There are more likely places to find a good rock concert than a lunch café in the walking tube of Malmi railway station. Nevertheless, Café Miracle sports a steady run of concerts and although the settings are modest, there are some interesting up-and-coming names playing at the venue.
On a pre-Halloween Saturday night on November 29th, 2022, we set out to see what was going on in Malmi, as two underground rock names, DËVILIZER and MAJESTIES, played at the venue. DËVILIZER is a new name to Helsinki city rock scene, as this was only their second show ever. MAJESTIES, on the other hand, have been making a name for themselves for a few years already and recently published their first album, “Wind Cries in the Scarlett Night.”
DËVILIZER was the opening act on stage. They seem to have strong roots in stoner rock and even put out some BLACK SABBATH vibes with their songs. On first listen, it was easy to get into the groove of the songs. The band seemed to have attracted some friends and followers to the venue, and by the end of the set had them dancing to the music. All-in-all, it was a confident showing and the musicians seemed to enjoy being on the stage together. At the end, the band left the stage one after another leaving only the bassist behind, jamming alone. A surprise event involved a birthday cake presented to the lone musician continuing his bass jam. DËVILIZER left the audience well warmed up for MAJESTIES.
MAJESTIES took the stage with a Jim Morrison intro tape that nicely set the scene for their psychedelic rock set. Even though the band only sports three members, vocalist/bassist Jaakko Mäkiniemi, guitarist/vocalist Pietari Noutere, and drummer Kalle Määttänen, they created a full and rich sound. Style-wise, their music ranges from garage rock vibes on “Ballad of the Satellite Boy” to hints of Tom Waits -style blues on “Antropomorphine.” The band’s live energy quickly won the crowd over, and after the set was over we witnessed a surprise encore with members of DËVILIZER joining the MAJESTIES lineup on stage. The visit to Malmi turned out to be a Saturday night well spent.
Dëvilizer
Majesties
Photos by Arto Alho
