Twelve years have passed since the last visit of Amorphis in our country. A lot has changed since then, they have released four more full-length albums, has grown a lot as a band and of course has signed a contract with a much bigger record label. So, it’s a logical consequence that people will fill-up Fuzz, expecting a special evening.
The announced schedule was kept to the fullest from start to finish and Lost Society hit the stage just when we expected them. And all I can say is that I was disappointed by what I saw. The Finns’ first two albums, released in 2013 and 2014, showed a band with an appetite to play relentless thrash metal, which they did. But then, they decided to go in more modern paths. Now, their music is influenced by alternative rock, nu metal and metalcore, completely losing the flame they once had. On stage they were flawless and full of energy but musically they left me completely unimpressed. And I’m not saying that because I snub the style they play but because they do it in a mediocre way to say the least.
Next up was Sólstafir, who have also managed to grow their name in the scene in the last few years and are the first (and only?) band that comes to the mind of most people when they hear the phrase “metal from Iceland”. My experience with the band is minimal, as the only track I recognized is probably their most famous one, “Fjara”. Their presence on stage was imposing, great at times the post melodies and the dark atmosphere they created but I got tired of the long durations of their songs. Maybe it was also the sound, the instruments were much lower than the vocals and the guitars often sounded as if they were stuffed. Most people enjoyed their performance though and if I’m not mistaken, a small portion of them left Fuzz after they finished playing, which shows that they had come just for them.
The headliners confirmed the expectations as soon as they took the stage. The sound at the beginning was a bit low for them too but very quickly everything sounded crystal clear to perfection. Flawless performance, with beautiful visuals going through five vertical screens they had set up in the background, a fantastic light show and a man behind the microphone who is perfect for the job. Tomi Joutsen was phenomenal both in brutal and clean vocals. The setlist as expected focused on their latest releases, with the songs being warmly received by the crowd, which shows in the best way that despite 33 years on the scene the Finns are still producing amazing music and not relying solely on their early years. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t cause havoc with “Into Hiding”, “Black Winter Day” and “My Kantele” from the 90s. The highlight was probably “House Of Sleep”, with the crowd singing it loudly and creating a special atmosphere. Just before the closing, during the members’ presentation, Tomi Koivusaari (guitars), Olli-Pekka Laine (bass) and Santeri Kallio (keyboards) to return the applause they received, chose to play some ultra-classic songs for a while, namely “Raining Blood”, “N.I.B.” and “Perfect Strangers” respectively, making the fans scream with excitement. Nice moment that we don’t usually see at live shows.
Setlist: Northwards, On The Dark Waters, Bad Blood, The Moon, Into Hiding, Black Winter Day, Silver Bride, Sky Is Mine, Wrong Direction, Amongst Stars, Seven Roads Come Together, My Kantele, House Of Sleep, The Bee
In conclusion, seeing Amorphis for the first time (as well as Lost Society and Sólstafir) I have to say that they are not where they are by chance. Huge band with top musicians and so many magical moments in their discography that even if they played for three hours, some people would still complain because they didn’t hear some of their favorite songs. I hope to see them again soon from our neck of the woods. And something tells me that with a turnout like this, it’s very possible.
George Terzakis
photos: Giannis Negris (iJukebox) & Maria Kiloukiotou
