The time of the year arrives once again where I share my personal Top 10 of albums I listened to, games I played, events I attended etc. Without further ado, let’s go.
10. Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden
Sleep Token, at this point, needs no introduction. The masked collective have been making the rounds in the metal sphere with their enigmatic blend of genres, and their third studio album, Take Me Back to Eden, is an excellent showcase of that. While the production work at display is obviously excellent in itself, it honestly comes second to the masterful songwriting and especially Vessel’s emotive vocals. Next to the masterpiece of a title track, the album’s highlights include Chokehold, The Summoning, Vore and Rain.
9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Out of 2023’s movie releases, the sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is about the only one I actually went out of my way to go and see. The first movie in the apparent to-be-trilogy(?) wowed me on many fronts – chiefly its visual style, admittedly – and Across the Spider-Verse lived up to the expectations it set and then some. With its gripping story, top-notch voice cast and pleasant visuals, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an experience that’s sure to please any fan of Marvel’s iconic web-crawler. Looking forward to the closer(?).
8. Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex
Steven Wilson never ceases to impress me with his versatility. It’s no secret that I’m all for artists expanding their sonic repertoire, and to me, Wilson stands as a prime example of a musician who has avoided getting stagnant. The Future Bites wasn’t one of my favorite works of his, but The Harmony Codex, while similar to Wilson’s previous solo offering in some ways, is nonetheless a slice of something new and previously unheard from the British musician. Standout tracks include Impossible Tightrope and Actual Brutal Facts.
7. Periphery – Periphery V: Djent is Not a Genre
Arguably one of the biggest bands in the djent movement of recent times, Periphery’s latest studio offering is some of their best material yet in both songwriting and production. The opening track Wildfire is already a great sonic adventure, and it only continues through tracks like Everything is Fine! and Dracul Gras. Among the heavier offerings, Dying Star and Wax Wings showcase the band’s melodic side and balance out the package neatly. Of course, credit also has to go to Nolly’s masterful production work.
6. Deathstars @ Tavastia, Helsinki 10-31
Out of the bands I saw live this year, it’d been the most time since my last experience with Swedish industrial masters Deathstars. Almost 15 years had passed between their invasion of Tavastia and my previous time seeing them live, so the time was ripe for a revisit. I know they also released a new album this year, the existence whereof I sadly forgot about – nonetheless, my first time seeing Deathstars live in almost a decade and a half was a euphoric experience. Support acts King Satan and Priest were also not bad.
5. Leprous @ Kerubi, Joensuu 03-14
Unless you’re talking about a festival gig, it’s rare to see a non-Finnish band tour beyond Helsinki when they drop by Finland. Considering that, you can only imagine my surprise when I found out that Leprous were coming to the town I live in on the Aphelion tour. With the venue being less than a mile away from my apartment as well, the opportunity was too good not to be seized. And boy, was the show a banger, especially with support acts Kalandra and Monuments strengthening the evening’s lineup. (Also, The Sky Is Red is an experience and a half live.)
4. Stoned Statues – Guardian
Finnish metal trio Stoned Statues left a hell of a first impression on me with their self-titled debut album and energetic performance at Knotfest last year. And I’m happy to report that their second album, Guardian, pulls absolutely no punches. With songs like Until Falling, Not That Real and Oblivious, this album is a perfect showcase of the raw talent that these youngsters represent, and I’ll frankly be surprised if they don’t become big in the next few years.
3. Haken – Fauna
It’s an unwritten rule of these Top 10s at this point that if Haken releases a new album in any given year, I have to include it. Indeed, so great is my love for the British prog sextet that excluding their latest studio offering feels like a crime punishable by death. But that’s not to say I’m not unbiased – I was admittedly worried about the band’s future musical direction when long-time keyboardist Diego Tejeida left, but thankfully my concerns were proven wrong. In a way, Fauna was greatly helped by the return of Peter Jones, who had been in Haken previously, but the album is a delight to listen to regardless. Highlights of the album include The Alphabet of Me, Elephants Never Forget and Eyes of Ebony.
2. Meshuggah @ Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki 08-18
I’m not kidding when I say this: Meshuggah has some of the best live productions on the planet. So when I saw the news about them heading to Finland on their tour in support of the 2022 album Immutable, I naturally had to go. Originally meant to take place in April, the quintet’s Helsinki gig had to be postponed, but the wait was worth it. The entire audiovisual experience was a delightful mix of heavy guitar chugs and lights synchronized to the rhythm of the music, with the visual accompaniment to set opener Broken Cog in particular etched into my retinas for all eternity. Support act The Halo Effect wasn’t bad either.
1. Tuska 2023
My first full three-day experience of the Tuska festival, which, it’s safe to say, is a staple in the Finnish festival sphere for fans of heavy music, was one of the most memorable festival experiences of my life. A big part of that, of course, were the bands that I got to see live – among them ones like Gojira, which I’d last seen live more than 10 years prior, Jinjer, Haken, Dance With the Dead and the relatively obscure but intriguing Imperial Triumphant. The weather may not have been great, but that was a minor inconvenience next to the overall experience. I’m glad I bought a 3-day ticket.
On that note, I hope you have an excellent 2024.
Santtu Pesonen 