The rise of the fallen angels – Charon’s sold-out show at Tavastia, Helsinki 31.8.

A special show always has a meaningful purpose, and two of the most popular reasons these days are either farewell or reunion tours. Finland has seen some deeply felt farewells in the last years, such as Entwine, HIM and Children of Bodom, but it has also celebrated comebacks like Kyyria, Suburban Tribe, and Amoral. In the case of Charon, the gothic metal band that raised popularity in the early 2000s and disbanded in 2011, they were resurrected last spring like a bloodthirsty raven, and fortunately, there was a large legion of fans ready to be the sacrifice for this reunion ritual.

Titled Fall of Angels, the reunion tour brings eight shows to different cities across the band’s home country. After the first successful gigs in Tampere, it was time for a double-night in the capital Helsinki, which was filled by not only local but also international crowd, with many fans traveling from all over the world to celebrate the return of the northern gothic musicians.

The Sunday night of August 31st had a strong smell of nostalgia from the moment it was possible to get in the legendary venue Tavastia. Vintage T-shirts from the band’s early albums were seen proudly worn by the band’s old supporters, and the playlist playing in the speakers was filled with rock/metal hits from the 90s and 00s. It was only a matter of minutes before we traveled back in time.

Precisely at 7:30 PM, the intro sounded, and with the whole club completely packed, the five members entered the stage. With beautiful lights and the usual charisma of JP Leppäluoto’s unmistakable voice, they played “Bitter Joy”, followed by “Deep Water”, demonstrating that the PA sound was excellent, and even better, the audience was interacting with their best energy.

The first speech of the night was in English, when the singer thanked everyone and smilingly stated that Charon was finally getting what they always deserved. And talking about the band, one of the best things about this reunion is its lineup, which combines guitarists Jasse Von Hast and Lauri Tuohimaa, from both of the band’s classic lineups. While Lauri provides excellent backing vocals, Jasse continues to perform his classic solos, as seen and heard on “Death Can Dance”.

There’s something hard to explain about the timbre and melodies that transport us directly to a specific era, and well, with “In Trust of No One”, it was impossible not to return to early 00s, as this song embodies the sound of that era. After the first JP’s speech of the night in Finnish, describing how surreal it was to be living that moment, it was Teemu Hautamäki’s bass that took the spotlights on “At the End of Our Day”. Touring without a live keyboardist, it was through backing track that the intro for “Worthless” came to life, and the band saw a good number of cell phones recording the song, originally released in 2000’s Tearstained album.

“This is fun!” That was the phrase that Leppäluoto used to emphasize the night, and speaking of the vocalist, “Desire You” showed the musician’s vocal power, as well as his strong stage presence, always moving wildly and graciously at the same time. Red lights colored the stage and audience, as the beat got faster with “Ride on Tears”, which, in a way, closed the first part of the night. Back to the stage with only two musicians and their acoustic guitars, JP and Lauri combined voices and melodies in a beautiful rendition of “Air”, which touched many of the dark hearts in the audience.

“Colder” started with flashing lights that gave visuals to its rhythm, but what was truly delightful to see (and hear) came once again from the duo Von Hast and Tuohimaa, with their guitars and vocal. Although the band’s catalogue is a reflection of its time, it’s always a pleasure to hear songs from decades ago and realize they remain timeless in these crazy modern times we live in, like “If”, released 22 years ago but which has since aged like wine.

Before “Gray”, a warning, and in some ways, more like an order, came from the vocalist’s mouth: “You’re gonna jump!” and that’s what was seen at Tavastia. Fans jumping and smiling to the soundtrack of their lives. Unique moments that make all the efforts worth it, even though their knees and back might hurt a bit a few hours later. Although there wasn’t much interaction between the musicians, mainly due to each one’s concentration on their respective instruments, “As We Die” was a beautiful example of the positive energy that exists on stage and that reflected in the crowd, as the quintet is truly happy to be reborn once again.

The sequence between “Sister Misery” and “Craving” was one of the few moments when the energy cooled off, but it’s in these moments that JP shows why he’s such a unique performer. With the frontman’s stage presence and charisma, the musician interacts with every corner of the audience, bringing even those who were feeling tired on a Sunday night back into the game.

If fans thought this reunion would only be about the past, it was a pleasant surprise to hear something new from the band, as last week the group released “Fall of Angels”, which also gave its name to the tour. The live feedback was excellent, showing that despite the future being uncertain, Charon‘s present sounds very fresh and modern. With Leppäluoto’s charming whispers and low voice, “House of the Silent” brought the perfect cadence to have the band’s members formally introduced (and even the whole crew was addressed by JP), “closing” the show.

Of course, the encore came after a couple of minutes, and “Little Angel”, the band’s biggest hit, provided iconic scenes, whether in the sweat-mixed joy of each of the musicians on stage or the infectiously joyful way each fan sang the verses with tears or just the simple pleasure of hearing their favorite band live. “Come Tonight” delivered the final notes of an unforgettable night for so many gothic souls. They say stars can’t shine without darkness, and certainly in the deep hours of a Sunday night, Tavastia lights made clear to see a small constellation of fallen angels rise up for one hour and thirty minutes. Time enough to make the darkest heart get warm enough.

Words by John Wins
Photos by Andy Johansson

You can listen to Charon‘s new single “Fall of Angels” here: