That's how fast things can change in the Helsinki bar and restaurant scene. Not even two weeks ago, Paksu scored really big in City magazine's top lists. Today they announced the end of the place, after only four months:

"Now, however, we are in a situation in which a small young company is powerless facing its debts. [...] We have checked on all possibilities [...] but nothing has been found. We can no longer open our doors because we do not want to add any more debt with no guarantee of survival. It would be wrong for everyone."

Sad.

EDITEDITEDIT: The guys are fighting and the whole city is with them. If you wanna support Paksu as well, check this page!

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Helsinki has voted. And guess what? We're still Helsinki Rock City!
Out of the Top-5 bars, four are rock and metal places, with Bäkkäri being the absolute #1-bar in town. The nicest people are at work in Majava Baari and On The Rocks has the best summer terrace and is a very good place for live gigs, only beaten by Tavastia and followed by Bäkkäri/Green Room.

Foodwise, nobody beats the newcomer Studioravintola Paksu. Opened just a few months ago, it's not only best newcomer, but best restaurant, best lunch place and part of the Top-5 world kitchen and brunch places. Just to illustrate how small a town Helsinki is: Paksu-master Pete Voutilainen is commonly known as One Eye Pete, tattoo artist at One Eye Tattoo Studio, which he shares with Taneli Jarva.

All results of the City magazine voting can be found here (in Finnish).

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Gloria, a venue run by the Helsinki Youth Department, hosted Black Flames Of Blasphemy festival last weekend and apparently they didn't really check what kinds of bands they had playing there.

As the Metro magazine wrote today, during the gig of the Goatmoon tribute band Sarven Varjo the "Sieg Heil" shouts and screams from the audience were almost as loud as the music played.

Gloria executive director Pekka Mönttinen refers to the contract between Gloria and the organizer of the festival, Johnny Nurmi, according to which the use of any Nazi symbols or lyrics during events held in Gloria is strictly forbidden.

Well... "But they promised to be nice!" Yeah, sure.

(source: Metro magazine Helsinki)

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Official statement on the Norther homepage:

"We hereby announce after a long and careful consideration that we have decided to quit Norther.

During the last year it has become clear that we are not able to tour or do shows as much as we would want to, this being due to members´ complicated and time consuming life situations. We have been forced to find session members and turn down too many gig offers. We simply cannot act as an active and working band and it is clear that these issues are not solved in the future. This is everything but an easy decision for all of us, but all this have taken the band to the point that pulling the plug is the right thing to do. There is no drama, this is a mutual decision and we all remain as good friends. The last show of Norther will be on the 10th of August at Brutal Assault Festival 2012 (CZ).

However, most of us will continue in other bands: Jukka in Wintersun and Amberian Dawn, Aleksi in Medicated and ASXX, Daniel in Naildown, Heikki in Naildown, Tuoni and Amberian Dawn, and Kristian in his solo project.

Norther would like to thank especially our FANS, friends and partners for their support for the past 12 years. Also great hails goes to Tomi Luoma, our ex-members Toni Hallio and Petri Lindroos, and producer Anssi Kippo for their contribution. It has been one hell of a ride and together we shared truly unforgettable moments!!

Thank you,
Aleksi, Jukkis, Tuomas, Kride, Heikki, Daniel"

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Yep. Listen to the new Viikate album while sipping a drink.

In the middle of the week.

Holy decadence!

Plus: Meet members of the band, win prizes, watch the latest video.

See you all there!

Starts at 19:00

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Scar Symmetry are not going to play in Virgin Oil Co. with Sepultura next Thursday, 22.03.

Both the Virgin Oil Co. page and Tiketti.fi neither give any reason for the cancellation nor announce a new support band yet.

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Now this facebook-update sounds like it was written especially for Headbanger's Helsinki, doesn't it?

"Are you planning a trip to Finland soon? Well, you should!

In April, Amorphis will perform at several classical concert halls in major Finnish towns. The band wants to offer its fans a chance of hearing Amorphis in an environment very different from the usual. After the recent tours abroad, the concert hall tour means charting an entirely new territory.

Esa Holopainen sheds some light on what is to be expected: "The shows will include songs we have not played in a long time as well as acoustic arrangements of our better-known tunes. However, it is not going to be a completely acoustic set. We have toured full power for quite a few years now, and with this concert hall setting and the new repertoire, we want to challenge not only our listeners but also ourselves. We noticed that in fact we have rather many songs that are acoustic or feature plenty of acoustic instruments in their compositions.

The concerts will include several guests, of which at least multi-instrumentalist Sakari Kukko is well known to many. Sakari has performed with Amorphis on earlier occasions and also played on the albums Tuonela and Am Universum."

Amorphis, April 2012:
12.04. Mikaeli, Mikkeli (FI)
14.04. Savonlinnasali, Savonlinna (FI)
18.04. Sibeliustalo, Lahti (FI)
19.04. Lutakko, Jyväskylä (FI)
20.04. Virgin Oil Co, Helsinki (FI)
21.04. Tampere-talo, Tampere (FI)
27.04. Logomo, Turku (FI)"

We'll see you in Virgin Oil!

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Today the second Barren Earth album The Devil's Resolve is released in Finland and Japan. The rest of the world will get it next week, but it can be pre-ordered already from almost everywhere.

You can listen to the first four songs of The Devil's Resolve online on Inferno.fi

or catch them live in Tavastia on the 15th of March.

Tickets 

Barren Earth features:

Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun) - Vocals
Olli-Pekka Laine (Ex-Amorphis) - Bass
Sami Yli-Sirniö (Kreator) - Guitars
Janne Perttilä (Moonsorrow live-member) - Guitars
Kasper Mårtenson (Ex-Amorphis) - Keyboards
Marko Tarvonen (Moonsorrow) - Drums

Headbanger's Helsinki says: These "progressive death/doom maestros", as they call themselves on their homepage, are going to be the next really big thing from Finland.

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Sonisphere is looking for volunteers to help building and clearing away the festival site as well as do some cleaning and other stuff during the festival for the time 1.6. to 5.6..

In reward, volunteers get a ticket to the festival.

Applications can be sent until 30.4. through this page.

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So-called "HELLVETILLINEN HELLMIKUU" ("Infernal February") is drawing to an end.

More than 300 different shirts, hoodies and the like are still on sale until Wednesday, 29.02., starting from 5,-.

Aaaaaand, drum-roll: Their webshop ships worldwide!

Shop til ye drop!

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Jussi69 is going to appear in the reality-tv-show Linnan Tähdet, "Stars of the castle", a format in which the "stars" spend about a week in a castle together and get to know each other.

The end of the world must be very close... :/

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FME 2012 - bits and pieces

- R.I.P., Tonmi! Tonmi "Otus" Lillman had been scheduled for a Pearl/SMI signing session on Friday evening. Instead of removing the recently deceased drummer from the list, the organizers left an empty chair and taped two pictures of him onto the table where he should have been writing autographs, one of "himself" and one of his alter-ego "Otus". Nice gesture!

- Nice Stam1na-extra: During their headliner gig Saturday night, Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso joined them for one song.

- Sinisthra had maybe spent a bit too much time learning their setlist for the FME-gig by heart. Couldn't think of any other explanation why Tomi Joutsen had the lyrics of one of their songs taped onto the stage instead. Anyway, my personal highlight of the Saturday - a very atmospheric, stripped-to-the-basics show!

- Once again among the last ones to be swept out of the venue, even though they had been the first ones to play: Evergrey. Rumour has it that a Tom-bot played the show for him on Saturday afternoon while the real Tom Englund never left the bar.

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