On October 21st,2022, BEYOND THE BLACK with AMARANTHE, BUTCHER BABIES, and AD INFINITUM hit Columbiahalle in Berlin as part of their European Tour.
Due to technical issues, we were unable to take photos of AD INFINITUM.
BUTCHER BABIES kicked off their set with “Korova.” Heidi Shepard and Carla Harvey – the front-ladies of the group, railed up the audience with their chemistry, cheerleader jumps, and splits. Their setlist consisted of such bangers like “Monsters Ball,” “Bottom of a Bottle,” and “Sleeping With the Enemy.” Heidi and Carla presented their new cover single, “Best Friend,” in a heartwarming manner, being best friends and sharing the stage for 15 years. Sadly, their vocals got buried under a wall of distortion and it was sometimes unclear what or who was singing. The situation was better with clean vocals. They closed their set with “Magnolia Blvd.”
AMARANTHE was up next. Hailing from Sweden and formed in 2008, the band constantly explores ways to mix metal with electronic and pop tunes. After the intro, Elize Ryd appeared on the stage and approached her glamorous mic stand. They opened with “Fearless,” continuing with “Viral,” and “Digital World.” They were truly the masters of power metal cheese combined with Euro/disco-pop, with the vocal trio blending so organically together. The new screamer, Richard Sjunnesson, did fit the band perfectly when pair with Nils Molin and Elize Ryd’s powerful cleans. The set was filled with seventeen tracks, mostly from the latest album, “Manifest.” The show felt like a consistent story: energized “Maximize” was a hit, fan favorite “The Nexus” detonated spectacularly, and the serene and emotional “Crystalline” squeezed some tears from the audience.
BEYOND THE BLACK is a German act, so the crowd was naturally especially hyped. The intro began with extravagant lights and paced into the anthem “Is There Anybody Out There?” with Jennifer Haben wielding dual-LED sticks for extra visual effect. They continued with the face-paced “Lost in Forever” and “Songs of Love and Death.” “Scream for Me” had guitarist Chris Hermsdörfer’s growls featured in the chorus. The highlight of the show was Jennifer’s attire for the song “Human,” consisting of a long crimson dress and a crown that reassembled insect legs.
Overall, the show was spectacular. The only downside was the quality of sound for some songs.
BUTCHER BABIES
AMARANTHE
BEYOND THE BLACK
