VIIKATE
It happened actually in Ilosaarirock, in 1996, at the Töminä club to be precise, when the Finnish doom metal band Lyijykomppania was hammering the audience with its massive sounds. Somewhere in the crowd there was a young man who later became known as Kaarle. In spite of his very festive state of mind, there and then he felt his world change. Indirect consequences of that evening extend all the way to the present moment and include, among others, the album Marraskuun lauluja released earlier this year by the Finnish melancholy metallers Viikate, frontmanned by that same Kaarle.
Macabre lyrics, delicious schlager/Sixties instrumental rock influences and uninhibited rock'n'roll make Viikate stand above their peers, but not just that. There is yet another album in the offing from the band before the end of this year. Viikate does indeed have a work ethic that puts many larger and more famous bands into shame: since the year 2000, they have released six studio albums as well as a handful of mini albums. The relentless pace of releases keeps Viikate constantly in the news and in their fans' hearts. Viikate's live performances are like moments of mid-November tapping you on the shoulder right in the July heat, so be sure to wear long sleeves for this gig in order to avoid frostbites.
ilosaarirock.fi