Hypocrisy and Kataklysm touring together in Helsinki, who would have ever thought. I have been a big fan of Hypocrisy since I was a teenager. In fact “Warpath” and “Penetralia” have been some of my all-time favorite tracks and I have waited a long time to hear them live. When this doubleheader was announced I just knew I needed to be a part of it, especially because I haven’t seen Kataklysm live either.
The Circus seemed to fill up quickly as the first band of the evening The Spirit started out. The guys in front started the set with their backs to the audience. It created a very grim atmosphere, accentuated by the dark red lighting.
I hadn’t heard yet of the band, but I pressed an instant like on Facebook. The guys apparently are signed with Nuclear Blast. While playing their set I got an instant Dissection and Tribulation vibe from that, something that I liked very much. I feel frustrated that I somehow missed this album release and have to catch up now for the missed time. All-in-all The Spirit played a tight set and felt like a refreshing step forward for the melodic black metal scene. Hopefully, these guys are raiding Europe as we speak so we get to see a lot more shows of them in Finland!
After The Spirit, it was time for Hypocrisy to rise on the stage. A lot of people were attending a sold-out Steelfest, but not to worry because the abundant space was used by the audience to create chaos in a giant moshpit, of which I was happy to stay out of! I can’t believe how somehow who has such a peculiar and even scary voice can be such a nice guy. Constantly joking with the audience, a typical Peter Tägtgren, asking the people if they wanna go bananas and getting a big and positive response, are just some examples of how much of an energetic frontman he is apart from his playing style.
Not to mind that the setlist was a great combination of classics, we even got treated with some old songs! The band started off with “Fractured Millenium”, continued with “Valley Of The Damned”, straight into “End of Disclosure”, but there was plenty for everyone… My dream of hearing“Warpath” and “Penetralia” came out after a decade of waiting. 1 hour and 5 minutes the set was over, I was hoping for the band to come back, but no such thing happened, luckily there was one more band left to play.
The headliners of the evening Kataklysm were something I anticipated for a long time as well. I had never seen them live but have heard such great things about their concerts. The stories have been correct, the band also has an amazing energy on stage and it is such a shame that for some reason many people left during their set. The venue suddenly felt empty… I have no clue why.
The sound during Kataklysm was even better than during both sets and what an amazing light show and props. With their energetic and fast-paced setlist, the guys dominated the stage at The Circus. I will definitely attend one of their shows again when time allows, especially because their show seemed to be super short. If not too short. I hope to catch them with a longer set.
