On June 13th, 2026, we had a chance to listen to some really good symphonic metal at Turku’s Nirvana club. One might think symphonic metal is on its way out, with fewer and fewer well-known bands playing it, but in fact, it is doing quite well in the local scene. Three great bands came to Nirvana on Saturday to play some good old-school symphonic metal, some hardcore, and then finish the evening off with just a bit of melodeath. Initially scheduled to play second, EGRES couldn’t make it due to personal reasons, BUNTCOLLAR came in on a moment’s notice and filled in for them.
First band of the night, MEMOIRA, came to us from Pori. Their bombastic, multifaceted music, together with soft operatic vocals, created an intricate soundscape, captivating and inviting you to keep listening. This year, they already released an EP called “Dollmaker” and a single “Memories,” which they played at the Turku show.
The second band of the night was BUNTCOLLAR, a young emerging hardcore group from Turku stepping in for EGRES. Their performance was rich in nice breakdowns and some really guttural vocals, encouraging the audience to headbang and mosh. Definitely a positive surprise, a band with tons of energy and really good music.
The last performance of the night was BLOOD RED NAILS, a band well-known to the local audience, having been seen many times on different stages across the city. They collaborated with the Turku Rock Academy to release their debut album, which came out last month. They play an interesting mix of metal genres, from old school death metal to modern nu-metal and melodeath, and definitely know how to entertain a crowd. Give them a listen if you have the chance.
Memoira
Buntcollar
BloodRedNails
