August is a strange time in Finland; some people are back to work, some are on vacation. Some days it feels like summer, and some others it shows the first signs of autumn approaching. Some days, there are all sorts of outdoor events, such as today, on August 14th, 2025, being the annual night of arts, but it so happens there are also some beer-drinking crazy old Germans visiting. We couldn’t miss TANKARD in their first of these three Finnish shows here at On The Rocks.
Together with these Teutonic thrash metal veterans we found the ever-present PRESTIGE and local heroes RANGER, livening up the evening before the main act. Being the younger of the lot, even though they have had their respectable 16+ years of career on their backs, RANGER still had the excitement in them of the kids who get to play with some of their teenage idols. They transferred that energy into their performance in front of the early fans gathering at the venue. They focused mainly on their older material, more perhaps more raw but that worked well for the occasion.
Following up was PRESTIGE with their very traditional – and US-influenced – Finnish thrash, being one of the historical names in the genre along with STONE and NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE, to name a couple. At least until the early nineties, until they made a comeback nearly 15 years later. They played a mix of newer and early material, with a fairly short set (like the previous band), in which they kept the audience’s attention alive, frequently interacting with them while showcasing their repertoire.
Time went by really fast, and eventually it was TANKARD‘s turn to grab the scene. The German foursome began with “One Foot In The Grave” from their 2017 record of the same name. Welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd, the band immediately owned their full attention, and oftentimes took advantage of the many beers coming their way from all directions. Their set was incredibly well-balanced across 40 years of discography, but despite not getting any younger, they still know how to party, and they were not shying out from it. After “Rules For Fools” – approximately midway through the show – came a short break leading into “Time Warp.” At this point, the whole of On The Rocks was singing along through most of the songs, heads banging, some people moshing, the full package. The temperature rose even more when “Die With A Beer In Your Hand” began the slow but inevitable ride towards the end of the show. Eventually, we arrived at the encore, between the applause and more beer flowing, as well as the tradition of inviting one of the ladies on stage to dance along with the vocalist Gerre, then another encore, and the final moments with “(Empty) Tankard.” Hard to believe these guys have been playing for so long and yet they are able to still pull off such kind of show.
The evening ended relatively early, but the adrenaline from the gig was still affecting a good part of the fans in the audience. It’s been quite a while since TANKARD played here in the capital, and evidently, it had been long overdue. With two more shows to go here in Finland, we are confident that more beer will be flowing in a trail of alcoholic thrash metal madness!
RANGER
PRESTIGE
TANKARD
