Live report: Lord of the Lost returned to Finland and showed that they really are bigger than ever

Today I’m really happy that I chose to write a concert review about the show Lord of the Lost brought to Finland. The band visited us four times this year and as I’ve understood, that’s more times per year in one country than they have ever made. What I saw in Helsinki House of Culture, I could say that they are very much welcome back any time.

Not only Lord of the Lost had an amazing gig but they also had two very nice supporting acts. The lineup was well considered and offered some variety still being in line with each other bringing their genres together in gothic theme. Evening started with Finnish Rain Diary which I wasn’t familiar with. I heard many saying that this band sounds actually really good and I couldn’t agree more. The atmosphere was nice and the music “went under my feet” which I always refer to when I realize I start to move during the gig. I loved their gothic pop style and wouldn’t mind seeing them again.

Next band was Gothminister from Norway and while their style is also gothic, it goes more to metal genre. Apparently Gothminister is very popular in Germany but they obviously have some proper fan base in Finland too. While during the Rain Diary people were still slowly flowing into the concert hall, had Gothminister quite surprisingly full house. I wasn’t very familiar with this band either even though I had heard of them.

As soon as Gothminister with all their masks and decorations started their show, it was clear that this scary looking collective is here to put up a party. Catchy industrial metal songs had a sound of potential world class band and audience seemed to love them. Happy looking goths were dancing through the set and the volyme of applauses told everything about their fandom. I even started to feel like I’ve been living “under a rock” as we say in Finland when we don’t know something that we should since I didn’t really know the songs. Anyway I’m happy I got to have this live experience.

Finally it was time to get the main act on stage. Atmosphere was heated and fans ready to party. I’m not sure if the house was sold out but it was crowded. Anyway I noticed something about this particular audience. People didn’t really push each other or try to get in the front with what I would sometimes even call violence. This observation was still relevant after the show and I have to say thank you to everyone for behaving so mature. Even when everyone was jumping and dancing, I felt secure and untouched which made the experience particularly great.

The set was pretty much perfect with as many as 21 songs. There was a lot of older material but the latest album “Blood & Glitter” was represented very well too. Actually 8 songs out of 13 from that album were performed which I think is pretty decent amount. Not to mention that all my favourites were included. Among others the band played No respect for Disrespect, Future of a Past Life, amazing and a bit heavier Destruction Manual, very accurate Leave Your Hate in the Comments and of course Blood & Glitter.

From older production I was glad to hear Morgana and Loreley which are some of my favourites. Morgana is also one of many great examples of how talented singer Chris Harms is. Those screaming vocals sounded just as good live as they sound on the record. All in all I love that deep and dark voice that he uses unbelievably well. Back to the setlist, it was also great to hear The Gospel of Judas from “Judas” that was released couple of years ago. It has potential to not sound so good live, but those backing vocals were just perfect and actually made me find the song again and get it on my playlist.

To mention other older tracks, I can only hope that Dry the Rain stays on the setlist forever. This Lord of the Lost debut single was released in 2009 and is still a piece of art. So is Blood for Blood though and this song was the one that put everyone on the move. This little workout included jumping and it was amazing how synchronized the audience was in this activity. Also all my appreciation to Chris for singing and jumping around like that. Finns are not always the most lively people which means they can just stand there and enjoy the music looking like they don’t even like being there. I had to take a look on the back of the hall where people were sitting. I saw collective little nodding so basicly that means they were going nuts there.

Another one who deserves all the appreciation and respect is Lord of the Lost crew member Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler. After Klaas Helmecke, the bass player of the band, got sick, this guy learned all the songs and stepped on stage in Finland (and one show before). It was heartwarming to see the support that Benji got in Helsinki and he sure did what he came for. Not only did he play bass but he also did some backing vocals which I consider quite brave. And he nailed it!

Speeches between the songs were respectful and Chris talked about the relationship that Lord of the Lost has with Finland. “Blood & Glitter” was recorded in Finland and after covering Finland’s Eurovision song Cha Cha Cha has Lord of the Lost had special place in Finns’ hearts. The audience got many thanks for being there even though it was Wednesday evening and it didn’t take a lot to understand that these guys really appreciate their fans. The band also seems to be quite ok with returning the country time after time.

If it’s not yet clear at this point, I really enjoyed the gig. It’s not to be taken for granted that people can behave in concerts, but this time I really loved the atmosphere. Everyone was there just to have fun, setlist was great, and the band was on fire. Their energy is most probably one thing making their live shows so entertaining and they give such a good vibe. No wonder it’s possible for someone just hop on and do some shows with 1,5 hour practice.

Evening came to an end as the band performed Cha Cha Cha as a surprise. I actually saw them perform it for the first time live at John Smith Rock Festival in July and I have to say that Chris is starting to be quite good with the lyrics. Anyway, at this point I would say I hope to see Lord of the Lost soon back in Finland but luckily I already know they will return at least once in 2024. Looking forward to hear, where and when.