Death was the theme on Saturday, not just because, once again, there were overlapping death metal gigs in town, but also due to what we were presented with – on very different and contrasting notes at the start and end of the evening here at Lepakkomies for the gig by Estonian/Italian, Tallinn-based death metal foursome FERUM (courtesy of Profanation Bookings).
It was an interesting yet very atypical choice to begin the evening with KUOLEMA-DUO. These two young ladies’ take on death and grief through gloomy, folk lullaby-like songs is quite unique, and somewhat fitting despite being so different from anything else offered tonight. Playing piano, acoustic guitar, violin, and various other instruments, the two created a veil of melancholic sadness pervading the room. The row of dead flowers adorning the front of the stage served its purpose well, so much so that it was kept there by the next band.
Another all-female band, the FRIGID WINTER trio, has been playing quite a bit around town over the last few months, and now the local audience is well-accustomed to the angry screaming of their vocalist/guitar player. Maybe one thing not too easy to get used to is the drummer having to replace part of the kit mid-set, which happened already last month (and possibly in a previous show) at Bar Loose. After a few times witnessing their energy, it looks like the band has otherwise been improving, enhancing their live act, which worked well to get the crowd ready for the headliner.
There were a lot of Italians in the front tonight due to the vocalist Samantha‘s origins, while the rest of the band is now made in Estonia. FERUM showed how a setting such as this at Lepakkomies fits perfectly in bonding with their crowd, delivering a tight show headed by their charismatic front(wo)man and drummer duo. The two newest additions also played their part nicely. The audience got fired up when the song “Desolate Vantaa” was introduced, and even after the gig, some curious Finns were asking about it, as well as complimenting the guys for their show.
The evening ended rather early, as is usually the case on a Saturday, so that the youngsters could start dancing to some dubious DJ set, but that’s how clubs nowadays can cash in a little bit extra. So, back to the frozen darkness of the night, fitting perfectly with the “frigid winter” theme.
KUOLEMA-DUO
FRIGID WINTER
FERUM
Photos by Marco Manzi
