In April, adventure rock act HÄLLAS released another chapter, “Isle of Wisdom,” in their compelling progressive rock quest. In support of the release, the band hopped on a tour bus and visited several Finnish cities. We decided to check out their show at Kallio-based Kuudes Linja in Helsinki on October 18th, 2022.
Only a few days prior to the event, we noticed that Jonathan Hultén (ex-TRIBULATION) would also be performing as warm up act for the audience. Admittedly, while being a TRIBULATION fan, I had not yet had the opportunity to check out his solo material, so I was in for a wonderful surprise. Hultén mostly played material from his album, “Chants from Another Place”; equipped with a guitar and dressed in elegant garments, including an impressive head piece, Hultén unleashed his magical world upon the audience. With songs like “The Mountain” and “Where Devils Weep,” the set offered an emotive set of songs that were very fitting for the intimate club atmosphere. If there is one complaint, it is that there was a lot of noise coming from people chatting at the bar. Hultén wasn’t really bothered by it thankfully, but for me, it was difficult to get immersed in his performance because I would continuously get sucked out of a – what would have been – otherworldly experience.
After a short changeover, HÄLLAS was set to play their set. The band played a lot of songs, mostly coming from their latest studio offering, “Isle of Wisdom.” It was a truly great experience to see those songs come along as the band played through them with precision. Apart from these tracks, there were still lots of other highlights for the fans to discover, equally divided between the albums. My own personal highlights were “Carry On,” “Star Rider,” and “The Astral Seer.” The intimate club setting worked really well and despite the band not really addressing the audience all too much, the atmosphere among the audience was heartwarming. It sure looked like everybody had been waiting for this event for a while. HÄLLAS are a really great live band, as they are able to perform their complex songs with such ease that makes it entertaining to watch. Naturally, the fact that all of them wear capes is an added bonus! We can’t wait for the next time they set foot in Helsinki!
Jonathan Hultén
Hällas
Photos by Laureline Tilkin
