But before we got the long awaited Kvelertak guys on stage, there was a proper warmup by Blood Command. I couldn’t have thought of a better band to get everyone into the mood for what was to come still. Their hyperactive blend of punk, hardcore, pop and a pinch of metal fits the main act perfectly and the energy went through the roof as soon as they hit the stage. This show was also part of the very first tour with their new vocalist Nikki Brumen (formerly from the Australian band Pagan) and honestly, you would’ve never guessed it. Nikki and the 4 guys with her looked as if they’ve known each other their whole lives and have always played together. They absolutely killed it and already got quite a few people in the crowd moving. Besides some of their earlier work, they also played a couple of new tracks they wrote together that were bangers one for one. They have a new album coming in July and we’re eagerly awaiting it!

Earlier here, I was calling Kvelertak a powder keg and that powder keg pretty much exploded… They’ve always been known as a band that really brings it live and that blows everyone and anyone away. And after those years of nothing, it seemed they saved up a bit to go even more bonkers than normally. There was the sense of danger and unpredictability that I want and expect from hardcore punk shows, with especially vocalist Ivar throwing his all at it. Swinging his microphone stand around like a madman and jumping into the crowd for a little crowdsurfing, you never knew when to get ready to dive and avoid feet and other things from smacking you in the face. And while Ivar easily grabs all the attention with his raw energy and performance, the other guys were going at it at least as much. The setlist consisted of course for a big part out of track from the ‘Splid‘ album, but classics like ‘Blodtørst‘, ‘Mjød‘ and ‘Kvelertak‘ all came by of course as well. And well, ‘1985‘ simply always does it for me, what a track that is! Honestly, the way the crowd went wild is something I haven’t seen in a long while in Finland at a concert, not even counting in the whole pandemic thing. Kvelertak came, destroyed and absolutely conquered! Can’t wait to catch them live again!