MeriHelvetti – 22 hours of metal on the Baltic Sea

We joined the third sailing of MeriHelvetti, an overnight metal cruise sailing between Helsinki and Tallinn aboard Tallink’s Victoria I.

The weekend’s agenda was packed: six live acts spread across Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, alongside plenty of side-entertainment including DJs, a corpse-painting station, Hevikaraoke and Unisex bingo (definitely not your Nan’s weekday pastime), where the prizes are more about pleasure than riches. There’s even a chance to disembark and explore Tallinn on Sunday morning – if you can manage to wake up in time.

Opening the proceedings were masked metallers Fear of Domination, who, despite the early slot, dominated the stage and owned the audience with their unique genre-blending sound. Clear keytar tones cut through the guitar riffs channelling their industrial influences, while rich vocals from Jessica Salmi added symphonic elements that contrasted with growled vocals delivered by both herself and fellow vocalist Saku Solin. It’s heavy, but distinctly catchy – especially as they play newer singles, ‘Last Words’ and ‘Monsters’. Fear of Domination rile up the crowd, dancing away on stage and kicking the air with a force that makes it clear: they’re in control, and you need to be paying attention.

Ruoska could fairly be considered Finland’s answer to Rammstein, albeit significantly less fiery and very distinctly Finnish. You can tell by the atmosphere in the room this is a highly anticipated set and before long the band appear in incredibly detailed leather and metal outfits, reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic aesthetic that perfectly reflects their industrial sound.

Patrik Mennander’s deep, commanding vocals ring out across the venue, while the fusion of guitar and electronic sounds gives an almost sinister edge to the music. It’s a high energy show that only intensifies as the set continues, with tracks like ‘Pure Minua’ and ‘Lihaa Vasten Lihaa’ earning huge responses from the crowd. From start to finish, the set is a testament to Ruoska’s love for the live show, and it’s infectious.

Looking around the room, it’s clear who are huge part of the audience are here to see. Turmion Kätilöt merchandise can be spotted wherever you look and just before the band are due on stage it’s almost impossible to move. As the intro track announces, “it’s disco time” (in Finnish), the crowd erupts, fists pumping in the air as the band launch straight into ‘Yksi Jumalista’ the opening track from their latest album.

The set captures the full range of their catalogue, showcasing their ability to seamlessly fuse heavy, sometimes frantic guitar work with electronic and disco elements that create something unique yet undeniably catchy. It’s a sound that has the crowd alternating between both headbanging and dancing throughout the show. Visually, it’s just as engaging, the band, decked out in corpsepaint, command the stage as vocal duo MC Raaka Pee and Shag-U lead the charge, all backed by a striking light show.

There’s even a surprise guest appearance during ‘Sikiö’ – a streaker (intentional or not, still unclear…) – while ‘Teurastaja’ has the entire room jumping so hard you’re suddenly very aware you’re on a ship rather than dry land. The enthusiasm between band and audience is undeniable, and the whole show feels like a wild, joyful celebration of everything Turmion Kätilöt stand for and as final track ‘Pulssi’ plays, it feels like the party is over far too soon.

Closing out the night – for those with enough energy left to keep going – were DJ duo Stereo Terror. Their set kept the crowd dancing well into the early hours of Sunday morning, spanning everything from Electric Callboy and Korpiklaani through to The Chemical Brothers, with Stereo Terror’s own material interspersed throughout. That included their recent Eesti Laul (Estonian Eurovision selection) finalist track ‘Prty Till the End of the World’, during which Henry Uhlgrén broke out a large, adapted flamethrower, as used in that Eesti Laul performance, this time firing smoke instead of fireworks.

Throughout the night members of earlier bands jumped in, adding guest vocals and dance moves to their own songs as well as a range of metal club and disco classics. It’s a surreal offering, but a fitting end to a night that has simultaneously made you want to dance, headbang and scream.

 

 

It’s not easy being the first band on the second day. Even with the show starting at 1pm, Kaunis Kuolematon were greeted by a more subdued crowd, but that didn’t stop them from giving it everything they had. The vibe was a stark shift from the previous night, switching to a much heavier, doom laden, atmospheric sound compared to the party of the night before.

There’s a crushing heaviness to the music you can feel as you watch, broken up by lighter, more melodic moments that add an almost haunting beauty to the set. Despite featuring guest vocalist Jussi Matilainen, filling in for Olli Suvanto who was unable to make the show, Kaunis Kuolematon delivered a performance that was both intense and deeply atmospheric.

Closing out the festival on Sunday afternoon are Stam1na, a band renowned for their strong live shows and today is no exception. They quickly launch into a furious energy, with thrashy riffs that switch to intricate harmonies and vocals delivered with an aggressive bite. ‘Taivas’ particularly showcases their mastery of this craft as they effortlessly switch between harsh heaviness and soaring clean melodies that fill the room and captivate the audience. In many ways, it’s a relatively simple delivery, but the band has an unmistakeable presence on stage. There’s screaming with wide smiles in between bursts of synchronised headbanging and leaping across the stage. It’s a powerful, enthralling set that finishes up this 22-hour metal cruise madness on a high.

 

As the ship pulls slowly back into Helsinki’s west harbour, there’s a mix of satisfaction and exhaustion as everyone gradually (and groggily) empties their cabins ready to disembark. MeriHelvetti isn’t just a festival, it’s an intense, unforgettable experience. A big chaotic party, where sleep is fleeting and finding the quickest route to your cabin remains a mystery right up until the end. But would we do it all again? Absolutely.