12.10.2001
SOSIS, Turggu


Good gig, after all the troubles. ~20 fans.
It was also very cool to meet (at last) brothers in arms, Reverend Bizarre and Minotauri.
Thanks to everybody for making this happen. (specially WCH/Helenius and Vicar, Albert & Void)
Also thanks to Samuli fo driving and pix!


Reviews

Set list

1. Divine Wind
2. New Age
3. Flames
4. Sweet Oblivion
5. Burn Witch Burn
6. Sleeping Beneath the Lawn
7. Rise Frome Hell
8. All the Words Were Spoken
9. Vow To the Sun
10. Baron Samedi

Pics by Samuli Volanto

FRIENDS OF HELL: Reverend Bizarre / Spiritus Mortis / Minotauri
12th of October, Turku, Finland (S-Osis, Turku)

Psychedelic Fanzine #9 / #10

This was a historical event in the history of Finnish metal: for the first time ever the whole evening was hallowed to traditional doom metal. I had waited for this event since I had heard of it for the first time. In Finland you don’t have too many chances to see doom metal all night long. So, I walked to S-Osis with high hopes. The evening was about to start with Michael Reeves’ classic movie Witchfinder General. And what other movie could fit to the program of an evening like this better. The movie started half an hour late due to technical difficulties, but it was great and helped to get in the right mood.

The first band was the local Reverend Bizarre, “the band that hates hippies”. “Concluding from their crosses, these guys are going to preach the Christian message”, the announcer introduced them to the audience on a gig couple of weeks earlier. Again, the gig started with a spoken intro, during which the band came onto the stage. Then it started. First came a short instrumental intro, and then the first song, Cromwell. The song was heavy, but I wasn’t satisfied. Something was missing, it was just a heavy track and that’s it. When the song was over I was confused. The last time I saw the band they kicked me in the head from the first note. The second track began, and that made me happy again: Aleister started doomy, and for the first minutes the band really showed what they’ve got. These boys know how to doom. The song rolled on and on and… what happened then? Suddenly the song was like interrupted, and the boys started to make strange tempo changes one after another. But to my ear it didn’t sound harmonious at all. I thought: “What progressive bullshit is this?” I hope that the end of the song was just improvisation. There were also some difficulties with the bass amplifier, but luckily it didn’t last long and they could start the next song. Oh boy, oh boy! It was Slave of Satan. As far as I’m concerned, this song is one of the heaviest songs ever written. This was what I came looking for. The boys played with great devotion, and this was their thing in my opinion. They really know how to write and (of course) play ultra slow and heavy doom. I was excited again. More songs like this and I wouldn’t need to see the other bands. Did I already mention that Magister Albert (who by the way looks like something between Tom Angelripper and Lemmy) is one hell of a singer? His voice fits this kind of music like the fist of doom in the face of stoner rock. Even though you can hear some Ozzyish manners, Albert’s voice can be recognised as his own. Huh, that song was amazing. Now I’d like to see it ending up on a record, as I’ve never seen or heard the track on tape or cd. It’s too good to be kept concealed. That song was the highlight of the evening!

Reverend Bizarre were meant to release their first full-length album tonight, but due to reasons unknown to me they didn’t. But they played one song from that forthcoming full-length. It was no other than the only audience-friendly track, Doomsower. Yes, that was nice, a faster one, and also the audience seemed to like the fast tempo (I mean “fast” in the Reverend Bizarre standard). Of course I wanted to hear other songs from the record, but I can well understand why they didn’t play them. The last song was also a faster one, Doom over the world. And let me tell you, this is a hit song: fast tempo, nice riff and a catchy chorus. It would be easy to imagine the audience singing the chorus aloud with Albert. During this song there was much movement in the audience, and also the band was in full speed. This is a great song to end a gig. Unfortunately I must admit that even though the song is great, the chorus is the kind which stays ringing in your head for days. Actually that song rang in my head all the way I walked home. Dammit!

The audience wanted more, and that’s what they got. A cover version of Pentagram’s Broken vows was a great choice to end Reverend Bizarre’s job. That left a good taste in the mouth. Albert, Peter and Void make a great team together and it’s a pleasure to see them playing live. They have many great songs, so it was a pity that they didn’t have more time to play (they played for 45 minutes). It seems that the band had to cut one song from their set because the show was late. I personally missed Strange horizon which I prefer as one of their best songs. But it’s great to see that they really practice what they preach. When it comes to doom, you can’t be heavier than them!

The second band was Finland’s first doom metal band ever, Spiritus Mortis from Alavus. They have been doing their Obsessed-oriented doom rock since 1988. This was a band of which I knew the least. They really don’t make too much noise of themselves, I guess.

Spiritus Mortis started also with a spoken intro. What I was about to witness was 35 minutes of well-played and rocking doom metal. The band played totally well together and the singer had quite an original voice (he sounded just like Lee Ving / Fear). I personally like his voice. I could recognise only half of the songs, but, thanks to Void, I got their set list. The first song was Divine wind, which started vivacious and was a nice change from RB’s slow funeral doom. The next song, New age, sounded a bit like the first one. Then came Flames and Sweet oblivion. After four songs I started to wonder: is there going to happen anything? The beginning of the gig was great, but after four songs that sounded the same it felt like nothing new happened (although Sweet oblivion is a great song). But then the band pulled themselves together with a song called Burn witch burn. That was a positive surprise: it was slow doom, and I was in the mood again. These guys could play also very slow music. After that came another rocking song, Sleeping beneath the lawn, which I liked. It was also nice to see that the audience was totally with them (well, I could recognize 2/3 of the Reverends in the front of the stage). Then came the highlight and also the heaviest song from Spiritus Mortis’ part: Rise from hell is a total doom track. I’ve heard this track once, but it was nothing to be compared to this. The guys played this doom metal anthem with great devotion and the audience liked it! Probably the audience can agree with me that this was the band’s best offering. Then came All the words were spoken, which offered nothing new, though it had a catchy melody. Then came Vow to the sun, which in the right place in the right time would probably turn into a hit. That is a really pleasant song and has a really impressive chorus. This song stays ringing in your head too, if you’re not careful. The last song, Baron samedi, went through my ears, it was one of the boring ones. Still I must say that these guys know how to rock, although their songs aren’t too versatile.

These guys have the talent to perform their music live, but a few catchy songs more would make them even more enjoyable. The stage was narrow, and since there are five guys in this band there was not much space to move. The band was very alive, and maybe the loss of space limited the rocking of the band. I would really like to see this band on a bigger stage. It seems that they also had to cut their set, swearword!

The last one on the stage was Minotauri from Äänekoski. They started about 1 am. and played 8 songs in 35 minutes. I like their attitude, they don’t worry too much about their outer image, which I think is right. And as I soon saw, they don’t need any image, they let the music do the talking. Minotauri started with Lover from the grave, a song from their demo Devil woman. Dammit, there was some kind of a technical problem with the microphone cause I couldn’t get any of the vocals (I know Ari Honkonen is a good vocalist). So, I concentrated on the music they played. Lover was quite a normal doom track, but the second one, Cemetary shadows, was a killer one. These guys love the music they make and it shows. Audience could also recognise it and they were along. The third song was Pain of Life from their 7” single. That was a really doomy one, and the band continued their totally devastating show. Minotauri are really intensive live players, and without the mike problems it would have been a hell of a gig. Two more demo tracks (Devil woman & My way) came next, and during these song the mike started to work. Then came a new song called Frustrated, which is definitely one of their best songs. The heaviest track in their set was the next one, Paid love, also a new song. This was a totally outstanding number and one of the greatest songs seen during the evening. I wouldn’t mind if they wrote more songs like this. Before the next song some promoter came to tell that the band could only play one more song, which was sad cause I could have watched a couple more songs. The last song, Violence from the 7”, was a disappointment to me. I never really liked that one, but the boys played the song and the audience liked it, so what the heck. Here we have also a promising band, and I hope that they keep making these great songs and great shows as long as possible.

What was a shame was the tight schedule. Doom jockey Shrike had very little time to play his doom records, and since the movie was delayed, even the bands had to cut their set lists. That is a pity cause we had three excellent bands that showed that even in Finland we have doom metal bands and, which is more important, very versatile ones. None of these could be mixed to each other. They all have styles of their own, even though the paragons are the same.

The night was glorious, and I was happy for what I had witnessed. I wondered the loss of people (though I heard that there were more people than expected, with over 120 tickets sold), there was plenty of room within the crowd. This was a perfect chance to hear & see something different. Well, we who were there can just be happy cause we saw something special. I hope that the planned Friends of Hell tour over Finland can be fulfilled. Then other doomsters all around the land would have the chance to experience the same.

Juha “Secret Loser” Mäki

Holozine #9

Doomin pastorit

Turkulainen Reverend Bizarre sai kunnian olla keikan avausbändi, eikä todellakaan mikään huonompi aloitus ollutkaan. Heti tähän väliin täytyy mainita, etten todellakaan ole doom-metallin fani tahi asiantuntija, vaan esitän näkemykseni keikasta täysin sillä perusteella miten sen koin, triviatiedot ja muut spekuloinnit muille jättäen. Kolmipäinen doom-kolmikko edusti selvästi vanhemman koulukunnan doomia eli toisin sanoen, tietyllä tavalla hyvin perinteistä vanhakantaista heviä. Laulusta vastasi bändin basisti, joka myös hoiti hommansa hyvin: tunteella ja selkeästi "juuriansa" kunnioittaen. Ilkeillen voisikin todeta, että tarkkaan on esikuvabändien levyt kuunneltu, mutta se oli myös samalla bändin vahvuus. Soundipuolessakaan ei ollut valittamista, vaan lähinnä päin vastoin. Kitaran uliseva, jopa valittava soundi sopi riffien tyyliin kuin hirttosilmukka kaulaan ja toi omalta osaltaan todellista doom -fiilistä ilmaan ja kokonaisuutena olikin sellainen tunnelma kuin olisi ollut jossain 70-80 -lukujen taitteen klubilla kuuntelemassa sen ajan ug-metallia. Kitaraa täydensi hyvin basso, jonka soundi oli mukavasti kovalla ja näin toi helvetisti lisää testosteronia
kokonaissoundiin ja ylipäätään vahvisti bändin luomaa tunnelmaa. Bändin liikehdintä tai livepuoli ei ollut mitenkään merkittävän erikoinen tai mieleenjäävä, mutta toisaalta juuri sopiva bändin tyyliin eli levotonta horjumista ja heilumista. Rumpusoundit olivat täysin kohdallaan, ainakin volyyminsa puolesta ja näin ollen kokonaisuus oli hyvin balanssissa. Vaikken kotona kaiuttimista ikinä varmaan kyseistä bändiä tule kuulemaankaan, niin voin silti todeta bändin olevan hyvä livekokemus ja varmasti myös tulevaisuudessa olevan tutustumisen arvoinen.

Vanhan koulun henkeä

Kolmikon toinen tapaus oli Alavudelta kotoisin oleva Spiritus Mortis, jota on sanottu lukeutuvan Suomen vanhimpien heavy/doom –bändien joukkoon, mikäli oikein muistan. Itse en ollut ikinä bändistä aiemmin kuullutkaan, mikä kuitenkin ehkä selittyy sillä etten kummemmin ole tämän genren skenejä läpi kahlaillut. Bändin miehistön ikäjakauma kuitenkin puhui väitteen puolesta, sillä kyseessä ei todellakaan ollut mitään koulupoikia, vaan ikää oli kertynyt ukoille jo sen verran, ettei ainakaan uskottavuutta tarvinnut kalastaa. Odottaessani lisää vanhan koulukunnan doomia, huomasinkin pettyväni, enkä pelkästään siitä syystä, että bändin tyyli ei ollut sitä mitä odotin, vaan että se oli myös minun mielestäni sen verran huonompaa ettei minua erikoisemmin napannut. Ei bändi sinänsä huono ollut, mutta todellakaan kyse ei ollut meikäläisen teekupista tai oluttuopposesta, sillä bändin tyyli oli enemmän varhaisen 80-luvun perusheviä kuin minkään sortin doomia ja jos joku tuli bändistä mieleen niin Dio. Mielipidettä vain vahvisti laulajan liveliikehdintä, joka oli kuin todellisella '80s heavy metal staralla, joka on sitten joko huono tai hyvä asia, riippuen puhtaasti siitä mistä pitää. Soundit olivat kauttaaltaan kohdallaan, eikä mitään erityisempiä moitteita bändille voi muutenkaan antaa. Tyyliuskollisuutta ja yhdenmukaisuutta bändin hevityylillä oli aina vaatetusta, ulkonäköä ja tosiaan jopa ikää myöten. Välillä kaiken diomaisuuden keskeltä nosti päätään myös joku Manowar -tyylinen kohta, mutta vähemmistössä kuitenkin oli muskelihevin puoli. Live oli kokonaisuutena ihan OK, eikä parkumiseen ole syytä, mutta tällä tosiaan ei ollut tekemistä sen enempää doomin kanssa kuin Cradle of Filthillä black metallin kanssa.

Kreikkalainen sarvipää

Äänekoskelainen Minotauri tuli lopettamaan illan keikan omalla osuudellaan ja en nyt tätäkään tapausta doomiksi menisi kuvailemaan. Lähinnä kyse oli todellista junttaheviä kolmipäisen miehistön voimin. Bändin päänä kaiketi toimi Morningstaristakin tuttu Ari, joka myös hoiti Minotaurin vokaalit. Soundit olivat täyttä rautaa ja ns. munaa löytyi vaikka muille jaettavaksi (repiköön tästä kaksimielisyytensä kukin haluamallaan tavalla). Vokaalit olivat kenties keikan huonoin puoli, koska olivat sekä liian hiljaiset, että muutenkin vähän vaisut, mikä tietysti johtui osittain siitä, että laulajan piti muutakin instrumenttia samalla veivata keskittyneesti eikä tuo moniajo oikein toiminut niin hyvin kuin mitä se olisi voinut. Riffit olivat pääasiassa melko yksinkertaisia ja taso vaihteli tylsästä ja tusinatavarasta vitun hyviin Celtic Frost -tyyppisiin "junttahevi" -riffeihin ja paikoitellen ehkä jopa hienoista punk-vivahdetta oli havaittavissa. Joku kaikessa tuossa primitiivisyydessä kuitenkin viehätti ja ehkä juuri siksi minua miellytti illan bändeistä eniten. Livepuoli oli tosin hyvin vaatimatonta ja melkein yhtä lailla bändin tarjontaa olisi voinut kuunnella levyltä kotona. Kuitenkin tutustumisen arvoinen tapaus jos yksinkertaisempi, kursailematon metalli kolahtaa.

Summa summarum

Huolimatta siitä etten erikoisemmin tämän tyylisen metallin kuuntelija ole, pidin kuitenkin kokonaisuudesta. Sinänsä mikään bändi ei ollut sarallaan huono, vaan lähinnä päin vastoin. Myöskään minkäänlaista poseerausta tai pelleilyä ei ollut bändien keikkaa tahi esiintymistä pilaamassa. Yleisökin oli totutusta WCH-keikkojen yleisöstä hieman poikkeavampaa, mikä tietysti selittyy WCH:n tyypillisestä tarjonnasta eroavalla keikalla. Lopputuloksesta on hieman vaikea löytää mitään syytä valittamiseen, joten jätettäköön sen suuremmat kitinät tähän.

Serpent

Haista! #5

Doomille pyhitetty ilta on minusta paljon viehättävämpi idea kuin tusinalle samankaltaiselle bläkkipändille pyhitetty ilta. Etenkin kun kaikki nämät bändit kuulostivat vähän erilaiselle keskenään, vaikka samaa genreä edustivatkin. Alkukuvana näytetystä legendaarisesta Witchfinder General -elokuvasta en osaa sanoa kuin että menetän aina paljon leffoissa joissa ei ole tekstiä koska kuulen vähintään puolet puheista väärin, riippumatta siitä tulevatko ne jonkun kanssaihmisen suusta vai kovaäänisistä. Luulenpa, ettei inkvisitio-leffassa puhuta mistään polyuretaanista oikeasti. Ja onneksi leffateattereissa ei saa tupakoida ja keskustella äänekkäästi samaan aikaan kun toiset katsoo elokuvaa. Tuolla sai ja se häiri.

Reverend Bizarre oli illan raskain bändi. Vähitellen alan miettiä, onko se raskain bändi ylipäätään, mitä olen kuullut. Olen mykistynyt. Ja basso on monipuolinen ja hieno soitin.

Toisena soittanut Spiritus Mortis koostui vähän vanhemmista sedistä, ja musiikkikin oli kevyempää, vaikkakin ulkomusiikillisesti kyseisen bändin raskautta tuskin voitti mikään. Aika rokkiahan se. Toiseksi viimeinen biisi, jonka nimi loppui kai "Sun" tai "Son", oli oikein mainio. Laulajan takatukka-kampauksesta ei oikein tiennyt huvittiko vai hirvittikö se, mutta basistin Spice Girls-paita oli oikein mainio.

Illan päättänyt Minotauri oli sekin reippaampaa ja sikäli rokimpaa, mutta samaan aikaan myös raskasta ja rankkaa. Se oli oikein hyvä ja liikutti tajunnan lisäksi myös ruumista. Olisin julkaisunkin hankkinut, ellei olisi loppunut rahat kesken kun piti bussilla mennä. Hitto.

Leea Mäkelä