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› Turasas
Carling Academy, Newcastle - 19th September 2007
Despite the hype of what a party city Newcastle is, it’s still the carbuncle of the touring scene and often missed or avoided by bands on their UK tours. However tonight is one of those rare occasion a decently well know band gets its arse up to the North of England.
Tonight it’s ‘Turisas’ that have managed to find this backwater of the tour scene, much to the appreciation of the small but dedicated group of fans, a good portion of which are wearing some form of Viking attire or brandishing some form of deadly weapon. For those who don’t know ‘Turisas’ they are a Finnish metal band that have branded themselves as “battle metal”, a form of traditional Scandinavian folk music cleverly blended with black metal riffs and heavy undertones. Basically good jump about metal, with plenty of classical shit thrown in for good measure.
Although not the heaviest of metal they still manage to fulfil all the requirements of a good metal band laying down strong rhythms that are hard not to headbang and filling the pit with of cavorting gig goers all intent in doing some sort of self harm.
After a slighter muted start ‘Turisas’ soon warm up, as do the crowd and soon the floor is literarily bouncing up and down with the crowd(a little disconcerting when your standing on a wooden floor, two storeys up).
Amusingly enough as ‘Turisas’ stops between each song any message they try to relay is lost under the screams of ‘battle metal’ & “Rasputin”, which are now both trademark songs of ‘Turisas’. The screams and heckling become so rambunctious at one point ‘Turisas’ tell the audience to “shut up”, which meets with yet more screaming.
During a brief pause in the ever increasing noise levels a large glitter ball is pointed out overhead and the crowd go nuts as everyone here is sure that this is the run into “Rasputin” and when the define the next song they are playing as Battle Disco the crowd almost loose the plot, so ‘Turisas’ take their queue and launch into “Rasputin” (yes the Bonney M track). So far I’ve only heard this track played live and already it’s a classic anthem.
The more I stand and listen to ‘Turisas’ and the their distinctive styling played with all the guts and glory you’d expect of any metal band, then blended with a very strong sense of fun makes it clear these guys are enjoying themselves as much as everyone else here. The strange thing I’m finding is how I’ve only heard ‘Turisas’ live once before (Download 07), yet the more I listen the more it seems like I’ve been listening to these guys for years. I assume I’m simply feeding of all the energy in the room, but to be honest I don’t really care, in fact “I love it”.
‘Turisas’ finish the set with their “last song” which of course had to be “Battle Metal” couldn’t really be anything else really, not without a riot of some sort ensuing anyway. So a night to remember and a bloody good time had by all, well not quite yet as ‘Turisas’ come back on stage to actually play their last song, very much to the appreciation of baying fans.
All in all a full on, in your face metal and mayhem rolled up in jam pack fun sandwich served up with a generous side salad on “Hell Yer”.
By John McGregor
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