2025 has had a calm opening concert season so far, but one of the highlights so far was undoubtedly another headlining ELUVEITIE show, marking their return to Finland after several years. The band, currently on tour across Europe, brought along AD INFINITUM and INFECTED RAIN as support, creating an exciting lineup for their stop in Helsinki on January 28th, 2025, at Kulttuuritalo.
Getting into the venue was… an experience. At first, I wondered if there were some technical hiccups, as the doors opened a good 15 minutes later than scheduled. Even once inside, the floor area was still closed off, leaving everyone waiting for at least another 10 minutes before we were finally allowed in. Not exactly the smoothest start. To add to the fun, after shelling out for the already overpriced cloakroom, I was informed that my zipped hoodie apparently counted as a coat and wasn’t allowed inside. News flash: it does get pretty chilly in there, folks. Challenges aside, the rest of the evening went pretty smoothly, and there were no other delays.
Even though AD INFINITUM has been around for a while, unless I missed the memo, I believe this was the symphonic metal outfit’s first time in Helsinki. Admittedly, while I’ve heard a lot of good buzz about this band, the modern symphonic metal scene isn’t exactly my jam these days. So, in a shocking plot twist absolutely no one saw coming, I didn’t recognize a single song they played. Still, I like to think I’m an open-minded metalhead when the occasion calls for it, so I went in with zero expectations—always a safe bet. While their music isn’t quite my style, I have to hand it to them: these guys know how to put on a show. Frontwoman Melissa Bonny wasn’t new to me, as I’d seen her crush it live with KAMELOT before, so I already knew she has an incredibly dynamic stage presence. The song that stood out to me most was “Upside Down,” off their latest album, “Abyss.” Altogether, the band had a pretty early showtime, and since it was still early in the year—and a Tuesday, no less, in Finland—the audience seemed to be in full “haven’t-had-my-coffee-yet” or “forgot-to-take-my-vitamin-D” mode. Despite the crowd’s midweek sluggishness, the band handled the lukewarm enthusiasm with style, pouring energy into their performance like they were caffeinating the entire venue. They worked hard to get the audience hyped, and by the end, it was safe to say they’d managed to thaw out the Finnish frostiness, at least a little.
The night continued with the Moldovan genre-bending metal outfit INFECTED RAIN. This 4-piece always puts on an engaging show, and since this was their first night joining the tour, you could practically feel the excitement buzzing through their performance. The last time I saw the band was at Jäähalli, which, while a great venue, is so big it sometimes loses that special band-audience energy that makes shows like these so much fun. In that sense, I’m not entirely sure if Kulttuuritalo is the perfect fit for this band either because of it’s huge stage, but at least there was more intimacy this time around.
That said, singer Lena Scissorhands wasn’t about to let the notoriously reserved Finnish crowd off easy. She spent much of the show trying to challenge them—asking for mosh pits a few times, telling them to grab their friends “like in kindergarten,” urging them to jump, and even affectionately calling them Sleepy Finns. To her credit, the approach seemed to work, and by the end of their set, the audience was wide awake and roaring, ready for the main event. Highlights of their performance included, of course, songs like “DYING LIGHT” and “Because I Let You,” which added the perfect finishing touches to their high-energy set.
Finally, it was time for the folk metal legends ELUVEITIE to take the stage. It had been a few years since I’d seen them headline a show, and I have to admit, I’d missed it. While I’ve caught them several times at festivals, a band with so many members and instruments can sometimes be a hit or miss when it comes to getting the sound just right. Kulttuuritalo isn’t exactly the easiest venue for mixing metal either—it wasn’t really designed with heavy shows in mind. But I figured the ELUVEITIE team knew what they were doing, and lo and behold, they totally did. The sound, lights, and overall production were on point, making for a fantastic show.
The set kicked off with “Helvetios,” and while it feels like they just released it yesterday, it’s already 13 years old. Time flies when you’re headbanging, right? Still, it’s a classic that always hits the mark and gets the crowd fired up. The setlist itself was a solid blend of old and new. With their upcoming album, “Ànv,” due for release in April 2025, it made sense to include the songs already out there. While their latest single, “The Prodigal Ones,” isn’t exactly my personal favorite, tracks like “Aidus,” “Exile of the Gods,” and especially “Premonition” were absolute bangers live.
Another positive aspect of Kulttuuritalo is that it must’ve been quite nice for the band to have such a spacious stage where they could actually perform without the risk of tripping over one another. ELUVEITIE is one of the record-holders for the number of band members on stage, and that can definitely be a challenge in smaller venues, but here, they had room to breathe. Maybe that’s why everyone seemed so happy and relaxed—although it could also just be because they genuinely love touring. That said, it was a bit odd to see the band without a designated hurdy-gurdy player, but Matteo and Sophie did a great job filling in. Still, it was a bit disheartening to see the instrument tucked away in the back when it used to take center stage!
Apart from their new songs, the band also treated us to a solid selection of ELUVEITIE classics, including “Slania’s Song,” “A Rose for Epona,” “The Call of the Mountains,” “Havoc,” and “King.” “King” marked the end of the main set, but the band wasn’t done yet—they came back for two encores, “Premonition” and, of course, the iconic “Inis Mona.” While the evening had started with a slightly tired and lethargic Tuesday-night crowd, by the end, the band had successfully stirred up plenty of singing, headbanging, and even some mosh pits. Not bad for a Tuesday night in early January, huh?
Text and photos by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- Helvetios
- Ategnatos
- Tarvos
- The Prodigal Ones
- Exile of the Gods
- Slania’s Song
- A Rose for Epona
- Epona
- Ànv
- Aidus
- Deathwalker
- The Call of the Mountains
- Ambiramus
- Havoc
- King
Encore:
16. Premonition
17. Inis Mona
