Fagerlund's reviews

First on stage was this packet of energy. They play some kind of Melodic Death Metal, but to me it sounded a bit flat. Anyhow, they came out on stage and really gave it their all. So despite the fact that I couldn't really get into the music I really enjoyed their show because there was so much energy and they just seemed to enjoy themselves. Especially the drummer was entertaining to watch, he was just this huge happy-face during the whole show! This of course transferred over to the crowd and by the last song they actually had a moshpit going. Quite rare for a support band in Stockholm!

I don't know if they're always this energetic or if it was just because it was the last show of their first real tour but a nice one it was nevertheless!

 

Second band was actually some Power Metal with elements of growl. I really had a hard time to like these guys though, they're definitely very skilled (especially the singer was really good) but they couldn't quite make it come together. Like, the lead guitar player was doing his thing and the vocalist was doing another melody so it kind of dragged you in different directions. I think that if you're going to insist on having solos during the verses of a song you have to make something that works together with the vocals!

The last two songs however did not have this problem, and on top of that they weren't as slow as most of their songs either so that was definitely an improvement for my tastes at least!

 

Third time I see these guys actually. A bit funny since I've not really listened to them since their two first albums! The first time I saw them was pretty close after Petri Lindroos joined the band, and that was honestly pretty horrible. Petri is not good with the clean vocals, let's just put it that way. So this time I was actually hoping that they wouldn't play so many old songs to give the show justice!

And thankfully they only played 4 or 5 old songs as well, and also Sami Hinkka (Bass) and Markus Toivonen (Guitars) did the clean vocals for those which was a huge improvement! Petri still messed up Jaris old solos though, except for on Lai Lai Hei which he did really well actually! When they announced they would play it I actually cringed because I remember how bad it was last time... but this night it was actually one of the highlights for me!

The show started pretty slow and stale actually, and the first half hour or so it felt like the band just had "another day at work". Being the last show on the tour I guess they might have been a bit tired, but half way through they did wake up and step it up luckily!

The ending was actually quite crazy indeed! They said that now it was time for the last song and played Battle Song of course, but half way though the song they stopped and Sami announced "Like everyone knows the bass is the balls of a band" and then went on and invited the bass players of the two other bands on stage... they appeared in various states of undress and painted in... particular ways... Then they played Iron Maidens The Trooper with three basses and drums only, and the singer of Amoral joined in for a verse as well! That was quite awesome! Then the rest of Ensiferum got back on and they finished Battle Song... but by the end of the song Markus was standing in the middle of the stage with the guitar behind his neck. Of course he went on to play a solo as well! That eventually turned out into Rondo Alla Turca (by Mozart) that the rest of the band joined in on! Now that's a classy way to end a show!

All in all I'm happy that Ensiferum now has enough albums out with Petri so that they can make a show that someone like me can enjoy. A good night it was!