miércoles, febrero 20, 2008

10th February 2008 concert in Vigo of Behemoth + Suicide Silence + Devilish Impressions

Finally!
Yes finally I got some more pics and I am able to make a review. It wouldn't be the same if I just write and write.... I wanted to get some specific photos, so I waited until now.
Well, Behemoth is one of my weakness since I discovered them with 2 albums of Death Metal (some of the best I have ever listened) Satanica (1999) and Thelema.6 (2000). So when I was told the polish ones will come to Vigo my heart beated hard, and I couldnt wait for seeing them in concert being the headlines. At first Kataklysm, another great Death Metal band from Canada would join them, but they had some problems... or they wanted to finish their next album and cancelled that tour with Behemoth. Pity.
The substitutes were 2 unknown bands like Suicide Silence and Devilish Impressions. Absolutly no idea about those bands, never heard before. I supposed another 2 beginners of death metal.

Well, the day came... and I felt again my boiling blood after quite a lot of time of no concerts (here we dont have so much luck with concerts of known bands).
The first band, Devilish Impressions did a so so show. They played a quite typical black metal with keyboards. Sound didnt join their show... but it was ok for having started the concert and warming up the ambient. They had some flashes of good moments, but not enough to say they will be a band that I will consider on future. There are too many like them.



This is a flag Devilish Impressions brought:
"Satanic Chaos Society"
And below..
"There is no God or Satan"
....
Then..
Why that society.. if there is no Satan??? XDD

After them and quite quickly, Suicide Silence jumped over the scenary. Meanwhile they were placing all the stuff ... my friends and me started to be afraid of what kind of music we were about to listen because of the looking of some members of the band. And yes, it couldnt be other style than Hardcore Death. The looking and clothes of the people up there ... mostly the singer was... oufh
I still dont know whose the idea was of bringing to the Behemoth's tour a Deathcore band. It would fit much better one death, black, melodic or extreme death or black, even I would rather see one doom or thrash metal band. And looking at the people in the concert I bet some more would rather too. Well, yes, you can blame me that I dont like that style, yeh, I dont like it at all, but... I still dont see the point of bringing some hardcores to a Death/Black show.
Well, they got started with a "powerful" sound some would say. It just sounded like noise without too much rythm and with faltering melodies and fast blastbeats .. like all bands of hardcore death I have listened before. But with a difference, those were not in live, and it supposed to me an annoying and boring time until they finished.




The singer though slim and emo-looking had a really guttural and shrilled voice. I would say, and I have listened more people there also talking about the same comparison... "like if you were attending to the killing of a pig". It was a hard time to support.. too hard... all the songs were the same "taca ... tacataca... taca.... tacataca.... tatatatattatatatatatatatta...". Pretty bored time if it wasnt for the few fans of that band from California, and their pretty funny way of dancing that one friend baptized like Extreme-reggaeton (I would add Extreme-imaginary friend fight-crazy-weird-reggaeton).
If someone thinks that kind of style and teenager dancer fans have something linked with black or death metal movement.. I would like to have a conversation about that, because I dont consider myself and I think most of people who like metal bounded at all with that fashion movement that appeared few time ago called Hardcore.
But, isn't it funny to watch these guys "dancing"???

So yeh, time passed extremely slowly with Suicide Silence, so we were watching those teenagers who did that dancing and laughing at them XDD

There was also another woman of around 40 years old also quite funny. She was there alone in the first line and seemed she liked every band :D and every few time between song and song she shouted to the guys, whatever the band, "hey handsome!!!" or "metaaaal yeaaaaah!!!" XDD
Later she came to talk to us, and in a very old-fashioned 80's spanish metal language told us something like "yeaaah I am spacing out (or getting high) with this fucking concert, dudes!" :)

Well not much more about the second band.. just saying that maybe for fans of Hardcore they gave everything over the scenary (I dont doubt that).
Oh! and that strange singer with afterlife growls also made quite strange funny movements that you can see also in some pics here.
Surprising, by the way, that those few harcore fans of Suicide Silence left the concert just before Behemoth started. I really dont understand that, cause if they enjoyed with that noise (that I am sure they couldnt extract ANY melody in ANY song), they would enjoy much more a technical brutal and proffesional band like Behemoth. But I guess this is "blind fans". I think if I pay that expensive ticket, I would stay at least until the "big band" of the concert started, and if I dont like them, then ok, leave but at least to know how they play.
Behemoth came the last ones and after some minutes of waiting, they got started with the intro and first song of their latest album "The Apostasy". So "Rome 64 CE" and "Slaying the Prophets Ov Isa" sounded just brutal, awesome. And almost with non-stop they showed why they grew up that much in popularity but keeping an amazing compositive and technical level in the last years since their change from black to death metal.
They also showed the so much presence and image they have over a scenary.
Truly proffesionals. No mistakes, no problems of sound. Hopefully they brought their own sound technician. It was one of my main fears. Sound technicians in Spain, what I've heard until now are just awful. And the last concert in that place I have seen we suffered a lot that guy who had no idea of giving a good sound to a metal band.









So the show was absolutly great. Inferno is a master in drumming, and he showed also how to spit fire (very black metal hehe but cool).

The show didnt fall down for even a while.. it was a shot after shot, no pause. And with the coming of the last songs they started spitting blood over the nearest ones (thanks the scenary was a bit far, but even.. I saw one big blood stain just few centimeters far from my feet hahah), and in one of the lasts, I dont remember exactly which song (already few days ago hehe) Nergal took the mask he is wearing in the pics of the band in "The Apostasy"... cool! :)
Not very good quality.. but here you have some vids :)
Intro + Slaying The Prophets Ov Isa

Drum Solo + Slaves Shall Serve

I really enjoyed like a child that concert, and it would be much better if they did a bis, but they didn't do it. I guess due to the few response of the public.
Yes, I have met quite a lot of people who said it was a great concert and so on... but I realized people here (at least in Vigo and Galicia) are just not answering, they dont move, they almost dont scream, they dont ask for more.
COME ON!!! WAKE UP!!! They should go to other places around Europe and see how people responses to concerts. (check in youtube some video of Behemoth in concert out of Spain.. or see one of the ones I went: Korpiklaani and look).
I was quite disappointed Behemoth didnt do a bis, but they did ok, I guess, if I see people who are standing and almost dont move a muscle of the throat (even when they are asked to do that) I would go away like they did. In fact.. I was the one who started to shout "BEHEMOTH BEHEMOTH BEHEMOTH!!..." when they finished their show. It's for sure that if you want they go on with it you have to show you are interested, but surprisingly just me, my friends.. and after 2 or 3 guys more near us joined in our chants. The rest just waited 2 minutes and left.
So after that demonstration, I really believe we deserve what we have here in relation to concerts. Few concerts and moreover, even when they are good and people are happy with them, people dont involucrate in that. The public from Vigo is a shame, and I dont fear that some of them are reading this. The worst thing is that they always ask for more when you talk with them, but first they dont involucrate going to concerts (someone told the concert of Behemoth there were many people, but thinking that just us, that we are not natural from Vigo, and I met there 5 more from a place far... and more that sure came from out the city, there would be few from Vigo); and then the few ones we are attending dont make almost noise, dont cheer up the band and of course dont sing...
Vigo has almost 400.000 habitants, around 100 bands of all styles of metal (where are all those ones who want people in their concerts?) and it's amazing that in concerts like the one of After Forever, a reknown international band, we were around 100 persons or few more.
What a shame!
With Behemoth we were a bit more.. but still ... I didnt see so many people. Ok, maybe the ticket was expensive, but we wont have again the chance of seeing bands like this one so often. And much less if the public is so few. And for every one who likes something about metal in the extreme side, it was an obligatory date. I dont regret of paying those 22 € at all. But ok, if they dont want to come... then dont complain about few concerts in this place.
I will complain once and again for all in every concert I assist telling that public of Galicia is bored and pretty static and dont like to go to concerts cause they are too expensive... they prefer to waste that money going out and drinking some drink for 6 € each one...
Well, I really needed to say that. This is not against nobody in special, just for fans of metal and rock from here in general.


UN POUCO MAIS (deixo o inglés por un momento):

Bueno, espero que entenderades mais ou menos todos o de ahí arriba no meu inglés farfulleiro.
Xusto hoxe acabome de atopar cunha crítica do concerto este no portal Friedhof Webzine.
E a verdad chamáronme a atención varias cousas, non sei se os que atendestes ó concierto estaredes de acordo conmigo. Vou por partes:

"En aquella ocasión tocaron en la infame sala Anoeta ante poco más de 80 personas. Seis años y medio después las cosas han cambiado bastante y lo que entonces era un pequeño, aunque prometedor, grupo de Death/Black Metal volvía ahora convertido en uno de los principales exponentes de la escena extrema."
Prometedora banda?? penso que despois do xenial Thelema.6, Behemoth xa tiña un suficiente bagaxe underground, e con suficientes fans por Europa adiante. Que aquí houbese 80 personas non me dice nada. O público de Vigo, como dixen antes diceme bastante pouco. Un bon exemplo foi o concerto de Catamenia, con case ninguén, e Catamenia é unha banda con suficiente reconocimiento europeo, creo eu. After Forever sería outro exemplo.

"Consecuentemente, el caché de los polacos ha subido como la espuma y tanto el elevado (por no decir abusivo) coste de las entradas (ni más ni menos que 22 euros anticipada, 25 en taquilla), como su reciente fichaje por la todopoderosa Nuclear Blast, así lo avalan."
Bueno, o caché de Behemoth subeu, deso estou seguro. En poucos anos non solo se seguiron mantendo nun inmellorable nivel compositivo, e as ventas e popularidade subironlle, pero esa non é a razón, creo eu, para ese prezo. De feito, After Forever, con un nivel de popularidade quizais non tan alto dentro do Gothic Metal coma Behemoth dentro do Death Metal cobraron unha cantidade bastante parecida.
A cuestión penso que pode ir máis de cara ó que xa dixen antes. O público non responde, e os organizadores pensan que hai uns fans que son os fixos que veñen ó concerto. Logo, se puxeran un prezo menor, as ventas non subirían, porque seguirían vindo os mismos fans, entón perderíase diñeiro. É dicir, o prezo ponse en función das expectativas (vaia como me está sonando esto ás teorías económicas que estou estudiando). Se se cree que a partir dun prezo para abaixo non se vai achegar máis xente, entonces deixase ahi.
Porque, vamos a ver... se puxeran a entrada a 15 €... iba vir moita mais xente? Sinceramente, eu creo que no, ou poucos máis. A diferencia entre os que iban vir por esa rebaixa e os que fomos por un precio superior, estimouse que daría perdas, así é como o vexo eu.
Caso de Skyclad, sendo un dos grupos máis influentes de todo o folk metal a nivel mundial, e sen deixar de sacar discos con calidade, tiñan a entrada a 7 € e prácticamente non veu ninguén!!!
Eu penso que perderon cartos, porque tanto min coma moitos outros estaríamos dispostos a pagar o doble ou incluso máis por un grupo dese calibre. E no concerto eramos unhas poucas decenas...
Outro exemplo que poido poñer, porque o vivín, era o de Estonia, no que os concertos rara vez pasaban de 15 €. E falo de
Moonsorrow + 2 grupos locales : 8 €
Korpiklaani + Metsatöll (grupo máis internacional de Estonia, e son pagan-heavy) : 10 €
Leave's Eyes + Atrocity + 2 grupos locales : 14 €
Swallow The Sun + Skyforger + Metsatöll : 10 €
non me acordo de mais.. pero ultimamente vin que foron
Rotting Christ + Krisiun + Immolation e non sei se outro : 12 ou 14 €
Alí as salas enchíanse, e o público dabao todo, asi que non necesitaban subir moito os prezos porque sabían que a media de xente estaba sempre a casi encher a sala e normalmente había moitos concertos e se empezaban a desvariar con prezos, a xente elexía ir a outro, sí, eles tiñan a cousa de poder elexir. E non, non é un pais de pobres, fai pouco foi Nightwish e cobraron 40 ou 50 €, igual que o poderían facer por aqui.
Que a xente se involucre máis nos concertos tamén sirve para rebaixar un pouco os prezos dos mismos, que de paso, agora que me acordo... é de AUTÉNTICA VERGÜENZA que a na entrada esté reseñado que LLE PAGAMOS UNHA PARTE DO TICKET Á SGAE!!! Eses tíos non saben xa por onde roubar. E este pode ser outro motivo de que as entradas en España en xeral se encareceran nos ultimos tempos.
Asi que... qué vos parece? Por ver a Behemoth, un grupo que nin pinta nin despinta na actualidade musical nin de ventas neste país, estamoslle dando uns euriños de propinilla a Joaquín Sabina, Ana Belén, Miguel Bosé, Perales, Miguel Ríos e similares personajes...

" Al rato salieron a escena Suicide Silence. El Deathcore de los californianos no pegaba mucho en el cartel y menos aún el corte de pelo a lo emo de su cantante, por lo que más de uno se los miró con recelo. Puro prejuicio. Lo cierto es que su propuesta a mi me convenció plenamente, y es que su mezcla entre Death brutal y breakdowns pegadizos funciona muy bien en directo. Además tuvieron un sonidazo, sin olvidar que su presencia escénica era muy buena y su ejecución, notable. Eso sí, se les podría acusar de tener unos temas un tanto unidimensionales, pero no hay que pasar por alto que “The Cleansing” (el trabajo que venían a presentar) es su álbum debut, por lo que es de prever que en el futuro mejoren a nivel compositivo."
Si, todo deben ser prejuicios. Esa parece ser sempre unha boa excusa para todo. Eles non pegaban no cartel, senón preguntádelle ós 4 fans que levaron e se foron antes de ver a Behemoth...
Non, nin pegaban, nin fixeron un gran papelón, e aquí sí creo que non fun o único que o notou, mais xente ca min estaba máis mirando os "pases" que daban os fans e rindo para entreternos en algo mentres a maraña sónica que descargaban Suicide Silence martilleaba os nosos oidos canción tras canción. Porque.. non direi que non lle puxeron ganas... pero poido apostar a que se as cancións as poñen noutro orden ninguén se daría cuenta de si seguían o setlist fixado... ou mellor ainda.. se repetisen a primeira 4 veces entre as 8 ou 9 que tocaron aposto que ninguén o notaría.
"Mellorar a nivel compositivo"... hm xa...
Eu creo que todos agradeceríamos mais se metesen a un grupo de Death ou Black calquera antes ca Dethcore.

"Teniendo en cuenta la juventud de los miembros de la banda (21 años de media), lo bien que lo hacen sobre las tablas, y que después de esta gira van a hacer una con Nile y luego otra con Slipknot, no me extrañaría que su nombre empezara a sonar con fuerza en el futuro. Veremos."
Si, claro, algo totalmente normal, unha banda que saca o primeiro disco e vaise de gira con gigantes coma Nile, e grandes ventas coma Slipknot... non ule algo raro ahi???
Sona a chanchullo polos 4 costados e a cartos invertidos en Suicide Silence que bueno...
Esto recórdame a un artículo que lin non sei onde sobre Evanescence, que de ser un grupo que sacara unha demo por ahi no 1999, creo, moi experimental, con bases ritmicas a veces electrónicas, incluso guitarras acústicas e corte intimista, da noite á mañá empezaron a ter ofertas para tocar en todos sitios incluso antes de sacar o Superventas "Fallen" no 2003. Parece ser que un dos membros decía que estaba sorprendido que tiñan ofertas para tocar cando nin sequera eran casi un grupo, porque sólo tocaran unhas poucas veces xuntos antes. Eso ule raro, tanto coma que un grupo novel se fose de xira con grandes tendo experiencia cero.. e con grandes de estilos diferentes coma Nile ou Behemoth... eso xa.. parece demasiado extraño.

"Tras una razonablemente larga prueba de sonido, Behemoth tomaron el escenario entre aplausos. Soy de la opinión de que su imagen (muy similar a la de Dimmu Borgir, pese a quien le pese) es excesivamente Black Metal para la música que vienen realizando de un tiempo a esta parte. Y para ser sincero, lo de escupir fuego en plan Immortal se lo podían ahorrar."
Bueno, e esto ven do mesmo que dice que non se recibiu ben ese grupo de Hardcore por prexuízos.. e esto qué é?? noooo non debe ser prexuízos que "teñen unha imaxe demasiado black metal para tocar o seu estilo" ou que "o de botar fuego en plan Immortal o debían aforrar" .... pero vamos!!!

Bueno, ensañeime con este, porque hai certas cousas... que no, non se dan aceptado, e creo que xa collen a calquera para facer unha crítica. Vale que aprobara periodismo, e incluso que lle guste a escena, pero eso non necesariamente implica que o seu gusto sexa do máis obxectivo e que as críticas sexan nin moito menos decentes. Sempre, claro está, podese estar de acordo ou non con certas crónicas.. pero aquí encontrei moito que no.. e decidín soltalo.
Polo menos gustoulle Behemoth, se non xa era pa caerse de narices :D
Pero bueno, espero que non se moleste ninguén por criticar a unha crítica ou a un crítico, ainda que xa sei que parece políticamente incorrecto...

Fuentes de fotos:
jako_the_one
Friedhof Webzine
Propias

domingo, febrero 17, 2008

Fast refresh: erasmus vigo help is over & that's what I call a good festival

Just for writing about something meanwhile I wait for the pics of the concert to put the review, I can say that I decided to log out the erasmus volunteer's program.
It was supposed that I would pick up at the airport the Czech girl on last friday. She had some health problems and didnt know if she could come. So I waited for having an answer if I should go or shouldnt go to the airport to pick her up. I wrote a mail to her asking but she didnt reply until today, and she told me she couldnt come and wrote to the international relations office of the Universidade de Vigo telling them that.
Of course she thought they would contact me for canceling my wellcoming to her.
Of course that bunch of lazy guys didnt tell me anything. I supposed if I hadnt an answer, she wouldnt come, but anyway, I think they wouldnt do a big effort if they write me a mail telling me "You dont need to pick her up, she is not coming". They told me day, hour and even number of flight, and if I dont ask her personally maybe I would be at the airport waiting like a stupid.
This is the drop that filled the glass about that organization for "helping" erasmus. I dont feel right now like assisting them anymore.
Seriouly, this is so different from what I imagined!
I bet they wont do a poll at the end of the academic year, like the organization in Tallinn, between the internationals for knowing what things they can improve, what was their impression about being erasmus in that city and so on... who cares? They are earning their money without doing so much, a way of living that people specially in Spain like quite a lot (quite known here the case of Government employees).. then who cares about doing activities/organize events/improve??? Nah!

In other news, I found one amazing concert in Germany. When could people make one like that in Spain??? NEVER!!

"Ragnarök Festival, Germany's biggest pagan metal festival, is going to celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2008. Once again organizer Ivo Raab has arranged a lineup of bands which is certain to please any pagan metal fan's desires. Compared to the previous year's edition the variety of the bands has expanded a lot and so we don't only get black and pagan metal, but also death metal with Unleashed and Killing Spree, power metal with Norther and Alestorm, gothic metal with Agalloch and Winterdome, symphonic metal with Haggard and Elexorien and of course once again lots of top-notch black, folk and viking metal bands. Two more highlights in the lineup certainly are Arkona, who are going to play their first concert beyond the Iron Curtain, and Vreid who will deliver a "special show" - no further details have been announced, but it is to be expected that they will play a set of mostly Windir material. And if the lineup wasn't great enough already one more headliner still is to be announced. The full lineup can be seen below. The festival is once again going to take place in the town hall of Lichtenfels in Northern Bavaria, located between Coburg and Bamberg. You can easily get there by car, train and plane."

Funny that of Norther like power metal hehe
Wow, I think it's really a worth festival, just for Agalloch, Haggard, Arkona, Norther, XIV Dark Centuries, Battlelore, Primordial, Menhir, Trollfest and Turisas... ousghsrrrg
Have a look at the price!!!

Ragnarök Festval:


Location: Germany, Lichtenfels (Stadthalle)
Date: 28-29 March 2008
Website: http://www.ragnaroek-festival.com
Organizer: Nemeton Events

Tickets:

30 € in advance


Band name: Agalloch
Genre: Folk Black Metal
Website: http://www.agalloch.org/
Band name: Alestorm
Genre: Power/Speed/Folk Metal
Website: www.alestorm.net

Band name: Arkona
Genre: Pagan-/ Folk Metal
Website: www.arkona-russia.com

Band name: Battlelore
Genre: Epic/Power Metal
Website: www.battlelore.net

Band name: Elexorien
Genre: Epic Battle Metal
Website: www.elexorien.com

Band name: Haggard
Genre: Symphonic Folk Metal
Website: www.haggard.de

Band name: Hellsaw
Genre: Black Metal
Website: www.hellsaw.com

Band name: Helritt
Genre: Pagan Metal
Website: www.helritt.de

Band name: Helrunar
Genre: Pagan Black Metal
Website: www.helrunar.com/

Band name: Killing Spree
Genre: Death Metal
Website: www.killing-spree.de

Band name: Menhir
Genre: Pagan Metal
Website: www.ziuwari.de

Band name: Minas Morgul
Genre: Pagan Black Metal
Website: www.minasmorgul.org/

Band name: Negura Bunget
Genre: Black Metal
Website: www.negurabunget.com

Band name: Norther
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Website: www.norther.net

Band name: Primordial
Genre: Celtic/Folk/Black Metal
Website: http://www.primordialweb.com/

Band name: Sear Bliss
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Website: www.searbliss.hu

Band name: Skyforger
Genre: Pagan Metal
Website: www.skyforger.lv

Band name: Svartsot
Genre: Folk Metal
Website: www.svartsot.dk

Band name: Sworn
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Website: www.sworn.no

Band name: Trimonium
Genre: Pagan Black Metal
Website: www.trimonium.net

Band name: Trollfest
Genre: Troll Metal
Website: www.trollfest.com
Band name: Turisas
Genre: Viking Metal
Website: www.turisas.com

Band name: Unleashed
Genre: Death Metal
Website: www.unleashed.se

Band name: Vreid
Genre: Pagan Black Metal
Website: www.vreid.no

Band name: Winterdome
Genre: Folk/Gothic
Website: www.winterdome.com

Band name: Wolfchant
Genre: Epic Pagan Metal
Website: www.wolfchant-metal.com

Band name: XIV Dark Centuries
Genre: Pagan Metal
Website: www.xivdarkcenturies.de

Plus more not confirmed yet

miércoles, febrero 13, 2008

Pum Pum ..Pum Pum .. Pum Pum

A verdade é que vin este video e non me puiden resistir a poñelo aqui mentres que remato os outros post :DD

martes, febrero 12, 2008

I am the evil one

This post is dedicated to Ikkunaprinsessa

Some people say that I have an evil look also in my pics, but dont worry, all is pose :D like this little baby :)


PS: preparing some new posts about several things and of course the Behemoth's concert review. Give me some few days.

martes, febrero 05, 2008

Waiting for the Behemoth's apostasy


Behemoth + Suicide Silence + Devilish Impressions
Sala Ah! Vigo
February 10th 2008
22€ presale/25€ doors

Probable setlist
01 - Rome 64 c.e.
02 - Slaying The Prophets Ov Isa
03 - Antichristian Phenomenon
04 - Demigod
05 - Prometherion
06 - Conquer All
07 - Christgrinding Avenue
08 - Maybe a drum solo courtesy of the god Inferno
09 - Slaves Shall Serve
10 - As Above So Below
11 - Summoning (Of The Ancient Ones)
12 - Christians To The Lions
13 - Decade Ov Therion
14 - Chant For Eskaton 2000
15 - Sculpting The Throne Ov Seth
16 - I Got Erection (Turbonegro Cover)

I really dont know the other 2 bands, but Behemoth is worth watching. The best Death Metal band nowadays.


Behemoth - Antichristian Phenomenon (Live Toronto November 2007)
This is the preview of what we are about to see here in Vigo, and cannot wait
Amazing the technical level of all musicians and how can Nergal sing, make headbanging, wear those uncomfortable clothes, cheering up people and playing so difficult guitar issues? How can Inferno play in such a god's level drums and making headbanging at the same time?

Behemoth - Prometherion (2007)

sábado, febrero 02, 2008

Tallinn Guide: about the city of Tallinn and some useful gadgets

This post was prepared in fact long time ago, but I didnt make it before, maybe just because of the work and time of uploading so many pictures (most of them are high quality ones). But after seen that maybe someone, from Spain or other part of the world, would like to see the beautiful city where I lived and made erasmus for 1 year... here you have (sorry the, a bit anarchic way of putting pics.. but this blogger.. I have to fight with it too much... hehe)

Ok, few things good to know before watching Tallinn:

  • Estonia has had a long and torrid history having been ruled by several different empires in the past. Germany, Sweden, Denmark an Russia have all laid claims to these lands in the last few centuries. So Estonia has a very multicultural feel thanks to this.
  • Tallinn is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, in north-western Estonia.
  • Tallinn's population is registered 400,200 (as of May 2007).
  • In August 1991 an independent democratic Estonian state was re-established and a period of quick development to a modern European capital ensued. Later, Estonia became part of the European Union in 2004.
  • Tallinn has the largest number of non-EU nationals: 27.8% of its population are not EU citizens. This is because planned immigration from other Soviet republics during the period of Soviet control (1944-1991) brought large numbers of non-Estonians, mostly Russians, to Tallinn and other areas of Northern Estonia. These immigrants and their offspring do not qualify automatically for Estonian citizenship.
Nationality


Percentage
Estonians


54.9%
Russians


36.5%
Ukrainians


3.6%
Belarusians


1.9%
Finns


0.9%
Others


3.1%
  • Dont look for mountains or uphills. The highest point in Tallinn is few more of 60 meters. (I remember the strange feeling of going further inside the sea and walking and walking, water couldt go up of knees).
  • The local tourist office sells the "Tallinn Card" which gives the holder free local public transport and entry to most attractions. Although the economics of this may be marginal, it is convenient to use. Local walking tours offer short-cuts to understanding the city.
  • The city operates an extensive system of bus (64 lines), tram(4 lines) and trolley-bus (8 lines) routes to all districts. Fares are reasonably-priced and a flat-fare system is used. Payment is made either by pre-purchase of tickets at street-side kiosks or by a purchase from the transport vehicle.
  • Money: they still don't have euro, estonian kroons (EEK) is the currency and the exchange is 1€ = 15'6EEK +-. It was supposed that they would have € this year, but inflaction didn't allow it. Right now I think they can reach the euro on 2010 or 2011, what I have been told or even studied :P
  • But talking about money notes, they have a not very high first one. Highest is 500kr.=33€ . Then they have lots of coins, not very useful for normal life and with a very low value.
  • In spite of this, don't think prices are cheap. I would say prices are more or less like Spain, even going to some disco could be more expensive. But market basket is quite similar as a normal city in Spain.
The Old Town is an amazing vestige from hundreds and hundreds of years.
The typical image of Tallinn that you can find is something like these ones below, with the old town and the St. Olaf’s church or St. Olav's church standing visible in the middle.


Kompressor, a place where you can buy cheap and tasty Pancakes... mmm I miss that place..

Rockstars, a place you must go if you are tired of discos :D



Peppersack, another place for eating or having some drink, and... maybe you can find a surprise when someone starts to fight with real swords and you are public of one representation inside. I think it was around 20:00 on weekend, wasn't it Ilona? ;)



Fancy trolley of Tallinn hahah
I remember it was a big surprise when I was there and suddenly the "love trolleys" came from nothing haha
Oh so many times going from one side to other in those trolleys..


Another sight of Tallinn

Some shots inside the old town.








St. Catherine's Passage

Hell Hunt, nice quiet place for drinking some beer

Alexander Nevski Cathedral, built in 1894-1900.
Those days we took these pics they were reparing or doing something with it.



Toompea castle, the seat of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia. Yeh! pink! strange!:D

More sights from the old town and around



The Russalka statue in Pirita


The Pirita monastery where even Metsatöll (famous estonian heavy-pagan metal band) made one concert with the Estonian National Male Choir


Raekoja Plats, the main square in the Old Town. In this Town Hall square you can see a little but beautiful christmas market in december.




Near were I lived, this is called Mustamäe, a bit far from the city center, maybe 30 min. by trolley, but there we had the hostel and the TTU university


Pirita beach. Don't worry, in summer it's not that cold as in february. I remember going several times in June and July and weather was around 25º-30º

Yeh, this is still the beach, you have to cross a little forest to arrive there. Cool :)


Olde Hansa, the most famous place for eating in the Old Town. You can find there even concerts meanwhile you are having the dinner.

Viru Gates, entrance to the Old Town. Those were once part of a larger gate system built in the 14th century, and the walls of the down town (hundreds years ago the old town was divided in upper and down)





The big door that separated the upper and the down town

Kadriorg Palace


Basic estonian:

Hello: Tere
Bye/good bye: Head aega/tsau
Yes: Jah
No: Ei
Thanks: Aitäh
Please: Palun
Beer: Õlu
Damn/Bastard: Raisk
Cheers!: Terviseks (and if you say after "Tervis sulle, seks mulle" someone will greet you with a big smile for sure;))
My name is...: Minu nimi on...
1: üks
2: kaks
3: kolm
4: neli
5: viis
6: kuus
7: seitse
8: kaheksa
9: üheksa
10: kümme

So, now with just only these words you can already say: "Tere! üks õlu, palun". And you won't be never thirsty in Estonia ;)

Trivia:
  • Did I say that I hate "Taksos"? gfrwrhgs. They will try to steal your money for sure if you are foreigner. It's a good advice to get some taxi numbers and calling them. It will be much cheaper than stop one in the street. Believe me.
  • For students. If you are studying economics or something related, it's quite probable that you have to go to Kopli, near the sea but far from everything.
  • It's quite known that there are some quarrels between some estonians and russians living in Estonia. But I hope that can be settled with years.
  • Food: food in Estonia is so so. The typical dish you can find is meat with sauce and boiled potatoes and some vegetables joining.
  • Finland is just at one step from Tallinn. Just taking one of the several ferrys they go there by day and in 2-3 hours ready.
  • Sauna parties are great.
  • It's amazing a city where you can see and even enter the forest not walking too far. Nature evolves Tallinn.
  • When day is night and night is day... yes, in Estonia I had lived the longest nights and longest days of my life. In Winter, almost no day, in summer the sky is almost never completely dark.
  • There is a high alcoholic level between population, I mean, it was strange for me seeing people drinking inside buses, trolleys, trams or trains or in the street. Vodka or beer, Viru Valge or Saku/Ale C. Coq.
  • About the way of being of estonians.. I cannot say anything certain. I was told they are shy people and closed at first, but I have met every kind, so I cannot make a pattern. What is sure is that if they notice you are a foreigner and they are drinking their 4th or 5th beer, maybe you can find some friends for all night if you are alone. But I guess that happens in every place. But what I really found is that estonians are quite quiet, I mean, in general they are not very loud voiced people or even talkative. I remember going in the trolley full of people and nobody talked there. I can say also is that they are really pollited people.
  • Casinos!!! It attracted a lot my attention the big number of casinos for each few meters there are in Estonia. I asked to several locals about that, and I got different opinnions, some think it's because estonians like a lot those games, others told me it was just for showing off that they are becoming a richer country, and that inside there are not so many people... no idea.