A heavy weekend in Espoo – 6 Feet Underground, Kannusali 27.-28.05.

The last weekend of May presented an opportunity to check out some of the rising names of the Finnish metal scene in the city of Espoo, more precisely in Kannusali. The event “6 Feet Underground”, which, as the name suggests, was held in the basement of the hall, brought five metal bands divided into two nights. Chaoszine was there and went to check out the bands.

Merta was the first Friday band. The musicians from Kerava make a modern and melodic sound whose main difference from the other bands of the fest was the fact that they sing in Finnish. Vocalist Juhis Kauppinen is charismatic and knows how to lead the night, with bassist Kalle Niskanen being one of the highlights with his growling vocals. The highlight of the show was the performance of the single “Kaamos“, which is part of their upcoming third album. Unfortunately, the performance marked the farewell of guitarist Ossi Mäkelä.

Arion‘s melodic power metal closed the first night with musicians who know how to make a fun show. The stage presence of keyboardist Arttu Vauhkonen with his genuine happiness and drummer Topias Kupiainen’s technique are big factors in the quality of the show, although the lights didn’t help, leaving the stage very dark and difficult to perceive details. It was possible to see fans wearing band t-shirts and singing along with vocalist Lassi Vääränen, like in the ballad “You’re My Melody“.

Saturday started with a high dose of energy because when Shereign is on stage, it will be a great night. The musicians are constantly interacting with the audience between songs, which is always a nice thing. The duo of guitarists Joonas Pulkkinen and Timo Pönni are skilled and have a true bond, while singer Sara Strömmer has a strong presence and great technique, as in the excellent “Dying Sun“. Although Sara had some problems with her in-ear monitor, she gave her best on every track and it was nice to see her salute her father’s presence in the audience.

Straight from Tampere, it was Detset‘s turn to bring their mix of metal with pop and alternative elements. For some reason, the band performed without bassist Jonne Soidinaho, but the highlights were the vocals of Sami Silvennoinen and the backing vocals of guitarist Eemeli Bodde, as in the catchy “Mariana Arc“, a song that is part of the latest studio album “Vermeil”, released in 2022.

The industrial metal band Fear of Domination was intended to close the event, and it wasn’t an ordinary show, because of a special guest. With its seven members on stage, the band’s highlights are the duo of vocalists Saku Solin and Jessica Salmi, who not only have a good chemistry on stage but are constantly interacting with their bandmates and fans, always with humor and a pleasant atmosphere. Lasse Raelahti also does an amazing job when he uses his keytar to interact at the front of the stage. The return of the encore brought a surprise: vocalist Sara from Shereign, former FOD, came to join Jessica and Saku on the vocals. What a way to end a show, delivering a nice reunion and great entertainment for all who were present in the depths of Espoo.

Seeing bands that continue to make great metal music in the scene is inspiring, and we hope that future editions of 6 Feet Underground or similar projects will happen as Finland continues to export excellent bands that just need new fans to continue their journeys in the music world.