Matt Heafy, the guitarist and lead vocalist of Trivium, performing in Helsinki, Finland on Monday, March 19, 2018. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
“Mitä kuuluu?” That’s the lead singer Matt Heafy from the Florida-based heavy metal band asking the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd how they’re doing in good Finnish at the intimate concert venue, Nosturi, in Helsinki on Monday evening.
Judging from the screams, the crowd is better than fine. After the hard opener “The Sin And The Sentence,” which is also the name of their latest album that climbed on top of the album charts in Finland right after its release in October 2017, and insane moshpit bangers like “Betrayer” followed by “Ascendancy” of their sophomore album from 2005 that almost tore the place apart, it’s definitely about right to check whether the audience is still standing. They are. And they want more.
Heafy told the crowd from early on that they just arrived from Oslo, and that they want to see, whether the Finnish fans can be livelier than their Norwegian counterparts.
Excellent, speedy headbangers like “Strife” followed.
Bass player Paolo Gregoletto plucking away. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
“Caustic Are the Ties That Bind” from their fifth studio album In Waves (2011) was definitely one of the highlights. The fans on the first and the second floor of the venue were jumping and moshing wildly. From a fast start, the song evolved into a metal ballad of something tender, sweet and strong like the Karhu beer that most of the second floor was enjoying, while couples were holding hands; Heafy proving that his vocal performance belongs among the greats.
One of the best metal bands on the planet. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
If “Ascendancy” was about to tear the place apart, “Beyond Oblivion” from their latest album hammered down any remaining walls! The crowd in the back run in circles, unable to resist the energy.
Toward the end, the band went back to their sophomore album with the excellent “Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr.”
“In Waves” shut the lights in Nosturi.
Excellence in vocal performing. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
Trivium’s performance in Nosturi steps into the hall of fame of metal gigs in Finland, but one song that was missing from Trivium’s superb set was “Rain” from their sophomore album. The crowd would have feasted on it.
The rumor has it, though, that the Finns scored 5-1 against the Norwegians.
The fans live every note. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
