07-09-2011 Suomi Darkness

Venue: K17, Berlin (Germany)
By: Sabine van Gameren

Suomi Darkness is an event that brought seven Finnish bands to Europe. Berlin was ready for some of Finland’s finest, including a lot of regulars of Tempelores Magazine, placed at this festival together by Danse Macabre records.

The first ones to enter the stage were Hellcity Punks, a name that basically describes what the band is about. The guys seemed a bit nervous at first which you could hear in the music, but eventually they found their own self back again and got it started. Though they played a quite short set, the band got some time to promote their new single “Angelina Cries”. A performance that warmed up the audience and opened their eyes.

Black Light Discipline was up next and the band brought some more aggression into the venue. The band is currently releasing their new single “Walls Inside Us” which features Karoliina Kallio as female vocalist. The band performed the single (without Karoliina though) and even though it was new to most of the audience it immediately proves to be a song that comes with catchiness seeing the people pick it up fast. The band also performed older song from their previous album and seem to have the largest audience of the night. A nice show for the ones who did not know the band yet, as they get a variety of older songs and newer songs and with an upcoming album release in future we expect to see the band back in Europe.

The next band comes with quite a history, dating back to 1996 when the band worked under another name. Due to some tragic deaths the band lost members and eventually goes on under the new name Silent Scream. Musically you can find them “go further to the core of post punk” feeling some influences of bands like Joy Division in here as well. Their performance was a bit static at first, the music comes quite intense and therefore it is not a band you love from the start. It seems like there is some more time needed than the short set that the guys played, but overall it seems a quite fine performance. Just a pity they had to play after an energetic band.

Although we saw Cold Cold Ground already with Miikki Kunt at Trashfest earlier this year, officially today was the first performance of him as an official member of the band. The band with the bunny seem to think: “if it’s nice, we give them twice” and with two drummers they are bringing a cool show. There is plenty to see with these guys as if the rest of the band is not entertaining enough. Simply said, if you wanna see all of it, one performance of Cold Cold Ground is not enough. The guys were playing around with the energy a bit, going from the more energetic songs to some calmer moments with intensity to throw you straight back to the violence after that. A typical CCG show.

Beati Mortui is yet a whole other experience, the band has been around since 2005 and has a female vocalist. This brings a different atmosphere in here, but be awarte that she is up to quite something. The electronic elements in their sound make people want to dance and some seem to do so. As a performance there is plenty energy given and it comes as quite entertaining, towards the end a little less perhaps as if there would be a round two of energy coming but the set ended before that. The band is perfectly fitting in tonight and brought it well.

Kinetik Control was very disappointing last time we saw them at Trashfest. Not a promising sight knowing you have to see them again, but fair enough the band played a better show this time. Electronics came more forward so you actually hear what this industrial side of them come from. Yet the band is still with these songs that does not really come across. Sometimes perhaps because there could be more aggression in them, when they are played it does not seem like the band is feeling their own songs with a passion. Third time will do the trick guys?!

The madness of Turmion Kätilöt have reached far over the border, but this is actually the first time we can see the band outside of Finland. This did not hold the band back to play their Finnish songs full pride but they choose to have their comments in between in English. The Finns were actively involving the audience and show them why they are headlining here tonight. Songs like “Pirun Nyrrki” are getting as much as response as the songs from their latest albums “USCH” and “Perstechnique”. Sure, the crowd is not as wild as they are in Finland shows, but vocalist Spellgoth is ready to get off stage and get everyone up to the front to dance. After all the band played a good set and seem to have the party going in the end. They will return to Europe with Pain, ready to introduce themselves to a wider audience!