On February 1st, 2025, Korjaamo in Helsinki was the place to be for metalcore fans. Headlining the night was SILENT PLANET, who we had previously seen supporting POLARIS, but this time, they were on their own headlining tour. However, the real reason we showed up? VEXED, the U.K. modern metal powerhouse, making their first-ever appearance in Finland. Also on the bill: AVOID and LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES, two bands we were curious about but totally unprepared for.
First up, AVOID brought early 2000s metalcore vibes and pure golden retriever energy, thanks to frontman Benny Scholl. Their set was fun and had songs like “Hostage at a Beach House Party.” The crowd was wild from the start—mosh pits, circle pits, and one brave soul attempting (and possibly regretting) a stage dive. As someone who hates packed venues and values personal space, my anxiety meter was already in the red.
Then came VEXED, the main event (at least for us). They were the only support band that actually put together a cohesive set with an intro song. Frontwoman Meghan Targett absolutely owned the stage, delivering brutal vocals with insane power. At one point, she declared that the only person with big dick energy in the room was her—and the overwhelmingly male crowd cheered, which seemed a bit ironic. They played a killer seven-song set, with “Hideous” being an absolute standout. This band needs to return to Finland as soon as possible with their own headlining show.
By the time LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES hit the stage, my brain had checked out. They weren’t really my thing, but they went hard and the audience went feral. I vaguely remember ten songs, a lot of movement, and the vocalist hyping everyone up like we were about to storm a castle.
Finally, SILENT PLANET took over. We knew from their POLARIS tour that they were great, but I had never fully deep-dived into their music. It was a great introduction to their progressive blend of metalcore. One stand-out moment was when Meghan Targett of VEXED joined the stage during “Antimatter,” at which point I was taking a breather at the back, which is where I enjoyed the rest of the set from. The band was able to include 16 songs in their set, which seemed impressive, and well worth the while!
Photos by Laureline Tilkin
Avoid
Vexed
Like Moths to Flames
Silent Planet
Photos by Laureline Tilkin
