Accompanying heavy metal giant Kamelot on their 2019 North America Tour, Battle Beast and Sonata Arctica performed at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on September 18th offering attendees a night of loud, furious fun.
Starting off the show with a bang were Battle Beast. A pitch-black room is filled with the sound of tense orchestral music. Suspense rises as the music swells, and a pair of lights gradually reveal a man standing high above a drum set. He leads the crowd in a clap before he holds up a pair of drumsticks, jumps from the seat he was standing on and uses the momentum to slam the drums before his feet reach the ground. The orchestra gives way to a synthesizer as three figures shrouded in darkness make their way onstage. Everything stops. Neon colours fill the room as four men decked out in leather, spikes, and long hair begin to play. The crowd cheers as a woman in armoured robes torn at the shoulders, wrist bracers, and pair of horns that add about a foot to her height—makes her way to the front of the stage. She chants in a low, gruff voice that exudes power. Fists fly in the air, feet stomp to the beat, and she stops to look across the crowd with a mischievous smile before singing the opening lyrics to “Unbroken.”
Unlike most opening bands, Battle Beast (who I was most excited to see), were not just good, they were FUN. Laughs were had when the bass player nearly fell over when he was kicked in the posterior (perhaps harder than he was expecting) by Noora Louhimo as she belted the lines “Bastard son of Odin, born to kick your ass!” For almost an hour, Battle Beast brought an 80’s-fueled power metal energy with a glam rock sense of showmanship—combining heavy riffs with tight grooves and a performance. Between the high-kicks, pantomiming, and general limb flailing, Battle Beast delivered an excellently choreographed aerobics routine that kept fans excited from start to end. This is a band I’ve been waiting to see bring their act to North America for a long time and hopefully, there will be many more to come.
Sonata Arctica, however, was a very different story. Having set the bar as high as Battle Beast did, Sonata Arctica needed to be a lot more than just “a really good band.” Unfortunately, that’s all they were—a group of incredibly competent musicians performing some great hits. No extravagant costumes—everyone looked like they woke up in what they wore, and no high-energy antics to get the crowd excited—with the exception of the guy rocking the keytar, which will always look rad as hell. Part of the problem lay in their choice of set list. Although there’s nothing wrong with bands wanting to promote their newer material, they should still be trying to maintain the mood established by their opening band. The choice to play songs like “Who Failed the Most” from their last album, Talviyö, and others with a very melodic/progressive metal vibe was a lot harder to jump around to, compared to Battle Beast’s music, which was all but inviting fans to show off their best moves.
The mood picked up during the second half of their performance and the band transitioned to some of their tried and true staples. Not only were songs like “FullMoon” easier to get the crowd moving, but the bands frontman also seemed a lot more confident working the crowd during the second half, and invited a lot more participation. I didn’t come as a fan of them, although I definitely added a couple of their tracks to my music library after the show—they had some really great songs throughout—but I don’t think I’ll be seeing them live the next time around without some other reason to go.
Kamelot brought a completely different energy, and kept things fresh despite playing for nearly two hours. The show had plenty of great moments throughout, like Louhimo’s return to the stage to help sing “Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)” which got fans in an uproar, or the drum and keyboard battle/interlude that left fans hollering at the impressive displays of musicianship. Keeping fans excited throughout, Kamelot’s latest lead singer certainly has a flair for the dramatic. Between great pantomimes and sweeping gestures, he sang. He made his way high atop a pedestal to deliver lines with extra force. He jumped off the stage to sing as he made his way past security up to the barriers separating him from the crowd. They were the band for which you most wanted to be in the front row when they performed. All in all, they gave a terrific performance, playing songs across their entire catalogue. They had everyone screaming and roughing each other up in the mosh pit—something I can personally attest to.
When I woke up the next day, my voice was gone, and everything hurt—it was a great show.
Overall Sound: ★★★★★
Performance: ★★★★☆
Mosh Pit: ★★★★★