By David O’Neill
This is something completely different for me – well almost. I like popular classical music and I’m the father of a cellist (albeit he hasn’t played for 15 years), so when the chance to see Apocalyptica was open I thought I would use it, despite not being a huge fan of Metallica.
It was a pleasant surprise to find The Raven Age on the bill as support. I haven’t seen since these guys since Download 2022, and with their third album released last year it would be good to see what time has done to their set, especially as they have been announced as support for Iron Maiden on their world tour next year (however that is no real surprise to many). The replacement of Tony Maue on guitar with Matt Gentry also adds another chance to see what the change does.
Kicking off at dead on eight o-clock with ‘Changing Of The Guard’ as an introductory track from their latest album ‘Blood Omen‘ was different, as the acoustic guitar fitted with the potential mood of the night. ‘Serpents Tongue’ soon changed that with the face ripping opening solo from Gentry, it was a real good opener.
‘Nostradamus’ really swung the heavy axe, gut wrenching low ends on both Gentry and George Harris’ guitars was boomingly supported by Matt Cox on bass and Jai Patel in the heart of the rhythm section (the latter is an absolute animal at the back of stage). A slight change of mood started off ‘No Man’s Land’ from ‘Exile’ and illustrated the vocal range of Matt James as well as the subtle guitar abilities of both Harris and Gentry. It is a nice track with a sympathetic solo at the breakdown.
Returning to the first album, ‘Conspiracy’, ‘The Day The World Stood’ still is one of my favourite tracks from that album; the ethereal clean guitar opening belies the heavy bass driven riffage and powerful vocal performance of James, added to by Cox on the growling backing, and again the guitar solos are fantastic. It is five-plus minutes of masterful metal.
Easing back a bit to ‘The Journey’ from ‘Blood Omen’ ebbs and flows from moody subtle gentle vocals to the twin guitars across the breakdown, it’s a really good track. More clean echo on the guitar opens up ‘Essence Of Time’ until the rhythm section starts to pick up the tempo into the body of the song and the more metal edge to the guitar playing. I have to say that the drumming of Patel remains extremely impressive, delivering power and subtly when required throughout the set. Finishing the set with the two standout tracks from ‘Conspiracy’, the eight-plus minutes of ‘Grave Of Fireflies’ and ‘Fleur de Lis’ kept the band grounded in the story and concept they have been continuing across the three albums so far. Great start to a great night. Good luck with the rest of the tour.
I like this band, they are very good instrumentalists and very energetic on stage. It is possibly because the lyrics tell an ongoing story across all the albums (and you can actually hear the vocals).
I had no preconceived ideas of what to expect from Apocalyptica, however. Three Finnish cellists and a drummer on stage playing instrumental versions of Metallica songs…hmm. I did review a few tracks prior to the gig but was left wondering how it would come across live. As the great bard once said “Lay on Macduff”. Did they bring the fight? Read on to find out.
The instrumental tape ‘Ecstasy Of Gold’ (aka the theme from ‘The Good The Bad And The Ugly’) started things off? Was this an omen of what was to come? Anyway, a great track to open with…
The Kabuki screen fell and Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivalaasko, Paavo Lӧtjӧnen and the man mountain Mikko Kaakkuriniemi on drums opened up with ‘Ride The Lightning’ with more white light than I have ever seen in a live gig as the lighting washed across the rear and front of the stage in waves, fantastic for me as a photographer! What a huge sound! With Kivalaasko grinning from ear to ear it was obvious that the band were enjoying the gig, and looking around so were the crowd!
Follow that! Errm… ‘Enter Sandman’ and ‘Creeping Death’ and the crowd were loving every bow sweep. With Kivalaasko and Toppinnen alternating the lead/rhythm sections and moving around the stage like prowling leopards (not an easy feat carrying a full size cello) it wasn’t all about everyone’s perception of classical cellists: sat on chairs they were not!
By now the crowd, (persuaded by Topinnen) were joining in on the lyrical content for the songs. I’m sure if there was a microphone over the top of them it would have been amazing accompaniment.
Thus it continued for the 90 minutes the four protagonists were on stage. ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ and ‘Master Of Puppets’ were greeted with enthusiastic singalongs, but it was left for ‘Nothing Else Matters’, ‘Seek And Destroy’ and ‘One’ to close out the set.
The band was breathless, the audience were breathless and I was left with a new found appreciation for classically played Metallica.
If you didn’t get a chance to go to any of the dates on this brief tour, you really missed out. If you are a music lover but not a lover of Metallica, to steal the song ‘Nothing Else Matters’ (sorry!)
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