FLOGGING MOLLY

Where the silence you hear is the prosper we shared
The only blade is a razor sharp smile...

Flogging Molly: (No More)Paddy's Lament

The story of Flogging Molly and me started three years ago. It is connected with Nanbudo seminar in Spain, which also leads to my fascination with Finland. As I am no longer in touch with the one that introduced me to both, Finnish culture and Flogging Molly, I also cannot share the news with him, despite this time I would like to. Nothing special for Finnish audience that is given several excellent bands at least within one of their summer festivals, not to mention all the gigs during the year, however, for me, this was really a great event. And also a kind of natural development of my bitter-sweet Finnish story that has started in summer 2005. I have seen Flogging Molly live!

First of all, a few words about the band. They are originally from America, yet they have Irish roots. If you are into lively punk-rock, blended with strong elements of Irish folk and atmosphere, featuring lyrics about exile, Irish national identity, critical bitterness, fight for one own's rights and troubled life, but also on happiness, drinking and fiery love - then I suggest to check out Flogging Molly. Well, I suggest this band anyway; just click here, and listen.

For some reasons the band has never reached Slovenia. However, Flogging Molly is very popular in Finland. They have visited the country many times, especially during summer festivals. Nevertheless the place of the event, Tavastia in Helsinki, was full; the band actually decided to make two gigs as the original date, 7th of May, was sold out within some hours. However, I was able to get my ticket for Tuesday 6th of May - and all that was left was the (rail)road to Helsinki.

As there is about 270 km between JKL and the capital, I decided to spend more time in Helsinki; luckily, I was given a friendly place to stay, free of charge. Thus, I traveled on Monday morning already, and I hoped for a couple of relaxing days. Finally, those two days turned out tense, as I also had some health problems again, that flu be damned, but still - to the gig I went. And the gig was just... wow.

Tavastia gig, 6th of May 2008

Flogging Molly's music, inspired with traditional Irish jig, probably reminds Finns on their own humppa, and that might be the reason the audience here goes so crazy when Molly plays live. I guess there was a slight truth in Dave King's, Flogging Molly's frontman, words there were only one folks that were as crazy as the Irish - the Finns. Sure we were a crazy audience, and with such a professional band on stage, there is no problem to go wild.

The main theme was the new album Float, but of course they had to play some of their older songs. Good for me, newcomer to Molly's gigs, thus I could hear some of my favorites, too. Paddy's Lament and Float from the new album, and then older material like What's Left of the Flag, If I Ever Leave this World Alive, Whistels the Wind, Within a Mile Home, Selfish Man, Devil's Dance Floor, and more - all the way to I guess obligatory Black Friday Rule.

So I must remain in my new adopted land
I'm doing the best, Hell I'm doin' all I can...

Flogging Molly: Black Friday Rule

Finally, I had a great two hours in Tavastia, full of good mood and flaming Irish energy. The performance feelt proper, Flogging Molly's contact with the audience opened and relaxed. For some time I wish to visit Ireland again, not just because of getting more into Irish music within the last months; anyway, I have been listening to traditional Irish folk a lot already some years ago. It was more than worth to travel to Helsinki just to attend one band's gig - and all I can do now is to suggest Flogging Molly again. Sláinte agus saol agat!

MAGYAR POSSE, AGAIN

Magyar Posse

Time for some post-rock sounds. Last Friday in Lutakko, Magyar Posse from Pori, Finland. With them, surprise and so impressive discovery, similar post-rock group Cold Fairyland from Sanghai, China. Atmospherical, epical, magic. Both bands highly recommended!

Cold Fairyland

It was summer in Helsinki two years ago when I saw Magyar Posse live for the first time. Next day after the gig, I went to see someone. After all the troubles/shit between us. Before all the troubles/shit between us that had yet to come.

I don't miss that troubles, but I would surely miss this music. Great gig again.

Magyar Posse

I AM RIVER, I AM FLAME

Olen joki, joka padotaan
olen metsä joka poltetaan
peto joka vangitaan rautahäkkiin suljetaan
olen tila joka aidataan
liekki joka sammutetaan
tahdon sisimpäni vapauttaa
ihmisyyteni nujertaa

Mokoma - Nujerra ihminen

After some weeks of constant dealing with studies, thus meaning writing essays, the time for some live music has come again. Finally! Going to a good gig was something I have really been missing for the past month.

On the first day of February, there was Mokoma playing in Lutakko. It seems Mokoma is among the most favorized Finnish metal bands at the moment. Their lyrics is intirely in Finnish, their music feels diverse, all the way from thrash and death to black metal, even some softer pieces included. Since the start of my studies in Jyväskylä, Mokoma has already visited the city once; the gig was sold out completely. So it was now, too; well, metal is a part of mainstream culture here afterall.

No matter atmospheres band features are melancholic, far from some kind of romantic stories, their rythms produce enough energy and power I sometimes really need to hear and feel. A bit masculine music, yet the band seems to have enough even sligthly hysterical female fans; at least so sounded those screams from the audience. However, frontman Marko Annala is supposed to be among the best lyric writers. Lyrics do not seem bad and Annala also seems skillful vocalist, featuring nice clear vocals as well as for my opinion proper growls. Overall, Mokoma made good performance, with lots of stage presence and flaming energy. In this case, I don't care if the band is becoming too mainstream - I will listen to them whenever I will feel like it.

Apart from the gig, some socializing happened as well. One thing was that I spoke in Finnish, and I was told I had not appear as a foreigner; my Fake Finn story kind of repeated. Whenever I get such compliments for my language skills, I am of course proud, and I try not to be too proud as I still do not master the language well enough, in my opinion. Yet it is true that I have started to learn Finnish only two years ago; I have noticed this fact sometimes seems surprising to native speakers.

I know where the power for liking and learning Finnish has come from. I know why I grasped the language so quickly that I had been able to chat, somehow, even after less than one year of learning. Some small events in life can redirect the way one walks, and all of a sudden one speak a new language. That time is over now, new things are going on, and I meet new people on my way. But whenever I see a good gig here in Finland, thus meaning Finnish music I have got to know in that particular period of my life, I am sort of happy. I guess one of the best outcomes of that particular time has been some amount of good music.

NOVEMBER PAIN

Peter Tägtgren Pain

Just got home after the gig. PAIN from Sweden. Tagged as industrial metal, however, Pain is a project of Peter Tägtgren, who is also Hypocrisy frontman. Pain rocks, and they rocked tonight in Lutakko as well. The set list seemed quite different then at our Metalcamp 2007. There was Same Old Song at the beginning, but the rest were, if I quote Pain, some songs they have never played live before. Alright, of course among those were also some songs I have already heard them playing live. And of course they did play the obligatory Shut Your Mouth. Yet there is one song I would like to hear and I did not get it again - Computer God. Nevermind that, I liked the gig. It lasted for an hour and a half, then they had to go because they had to catch the f*****g ferry; at least Peter said so. Hälsning från Jyväskylä!

AFTER SAUNA, MARRASKUU

Evening. Time after sauna. Quiet time. I feel as one is supposed to feel after a good sauna. Well, I have also not written anything for some days. May this post be just a brief and more or less random collection of past personal events.

The studies I am attending have turned a bit more demanding. This is an MA programme afterall, girlie, what the Hell are you thinking about... Perhaps I should be reading some articles at the moment, rather than writing this blog of mine. But since I am dealing with Digital Culture, I can even consider this Internet relaxation as a part of my studies. Sure, I need to maintain my blog stats to use them in my future research.

Winter is creeping into this land. We have had some mild snow. Then, the snow has decided to become rain again. Jolly indeed. This week, things seem to be more promising. It has started to freeze a bit and some lonesome snowflakes can be seen, floating in the cold air.

Nordic winter begins. Somehow.

My exploration of very Finnish gigs has also continued. Just within a week I have seen two of among those Finnish bands that have been very significant for me. Nice coincidence. The first band was, of course, Viikate. The second gig happened last Saturday. Artsy punk Au Pair. Young local band; nevertheless they seem quite famous all around the country. I was more into Au Pair's music last winter and spring, but still I was very happy to see them live so soon. Punk, and much more. Strong sounds, dynamic riffs. Great vocal, great interpretation. Their lyrics is only in Finnish, critical and filled with clever irony. Not to mention how ironic felt their live act.

Punk frontman dressed as a bunny rabbit, eating his carrot and singing about New Europe? The rest of the punk band dressed into other forest animals, such as, for instance, the fox and the bear? Well, why not...

The words of Au Pair are among my first translations from Finnish. Check out how I tackled one of their pieces and translated it into English here.

Au Pair gig happened in Bar 68

At the beginning of this year, I was given a live recording from the very same band. It was taken in the very same place. Now I have seen Au Pair live, I have visited Bar 68 and I am not in contact with the one who has given me the music no longer. Yet there is more. During this weekend, one particular day has happened. Last year on that particular day, I went to sauna. This year, I spent it in Finland. Yes, I have had my birthday. It started last weekend at midnight with that great Au Pair gig. It finished with a nice little party. Life writes all sorts of stories, change is the only constant in the world, that is all what I can say...

So much about my latest events. Good and hot sauna I wish, if you plan to visit one!

MARRASKUUN LAULUJA

Ervo, Arvo, Kaarle ja Simeoni Viikate

Rakkaat ihmiset... there is a band I have wanted to tell about some time ago. For some reasons I have not managed to tackle the theme until these days. I think seeing them live on stage is more than a good opportunity to write a few lines. The band is VIIKATE.

The Finnish friendship I have had brought some good music into my life; very Finnish music, to be precise. Now I continue the exploration on my own - and as I am in Finland, this means going to as many very Finnish gigs as possible. To Viikate I have been introduced at the beginning of this year. I remember how I listened to them in spring, but I did not pay that much attention to the music. Then, some strange magic has happened. For the last few months Viikate has been my favorite band by all means. Perhaps life in Finland has increased my affection towards their music; I cannot really say. This love has just emerged all of a sudden.

The band's name in English would be Scythe. Four members with recognizable artsy names; they also share the surname Viikate. Online sources tag their sounds mainly as metal, wire metal, rock and folk rock. If I lean on my own discoveries and humble knowledge about music genres, I could also say their music reflects 1950s rock style, quit rockabilly-like. The influence of Finnish schlagers is strongly present, too; the important name here would be Reino Helismaa since Viikate's style has been described as Helismaa-metal. Viikate are oldfashioned, but in a very good way.

For me, Viikate is much more than just one very Finnish metal band. It is hard to say how metal they actually are. Their music reaches far beyond metal - and sometimes even beyond words. Do not ask me which is my favorite Viikate song; there is lots of them. I like their melodics, the riffs seem so unique and, most of all, so beautiful. Genuine style indeed. As I always put a lot of stress on good lyrics, Viikate does not let me down here either. They feature real poetry - only in Finnish. The language of their words feels oldish; it is not easy Finnish for sure. Just imagine gloomy words within merry riffs and lively, sometimes rockabilly-like sounds. Melancholy and darkness, but on the other hand also very special joy, even irony. As a foreigner living in Finland and being in strong contact with Finnish culture I could say Viikate capture a great deal of pure Finnishness. Also, if I compare the overall atmospheres, Viikate could be Aki Kaurismäki in music.

Kaarle Viikate Lutakossa, toinen päivä marraskuuta

Friday November the 2nd was the day to see Viikate live for the first time. The band has just published their new album Marraskuun lauluja II - November Songs. Since this is the month of my birthday I am happy there is a band that prefers November so much they have published actually two albums dedicated to it. Anyway, I am sure Viikate have been playing in Lutakko many times, but still the place was full of people. The audience seemed a bit older, like my age and more; I have also seen two ladies in classical trousers and high heels, wearing Viikate shirts.

Kaarle ja Ervo Viikate Lutakon lattialla

The gig itself was just great. At least I felt it so; a few months ago I had fallen deeply into this music, and the oportunity to see the bend live came so soon. Frontman Kaarle Viikate knows well how to address the audience - very in style. Almost in book Finnish, kirjakieli, and again with a bit oldfashioned expressions. The band has lots of presence on stage, the performance is proper. Their live sounds do not differ much from the recordings; the melodic parts created jolly atmosphere. I guess I was among a very few foreigners, if there were any, that could sing-a-long with the rest of the Finnish audience. Nice event by all means - and yes, I am already looking forward to see Viikate live again.

Kaipuun taivaalla loistaa kuu
Hallamaillakin aurinko nousee
Tuomion tähdet kimaltaa
Tuomion tähdet kimaltaa, ne toisille kimaltaa
Viikate - Hallamaat - Marraskuun lauluja II

P.S.: I might post Viikate music video in the days to come, but until then check out their sounds here.

METALCAMP IN FINLAND

Yesterday I went to one metal gig. Apart for the music the local band Soulfallen was playing, I also got an old issue of Finnish raskaan rockin erikoislehti Inferno. Thus meaning pretty fancy magazine, entirely deducated to hard rock and metal. Have I ever expressed my brief observation that metal in Finland seems to be main-stream culture?

However, the magazine Inferno looked nice and I was happy to read some stuff. I came upon a whole section on summer festivals, Raskas festarikesä 2007 (Heavy Festivalsummer 2007). A series of reports from Finnish festivals. Provinssirock, Nummirock, Tuska Open Air, Ruisrock, Ilosaarirock, Ankkarock, Metalcamp. What the f***?! Metalcamp. Yes indeed. Among all those major Finnish festivals, there was a report on one and only Slovenian Metalcamp. No Wacken, no Ballingen - just Finnish festarit, and that Slovenian Headbanger's Hollidays.

The article itself is basically a report about the festival. The two female writers mention great scenery of the festival; mountains and turquoise river. They also say the selection of the bands was this year absolutely excellent. There are words about reasonable prices, especially for the coctails; yep, 3,5€ for a coctail seems to be a reasonable price considering the costs for alco in Finland. And there are words about good toilets, hehe. The rest is more or less about the bands and their performance.

Thus far, I have been slightly surprised when some people I have met here replied they knew Slovenia (and that they were pretty much sure it was not Slovakia) - or that they had even been in Ljubljana. However, it seems metal festivals (as well as reasonable prices of drinks and nice toliets) can also promote our little country... Metal on!

LUTAKKO VISIT

Amorphis

My investigations of the Jyväskylä night life continued on Saturday. The place I visited was Lutakko. There, most of the more alternative kind of gigs usually takes place. So it was yesterday, too. The gig I went to see was Amorphis.

The tickets for Lutakko gigs can mainly be bought online. Not with credit cards, but via Internet banking. This particular gig was sold out some days before, yet 50 ticket were still available from the door. As I did not have my ticket yet, I reached the venue well before the door would open. Waiting outside for some time was finally payed off with the ticket.

Lutakko is more close to those shabby-looking places I prefer when it come to metal, punk or other alternative kind of gigs. I do not feel well if the place is too fancy anyway. The building is in more industrial area, it is quite old and I have heard they wanted to pull it down one time. So, Lutakko has that proper shabby coziness. Interior is quite lofty, but then again not that very big. The stage is pretty small. Again, there are age limitations. Kids under 18 can go and see Amorphis, for instance, yet they are not alloved to enter the Lutakko bar. Oh, and the coffee in that particular bar costed me 1€ - which I think is quite okay.

Now, the gig. Amorphis is one of those worldwide famous Finnish bands. More on the band itself can be found on their home-page. In general, the themes of their music have tackled Finnish past and legends, for instance Kalevala. I do not want to be nasty as I like their music... but Amorphis is among those bands I would call Finland for Foreigners. Touristic bands. Like singing in English and dealing with well known atributes of Finland and North. Winter, black days, myths, thousand lakes and all that stuff. Their sounds are dark, but they are still energetic enough. Anyway, it seemed Amorphis had remained popular among the Finns. There were several generations of fans, yet there was quite an amount of those that were not allowed to visit the bar.

The gig itself was okay. I have been more into the band's earlier material. They have just got new album out, so there was new and unknown stuff. Luckily they did feature some good pieces from old albums as well. Amorphis surely is a band with quite good and distinctive melodics; with distinctive guitar riffs. Especially within their older material. Their lyrics is... well, nothing that special for my demanding artsy ears. Nevertheless their melodics is what I like the most. The vocal is also good, combination of growls and clean singing, and the sound yesterday was fine.

As a proven metal band, Amorphis is skilled in live acts. Seeing them live was worth 13€ for the ticket- actually, the prices for events seem to be mainly around this number, or less, like 5€ for a couple of minor and in Finnish singing metal bands. Also something. As Slovenia, Finland too has prohibited smoking in all public places. For us non-smokers it feels really good to return home from either the bar or the gig - without sore eyes and especially that nasty smell. However, these are only my first impressions. I guess I might write more on Lutakko, ticket prices and on some gigs in the times yet to come. Until then, here is a few pictures. They might not be the best I have ever taken, but nevertheless I hope they will offer a slight taste of my first Lutakko visit.

The entrance.

A part of the interior.

Amorphiksen laulaja Joutsen.

The stage after the gig.

METALLI FRIDAY

Not even an hour ago I finally checked out night life in Jyväskylä. It did not take me long to find out one place which offers the thing I was after - so called metal bar. This one is called Inferno and it is located in the centre of the city. Well, as you can see, the first visit was short, it lasted just two hours and a half - but it was only a first check up. So I might be writing more on this theme in the future.

I have had this Finnish friend (luulen, ettet lue blogiani ennä...), yet for some reasons our interaction and Internet communication had never tackled night life in Finland. At least not in details. Thus meaning I have been lacking some essential information. Like when to come to the bar. But still, I like to discover things on my own, despite I am sometimes embarrassed. The bar opens at 20:00 and so I decided to take the bus which leaves from my place at 21:15. However, when I reached the destinations, first I had to show my ID. Yep, the bar is only for those aged twenty and onwards; during some days, however, the entrance is allowed to those who are eighteen, too. This limitations are marked with the sign K-20 or K-18. No matter if I may seem younger, being well over twenty, heh, I then entered into...a completely empty bar. Well, there was music playing and all, but at 21:3o there was only the barman and the securities. In my shaky Finnish I managed to get the following information: night life in Finland starts a bit later than my arrival. Okay, if there is some Finn reading this, please, just feel free to correct me if I might be finding out wrong info.

I bought quite a big glass of coke, 1.50 €, and sat alone. Feeling slightly silly, of course. However, the bar is indeed similar to our Orto; this is the very brief impression. Two places, yet here both on the same level. One bigger with the bar, some seats and a stage for the gigs, one with the bar and many seats only. And yes, as this is metal bar all the time, it is opened several days during the week. Anyway, after some time of my feeling silly and guessing if any Finns will appear before midnight, people started to pop in. Soon, the place looked more like a proper metal bar as there were finally some fans in it.

The music. What can I say, pretty similar selection than at home. Some more local, in Finnish only singing bands. Quite lots of hardcore. Melodic death-doom, some thrash. And then, also some favorites - Satyricon's K.I.N.G. and, yep, Finntroll. Actually, I have heard some guys behind me discussing whether it is Finntroll or Korpiklaani... before the Swedish lines started. Well, metal fans looked interesting, and despite I felt a bit silly, I was not the only one siting alone in the bar... but this is just a current brief impression.

As I felt tired, I took a bus back home at midnight. So here I can also add a note on the buses. It feels quite a luxury to me that I have a bus stop so close to my block. Despite the monthly pass here is expensive, I did afford one. Well, there are some buses at 2:00 in the morning - and I think that in some other areas even later.

Finally, this Inferno looks like something close to our Orto bar metal nights. The place seems even slightly too fancy, perhaps. Could metal in Finland (or elsewhere) still be considered as a proper subculture, with alternative shabby-looking places, or it has actually become a commercial main-stream act? Something to observe and to think about in the future, I guess...

The photos of the place TBA when I make some.

SLEEPINESS AND MANIA

During Metal Mania 2007

Today, I have felt extremely sleepy. I cannot even say why. However, I have not been writing for a couple of days, yet some things have been going on. Short post it will be, I reckon, as this odd sleepiness still bugs me, making my eyelids feel like steel, transforming my head into a heavy stone. At the very moment I cannot even distinct reality from the bits of drowsy dreams evading me constantly...

Let's try to write something nevertheless. Last weekend, I attended Metal Mania Open Air. The name sounded promising, despite this was a very small metal festival in Slovenian Littoral Region. I aimed at some good bands - and especially at a good company of my friends. Metal Mania is actually not a proper, serious festival. We found out it had been more about drinking. Merely a crazy drinking feast for metal fans, live metal music playing in the background instead some folk-music-kind-of bands that would attend a similar village feast. So, some of us did not approve such overdone drinking... as the behaviour of some drunk people was too overdone. Spilling sticky drink from the plastic bottle all over innocent people that just happened to be around, pushing the same innocent people on the floor, some of them even happened to fall into the muddy puddles... I mean, hello, get a life, that was just too much.

Thus, Metal Mania did not posses that overall festival feeling for sure... and that was too bad. Anyway, at least the bands were good. I can point out Norwegian black metal 1349, Serbian The Stone and Slovenian Dekadent. I am really happy I have finally seen Dekadent live - they could be headliners by all means. The fact that it was raining for both festival days seemed almost irrelevant. The greenish rainy landscape was great, as we would be camping somewhere in Ireland. It was just that overdone drunk behaviour that threw shit allover the place.

HELL OVER PARADISE

Metalcamp did happen! Lots of stuff to tell. Thus, I think it is the best to plunge straight into what has been going on during the last week. To make the long story short: IT WAS VERY HOT AND IT WAS VERY GREAT!

Now, lets make the short story a bit longer. Metalcamp is the biggest Slovenian metal festival. This year, it was planned as a kind of metal-holidays. The place of it, Tolmin, is beautiful. Great nature, clear and cool river. Two stages: one for big and one for more unknown bands. A week of camping in nice surroundings, five days of gigs. Hell over paradise indeed.

My kind camp-neighbours and me arrived on the venue last Monday. The camping site is big: people can camp wherever they want. Alright, there could be more showers and more water-facilities . Anyway, the first task was to build the tents in the shadow. So it was done. Then, something odd happened. Some freaks came. And they dragged a carousel with them. Despite the camp was opened since morning and quite some people were already camping on that particular site. Goddamned old and rusty creature was supposed to stand just a few steps away from our tents. What the fuck, a carousel in the middle of the camp!? No go, just no go! Smelly and noisy thing; the only noise we wanted to hear was metal. The hardcore part of mine went a bit... nuts. Luckily, metalheads were not interested in having such fun, and the freaks were gone with the thing on Thursday. Another bad and sad story were those empty beer-cans people were throwing into the river... how could they be so cruel and careless, eh? Perhaps, it would be much wiser some of the bands would point out the care for the nature rather than inviting people to moshpit...

Better stuff. I will tackle the socializing part first. It was nice to see my friends. I really met quite some people. Also, it would be nice to see some more... but this is another story. Oh yes, there was also lots of cute guys with long hair to observe... However, I was surprised as there was so many foreigners. From very distant lands, like Australia. Lots of Swedes; I guess much cheaper Slovenian beer was attractive for all attending Scandinavians. Well, I also managed to chat in Finnish a bit. Yes, there were some Finns. Among those, I met one young band from Joensuu; they were called Exarch. Their gig was okay, I wish them all the best in the future.

The gigs. During the day it was just too hot to enjoy the music properly. The beach was more tempting. Thus, I did not attended as many gigs as I had planned at first. But before I tell you about the good thingies, I have to write on Metalcamp gig-disaster. This disaster is called Cradle of Filth. Oh my. Despite I have never been their fan, they had produced some tracks I have quite liked to hear. But their gig was... just a disaster. It sucked by all means: Danny was not in the mood at all. One could only flee to the small stage. As I did.

My main Metalcamp highlights: Korpiklaani, Satyricon, Pain, Vreid, Ensiferum, Immortal, Blind Guardian, Eluveitie, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Exarch, Ragespect, Zvier. And some others, too. It was so nice to see Korpiklaani again. Dancing and sing-a-long! Satyricon were great, sexy and very now diabolical. Pain was beyond words, Vreid were as cool as fresh Norwegian breeze in the hot afternoon, reunioned Immortal were quite spectacular midnight ghosts... while Ensiferum and Blind Guardian filled me with nostalgia. On the small stage, Ragespect proved to be emerging Slovenian hardcore.

Lots of things, as you can see. May the photos tell some more. If this post seems excited or even overdone it is because I have been really lacking good gigs lately. I have been lacking having fun and meeting people. Lots of the gigs I have skipped during the year because of my trainings. On the Metalcamp 2007 I managed to see at least some of those missed bands. All in all, music and the life there have helped me to gain back a bit of the good mood. Metal on!

The ''ringlspil'' - thanks Banshee for the photo

A part of the camp

The beach - the source of this photo is Paranoid

The main stage and the afternoon gig

The small stage and the afternoon gig

Kaneli :)

METALCAMPING

Dear friends and fellow bloggers, I plan to be away. For a week, I guess. As I have already written, I am attending Metalcamp. Metal on! So, from 16. July to 22. July you can find me in Tolmin, on the festival's campsite. Meanwhile, I wish you good and pleasant time. Be well, wherever you are!

SOUNDS AND TRACKS

Hei, July! Summer is getting high. Last week, our two metal pubs were like... abandoned. From now on, metal evenings won't be happening until autumn. This fills me with slight melancholy. Autumn. And my future. Yep, that is the main reason for my melancholy. I feel like something has faded away. Well, yes, things did fade away. A part of the past is gone.

But, Hell, away with tears. At least try so. The future awaits. Now, the time of music festivals begins.

Here is the soundtrack of my life. One of those funny surveys; thanks for the idea, Aelfsciene. As I listen to a lot of stuff, there would be quite some alternatives for each subject. Thus, I have rather chosen those more known bands. And I guess the list would look different even within a couple of months...

MY LIFE:: THE CURRENT SOUNDTRACK

Opening credits:: Summoning: Mirkwood

Waking up:: Storm: Noregsgard

Average day:: Dekadent: Dissident Dream

First date:: Satyricon: K.I.N.G.

Falling in love:: Ensiferum: Lai Lai Hei

Love scene:: The Velvet Underground: Venus in Furs

Fight scene:: Slayer: Angel of Death

Breaking up:: Katatonia: No Good Can Come Out of This

Getting back together:: Dimmu Borgir: Stormblåst

Secret love:: Tenhi: Rannalta Haettu

Life's okay:: Tom Waits: Everything goes to Hell

Mental breakdown:: My Dying Bride: From Darkest Skies

Driving:: Pain: Shut Your Mouth

Learning a lesson:: Hatebreed: Supremacy of Self

Deep thought:: Katatonia: The Future of Speech

Flashback:: Ajattara: Musta Aurinko

Partying:: Sacred Reich: Surf Nicaragua

Happy dance:: Korpiklaani: Tervaskanto

Regreting:: Swallow the Sun: The Justice of Suffering

Long night alone:: Mortiis: En Mørk Horisont

Death scene:: Evoken: Antithesis of Light

Closing credits:: Magyar Posse: Kings of Time

DEKADENT - DISSIDENT DREAM

DEKADENT

Slovenian metal scene is something I have not been writing about yet. Well, I am slightly ashamed to admit that I know and listen to more foreign metal and alter bands than those from my native country. Why is it so? I am not an expert at all but I would dare to say Slovenian metal scene is not that developed. But I guess it is... rising. And I hope it will rise high one day. All the way to Wacken!

However, there is one Slovenian band that has made me quite crazy these days. Perhaps it is slight patriotism I feel, too, but still. Better late then never. I am excited.

DEKADENT is the name. The main tag for them would be BLACK METAL; yet such tags can be far too limited. For me, their music goes beyond. Atmospheric black metal, symphonic, progressive, if you still like to get some tags. Every now and then, Dekadent reminds me on Austrian band Summoning. Yet this music really feels unique. Beyond the tags. Lyrics are both English and Slovenian; hei, yes, Slovenian sounds great.

Okay. I won't write more as the band's homepage provides information as well as good reviews. So I recommend with all my metal-patriotistic enthusiasm to listen their debut MANIFESTATION OF SEASONAL BLEEDING. Their second album will be released in autumn 2007. And yes, as you can see, there is some music above.

The song Dissident Dream is in English, but it is among my favorites. Beware those crescendos... The video you can observe has also been taken to this year's Venice Biennial. Just take your time - I guess it is worth to pay attention.

KORPIKLAANI - TERVASKANTO

It is Midsummer tomorrow. Thus, here is this jolly song from the band Korpiklaani. New song from their latest album. Funny video it is, but I like this band a lot.
Perhaps, I will see them live again this summer. I will be dancing! And I wish you, my friends and fellow bloggers - to be happy. :)

THE BIGGEST SLOVENIAN

To go or not to go?

HEI HEI HEI!

My heart greeds for frozen stars... (Swallow the Sun)

Štuk, Maribor, 4 April 2007

How I have been missing gigs lately. Good metal gigs, where one can be overwhelmed with the music this one prefers. Dancing, jumping, screaming. Now, this year, I would also really like to visit one of the festivals up North to see live all those so very local Finnish bands I like and that will probably never come to play here... alright, this is another post's theme. However, last Wednesday, I was very happy to join my friends and hit the road. Destination: Maribor. One hardly awaited gig was about to happen there. So it did, perkele! Two bands from Finland: Swallow the Sun and Moonsorrow.

After exciting drive around Maribor while trying to find the place, we did reach the venue successfully. Štuk, quite a fancy place. Lofty, with a nice bar and very clean toilets. We also spotted the stall with various merchandise. Kind of perversity grabbed me, and I went to speak in Finnish to the interesting guy selling the goods. I say perversity since I wondered how the particular Fin would react when hearing his language spoken in the middle of Maribor. What the fuck? It seemed completely normal to him. My boasting nose down. In Finnish he asked me only, how do we say kiitos in Slovenian. It also came clear that I had been teaching how to say hvala Mikko, Swallow the Sun frontman. I wonder if he wears those kinky Swallow the Sun boxer-shorts he was selling... Okay, keep wondering. To the gig we go. Enjoy the photos I have taken.

SWALLOW THE SUN

Recently, their latest album Hope has earned a good review in Slovenian metal-webzine Paranoid. Also in Finnish Imperiumi, a good opinion with a score nine from total ten can be found. Whatever, I do not care for scores that much. I just like this album. Here I must mention that Katatonia frontman Jonas Renkse is appearing as a guest on Hope, too. There was no Renkse in Maribor, but I dare to say I was among those few ones that came to the gig mainly because of Swallow the Sun. I assume their name is associated with Nordic (not Finnish, beware) mythology. In Ragnarök, Nordic end of the world, the sun gets swallowed. Their lyrics is completely in English. Since I put lots of stress on good lyrics, I think they could do better here. But I really like their melodics. It feels rich. Carefully woven. Building, developing slowly into dark crescendos, underlined with growling, sometimes screaming vocals. Thus, melodic parts are what Swallow the Sun does the best. Low growls and clear vocals in melancholic melodic death/doom. Such metal is among my favoured genres; in general, doom metal has been closer to me within the last years. Of course a doom metal gig cannot be that energetic and jolly, but still. There are melancholy and deep sorrow, there are rejected love and loss, there is self-pity, there are slow parts; yet there can also be rage with some amount of special energy.

Light has faded

As has the touch of your palms

No more songs of joy
Only dreadful silence

And painful memories

MOONSORROW

Now, some epic shit! Hei, that said Ville, Moonsorrow frontman. If Swallow the Sun were serious band and their audience was a bit older, then Moonsorrow seems to be more preferd by younger girlies and boys. This is what I have spotted during the gig. Lots of girlies and boys. Now I must kindly ask my friends to forgive me the blasfemic opinion. We have different tastes and that is what makes the world interesting, right? Anyway, I think Moonsorrow play decent folk/viking metal, but... I do not find them so attractive. Despite I have been listening to them every now and then. Despite their lyrics is completely in Finnish. But why are they not called Kuunsuru, then? Perhaps their latest Hävitetty is more interesting for me. Yet... the vocals are too quiet. Too weak, somehow (anteeksi, Ville). I guess I would rather see Ajattara on stage, and some others from Finland. Melodically, they feel a bit repetitive to me. Also, I much prefer to see those pagan-folk-whatever metal bands using real instruments, not only synthesizer. Real accordion, real flute and all; like Korpiklaani do, for instance. Nevertheless the atmosphere Moonsorrow made was so party-like. Very jolly and jumpy; so, I was dancing. There was no doubt they were considered as the gratest stars of the evening, lots of fans awaiting them eagerly. Nevertheless they get a plus from me for a successful promotion of Finnish language abroad. I heard a couple of Slovenian boys screaming some Finnish words; well, they were screaming kaupunki. It was also nice to see the audience trying to sing-a-long. Thus, in general - I await next good gigs now, Hell yeah!

Ja ruumis kaipaa vettä

Se huutaa vapautta

Vieraassa kaupungissa

Etsien kauneutta

POETRY

These are the stories of Edgar Allan Poe

not exactly the boy next door
He'll tell you tales of horror

then he'll play with your mind

if you haven't heard of him

you must be deaf or blind

(Lou Reed: Edgar Allan Poe)

I have some friends that are big fans of Edgar Allan Poe. This post I address to them: here is a recommendation for Poe's admirers. During the past days, I have been listening to Lou Reed a lot. First, I gather here some very brief info on Reed (1942); though I expect many people know much more about this American musician than I do. Hei, do you know Walk On The Wild Side, Perfect Day, Satelite Of Love? Reed's thingies. However, he expanded the vocabulary of rock & roll lyrics into the previously forbidden territory of kinky sex, drug use (and abuse), decadence, transvestites, homosexuality, and suicidal depression. As has been pointed out less often, he remained (and remains) committed to using rock & roll as a forum for literary, mature expression well into middle age, without growing lyrically soft or musically complacent. By and large, he's taken on these challenging duties with uncompromising honesty and a high degree of realism. For these reasons, he's often cited as punk's most important ancestor. Thus, he is also called ''the father of punk'' (protopunk). It's often overlooked, though, that he's equally skilled at celebrating romantic joy, and rock & roll itself, as he is at depicting harrowing urban realities. Although Reed achieved his greatest success as a solo artist, his most enduring accomplishments were as the leader of The Velvet Underground in the '60s.

Lou Reed is by all means among those that write very good lyrics. Sometimes, he even reminds me on Tom Waits (indeed they are a bit similar). However, as Tom Waits, Reed too collaborated with my favorite theatre director Robert Wilson. I have already been writing on this crazy yet fascinating theatre guy, so I will not repeat myself. For Wilson, Reed composed music for production POE-try. The production took place in 2003 at Thalia Theater, Hamburg, Germany. The production was dedicate to one particular person - Edgar Allan Poe. Yeah, that's why the production was called POE-try...

Wilson is a legend, Reed is a legend, Poe is a legend by all means... they all together made a nice and commercial cocktail... okay, but I will not tackle this fact now. Nice trick to get all sorts of people into theatre, though. I dare to speculate some keen metal fans might have come to the theatre on behalf of good old Poe... Alright, finally, I was able to download Lou Reed's double album The Raven. Which includes the music Reed did for POE-try.

You can imagine this big album is all about Edgar Allan Poe. Lots of his words spoken; theatrical, and actually quite good. Of course, there is Poe's Raven. The whole of its story, beware, interpreted by Willem Dafoe. Okay, the story is slighlty changed... you'll hear, how. There is also almost 9 minutes long spoken piece The Fall of the House of Usher, there is Hop Frog's story (featuring David Bowie)... and so on.

Well, perhaps one cannot write totally objective review/recommendation here if this one is also a fan of Wilson, Reed and Poe... but still. As far as I have been listening to the album, I can say it is special, different... and pretty much artsy. Or at least it tries to be. There are pieces that at first ''glance'' reminded me even on Sun O))), especially when considering spoken interpretation underlined with gloomy soundscape, yet on the other hand, there are also classical rock pieces. Here, I can expose the piece Edgar Allan Poe which is funny and very rocky thingie. So all in all, this album is quite colorful and quite attention dragging. And yes, there are Poe and his attributes pretty much everywhere...

SINUN TYYNEYTESI - VERENPISARA

If you are in the mood, listen to the music of the words below.