We know that CHILDREN OF BODOM are winding down for the year, as well as saying farewell to most of their original line-up. With a Finnish club tour still in support of “Hexed” and a finale announced for the end of 2019, fans near and far have been coming to Finland to see the end of an era for one of Finland’s most influential bands, and Musicalypse had a special guest journalist, Tomomi FujiFuji, all the way from Osaka, Japan, to review the show for us! The show took place at Tavastia in Helsinki on December 10th, 2019. Check out the full gallery here.
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The shows this winter are the end of an era now that CHILDREN OF BODOM‘s current line-up has decided to part ways. The band’s popularity is evident, as the events in Helsinki and Jyväskylä were sold out. It’s hard to believe this show was taking place in such a small venue as Tavastia, rather than The Circus or even Jäähalli where their final show will take place, but maybe it is a nod to their fans from long ago.
The support acts this night were BLOODRED HOURGLASS and BRYMIR, who had come to Japan earlier this year as a part of Suomi Feast with BEAST IN BLACK. BRYMIR has played in Japan twice now, the first time back in 2017, and it was BLOODRED HOURGLASS‘ first time in our country.
First on stage was BRHG, a 5-piece band originating from Mikkeli. Their latest album, “Godsend,” was released in summer 2019. While enjoying the sorrowful melodies and guitar solos, the audience was further warmed by the intense blast-beats. They played a short set of seven songs, and only two of them were new: “Waves of Black” and “Alysia.” We have great expectations for what this band shows us in the future!
Bloodred Hourglass setlist
1. Six Feet Savior
2. Waves of Black
3. Quiet Complaint
4. Alysia
5. Valkyrie
6. Castle Ashtray
7. Where the Sinners Crawl
Next up on stage was BRYMIR, another 5-piece melodic death metal band, who hail from Helsinki. Their third album, “Wings of Fire,” came out in March of 2019. Before this tour with CHILDREN OF BODOM, they had been opening for BATTLE BEAST on one leg of their European Tour. Right away, the live performance was steady and strong, with a lot of energy. Drummer Patrik Fält brought our heart rates up, and the audience gladly raised their fists in rhythm with vocalist Viktor Gullichsen. The excitement in the venue was increased by the choice of setlist. They played almost all of “Wings of Fire,” and included two hits from their previous albums at the end, “For Those Who Died” and “Ragnarök.” The energy in the venue was electric.
Brymir setlist
1. Gloria in Regum
2. Rise on Spirit
3. Sphere of Halcyon
4. And So We Age
5. Vanquish the Night
6. Lament of the Ravenous
7. Starportal
8. Chasing the Skyline
9. Wings of Fire
10. For Those Who Died
11. Ragnarök
Finally, it was time for CHILDREN OF BODOM to appear. This show was part of the domestic Hexed Tour, but there was no final tour announced? The club was filled with complex emotions, including sadness and anticipation. Despite the bittersweet feeling, the crowd immediately came to life with excitement when the band came on stage. Alexi Laiho‘s vocals could be heard in every corner of the venue and the whole band put their full effort into the performance.
The stage chemistry between Laiho and Janne Wirman is still very much alive, which was heartwarming and made us smile. Of course, the performances from both were wonderful and the solos were great. The rhythm section of Henkka T. Blacksmith (bass) and Jaska Raatikainen (drums) had an edge as well as power. The show was balanced nicely around these two keeping everything in time. Of course, Daniel Freyberg on guitar was very good and all of our expectations from the whole band were met!
The show was still part of the Hexed Tour, so during their hour-and-a-half set they played new songs like “Under Grass and Clover,” “Platitudes and Barren Words,” and “This Road,” but also included a nice blend of older tracks like “Are You Dead Yet,” “Bodom Beach Terror,” and “Everytime I Die.” The main set finished with “I Worship Chaos” and “Angels Don’t Kill,” but they returned for an encore to play “Follow the Reaper,” “Hate Crew Deathroll,” and “Downfall.”
It was interesting to note that the band did not talk about the dissolution, but it was still a satisfying time. There were some fans who shed some tears after the show, and many people had come to support the band who had been with them for so long.
Children of Bodom setlist
1. Are You Dead Yet?
2. Under Grass and Clover
3. In Your Face
4. Platitudes and Barren Words
5. Shovel Knockout
6. Bodom Beach Terror
7. This Road
8. Leave Me
9. Everytime I Die
10. Deadnight Warrior
11. Hecate’s Nightmare
12. I Worship Chaos
13. Angels Don’t Kill
Encore:
14. Follow the Reaper
15. Hate Crew Deathroll
16. Downfall
Outro: (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party) – Beastie Boys
解散が発表されてからの地元公演。
ソールドアウトするなど根強い人気を持っているバンドだ。
これほどまでに人気のバンドがなぜThe Circus やアイスホールではなくTAVASTIAでコンサートを開催するなんて正直ウソではないかと感じた。しかし、きっとそこには彼らなりのファンへの恩返しがあったのだろうか。
今回のサポートバンドは BrymirとBloodred Hourglass の2バンド。
彼らは2019年に来日公演を行なっている。
(2017年Brymir 初来日、2019年Brymir再来日, BRHG初来日)
最初にステージに登場したのがMikkeli出身のメロディックデスメタルの5人組Bloodred Hourglass。2019年に”Godsend”をリリース。
哀愁漂うメロディラインやギターソロに耳を傾けながら、激しいブラストビートによって会場内が暖まっていく。これからの活動に大いに期待したいバンド。
次に登場したのは地元ヘルシンキ出身のメロディックデスメタルバンドの5人組Brymir。2019年に”Wings Of Fire”をリリース。
Children of Bodom とのツアー直前までBattle Beastとツアーを行なっており、ライブパフォーマンスは安定し、演奏力も高かった。
Drums.Patriksのドラムプレイに自然と心拍数は上がり、Vocal. Victorの定期的な煽りに客も自ずと拳を上げた。そして緩徐のついたセットリストによりオーディエンスの興奮は更に上昇。会場のボルテージは最高となった。
そしてついにChildren of Bodomの登場。
2019年に”Hexed”をリリース。それに伴う国内ツアーの予定であったが、まさかのファイナルツアーになるとは。会場内は寂しさや興奮など複雑な感情が混ざっていた。
バンドの登場に寂しさなどを忘れ、オーディエンスの興奮は一気に跳ね上がる。
常に会場内から歌声が聞こえ、それに応えるかのようにそれぞれメンバーも演奏に力をいれていた。
アレキシとヤンネの演奏中の掛け合いは健在。会場内を和ませ笑顔にさせていた。もちろん両者の演奏力は言うまでもなくすばらしく、ソロは聞き入ってしまうほどであった。
そしてリズム隊のヘンカとヤスカ。縁の下の力持ちとはこのことである。全体の流れの中心であるかのように演奏を行なっていた。
そしてダニエルの確実なギター演奏によってヘルシンキ公演は行われた。それぞれのパフォーマンスの高さはさすがなものであった。
Hexedのツアーではあったが新旧おり混ぜたライブで濃厚な1時間半あった。
特にメンバーから解散についての発言は聞かれなかったが満足のいく時間であった。
終演後には涙をする人もいるなど、受け入れがたい事実がここには存在するが、彼らのファンであることは変わりなく、永遠にサポートをしていきたいと感じた。
Written by Tomomi FujiFuji
Musicalypse, 2019
OV: 4877
Photos by Janne Puronen
