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.
Interested in having me review your album? More info here!
Belzebubs TV Series Premiere: Black Metal, Black Humor, and Beautiful Family Values
Fantasy author and semi-retired music journalist Bear Wiseman attended the series premiere of the new Belzebubs TV show, which is based on the popular black metal and family life webcomic by JP Ahonen. Premiering at the 2026 Helsinki Film Festival, Bear talks to JP and voice actor Martti Manninen about the show, and shares their reaction to three of the show’s episodes.
Auri Live in Helsinki: Bringing Magic to the Finnish Summer Music Scene
Bear Wiseman returns once more to Auri’s audience to see how the show has evolved since the EU tour, as well as how the band fares in an outdoor venue. Check out how the show went in this life report.
Where You Go We’ll One Day Follow, pt. III
From Kitee to Rovaniemi and down to Helsinki and Tampere, Bear Wiseman and Kathy Criswell travel around Finland to see Johanna Kurkela, Robin la Joy, Martijn Westerholt, and Mikko Mustonen in Eye of Melian during their 2026 Finnish tour. Part III covers the shows in Helsinki, Turku, Kuopio, and Tampere.
Where You Go We’ll One Day Follow, pt. II
From Kitee to Rovaniemi and down to Helsinki and Tampere, Bear Wiseman and Kathy Criswell travel around Finland to see Johanna Kurkela, Robin la Joy, Martijn Westerholt, and Mikko Mustonen in Eye of Melian during their Finnish tour in 2026. Part II covers the shows in Rovaniemi, Kuusamo, Oulu, and Raahe.
LIVE REPORT: Rabbit Cult & Machinae Supremacy
Machinae Supremacy celebrated the release of their new self-titled album in April 2026, featuring Rabbit Cult as their warmup act.
Where You Go We’ll One Day Follow, pt. I
From Kitee to Rovaniemi and down to Helsinki, Bear Wiseman and Kathy Criswell travel around Finland to see Johanna Kurkela, Robin la Joy, Martijn Westerholt, and Mikko Mustonen in Eye of Melian all around the country. Part I covers the shows in Kitee, Espoo, and Kouvola.
MUSIC REVIEW: Machinae Supremacy - “Machinae Supremacy”
It’s been almost a 10-year wait since the last Machinae Supremacy album came out, but as of March 6th, 2026, the mostly-Swedish (and a little bit Finnish) band are releasing a self-titled album! Read on to hear the thoughts from an absolute nerd for this band.
From Finland to the Forest of Forgetting for Eye of Melian’s Album Release Show
Yet another chaotic journey from Finland (and other countries) to the Netherlands, to a 4.5 hour queue outside Hedon in Zwolle, Johanna Kurkela’s international cheering squad met up once more to see Eye of Melian’s album release show for “Forest of Forgetting.”
ALBUM REVIEW: Eye of Melian - “Forest of Forgetting”
Bear Wiseman and Kathy Criswell join forces to deep-dive into Eye of Melian’s whole discography, both “Legends of Light” and of course, special attention to “Forest of Forgetting,” which is due for release on February 20th, 2026.
The Machinae Supremacy Road Trip (April 2018)
Sometimes you harass a singer into agreeing to play a song for you. Sometimes this leads to a chaotic road trip throughout Finland. This is the tale of the Machinae Supremacy road trip to see “Hubnester Rising” in Jyväskylä back in 2018.
The Magic of Heavy Metal Music
17 years in Finland, over a decade of music journalism, and 27 years of being a metalhead. How did it all begin? This look-back explores Bear Wiseman’s origin story as a world-traveling metalhead.
MUSIC REVIEW: Orbital Decay
Do you long for the metal days of yore, grungy garage rock with droning riffs, echoing of greats like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath? Consider checking out Orbital Decay from Sweden!
LIVE REPORT: Diamonds Are Forever
Showband Spectre and Divalicious joined forces for a James Bond themed event at Kannusali on November 29th, 2025, featuring vocalists Helena Haaparanta, Janne Lohilahti, and Sara Nuutinen. Read this live report to hear what classics they played and what stood out!
MUSIC REVIEW: Acanthus - “Pay for Impressions”
A review of Acanthus’ debut album, “Pay for Impressions,” which is currently coming out track-by-track on streaming services
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
ALBUM REVIEW: “Auri III - Candles & Beginnings”
Bear Wiseman and Kathy Criswell join forces to deep-dive into Auri’s discography, including “Auri I,” “II - Those We Don’t Speak Of,” with of course, special interest in “III - Candles & Beginnings.”
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.
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