As autumn and darkness began to envelop Finland, as they do every year around this time, we made our way downtown to Bar Loose for the first part of Two Nights of Decent Heavy Metal. Mr. Paul Speckmann was set to perform a double set, tonight as MASTER and the following day as DEATH STRIKE.
The evening kicked off with FRIGID WINTER, an all-female combo that we had previously seen in action during the summer as a warm-up for BONGZILLA. Back then, the trio stood out for their primitive black metal sound, and today they confirmed their prowess with a powerful display of raw energy and haunting screams in front of the early arrivals at the venue. Despite a minor technical hiccup with the drums, they impressed the crowd.
Next up was RANGER, who appear to have evolved in their style as the band members have matured. They’ve moved away from pure speed and rage toward more deliberate riffs and complex melodies, evident in their latest release, “Ylös Raunioista / Risen From The Ruins.” While they did include some older material in their relatively short set, it’s clear that the band, along with their audience, has been gradually evolving in a more mature direction.
MASTER kept the audience waiting for some time as the drummer had to rebuild the entire kit and was visibly dissatisfied with the sound quality (as Speckmann later described it, “sounds like we are playing with cardboard boxes”). There also appeared to be issues with one or more monitors being down. Despite these setbacks, the trio performed professionally and received a warm welcome from the cheering fans, many of whom were proudly sporting MASTER t-shirts or hoodies.
Starting with their namesake song “Master,” the set also featured some DEATH STRIKE material (“Terrorizer,” “Re-entry and Destruction,” “Pay to Die”), perhaps for those who wouldn’t attend the show the next day. While it may not have been the band’s best performance, they clearly faced technical challenges and were visibly irritated. Nevertheless, the evening had a great atmosphere, and the front row of the crowd was fully engaged.
As the show started late and the next day was a workday for many, most people quickly made their way home as soon as the final notes of the last song faded. However, they were likely to return the next day for more.
FRIGID WINTER
RANGER
MASTER
Photos by Marco Manzi
