Black metal ceremony in Helsinki - Behemoth brought Satyricon and Rotting Christ to Finland

The unholy trinity of extreme metal was celebrated in Helsinki, Finland this past Tuesday. Thunderous blast beats, growls, and pyro transformed Helsinki Ice Hall into a true extreme metal celebration. Featuring Poland's Behemoth, Norway's Satyricon, and Greece's Rotting Christ, three of the finest bands in the genre delivered an unforgettable experience for every extreme metal fan.

The night kicked off with Rotting Christ, led by Sakis Tolis's commanding growls and deep, driving energy. I hadn’t listened to them before, but my first impression was that their music sounded like a Viking raid soundtrack—only more aggressive and without the whimsy of folk. Their performance quickly captivated the crowd, and the standing area was already filling up fast. From the first riff, the Greek veterans had the audience in their grip, sparking the night’s first wall of death and circle pit.

Next up was Satyricon. They brought a familiar yet refined presence to the stage, masterfully balancing fierce black metal intensity with moments of almost meditative restraint. The Norwegian pioneers delivered a tight, confident performance, and it was clear they’ve been at this a long time. Frontman Satyr added a special touch by playing guitar on a few tracks, creating a colossal three-guitar wall of sound that crashed over the crowd as the hall filled to capacity. The result was as massive as it was immersive. Satyricon was undoubtedly one of the crowd favorites of the evening—even surpassing Behemoth in some talks in the crowd.

Finally, it was time for Poland’s blackened death metal juggernauts, Behemoth. They closed the night with a performance that was both aggressive and theatrical. Behemoth didn’t hold back on their signature visual flair—there were flames, smoke, and dramatic water-spitting, all backed by relentless blast beats and a monstrous stage presence. Tracks like Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer and Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel, along with old-school classics like Chant for Eschaton 2000 and Christians to the Lions, got the crowd fired up.

Overall, the evening was a triumph for extreme metal fans. Even though this was the tour’s only stop in Finland, it left a lingering energy on the walk home. One can only hope we’ll see Behemoth return to a Finnish festival stage next year—but who knows...