Music / Blind Channel

Living that life on the dark side.^note From left to right: Olli, Aleksi, Niko, Joel, Joonas, and Tommi.

Blind Channel is a rock band based in Oulu, Finland.

Consisting of vocalists Joel Hokka and Niko Moilanen, guitarist Joonas Porko, bassist Olli Matela, drummer Tommi Lalli, and Aleksi Kaunisvesi on samples/percussion, the band was founded in 2013 and achieved international success as the Finnish entry for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Dark Side", winning fourth place in the public vote and sixth place overall, Finland's second best result since Lordi in 2006.

Self-described as "violent pop", their genre ranges from alternative rock and post-hardcore to Nu Metal, containing electronic and rap elements along with the usual instruments and melodies of rock. They are also known for their frequently dark lyrics and doing rock covers of famous pop songs.

Oh, and they've also been dubbed "the Finnish Spinal Tap" for their ongoing series of tour mishaps, usually involving losing an instrument, a bandmate, or themselves.

Discography:

• Revolutions (2016)
• Blood Brothers (2018)
• Violent Pop (2020)
• Lifestyles of the Sick & Dangerous (2022)

Blind Channel provides examples of the following tropes:

• Album Title Drop:
  • In "Over My Dead Body":
  The violent pop underdogs are back on track
  • Lifestyles of the Sick and Dangerous originated as a line on "Dark Side".
• Ascended Extra: Aleksi started out working with the band behind the scenes as a producer and co-songwriter (you can also find him as a feature guest on "Timebomb", credited as Alex Mattson), but the collaboration worked so well that he ended up joining the band as a full-time member.
• Badass Boast: The entirety of "Balboa" is one big declaration to never back down and a warning to those who underestimate underdogs.
• Bowdlerise: They were banned from Flipping the Bird during the Eurovision performance of "Dark Side" (with lyrics that begin with the words, "Put your middle fingers up"). Which leads to…
  • Loophole Abuse: …painting their middle fingers red instead to call attention to them without the gesture.
• Break-Up Song: "Died Enough For You" and "Love Of Mine". Both also heavily overlap with "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
• Catchphrase: Joonas' "Mennään eteenpäin!"^note Go forward!
• Celebrity Is Overrated: Discussed and played with on the Lifestyles of the Sick & Dangerous album. Several of the songs address the stress and pressure that comes with being in the public eye and constantly touring, but ultimately there's always an undercurrent of triumph about having made it this far in the first place, all hardships be damned.
• Cover Version: They have done covers of "Don't", "Can't Hold Us", and "Left Outside Alone", to name a few.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Implied in "Dark Side":
  Don't wanna cry, so I gotta get paralyzed
• Even the Subtitler Is Stumped: The tour vlog subtitles' usual response to someone's drunk ramblings or Joel talking nonsense is to simply leave question marks or admit they have no idea what someone's talking about either.
• Faux Yay: Niko and Joonas kissing is a fairly common occurrence during shows (and sometimes outside of shows too). Both their orientations are admittedly unknown, although both have had girlfriends before.
• Flipping the Bird: In "Dark Side". "Put your middle fingers up!"
• Genre Roulette: The Lifestyles of the Sick and Dangerous album ranges from the practically Pop Punk "Don't Fix Me" to the heavily trap-influenced "Opinions" to the heavier "Alive or Only Burning" and "Autopsy", which is made In the Style of Nine Inch Nails. (To only name a few.)
• Guyliner: Heavy black eyeliner is a key part of the stage makeup.
• Like an Old Married Couple: This is how Niko describes Joel and Joonas' relationship, verbatim. They're constantly squabbling, but they're also very in sync.
• Lonely at the Top: Defied in "Thank You for the Pain":
  Successful people say it's lonely on the top, boo-hoo
  I was lonely at the bottom too
• Long-Runner Line-up: Type 2 variation. The original five members have been playing together with no hiatuses or lineup changes since 2013; the only lineup change has been Aleksi joining in 2020.
• Once an Episode: Once A Live Show, you're guaranteed to get:
  • Niko and Joonas kissing.
  • Joonas briefly covering another song during the instrumental part of "Fever".
  • As of the December 2021 tour, Joel and Aleksi waltzing together during the aforementioned kiss seems to have joined the ranks. Whether or not the tradition sticks has yet to be seen.
• No Sense of Direction: The band as a whole, apparently, as they have managed to get lost on tour multiple times. Joonas deserves special mention, according to his bandmates, who suggested attaching a GoPro to him in an interview just to see where he wanders off to (sometimes for days on end).
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: "Snake" is a three-minute verbal smackdown of a toxic, cheating ex.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: "Died Enough For You" is about finally stepping out of a toxic All Take and No Give relationship.
  'Cause this is where I'm giving up
  I'm getting out, I'm signing off
  I've died enough for you
• Shout-Out:
  • The "Dark Side" line "Lifestyles of the sick and dangerous" is a "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" reference.
  • This bit in "Timebomb":
    I need a face tat 'cause I feel like that guy Malone
    I was on a tour popping pills and fucking hoes
  • "Balboa" is an obvious reference to Rocky Balboa. His three most iconic opponents also get namechecked in the song:
    Knockout! I'm sending suckers home like Drago
    I've got no bow, no arrow, but Apollo follows
    Gimme a Clubber for supper
    Making these fake clowns go breathless
• Sir Swears-a-Lot: It's easier to list the songs that aren't marked as explicit. The most notable exception is "Dark Side", simply because the lyrics had to be safe for TV.
• Take That!:
  • "Over My Dead Body" is directed at the music industry, which didn't believe the band could succeed for the longest time and tried to change them to make them more marketable. Also overlaps with Badass Boast.
  • "We Are No Saints", towards the Moral Guardians who tried to tell the band to act like better role models after they became famous.
  • "Glory for the Greedy" is directed at the music industry again, shaming executives for pretending they've always supported the band only now that it's gotten successful while they did the exact opposite in the past.
• Vocal Evolution: In a curious inversion of the usual direction, Joel's singing voice has actually gotten higher over the years. Most likely he deliberately tried to sound deeper in earlier years and/or had not yet found the vocal range he's most comfortable in.
• Vocal Tag Team: The band has two lead vocalists, Joel (singing) and Niko (rapping and singing).