While I'm not going to make this into a full-on review, but I decided to recap my weekend at Hellsinki Metal Festival this year!
The past couple of times(it started in 2023) I wasn't able to make it since the timing was extremely close to trips that we ended up taking, if not overlapping, but given we didn't go visit the US this year or anywhere else, I managed to finally make it, and from here on I think I'll definitely be making it a yearly thing.
In short, this festival feels a lot like Tuska used to back in the day(I'd say before it moved to the new area from the center of Helsinki), which was wonderful. Tuska really started to feel differently after it moved; its last year in the center was 2010(which I missed due to, you guessed it, visiting the US), and I managed to go twice since then, once in 2015 and once in 2018. (My favorite year was 2006, as an aside; getting to see Celtic Frost, Venom, and Sodom in one weekend was amazing.)
It has an excellent setup, very easy to get to stages, and I went toward the covered VIP area and that was nice, too. Great food offerings and even craft beer. The lineup was particularly great this year; King Diamond was the main reason I went and was indeed the MVP of the festival. His stage show always looked amazing on video, and I was right up front enjoying it. The Funeral-Arrival combo is one of the coolest intros ever! King Diamond was another one of those 'white whale' acts of mine that I've listened to for ages, but never got a chance to see him live(or Mercyful Fate) just due to bad timing.
Also of note were getting to see Sigh finally live; they were another one of those white-whale acts, seminal black metal from Japan, and they put on a great show(and packed the indoor stage, too, so I think a whole lot of people wanted to catch them.) Enslaved put on a great show, and Candlemass were fantastic(another 'finally got to see them' act!). The sun disappeared and the rain rolled in right before their gig and stayed away during it, and I appreciate that as the old doom wizards are best suited for performing in the shade. The Blood Fire Death Tribute to Bathory was the closest thing I came to actually getting to see Bathory live(one of the OG bassists who used to help Quorthon was part of it!) so that was excellent, with Atilla Csihar showing up to do vocals for a track.
For Marduk, I of course had to show up in my plague gear. I had bought the mask with me, but ended up not wearing it a lot due to how hot and sunny it was over the weekend, but Marduk went on in the evening, so it was cooler for it.
(Also my DJ outfit.)
I didn't take a whole lot of pictures -- I mentioned this in a past blog, but I'm pretty old-fashioned and don't like to watch a gig through my phone. I just take a few, and a couple of clips of my favorites, and am happy. But here's a few select pictures I took of various acts, in no order whatsoever:
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Anyway, IMHO this is one of the best Finnish metal fests these days. Tuska isn't for me anymore, and that's fine; people into the more mainstream rock and metal or whatnot can have fun there, but Hellsinki is tops. 2 days is perfect I think(I'm feeling my age now despite being in, at least what my watch claims, decent shape for it, but damn 3+ day fests are not it for me anymore), in a great location, with a great setup, and great bands. Here's hoping next year's lineup keeps it going with the past years!
I hope to be back with my "Azzy Ranks: Mercyful Fate and Azzy Ranks: King Diamond" discographies soon. The first two I did were fun, and I think doing those next would be fitting since I'm still riding the concert high!
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