Kulttuuritalo has been quite active lately in filling the void of metal and rock venues that has plagued Helsinki over the last few years. As it happens, this gig was once again sold out. It has also been a while since the last time RIVAL SONS came here to play, so one can understand the enthusiasm of their fans now that the band has returned to promote the new albums “Darkfighter” and the even more recent “Lightbringer.” This has certainly been a prolific year for them.
There was a mishap with the schedule as the venue was originally supposed to open one hour earlier, and the showtimes also changed as a consequence. The result was that the venue got quite crowded from the beginning, with much of the audience simply waiting for the doors leading to the concert hall to be opened so they could grab a spot in the front—at least those with no assigned ticket.
This small inconvenience aside, things went quite smoothly from here on. The venue was already quite full when the rockers L.A. EDWARDS, named after the vocalist/guitarist of the band, came on stage to entertain the crowd with their groovy riffs and that classic rock sound. This sound is born from the frontman’s inspiration, along with his two brothers who also play guitar and drums in the band (nowadays a five-piece). The guys played mostly from their fourth and latest release, “Out of the Heart of Darkness,” and it’s evident they enjoy what they do. However, at the same time, they seem to lack the proverbial spark that would spice things up a little. Before the end of the set, we preceded the rest of the crowd downstairs for a quick break, waiting for the headliners.
Right on time, RIVAL SONS were welcomed by the cheers of their fans to the notes of one of the newest songs in the set: “Mirrors.” During the show, there were so many changes of instruments that at some point, it started to feel normal seeing the stagehands providing different guitars to the guys on stage in the breaks between pretty much every song. That being said, the band appeared to have aged like fine wine, adding more depth and introspection to their repertoire with their latest records.
Obviously, the fan favorites were what stirred the audience the most (“Pressure and Time,” “Face of Light,” “Too Bad,” “Keep On Swinging,” to name a few), but the whole set was richer than ever, including a drum solo and two guitar solos—in order by Scott Holiday and the lead singer Jay Buchanan—for a total of about two hours. It was an impressive display, and one their fans will have imprinted in their minds for some time after the show. Check our gallery here…
L.A. EDWARDS
RIVAL SONS
Photos by Marco Manzi
