To/DIE/FOR / Domination Black
Oh how much I had been looking forward to this concert. To/Die/For are among the first Rockbands I had been listening to, and up to now I just watched them at big events, not in such a familial atmosphere like PRKL Club, where you find friends quickly although you came there alone.
The evening begins with Domination Black from Karhula, Kotka, who play a different style than To/Die/For, musically they are not bad at all. Domination Black offer a mixture of Heavy Metal, Thrash and Progressive elements. In the beginning singer Matias Palm has problems, the voice sounds a bit thin. But that changes and in the end he uses a rougher voice – which he could have used right from the start. Still everything sounds a bit too similar for my taste. Musically they could work on some more variation, but this is no bad start of the evening.
After a quick changeover the main band To/Die/For enters the stage, and a lot of people are already waiting in the front. Nobody can stand still, this combination of raw energy and guarded grandeur affects everybody. Singer Jape´s voice is unique, and he is jumping around with his tamborine a lot, whereas guitarist Juppe rather focuses on playing. Sometimes there were problems with the samples, but the band made the best of their show, I have never found anything to complain about. Keyboarder Juska Salminen, again painted white like a djinn, dressed in a Bollywood-styled frock, seems to have problems with a monitor. Guitar-Hero Antza doesn´t get distracted and enjoys the show, as well as the two guys in the background, drummer Matti and Bassist Eza. The setlist contains a good mix of the new songs from the Samsara album and some old stuff. A great gig with great audience, what else could you wish for.