wessels‘ show was just the dopamine hit we needed for the night to truly kick off—and we hadn’t even been served the main course yet.
The first time I saw VOLA was when they supported KATATONIA in 2016, and they’ve always left a huge impression on me. But despite knowing them for 8 years now, I’ve never managed to catch a headlining show. Curse you, damned COVID—the ultimate concert crasher! That’s the main reason I couldn’t make it to their Helsinki show in 2022. Anyway, I had heard a ton about their live performances, especially their lighting—so color me intrigued! Expectations? Sky-high. Anticipation? More intense than my anxiety before an IKEA self-checkout. I was genuinely curious to see what they’d bring to the table. Much like FEATHER MOUNTAIN, they had a few LED light columns behind them, but the stage felt a bit more polished and sleek, like something designed by a Scandinavian minimalist who would judge your taste in curtains and would call your living room greige.
The start of the set was a bit of a surprise. They opened with the softer “I Don’t Know How We Got Here,” which featured a lot of atmospheric lighting. The lighting was a soft, dim glow that felt like the opening scene of a moody, indie sci-fi movie—perfect for drawing everyone into the moment; a stunning effect. They followed up with “We Will Not Disband,” another mellow track to ease us in. I think they just wanted to get all the atmospheric bangers out of the way before diving into the heavier stuff, and boom! Third song—“Stone Leader Falling Down.” Prog metal fans can be a little reserved during shows, but even they couldn’t resist giving it their all during this track.
VOLA clearly thought a lot about what songs to include (thankfully leaving all the bangers in), though “These Black Claws” features rap vocals on a backing track, it’s still one of the most bad-ass prog anthems ever. “Glass Mannequin” was a surprise for me—it’s the kind of track most bands might ditch in favor of a crowd-pleaser, but the vocal effects on this one were so moving that I almost teared up. I don’t even know if I’d ever heard “Gutter Moon” live before, so hearing it in the set was another pleasant surprise. It’s definitely a deep cut, but a cool one to see live.
Another highlight was “Cannibal.” I had been dying to hear it live, and it did not disappoint. I was secretly crossing my fingers that IN FLAMES‘ singer Anders Fridén would stick around just one more day in Helsinki to make his cameo on stage with VOLA. Dammit, Stockholm, I see you! Instead, we got Markus Hentunen, singer of Finnish prog newcomers ROYAL SORROW (formerly EDGE OF HAZE). I’d never heard him growl before, so that was a fun surprise and made me curious to check out what ROYAL SORROW have in store for us in 2025.
“24 Light-Years” is another track that can tug at my heartstrings. It created one of those cinematic moments when vocalist Asger Mygind started singing a cappella, and the whole room collectively forgot to breathe. The audience always joins in for a second round of the chorus, and it’s just as beautiful as you’d expect. Then, one of my personal favorites from their latest record, “Bleed Out,” gave us all a chance to headbang. That song is heavy, people. The set closed with my all-time favorite VOLA track, “Straight Lines,” followed by the encore “Stray the Skies,” which was the perfect way to end an already epic night. Although, Anders Fridén, you’ve got the right idea—next time, don’t let Stockholm steal all the fun. Stay in Helsinki and make that guest appearance happen!
Text & photos by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- I Don’t Know How We Got Here
- We Will Not Disband
- Stone Leader Falling Down
- These Black Claws
- Glass Mannequin
- Alien Shivers
- Gutter Moon
- Break My Lying Tongue
- Head Mounted Sideways
- Cannibal (ft. Markus Hentunen)
- 24 Light-Years
- Starburn
- Bleed Out
- Paper Wolf
- Straight Lines
- Stray the Skies (Encore)
