Coming to its XII edition hosted on March 7th and 8th, 2025, Turku Saatanalle has been one of the most resilient extreme metal events in Finland, facing constant problems almost every year in one way or another, but always pulling through egregiously. This time the main issue was the forced change of venue when Utopia, housing the last few editions of the event, changed ownership and canceled the already planned future events in the process. This didn’t of course discourage the guys at Metallihelvetti, who promptly found an alternative in the horse racing track situated a few kilometers outside of town, in Metsämäki.
On the second day in Metsämäen Ravirata, the atmosphere at Turku Saatanalle seemed a little more relaxed, or maybe the audience started to get used to the venue and made better use of the downstairs “quiet zone” in between shows (as opposed to the “echoing toilet corridor of hell” leading to the stage area). The queues at the bar were also more acceptable as an extra one was opened to accommodate more people.
Immediately the evening began with LICHT DES URTEILS. The Tampere guys did a really nice job in warming up the audience with another convincing show before leaving the stage for SACRILEGIOUS IMPALEMENT. They reminded everyone again how impactful they can be in their live shows, conquering the audience with their no-nonsense black metal and some of their classics like “Blessed to Resist”, the intro of which echoed around the venue.
TSATTHOGGUA came back to Finland after their performance at last year’s Steelfest and made the German fringes of the audience happy, while also bringing some kink to the stage with their leather masks and outfits, whereas CLANDESTINE BLAZE turned out to be one of the highlights of the night, pummeling the audience relentlessly during their set. The Dutch HELLERUIN, a project of its main man Carchost, brought the Groningen-based flavor of black metal with strong TAAKE vibes, and an additional two guest vocalists towards the final stages of the show. Ending the evening and the festival was WHITE DEATH, which had a less splashy show this time – perhaps also due to the backslash from some of the audience who didn’t appreciate being hit by pieces of dismembered lamb during their last Steelfest performance. No crosses on stage, but some skulls, candles, and a rat necklace, adorning a performance that music-wise still was at least on par with their previous appearances, showing once again the rawest essence of what Finnish black metal is all about.
Before diving into the photos of the evening, a word of thanks to the organization that successfully manages this event (and many other shows throughout the year) for over a decade, and despite all the challenges faced they have assembled a really good team, which does make a big difference and can be seen and felt during the festival by bands and fans alike. Onwards and upwards!
LICHT DES URTEILS
SACRILEGIOUS IMPALEMENT
TSATTHOGGUA
CLANDESTINE BLAZE
HELLERUIN
WHITE DEATH
