Bear Reviews Music!
After a decade of music journalism for Musicalypse and Tuonela Magazine that started in 2011 and continues to this day, I’ve developed a love of writing critical analyses of things that interest me. Please enjoy everything from live reports and album reviews, and even the occasional monthly collections of featured singles!
My goal, as a critical reviewer, is not to trash people’s work, because effort deserves respect. I try my best to be objective, while still sharing my personal feelings based on my own experiences.
Ayreon 30th Anniversary Live: An Amazing Flight Through Time
Ayreon returned to the 013 Poppodium stage in Tilburg over September 12th-14th, 2025. Read this live report to find out what sort of experience the Saturday evening show was!
A Trip Through My Imagination, Inspired by Auri
After two nights of Auri debuting live at Kiteesali, Bear Wiseman decides to take a journey inward at the Tampere-talo show on August 16th. Head on over to Substack to read the full imagination-dump during this event!
A Girl Traveling with Her Friends: Frolicking Around Finland to See Auri’s Live Debuts
A journey from gathering the fans and road-tripping up to the Röskö camping site, to witnessing the first-ever live shows from Auri, this live report and travel blog talks about how community has the potential to elevate a love of music
FESTIVAL REPORT: Kosmos Festival 2025
Ten years in, Kosmos Festival remains one of Finland’s most incredible gatherings of electronic music lovers, fire dancers, and free spirits. This festival report breaks down the full experience, from arriving to the forest festival site, to the fantastic stages, the food stalls, brilliant artwork, nighttime rituals, and the soul of a community still dancing under the stars.
FESTIVAL REPORT: Tuska Festival 2025
For the first time in 13 years, Bear had to miss Tuska Festival, so she deputized Anna S. and ScarletMemory Photography! From sizzling street food to soaring guitar solos, Tuska Festival 2025 delivered its signature blend of mainstream metal madness. This report covers not just the music, but the full experience of what it felt like to be there. Whether you're here for the pit or the people, here's everything you need to know about Helsinki’s biggest and heaviest weekend!
LIVE REPORT: T(r)anssi @ Helsinki Opera
My first trip to the Finnish National Opera was anything but predictable. DJ Hapan Korppu’s collaboration with T(r)anssi brought weird, wild magic to a world I’d never stepped into before. T(r)anssi runs from April 11th-May 15th, 2025.
LIVE REPORT: Tampere Philharmonic - Game On @ Tampere-talo
Yet another orchestra blows my mind with video game music! My review of the Tampere Philharmonic’s Game On live performance at Tampere-talo on March 28th, 2025, will take you through the whole flow of the event.
On Tour with Marko Hietala - Live in Finland 2025
On tour again! Check out my crew blog from selling merch on Marko Hietala’s album release tour for “Roses from the Deep,” covering the Finnish leg from February 7th-15th, 2025.
LIVE REPORT: arottenbit, Machinae Supremacy, & Master Boot Record @ Ääniwalli, Helsinki
A night of chiptune innovation! This live report of arottenbit, Machinae Supremacy, and Master Boot Record in Helsinki will take you through the overall vibe and highlights of this unexpected yet totally killer event.
MUSIC REVIEW: Marko Hietala - “Roses from the Deep”
A review of Marko Hietala’s second solo album, “Roses from the Deep,” out February 7th, 2025
MUSIC REVIEW: Lasse Soundblaster - “On tapahtumassa räjähdys”
A music review of Lasse Soundblaster’s debut album, “On tapahtumassa räjähdys,” out January 23rd, 2025
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