Once again, we crammed ourselves into a full and sweaty Ääniwalli in Helsinki for GATECREEPER‘s “Dark Superstition European Tour,” joined by 200 STAB WOUNDS and ENFORCED on November 15th, 2024. It had been seven years since GATECREEPER last performed in Helsinki, following the release of their debut record at Wäiski. Since then, the band has come a long way and is now promoting their third full-length album, released this year via Nuclear Blast. The evening’s schedule was pushed back by 15 minutes for all bands to allow more fans to enter early—testament to the high expectations for this gig, one of three stops in Finland (the others being Tampere and Oulu).
The venue was already packed and difficult to navigate by the time ENFORCED hit the stage, igniting the crowd right from the start. The Virginia-based band immediately brought to mind POWER TRIP, delivering a blistering set that balanced tracks from their latest EP, “A Leap Into The Dark,” and their previous albums. Their energy and intensity were exactly what one hopes for from a top-tier crossover thrash band, and they did a fantastic job of riling up the audience—judging by the pungent wall of sweat emanating from the front of the venue.
Next up, 200 STAB WOUNDS kept the momentum high with a powerful set of death metal. Marking their first visit to Finland, the band used the opportunity to showcase their second album, “Manual Manic Procedures,” released last summer. Much of their setlist revolved around this new material, and the relatively young band performed with grit and conviction. By this point, focusing solely on the music became challenging as the mosh pit grew wilder and the crowd more chaotic. Stage divers flung themselves left and right, adding to the mayhem, and avoiding stray kicks became an exhausting task—one that only escalated with the headliners.
The long wait for GATECREEPER finally ended, much to the crowd’s delight. Opening with “Oblivion” from their latest album, the Arizona-based death metal band unleashed their groovy, Swedish-influenced sound. The crowd, already frenzied, needed only a few hand gestures from the vocalist to descend into total chaos. While their latest album has garnered mixed reviews, the audience responded most enthusiastically to tracks from their earlier works. The venue’s front transformed into a dense jungle of bodies, while those seeking refuge squeezed along the sides. The band closed their set with “Flamethrower” before returning for a brief encore to play “Boiled Over,” wrapping up a sweaty, intense, and utterly wild evening.
Stepping outside into the unseasonably mild November air felt like a small blessing after such an intense show. After downing a couple of glasses of water and catching our breath, it was a relief to not be greeted by freezing temperatures. Hopefully, it won’t take another seven years for GATECREEPER to return to Finland—after tonight’s reception, they surely won’t want to wait that long either!
ENFORCED
200 STAB WOUNDS
GATECREEPER
