I post a lot of festival lineups around here, and a lot of European festival lineups besides. I can’t even pretend to keep it all straight in my head, but looking forward to next Fall’s season, consider that among everything else that will be taking place around this time — and there’s plenty; I’m already behind on announcements — Blowup Vol. 5 in Helsinki has revealed five bands for its three-day lineup and already exposed a genre-spanning mission that’s admirably progressive in its intent. Be it the bleak doom of Morne or the classic metal of Cirith Ungol, Arktau Eos‘ ritualized drone or the convention-defiance of Iceland’s Kælan Mikla, this is the kind of assemblage that is intended to send an immediate message of what the fest is all about, and over its years, Blowup has very much been an event that has sought to move forward with each edition.

And while they keep that thread going, they’re also continuing to support visual artists as well with a gallery show included and Timo Ketola announced as the first artist featured.

Of course three-day tickets are already sold out after going on sale a week ago. Two-day tickets remain. Here’s the info:

Blowup is a front runner of Finnish festivals that showcases international and Finnish artists surpassing genres focusing on psychedelic, avant-garde, noise & doom metal.

One of the themes of the Blowup festival is to support emerging visual artists. Several Finnish artists will bring out their own vision of the artists performing at Blowup festival. All the works will be displayed at Korjaamo Aulagalleria 10th-14th October 2019.

Blowup Vol. 5 visual artists:
Timo Ketola (Helsinki 1975)
http://www.tentacula.org/

Confirmed artists:
Cirith Ungol (US)
Morne (US)
Arktau Eos (FIN)
Kælan Mikla (ISL)

3-day tickets available at Tiketti Monday, December 10th.
89€ plus Tiketti commission. https://www.tiketti.fi/blowup-vol-5-kulttuuritehdas-korjaamo-helsinki-tickets/58769 (SOLD OUT!)

2-day tickets available at Tiketti January 2019.

Blowup Vol. 5 will run for three days from Thursday, October 10 to Saturday, October 12 at the Korjaamo venue in Helsinki, Finland.

https://www.facebook.com/events/900757203645119/
https://www.facebook.com/blowupthatgramophone/
https://www.instagram.com/blowupthatgramophone/
https://twitter.com/blowupfi
https://blowupfestival.fi

Morne, To the Night Unknown (2018)