Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Well, time indeed does fly when the music is good. And in the blink of an eye, it’s been 30 years that these Finnish gentlemen have been the soundtrack of our lives. So it seems only fair, since we’re based in Finland, to go see them and appreciate them. A huge thank you to Vanessa from RPM for having us there! But let’s start at the very beginning…
I arrived at the venue at about 8 PM (thank you highway traffic!), and yet I was surprised because there was an immense queue, still waiting to get in. So after waiting a bit and collecting my ticket, I entered the venue and decided to grab a bite to eat before the opening band started. Punctual at 8:20, the Italian band Alterium graced the stage of the Live Cub. I’ve seen Alterium just once before I think, and in that particular instance I couldn’t enjoy much of their show because I was manning a merch stand, but this time I was set on seeing what they’re all about. They deliver a solid classic power metal, with Nicoletta’s voice being the main core of their sound. If I’m not mistaken she was dealing with a cold, but still, her performance was commendable. The rest of the band didn’t move much on stage, which was a bummer: I was expecting a bit more energy from them! Nicoletta then shared with us her love of gaming, which is present in many of their tracks. The audience seemed to love their music, as the cheers kept on growing with each song. All in all, a good start to this evening!
Photo: Dario De Marco.
Punctual at 9:30, it was time for the main act. Sonata Arctica are masters in their craft, so I was expecing an excellent show, and they didn’t disappoint. “Paid In Full” set the tone for the evening, followed closely by “Black Sheep” and crowd favorite “I Have A Right“: if you don’t sing this song with your whole strenght, then what’s the point? The venue was tightly packed, and Tony kept on engaging with the crowd, clearly enjoying the support and love from the Italian fans. Tony shared that after the show, they were flying back to Finland to record new tracks for the upcoming album, and that all the drums were already recorded. Go Tommy! I really enjoyed him explaining that his mom watches all the YouTube recordings of Sonata Arctica‘s show, and the fact that in some places “Tallulah” is banned from being performed as karaoke song. Remind me not to go to these places! Because while it is somehow a very emotional song, you have to sing along and have your heart broken every single time. The only two tracks performed from “The Ninth Hour” were “Life” and “Closer to an Animal“. Then, the show focuses on “Ecliptica” and the band plays “8th Commandment” and “Letter to Dana“. Third and final song performed from that album is obviously “FullMoon“, which is always very much appreciated. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and before saying goodbye, the Finns play for us “Victoria’s Secret” and “Don’t Say a Word“. If I have to give my honest opinion, I would have thought the show would be longer, especially since this is an anniversary tour! But I have absolutely no complaints and no regrest after all, because Sonata Arctica always delivers the best performance. So if you have a chance to catch one of the upcoming shows, be sure to do so!
Setlist:
Photo: Dario De Marco.
