As the autumn fully takes hold of Finland, people get to enjoy a rare weekend of sunny weather and the colorful trees with their leaves carpeting the streets. Saturday evening on October 18th, 2025, at Ääniwalli offered a very solid concert lineup mixing sludge, doom, stoner, and a touch of blackened death elements. This explosive formula drew a pretty sizable crowd to the venue. The occasion being CONAN‘s promotion of their latest “Violence Dimension,” the evening included DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE, the American THRA, and KAISER.
It was the latter that opened the evening with their groovy stoner tunes and energetic vibe, particularly from their restless vocalist and guitar player, Otu. Taking most of their set from their newest effort, “2nd Sound,” the band confirmed itself again as a dynamic trio with a good grip on their audience. Not the first time we crossed paths with them, and clearly the same was true for much of the audience already at the venue, as many seemed to be quite familiar with the guys on stage (but then again, the scene is what it is, and everyone pretty much knows each other). Their set was rather short, but they clearly left a positive imprint at the beginning of the night, setting up the stage for THRA.
The most “exotic” of the bands performing tonight, from Phoenix, Arizona, was a pleasant surprise for those who were not very familiar with their music. Described as “blackened sludge/death,” the band has currently only one full-length under their belt, but shows good promise with their aggressive sound, with nods to bands such as INTER ARMA and DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT. They drew the attention of the audience with every minute, and surely will have gained some new fans tonight.
Speaking of fans, DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE is one of those bands that can count a loyal following of devotees, visible in the enthusiasm of the crowd from the get-go of their show. The band responded in kind, and surely their charismatic vocalist plays a big part in why their shows are so engaging. Of course, the music does the rest, and while showcasing their latest effort, “Absolutely Launched”, they are the band that truly ignited the whole venue in preparation for the headliners. We have seen DDJ many times over the years, and they have always delivered when they have been called to play live. If you like this blend sludge/stoner metal, you should do yourself a favor and check them out at the next occasion.
Thanks to yet another good performance from the previous band, CONAN had the way paved for them to successfully take this evening to the end with a bang. Featuring a new bass player (David Ryley) compared to their last Finnish appearance, the trio led by Jon Davis received a warm welcome from their fans, starting the show with a couple of tracks from the new record. One thing to know for sure whenever going to a CONAN show is that it’s going to be LOUD, and oh boy, that was exactly as it should be! The aptly named venue was filled with a wall of sound that invested the audience from start to finish. The three Englishmen really gave a satisfactory conclusion to a great night for the lovers of the genre. “Volt Thrower” closed their show, and for the unprepared, the queueing for the cloakroom began. Luckily, we have been around for a while and already got our jacket way ahead, and the night was still relatively young, as the gig ended shortly after 11PM.
Together with the upcoming ORANGE GOBLIN gig next month, this was one of those “not-to-miss” events for this busy autumn. We are glad we were here to witness once again the greatness of this band, as well as the three supporting acts, which together formed a really solid package. Check our photo gallery here…
KAISER
THRA
DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE
CONAN
