On a snowy night, December 9th, 2022, heavy music enthusiasts gathered at the Utopia Club in Turku to enjoy four performances by local death metal bands.
The opening act, MORBIFIC, was a trio hailing from the small town of Kitee, very well-known to NIGHTWISH fans. With their first-ever gig in Turku, they were promoting their new album, “Squirm Beyond the Mortal Realm.” Their performance was pleasantly brutal and technically impressive. I would highly recommend checking them out if you’re a fan of the genre.
The second band to perform that night was CRYPTIC HATRED, a Helsinki-based death metal group, coming back to Turku after having released their debut album, “Nocturnal Sickness,” earlier this year. They delivered a powerful set full of technical guitar riffs that kept the crowd energized and engaged.
The third band performing that night was a Turku’s very own group called SICKNESS, stepping in for CHURCH OF THE DEAD, who had to cancel the show due to one of the band members’ sickness – no pun intended. The vocalist’s energy was out of this world. His performance was incredibly intense and captivating, as he moved around the stage with wild energy, filling the room with deeply guttural growls.
The last band of the night was SEPULCHRAL CURSE, a 5-piece from Turku, coming back with a new lineup and promoting their new EP, “Deathbed Sessions.” The lights were dimmed as the band took to the stage, creating a dark, mysterious atmosphere. They did not disappoint and delivered an intense set that had the crowd going wild. At one point, the band was joined by a guest vocalist, whose high-pitched screams balanced the deep growls of the main vocalist, Kari Kankaanpää. Their performance was filled with great energy and left the crowd exhilarated and entertained.
Check out the photo gallery of the event here…
Photos by Magdalena Niemczura
