An insane summer night: Ratos de Porão live at CoolHead LIVE, Helsinki 10.7.

For a South American band to perform in Finland, more than popularity is needed, sometimes a mix of friendship and history is what it takes. There’s a strong link between the land of ice and snow and the country of samba and football since the 80s. Finnish bands such as Terveet Kädet, Riistetyt, Kaaos and Rattus were essential as a musical and attitudinal influence on some of the biggest Brazilian metal/punk bands that emerged during that time, such as Sarcófago, Sepultura and Ratos de Porão. Four decades later, the night of the July 10th would be a celebration of this entire context, in the middle of the Finnish summer, proving that their connection is still very strong through the friendships between musicians from these two countries.

The Ratos show would be the band’s second visit to these cold lands, 15 years after performing on the Puntala-rock cruise. In addition to the Brazilian thrash/punk metal scene legend, the night would be shared alongside the iconic and already mentioned Terveet Kädet, with an opening act from a band formed by Finns who sing in Portuguese called Força Macabra. The night looked promising, but some things weren’t going smoothly behind the scenes before the first chords were heard by everyone…

The event was part of the CoolHead Live, a summer circuit that has always been a success in Helsinki and the fourth year would begin exactly on this night, but unfortunately everyone who arrived at the venue were simply faced with a different scene, as the stage was still far from being ready for a show. Time passed and while many fans cooled off with drinks, bought merchandise and caught up with their friends, there weren’t many signs that the schedule would be followed, which was confirmed by something totally out of Finland’s standards: a gigantic delay of two hours! For some reason, the original stage setup did not go as planned and this resulted in a slightly improvised stage for this night, far from what would be ideal, without backdrops, full sound capacity or sound check done correctly.

At 20:05, the members of Força Macabra started their show with a lot of energy despite the complicated situation. Singing their music in Portuguese with songs such as “Os Quatro Cavaleiros” and “Cemitério”, the charismatic vocalist Otto Luotonen definitely made a good impression with the many Brazilian fans who attended the event.

After the previous show lasting just over 15 minutes, it was the turn of the legendary band Terveet Kädet, who had a big number of fans present, to continue the sunny night. During their 20 minutes the band had to condense the original setlist, but any lack of energy wasn’t visible from them or especially from the fans who participated in the mosh-pit. Although Läjä Äijälä’s voice failed a little during the show, he was often joined by his bandmates on vocals, like in “Veriviivat”, which makes the experience better sound-wise. The highlight was definitely “Pissaa ja paskaa”, featuring João Gordo from RDP, who sang with the same passion of a devoted fan.

When the clock hit 21:05, it was Ratos de Porão‘s turn to bring their chaos to the stage, but before that, Sami, the show’s promoter, addressed the audience, apologizing for the delay and saying that a refund would be possible for those who felt wronged. Fortunately, at that moment the vast majority were understanding that sometimes things can go totally sideways. Now, showtime!

Jão, who’s always precise with his guitar, started the set with a fast combo for “Alerta” and “Aglomeracão”. After a brief greeting from João to the fans: “Hei, Suomi!”, the night continued with an insane mosh-pit for “Amazonia”, followed by “Farsa Nacionalista”, this one with great backing vocals from the charismatic guitarist and founder of the group.

In “Ignorância/Lei do Silêncio” it was possible to hear the great bass line and enjoy the stage presence of the energetic Juninho. “Morte ao Rei (Death to the King)” brought their thrash metal crossover of 1991 to the present day, while the groove of “Satanic Bullshit” and “Bad Trip” from the album Just Another Crime in… Massacreland continued being fuel for the international mosh-pit with European, Nordic and Latin fans.

With the lack of a band’s backdrop, it was nice to see the landscape behind the venue, which is located in a rural area of ​​the city. While João, Boca, Juninho and Jão continued spreading their anarchic message, the sun slowly began to set, creating a beautiful scene for all to witness. The combo “Morrer/Mad Society/Crianças Sem Futuro” barely let the band breathe and Gordo’s improved physics were notable, having good energy to perform and to have fun at the same time. Before the hymns “Crucificados pelo Sistema”/Descanse em Paz/”V.C.D.M.S.A.”, João made a beautiful gesture when he shouted to the sky “Look at us here in Finland, Jabá!”, paying homage to the the band’s original bassist and longtime friend that passed last year.

Boca continues his beat and precise rhythm in the classic “Igreja Universal”, but the final act takes place with the participation of members of Terveet on two occasions. First bassist Lene in “Fei e Burro”, doing a mashup with lyrics from “Pissaa ja paskaa”, and then the rest of the Finnish band joins in for the chorus of “Rosca Solta”, the Brazilian version of the original song by the Finns “Ei Enään Koskaan Sotaa”.

“Beber Até Morrer” exorcises the last demons, ending an event that had everything go wrong, but was worth the effort of everyone present, especially the musicians who delivered an unforgettable experience to each of those who left their sweat on the ground to appreciate the good old punk on an unforgettable summer night. This connection between Brazil and Finland will continue for many years, because what anarchy united, no border or delayed hours will ever separate.

Words by John Wins
Photos by Pasi Eriksson

You can listen to Ratos de Porão‘s latest EP “Isentön Paunokü” here: