On the 11th of November, the Rockhal was taken over by Finland. Or so it seemed.
First up were Arctis. But who exactly are they? A Finnish newcomer in the game, their first album just came out, but they are aiming high. The first row had indeed people who knew all the songs enough to shout the lyrics with the clear vocals of the singer.
Musically, it sounds quite Delain-inspired, with possibly a touch of Amaranth-like electro touches here and there. The best part? This was their first gig ever! It is obvious to everyone that they are having fun and can definitely manage to be a great stage band. And yes, they were not playing by themselves, but opening for the main act… Apocalyptica.
Apocalyptica needs no introduction. Especially not when they play Metallica. And open with Ecstasy of Gold. 28 years after Plays Metallica By Four Cellos, they are back with their bows to revisit old (one might even say “ancient”) classics. And sure Enter Sandman or Saint Anger are very old songs, but they do rock. In a packed Rockhal Club, the confident trio-cum-drummer gets everyone’s energy shooting up.
Of note, the tribute to Cliff Burton and the fact that some of these songs are hated. But hearing them with cellos hits very different. The sound is distorted, but it is “clean” in a way that the original never quite managed (or wanted to achieve). Of course Nothing Else Matters is probably the one song that everyone expected. But One definitely takes the award of “most energetic song” of the night as a closing farewell. It is obvious that the cellists are enjoying themselves and having fun, far from massive arenas and the pressure they might have come to have in the past years.
Overall, this was a great evening of metal with an audience that supplied lyrics to match the cellos, possibly also a night of retro love for songs from the 80s and 90s.
