24-06-2017 – Nummirock

[schema type=”event” evtype=”Event” name=”24-06-2017 – Nummirock ” sdate=”2017-06-21″ edate=”2017-06-24″ street=”Nummijärvi” city=”Kauhajoki” country=”FI” ]

The weather forecast for the final day didn’t look any better than what the previous days had been so we prepared for the worst: snow and slush coming down vertically. Luckily the day dawned just gray and it rained, making the most self-indulgent ones sleeping late and crawling out of their camps only for the ‘must-sees.’ For us, all of them were ‘must-see’ bands so we sighed and braced ourselves for 12 hours of rain.

Dö

Hailing from Helsinki, Dö is an interesting group because you can’t clearly put them into any genre as there are moments they sound like doom metal, then suddenly they play stoner rock in the next moment. They were there to start the final day and we were with them.

Sound is heavy and kind of flamboyant, there are sure some interesting parts at times, but not enough to speak to me.

Technically there are some polishing, and I would kind of miss also some more contact with audience and motion.

Mors Principrum Est

MPE has been on the surface for quite a while since they shed their skin with a new lineup in 2012 and claimed their position among the brightest of melodeath stars at the moment with their most recent album: Embers of a Dying World.

Comfortable melodious metal, functioning encouragement to audience, and contact with them great, especially from singer.

There is a strong vibe that they sure know how to do gig, headbanging, and all other movement are awesome to watch. Technically music and playing are tactful and something that make you smile in rain after two hours of sleep at night.

I heard something that they have a visiting guitarist as Andy Gillion couldn’t make it to the show, but it doesn´t seems to be slowing their going.

Eläkeläiset

The mandatorial last day’s bow to the roots of the festival, all the way to 1959 when the first bigger juhannus event was held on these grounds. It featured, faithful to the age and trend, dance orchestras and people arrived to dance, so every year there has been one non-metal act to get people moving. This year it was Eläkeläiset who make humppa (=finnish polka) covers of pop/rock/metal hits.

Kind of enjoyable for this kind of music but it doesn´t fit to my taste, but actually quite nice intermediate program.

Yes, they sure know how to play, and result is fun and entertaining show.

From the void

Once again, we were given some black metal, a smaller band from Finland, founded in 2009.
They wear quite nice outfits, and especially the mic stands are cool.

As it is functional set, contact with audience goes smoothly and stage is filled well. However musically I would kind of need something more. There is little to stick on and sometimes I found interesting things and sneaky bits, but I´d miss some more variation in music.

Despite us finding them less special, they won the Wacken Metal Battle Finland 2017 and are going to play in the Europe’s largest festival. Tempelores Magazine congratulates!

Korpiklaani

These Finnish folk metallers are a sensation, if not an institution, all around the globe. Their unique style consists of arranging traditional Finnish folk elements and instruments with metal and the result is pretty distinguished. I guess you’d call them metal-humppa.

Easy-going but still clear, as I expected.

The performance is great folk, and I think it´s always nice to watch their show. The audience is remembered quite well, and technically there are no complaints.

Epica

One of the biggest hits of the festival was the Dutch symphonic metal group, Epica. Fronted by Simone Simons who has played a role in many metal acts from Kamelot to Ayreon.

Loud and high goes, vocals are fast and skillful, stage presence is strong and solid and audience contact is so disarming that it’s impossible not to like them.

Technically chants and playing flow so beatifully as gorgeous voice interprets strongly words, it make you wanna close your eyes and enjoy, but it´s kind of hard because you still wanna see their show.

Yes, they sure make me waiting for the next time I will see them.

Setlist: Edge of the Blade, Sensorium, The Obsessive Devotion, Martyr of the Free World, Unchain Utopia, Cry for the Moon, Sancta Terra, Beyond the Matrix, Consign to Oblivion

Whispered

One of the most interesting bands this year was the samurai group of Whispered, which draws inspiration from the Japanese culture and their music is vastly colored with folk influences from the land of the rising sun.

The first thing that steals my attention is their spectacular matching costumes, and that they take over the stage nicely and stage presence is sure and premeditated. But I would like to see more contact with audience, even if speeches are pretty good.

Nice to listen to, and vocals fits well for the style. partly also quite original stuff, and own style is clear, which is the kind of things that are only positive to see.

Mokoma

Finnish thrash metal pioneers and vanguards doesn’t need much introduction to the crowd defying the rain as they play almost every year at the festival and we couldn’t imagine a year without.

Nummirock´s “house band” is always nice to see, and even I know to expect a good show from them; they´re are just damn good every time.

And they seem to be handling well with the weather (10-12C and raining). Indeed, it´s not so much of a wonder with that kind of jumping they delivered us with their really energetic and aggressive set, consisting only of the band’s faster songs so we didn’t hear the hits like Punamultaa or Kuu Saa Valtansa Auringolta.

Rhapsody

You read right, it’s the original Rhapsody, not of fire or Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody.
The Italian metal opera masters paid us a visit during their Farewell Tour, complete with the lineup of Luca Turilli, Fabio Lione, Patrice Guers, Dominique Leurquin and Alex Holzwarth.

They sound fantastic, and band seems clearly to be enjoying to be playing together once again these songs. And the set is going on relaxed and suitably flamboyant.

Technically not much to complain, indeed there were some problems with vocals at begining. Also they nicely embraced the audience, even it seems they don´t need much support anyway.

Absolutely fantastic.

Setlist: Emerald Sword, Wisdom of the Kings, Beyond the Gates of Infinity, Knightrider of Doom, Wings of Destiny, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Drum Solo, Land of Immortals, Dawn of Victory, Encore: Rain of Thousend Flames, Lamento Eroico, Holy Thunderforce, In Tenebris

Wolfheart

The most recent band of Tuomas Saukkonen surely has been keeping busy lately, and no wonder. Their latest album, Tyhjyys has received some pretty nice reviews.

Professinally playing and quite nice growling, but somehow a little bit too uniform thickness for my taste, like there would be something missing but, I just don´t catch what it is.

Contact with the audience is beautiful to watch and presence is refined and strong, but there could be some more motion, even those headbangings are always nice to see.

Wintersun

Towards the end, the night was getting colder but when we knew there were Jari Mäenpää‘s Wintersun coming up next, and the odds were on our side of hearing a song or two from the upcoming The Forest Seasons album.

Gorgeous strong start, band fills the stage pretty much straight from the beginning. Playing rolls on nicely and effectively.

They sure remember to acknowledge the audience well and there´s nothing to complain about the movement or stage presence.

Singing works sharply and whole show going smoothly with great energy. Enjoyable to watch and listen.

Setlist: Awaken from The Dark Slumber, Winter Madness, Beyond the Dark Sun, Starchild, Sleeping Stars, Sons of Winter and Stars, Death and the Healing, Time

Insomnium

The festival ended this year with melodic death metal as Insomnium came to play us a two-part set, of which the first part consisted of the whole Winter’s Gate, from parts 1 to 7, which were all played through without any breaks. The night felt magical.

I´m sharing same opinion than presenter, Insomnium just never causes disappointments.

Quite peaceful show, but it works as always.

No complaints, and nothing to add, all I can say is fantastic work
and thank you.