Meara Klubi inaugurates 2024 with the first event of the year and three bands on stage: Askel, Svarta Havet and Sunniva.
Sunniva is a fusion of sludge, doom and post-metal, founded in Turku in 2016. Svarta Havet plays post-hardcore and metal that defies definition and ripples in shades of black. In the band’s disconsolate lyrics, the loss of nature and the eco-crisis, fear and anxiety for the future and hatred towards the capitalist destruction machine of the north of the world come to the fore. Askel is a band founded in Helsinki in 2022 that plays cold, painful and loud sludge.
Here some photos of the night by Cristina Gregori.
Category: Photography 2023
Memoira & Segmentia live at Kultturikulma, Pori (Finland)
Memoira are back stronger than ever with a new singer Krista Schröter. Before releasing new music the band played three gigs, one of which was in Pori and we were there to see the new line-up at work. The energetic pop metal band Segmentia opened the gig.
Here some photos taken by Cristina Gregori.
Psychework, Folkrim & Vanguardian live at Meara Klubi, Pori (Fin)
This time on the stage of the Meara Klubi three bands with different genres created a noteworthy show. The first to take the stage was Vanguardian, an extreme technical heavy metal band from Jyväskylä resurrected from the ashes of the thrash band Inkvisitor in 2019, followed by Folkrim, a band that plays a combination of metal and traditional instruments inspired by beer and nature that brings good mood everywhere. Closing the evening was Psychework, with singer Antony Parviainen and guitarist J-V Hintikka (ex-Machine Men), who offers melodically strong, dark and progressive heavy metal with impressive orchestrations and an undeniable talent for the dramatic.
Here some photos taken by Cristina Gregori.
Split Iris, Balance Breach & Khroma live at Meara Klubi Vol.18, Pori (Fin)
This time on the stage of Meara Klubi played Split Iris, Balance Breach and Khroma. Split Iris is a progressive metalcore band that combines elements of djent, deathcore and many other sub-styles of modern metal. Balance Breach is one of the most promising metal bands from Finland, its music combines wistful melodies, furious energy and big choruses in such an irresistible way that it has been noticed not only in Finland but also in Central Europe. Combining low-key groove, electro, hip hop and ambient, Khroma has done several foreign tours since its founding in 2010, the most recent being a massive 37-gig European tour with the Jinjer in autumn 2019, as well as a 10-gig club tour in the fall of 2022, with the crowning gig at Cologne’s Euroblast festivals in October 2022. Khroma has also warmed up for the band Gojira, performed in addition to the 2013 Tuska Festival at several festivals in Central Europe and visited Japan for a showcase gig.
Here some photos taken by Cristina Gregori.
MonoMassive Festival 9.9.2023, Pori (Fin)
The first edition of MonoMassive, organized by Meara Music, was held in Pori at the Annis house of cultures on September 9th. Six bands took turns on the two stages: Anzillu, Atlas, Where’s My Bible, Medeia, Black Royal, and Rytmihäiriö. The festival was sold-out thanks also to the possibility of participation of young people under 18 years of age. Hopefully the festival will be repeated next year.
Here some photos taken by Cristina Gregori.
Porispere & Minispere 4-6/8/2023, Pori (Finland)
Also this year The Offering had the opportunity to be present at Porispere, the festival that has been held every first weekend of August for more than 10 years in Pori. The particularity of the festival is to offer a wide range of musical genres over the three days, ranging from metal to pop and everything in between. Notable names this year included Within Temptation, Airbourne, Stratovarius, The Rasmus, Beast in Black, Turmion Kätilöt, Diablo, and Stoned Statues to name a few. Sunday was the day dedicated to families called Minispere, for the occasion on the stage performed Käärijä, who represented Finland at the last edition of Eurovision, missing the victory by very few points with his “Cha cha cha”. The festival was sold out on Saturday and Sunday, the weather was also forgiving with summer temperatures and only an hour of rain on Saturday. Below the photoreport by Cristina Gregori and Miika Riikonen.
Chaoseum
This was Swiss metal band Chaoseum’s first trip to the United States and to be perfectly honest, I didn’t know anything about them or who they were. I was told by one fan that they are very similar to Korn and Jonathan Davis. Overall though, they were pretty good. Not extremely heavy, but definitely a good band if you like Korn or similar bands.
Tarja
TarjaMarko Hietala, I was really hoping to see a cameo, but I guess we can’t win them all. Overall a great show, hopefully she starts visiting the states a little more often as she is one musician that I’d love to see more of.
SET LIST
Eye of the Storm
Demons in You
Falling Awake
Diva
Naiad
Oasis / You And I (Acoustic Only Tarja)
Shadow Play (with Band Solo)
Enough
I Feel Immortal
Nemo
I Walk Alone
Victim of Ritual
Innocence
Die Alive
Dead Promises
Until My Last Breath
Atlases, Golden Rot & Sirkuit Preiker live at Meara Klubi, Pori (Finland)
The last appointment with Meara Klubi before the summer was also a pre-release party for Atlases album “Between The Day & I”, as open acts Sirkuit Preiker and Golden Rot.
Atlases is a six-piece fiercely forward-thinking ensemble, whose brushes have touched the metal starting point plus plenty of experimental attitude, with their next album, the band made an unprejudiced leap towards even more original expression, the post metal elements are still present, but the band’s experimental attitude also brought with it songs that were more truncated than before.
Golden Rot is a fresh and modern alternative metal band from Tampere, whose members each gained experience in various genres of heavy music, the songs sound fresh as a mix of influences from metalcore, 90s alternative, progressive metal and catchy radio rock tune of the millennium.
Sirkuit Preiker is a Finnish-language electronic metal project, where Samuli Peltola, best known for Medeia, wanders the boundaries of film music and technical death metal.
Here some photos of the night brought to you from Cristina Gregori.
Cross To Bear, Wretched Path & Ecotage live at Meara Klubi, Pori (Finland)
Another appointment with Meara Klubi, this time setting on fire the stage were: Ecotage a hardcore metal band, whose songs focus on animal rights and environmental issues, Wretched Path a death metal band formed in 2020, whose crew has a solid experience: the collective curriculum of the band members includes names like Pestigore, Northern Discipline, Tukkanuotta, Daniel Lioneye and Godsplague, and Cross To Bear a band that has solidified their place in the domestic hardcore scene over the past decade and serve dark and heavy hardcore, which was also influenced by old school death metal.
Here some photos taken by Cristina Gregori.