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Dark Connection Tour Takes Over Joliet

One stormy Saturday night in Joliet, IL, Finnish heavy metal band Beast in Black came and turned the city upside down. Taking place at The Forge, a rather popular spot for Chicago metal lovers, the Dark Connection tour continued their stride through North America. Originally billed with Canadian rockers Striker and the Florida foursome Seven Kingdoms , the tour faced a few setbacks due to the two bands unfortunately not being able to perform. However, Chicago thrash bands Beyond Deth and Bloodletter stepped in and both delivered amazing and unforgettable performances. The concert turned out to be one of the most energetic shows I’ve ever been to, and I loved every second of it.

Beyond Deth

The show opened with Beyond Deth taking the stage. With this being their first performance at The Forge, the band performed a high-energy set. Their usage of lights along with their hard-hitting riffs made for a rather entertaining set. As they went into their second song Astral Invasion , the excitement for the band’s set increased. Topping it off with a memorable guitar solo, by the end of the song, the crowd was increasingly growing more hyped. The excitement continued as the band performed more songs from their second album Accept Your Fate. Most notably, their closing song Burn His Eyes  seemed to be a crowd favorite. Purple lights flashed as the headbanging continued, bringing the set to an end. For this being their first performance at The Forge, the band properly kicked off the night and set the tone for what was to come.

Bloodletter

With the crowd still hyped from Beyond Deth’s set, Bloodletter came through and turned up the meter even more. Already a crowd favorite, from the moment they started playing, the crowd did not stop moving once. Songs like The Darkness Reaches and Burnt Beyond Recognition made the crowd go wild. Their great band chemistry and usage of darker-toned lights made their set an interesting one to watch. Their set closed with Disinterment , a song from their most recent album Funeral Hymns. Before the song started, lead vocalist Peter Carparelli engaged in dialogue with the crowd, as he opened up about his mental health and told us the song was about depression. As the song started, the crowd almost immediately felt the energy and a mosh pit opened. The flashing bright lights added to the excitement and made for the perfect closing to their set.

• Beast in Black

As the lights dimmed and anticipation grew, the crowd began to chant “ Beast in Black! Beast in Black! ” The excitement exuding from everyone made their entrance onto the stage more special. When they finally set foot onstage, the crowd went wild. The band opened with Blade Runner , the opening track to their 2021 album Dark Connection .

As they transitioned to their second song From Hell With Love , it became apparent that their set would be a career-spanning one. This excited the crowd, as they were cheering in-between songs and showing the band love all around. The energy they exuded on stage added to the overall mood of the show. During their songs, they would pose for pictures for the people who were recording and crack jokes in-between song transitions. Their crowd control was one thing that stood out, for it really showed that they loved their fans and vice-versa.

As the show continued on, the energy in the venue did not die down once. It was beyond refreshing to see so many excited fans having the time of their lives during the set. When the band began the opening to fan-favorite Die By The Blade , the crowd went wild. They extended the intro a bit, for this built the excitement even more. Delivering what was assumed to be the last song of their set, the crowd did not want the show to end. Everyone cheered and chanted until the band made their appearance again, delivering a three-song encore and closing out the show by handing fans in the crowd setlists, drum sticks and guitar picks.

As the night settled in, I left the venue a fan of three new bands. With me being a Chicago native, it was amazing to discover two bands from here and find out more about them. As for Beast in Black , I immediately fell in love with their playful, high energy stage presence and upbeat songs that make it hard to not get up and dance. All in all, when presented the chance, Beast in Black is a concert you do not want to miss.

Beast in Black complete setlist

• Blade Runner
• From Hell With Love
• Highway to Mars
• Cry Out for a Hero
• Bella Donna
• Moonlight Rendezvous
• No Surrender
• Sweet True Lies
• Die By The Blade

      Encore

• One Night in Tokyo
• Blind and Frozen
• End of the World

Keep in touch with Beast in Black across all social media sites

Also, keep up with Beyond Deth

And Bloodletter !

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LIVE REVIEW / PHOTO GALLERY: BEAST IN BLACK DARK CONNECTION TOUR 2022

Heavy metal band Beast In Black just wrapping up their 2022 Dark Connection North American Tour, supported by Seven Kingdoms and Striker. After this they will join forces with Nightwish, before heading back to Europe. We caught up with them in Vancouver BC.

Written by Arturs Feists

Beast in Black is a Finnish-Greek-Hungarian heavy metal band that was founded in 2015 in Helsinki by guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen. The musical influences of the band include Judas Priest, Manowar, W.A.S.P., Accept and Black Sabbath.

The sound of 80’s rock and disco synthesizers combined with stage choreography, impressive guitar intros and solos – you can name it as Beast in Black. The group’s energy flowed all over the hall, just like the rays of light, and made the legs and heads move even in the last row seats. Beast in Black played to their full potential and the audience paid genuine accolades in return. Excellent communication and attitude towards the audience, “give it all” attitude of the group on the stage further intensified the audience’s enthusiasm and long ovations.

Music, Lifestyle and Fashion

BEAST IN BLACK

Dark connection, track listing:.

01. Blade Runner 02. Bella Donna 03. Highway To Mars 04. Hardcore 05. One Night In Tokyo 06. Moonlight Rendezvous 07. Revengeance Machine 08. Dark New World 09. To The Last Drop Of Blood 10. Broken Survivors 11. My Dystopia 12. Battle Hymn 13. They Don't Care About Us

Following his 2015 departure from Helsinki's renowned BATTLE BEAST , guitarist extraordinaire Anton Kabanen launched BEAST IN BLACK , a project that is equally if not more over the top in its forwarding of unabashed heavy metal thunder. The unit's first two albums, 2017's "Berserker" and 2019's "From Hell With Love" , have been revered globally by power metal fiends, to say the least. BEAST IN BLACK is essentially a household name in Finland where the aforementioned releases both reached platinum status. In the face of high expectations, BEAST IN BLACK delivers on their third outing, "Dark Connection" .

BEAST IN BLACK didn't have a sophomore slump following its impressive debut, and "Dark Connection" truly does meet the high-water mark left by the initial releases. True to the band's fundamentals, "Dark Connection" is bursting with absolutely blistering riffs and guitar work, which are combined with deeply infectious vocal work and choruses. "Blade Runner" opens things up with a brief but memorable keyboard driven intro that adequately teases, creating an element of tension before the band unleashes crisp and bold pop-laden heavy metal. The song is replete with Yannis Papadopoulos 's impressive vocals, which comfortably and tastefully reach toward the heavens when it's time to unleash that glorious falsetto. But follow-up track "Bella Donna" does an even better job of representing BEAST IN BLACK 's essence, a beautiful marriage of impassioned eighties-inspired heavy metal and crystalline pop music.

Along with bleeping sounds signifying some form of aircraft or spacecraft, "Highway To Mars" begins with the apparent utterances of a stewardess making announcements regarding a city on Mars. Such augmentations lend the musical experience a cinematic quality. Elsewhere, "Hardcore" , a song that's ironically lightweight, moves forth with a prominent swing. "Moonlight Rendezvous" stands out due to the decidedly calmer nature and flow. And while the MANOWAR cover, "Battle Hymn" , makes sense considering the ensemble's style, BEAST IN BLACK throws a complete wild card on the table with their MICHAEL JACKSON cover, "They Don't Care About Us" . The song choice is logical considering BEAST IN BLACK 's pop music inclination, and the bold move pays off proving to be one of the album's strongest cuts, adding considerable depth and dynamics.

With "Dark Connection" , BEAST IN BLACK wisely chose to employ the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. Now that they are three albums deep, the band seems comfortable in its stride. What's more, the moody and slower-tempo songs, as well as the MICHAEL JACKSON cover, collectively drag the BEAST forward as a band, ever so marginally yet noticeable enough. The album flows mellifluously in terms of sequencing and because of the thematic science fiction-inspired similarities. There's a sense that BEAST IN BLACK has the potential to reach into the American pocket of mainstream music. Whether or not that happens with "Dark Connection" doesn't matter, though. At the end of the day, in terms of art and creativity, BEAST IN BLACK has hit the ball out of the park with album number three.

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Striker, Beast In Black, And Seven Kingdoms Decimate Anaheim On Tour [Review]

Posted by Hunter Bolding | Apr 16, 2022 | Live Events , Music , Reviews | 0 |

The line for many metal fans these days is that no one can take up the mantle from the classic bands like Iron Maiden , Judas Priest , or Metallica. When those bands retire or quit, there’s not going to be anyone left to follow in their footsteps. Clearly, those people haven’t seen a show like the one that Beast in Black , Striker , and Seven Kingdoms put on last night in Anaheim, California. The Dark Connection Tour 2022 features three of the best up-and-coming bands in all of metal. Normally you go to see a show, and the opening bands are treated more like a means to an end. Not on this tour.

Doors opened at the House of Blues Anaheim’s Parish and Striker took the stage around 7:30 PM PT. From there all the way towards around 11:40 PM PT, it was a scene of traditional heavy metal, power metal, and even some thrash thrown in for good measure.

Striker Goes All Out To Get The Crowd Pumped

Each of the bands put on a hell of a show with Striker playing a tight seven-song setlist that included their brand-new singles “Deathwish” and “ Strange Love ” mixed in with songs from throughout their catalog.

If you haven’t heard of Striker or seen them play, they’re part of the movement/genre known as the New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal. It’s not a strict label, because they have thrash metal, melodic metal, and other influences, but they’re firmly at the front of the pack of this genre. If you like your metal a bit tight and fast-paced, Striker is for you. Whether it’s vocalist Dan Cleary ‘s one-in-a-million voice or the twin dueling guitars from Tim Brown or new member John Simon Fallon , this is like Thin Lizzy had a baby with Iron Maiden .

The highlights of the show were “Phoenix Lights”, which is always a killer when Striker plays, “Heart Of Lies”, “Deathwish”, and the outro of “Raining Blood”. Hopefully, Striker can come back to the Los Angeles area and get a headlining set out of the way. They have quite the back catalog of albums that they can pick from. Striker should have a new album out sometime in 2022, so be on the lookout for that.

Get tour dates, merch, and more at Striker’s official website .

Seven Kingdoms Surprises With Metal And Cheeseburger Dressings

I had never listened to any of Seven Kingdoms’ music before last night. Holy hell, they were fantastic. Taking a look at their stage show, besides the giant cheeseburgers on the drum kit and on vocalist Sabrina Valentine ‘s feet, the band doesn’t have a bass player. They have a new album titled Zenith that came out this year, which highlighted their set with three songs: “Chasing The Mirage”, “Diamond Handed”, and “Universal Terrestrial”. They weren’t missing that bass player with guitarists Camden Cruz and Kevin Byrd shredding away on heavy tracks. Valentine and drummer Keith Byrd were real highlights among a great nine-song set. Valentine’s voice showed a range and power not seen in many vocalists these days.

Don’t let the cheeseburgers throw you off, this band kicks some serious ass. Their energy and control of the crowd from such a young band speaks to their live powers. They capped off their set with a cover of “Boys Of Summer” and a rousing performance of “Chasing the Mirage”. If anyone in the room wasn’t a fan of Seven Kingdoms before the show, they are now. This was a special performance and I can say that I’m a huge fan now.

Check out their official website for tour dates, merch, and news right here !

Beast In Black Put On A Metal Show For The Ages

Beast In Black is going to be one of the biggest metal bands in the world in the coming years. Their success is inevitable. Whether it’s because their music is fantastic, or their stage performance is electric. They have the “it” factor that bands like Ghost, Greta Van Fleet, and Trivium have used to rise up the ranks of the rock and metal pantheon. They might have only played in front of a smaller crowd here at the Parish in Anaheim, but the way they mesmerized the crowd and then whipped them into a fervor with the songs they played across their fifteen-song headlining set, it’s easy to see that they’re going to be something special.

This Dark Connection Tour 2022 saw them play songs from across their catalog of albums but mostly focused on their brand-new album, Dark Connection . Usually, when a band takes a new album out on tour, they play the highlighted singles and that’s it; not for Beast In Black. They played six tracks from the new album including “Bella Donna”, “Blade Runner”, “Hardcore”, “Highway to Mars”, “Moonlight Rendezvous”, and “One Night In Tokyo”. The electronic, power, video game-inspired metal was a crowd pleaser with the entire room singing along with the chorus of “Highway To Mars” and “One Night In Tokyo”.

The entire room shook with the fury of heavy metal and bodies bouncing up and down when the band went into the home stretch of their set. Songs like “Sweet True Lies”, “Die By The Blade”, “Blind and Frozen”, and the set closer “End of the World” sent the crowd home happy.

Get merch, tour dates, and news about Beast In Black from their official site .

An Evening Of Music That Fans Will Never Forget

It’s insane considering that lead singer Yannis Papadopoulos had COVID-19 at the start of the tour and came out with an excellent vocal performance during the show. Beast In Black’s guitarists and backup vocals Anton Kabanen and Kasperi Heikkinen shredded and gave power backing up the vocals of Papadopoulos. Máté Molnár on bass gave the entire room the feeling of his bass with drummer Atte Palokangas behind the kit slamming away on the drums.

For a band this young to command an audience in the way they did, it was hugely impressive. Even my friend, who I dragged to the concert, who despises power metal, gave Beast In Black some props for their performance. All three bands were absolutely magnificent and should hopefully be onto big things in the heavy metal field.

If you live in any of the cities left on the Dark Connection Tour 2022, go and see them. If not, you can see all three bands on tour throughout 2022.

For more on metal , make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.

Keep Reading:

Silver And Gold By ASAP: The Best Metal Albums You’ve Never Heard

Dark Connection Tour 2022 Review

Summary Striker, Beast In Black, and Seven Kingdoms put together one of the best nights of heavy metal anyone is going to see. Their energy, power, and music gave fans an amazing night of heavy metal in Anaheim, CA.

About The Author

Hunter Bolding

Wrestling fan since Sting vs. Hogan at Starrcade. Video game fanatic since I played Wario Land on the Game Boy. Music nerd, Magic: the Gathering player, and any other fandom you can think of under the sun.

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Beast In Black announces Spring 2023 European Headlining Tour

Today, they finally announce new headline European tour dates, including 5 UK shows and a Dublin date. This tour had previously been postponed several times due to the pandemic. Fans of the Beasts can prepare for a fiery start to 2023!

The band comments: “After many postponed tours and hope for better times, we are happy to finally announce a headline European tour to present our new album, Dark Connection! As we promised, all tickets purchased for the postponed dates are valid for the new shows, too. Come join the Beasts for some pure fun and joy as we slay over Europe”!

European Tour Dates 2023: 27.01.23  LISBON, LAV Lisboa ao Vivo 29.01.23  MADRID, Mon 30.01.23  MURCIA, Garaje 31.01.23  BARCELONA, Salamandra 02.02.23  BILBAO, Stage Live 04.02.23  TBA 05.02.23  TBA 06.02.23  TBA 07.02.23  TBA 08.02.23  MILAN, Live Club 10.02.23  PRATTELN, Z7 11.02.23  MUNICH, Tonhalle 13.02.23  VIENNA, Arena 14.02.23  STUTTGART, LKA Longhorn 15.02.23  OBERHAUSEN, Turbinenhalle 16.02.23  HAARLEM, Patronaat 18.02.23  LIEGE, Reflektor 19.02.23  ANTWERP, Trix 20.02.23  LONDON, Islington Assembly Hall 21.02.23  BIRMINGHAM, O2 Institute 2 22.02.23  BRISTOL, The Fleece 23.02.23  MANCHESTER, Rebellion 24.02.23  GLASGOW, Cathouse 25.02.23  DUBLIN, Whelans 28.02.23  FRANKFURT, Batschkapp 01.03.23  HANNOVER, Capitol 02.03.23  COPENHAGEN, Amager Bio 03.03.23  HAMBURG, Gruenspan 04.03.23  MALMÖ, KB 05.03.23  STOCKHOLM, Fryshuset Klubben 06.03.23  OSLO, Vulkan Arena 07.03.23  GOTHENBURG, Trädgårn 09.03.23  BERLIN, Huxleys 10.03.23  LEIPZIG, Felsenkeller 11.03.23  ZLIN, Masters of Rock Café 12.03.23  BUDAPEST, Barba Negra 14.03.23  KRAKOW, Studio 15.03.23  WARSAW, Progresja 16.03.23  BRATISLAVA, Majestic Music Club 18.03.23  CLUJ-NAPOCA, Form Space 19.03.23  BUCAREST, Quantic Club 20.03.23  SOFIA, Hristo Botev Hall 21.03.23  THESSALONIKI, Principal Club Theater 22.03.23  ATHENS, Gagarin 205

Tickets for the Dark Connection Tour 2023 can be found here .

Beast In Black released their latest studio album “Dark Connection” last year. Grab a copy/listen to the record here .

Line-up: Yannis Papadopoulos – Vocals Mate Molnar – Bass Atte Palokangas – Drums Kasperi Heikkinen – Guitars Anton Kabanen – Guitars, vocal

Weblinks: beastinblack.com www.facebook.com/beastinblackofficial

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Interview: Beast In Black’s Anton Kebanen talks post Battle Beast & new album ‘Dark Connection’

by Zenae Zukowski | Oct 28, 2021 | Interviews , Releases | 0 comments

Finnish heavy metallers Beast In Black’s new album, Dark Connection, finally arrives tomorrow (29th) via Nuclear Blast Records (pre-order here ). We caught up with guitarist Anton Kebanen to discuss their overall third full-length effort. 

With three albums out, how have things changed for you post Battle Beast?

I’m happier. Also much busier, haha. But the essential things in my life haven’t changed. I’m still writing songs as inspired as always and that’s the thing I wish to do until the end. I’m lucky that I’ve found guys like Mate, Kasperi, Yannis and Atte to not only be band members but also close friends whom I can trust and together ride this vehicle called Beast In Black toward new visions and achievements.

How would you compare Dark Connection to 2017’s debut, Berserker ?

Definitely heavier but also more disco/synth driven. And from a visual point of view it is more interesting and clear. When you look at the album cover artwork, promo pictures and the music video(s) you can instantly grasp the concept – cyberpunk.

The video for “Moonlight Rendezvous,” plays like a short film. Can you talk more about your experience making the video?

I’m glad you feel that it’s more of a short film than a music video because that’s what we intended. It was an extremely long and difficult process and it would have NEVER been done unless it was for our director-writer Katri Ilona Koppanen. She jumped right into this mad challenge and dedicated herself to this vision way beyond what we could have even dared to imagine. It took almost one and a half years to make it and it all started with writing a fully detailed script based on the song’s story and lyrics. The lyrics themselves are based and inspired by ”Armitage III,” ”Blade Runner” and ”Battle Angel Alita.” Obviously the shooting required significantly more days, locations, money and a bigger crew than an ordinary music video would. But now that it’s finally out there and it seems to be gaining a growing appreciation from our fans and viewers, I believe we can say it was worth doing it.

From kicking off the album with “Blade Runner” to having futuristic CyberPunk themes, can you talk more about the album’s overall concept?

Most common theme on the album is dealing with the connection between humans and humanoid robots. Where does the line go, where does one choose to stand when logic, rules, temptations and deep emotions are in conflict in an unforgiving world. Apart from cyberpunk themes there are three songs about the manga and anime ”Berserk.” Those songs are ”Dark New World,” ”To The Last Drop Of Blood” and ”Broken Survivors.” ”Berserk” will always be an essential part of every BIB album yet to come. Those of you who aren’t familiar with ”Berserk” but are curious, I can warmly recommend you to start by watching the original anime from the 90’s. Then there are a few songs which are kind of hybrids of my personal experiences and cyberpunk feelscapes and dreamscapes.

Can you talk about the songs “Highway to Mars” and “Dark New World?”

”Highway To Mars” is based solely on the aforementioned ”Armitage III.” It’s about a policeman who starts his life anew by taking a one way ticket to already colonized Mars. Upon his arrival he encounters a young woman named Naomi Armitage, who is quite a feisty handful. ”Dark New World” is set in the post Eclipse world of ”Berserk” and takes you inside Guts’ mind. Guts is the protagonist who has sworn to not rest until his unfathomably deep desire for vengeance is fulfilled and the world cleansed from the swarming demon apostles.

What have been some challenges getting  this album together during the pandemic?

Well, actually without the pandemic this album wouldn’t have had the time to be made. That said, the album making challenges are essentially always the same. Recording, editing, mixing, producing… All this just simply takes time and energy, and the more time you spend with something, the more difficult it becomes to let go of it.

Is there anything else you want to say or add about the album?

I hope that it will give our fans an enjoyable, inspiring and lasting listening experience!

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Beast in Black at El Corazon in Seattle, WA

On a rare sunny Seattle spring afternoon, the Dark Connection Tour featuring Beast in Black, Seven Kingdoms, and Striker stormed into the Emerald City.

Kicking things off was Striker , the Edmonton, Canada power metal band led by John Fallon (guitar), Dan Cleary (Vocals), Tim Brown (guitar), Pete Klassen (bass), and Jono Webster (drums). The Juno Award-winning band has eight albums and a new single “Strange Love” from the album Play to Win. Everything about this band from their attire, stage presence, and album art screams an ode to the 80s. Even the cover for their new single seems reminiscent of Patrick Nagel’s art deco design for Duran Duran’s Rio .

Striker, like their album title, not only P lay to Win  but play hard and their fans can’t get enough of it.  In fact, they came out too hard and at one point lead singer Dan Cleary joked about using too much of the smoke machine, waving his hand through the smoke so he could see his bandmates on the small El Corazon stage. Dan Cleary’s impressive vocal range and control were almost operatic and his theatrical hand movements to the lyrics intensified his performance.

Dressed in a leopard print shirt and hair styled in a curly mullet, guitarist Tim Brown showed fans why he is the master shredder. Throwing his instrument over and behind his head while playfully sticking his tongue out at fans. With a point of his finger, he singled out fans to connect.

Bassist Pete Klassen and guitarist John Fallon took turns playing with each other on different sides of the stage, almost in a brotherly show of competition and respect. Jono Webster on drums also sang backup on several songs, which is not as easy as it looks. Combine that with giant head flips and stick twirls that made fans roar. Both fists and horns were eagerly thrown into the air, rhythmically timed to each song along with several mosh pits. It was a well-rounded 30-minute performance that ended with the band taking a group shot with the audience before thanking everyone and saying good night.

Up next was the American pop-metal quartet from Florida, Seven Kingdoms ,  led by power metal partners Sabrina Cruz (vocals), Camden Cruz (guitars), and brothers Kevin Byrd (guitars), and Keith Byrd on drums.

Wearing a hamburger crown on stage, Sabrina Cruz spoke to the crowd about not being so serious. “Life is too short, have fun!” Fans jumped up and down, made hearts with their hands, and at one point almost drowned out Sabrina’s vocals with their own. During one of the slower melodic moments of their performance, the band performed a pretty impressive cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer.”  Cruz and Cruz played lovingly with each other throughout the night. Without knowing the pair were partners you could feel the connection between them. 

The band launched a successful crowdfunding project to fund the release of their fifth full-length album “Zenith” through Kickstarter . The album release date is scheduled for June 17th but the first single from that album “ Universal Terrestrial’ can be heard now . Before leaving the stage, Sabrina thanked the Seattle fans who were told they were the loudest audience so far on the tour.

During the changeover, fans sang along to the house music which contained a variety of tunes from Helloween, Judas Priest, and Van Halen as members of Striker were having a small meet and greet with a few lucky fans at the merch table.  After 20 minutes the lights lowered, the fog machine started up and the crowd screamed as curtains fell to reveal the Beast in Black logo on the stage.

Walking onto the stage first were Anton Kabanen (lead guitar, backing vocals), Kasperi Heikkinen (rhythm guitar), Máté Molnár (bass), and Atte Palokangas (drums).  Wearing a long black industrial fashioned jacket, Yannis Papadopoulos excitedly appeared from behind the stage. They jumped right into the vocals for the first song “Blade Runner” which is also the first track from their latest album Dark Connection which was released in October 2021.

Beast in Black would continue to play more songs from Dark Connection such as “Highway to Mars,” “Hardcore,” “Bella Donna,” “Moonlight Rendezvous,” and “One Night in Tokyo” during their 60-minute set.  The Greek, Finnish, Hungarian heavy metal band based in Helsinki had a commanding stage presence and there was a musical choreography between Anton, Kasperi, and Máté.  Kasperi’s facial expressions and eye gazes during his solo parts were mesmerizing. The very dramatic stylings of his performance sometimes overshadowed others on the stage.

A tender moment came after the fourth song when Yanni spoke to the crowd about the band’s happiness to be finally on tour in Seattle after a very long wait, thanks to pandemic-related touring issues. 

BEAST IN BLACK Website   Facebook   Twitter

SEVEN KINGDOMS Website   Facebook   

STRIKER Website   Facebook   Twitter

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Beast In Black – Dark Connection (Album Review)

Vintage Sci-Fi meets the current decade.

There is having an established formula, there is elevating gimmickry to the level of an art form, and then there are bands that plant their flag on doing both with zero apologies. In the specific realm of merging the high-impact and tuneful variety of heavy and power metal that have been all the rage since the dawn of the current millennium with the seemingly bygone days of 80s synth pop, Anton Kabanen ’s nimble riffs, wild virtuosic guitar solos and hook-driven songwriting has reigned supreme since the beginning of the 2010s. Since vacating his role as mastermind of the female-front purveyors of keyboard-steeped 80s goodness Battle Beast , he’s been locked in an unofficial contest with his former band mates via his current project Beast In Black over who owns the stylistic niche in question. Suffice it to say, some healthy competition can do both sides a world of good, and Anton ’s track record with his current project has now amounted to a brilliant hat trick with the arrival of his 3 rd LP with the younger beast dubbed “Dark Connection.”

Relative to the more hard rocking approach that Battle Beast has adopted since Kabanen ’s departure, this quintet’s approach has largely mirrored the blustery, 80s metal thunder of the former’s 2013 eponymous sophomore LP, albeit with a gravely high-pitched shriek machine in Yannis Papadopoulos who rests somewhere between a younger Rob Halford and a dirtier Ben Sotto ( Heavenly ). This time around the aesthetic has leaned a bit more towards the keyboard-oriented, electronic side of the coin, which proves a fitting shift in direction to coincide with a series of songs dealing with Sci-Fi themes comparable to such 80s staples as Blade Runner and Total Recall. It’s a subtle shift when dealing solely with the musical contents of the album and discounting the visual of a scantily clad red-headed cyborg woman with a network of computer transistors in the background, but it is a noticeable one that results in a handful of songs leaning in a more atmospheric and less impact-based direction, naturally for the purposes of serving the more elaborate lyrical content.

Perhaps the only thing more indicative of this project’s peculiar synchronous relationship between 80s pop and heavy metal music than the original studio material is their auspicious assimilation of disparate cover songs into their niche. This time around, the sword-wielding heroism and metal traditionalism of Manowar ’s seminal classic “Battle Hymn” and the 90s avant-garde R&B ode to discontent courtesy of the King of Pop “They Don’t Care About Us” are given the Beast In Black treatment, the former receiving a smoother yet no less epic makeover, while the latter is refined into a grandiose metallic march that reflects the militant protesting character of the lyrics even better than the original, though Yannis ’ apt imitation of Michael Jackson ’s signature falsetto ad-lib parts gives it a light-hearted twist. Chalk them up as two massive cherries on top of a very tasty sundae that could alone coax all that are curious to given this band a look, but ultimately point the way to another crackerjack performance from one of heavy metal’s more flamboyant adherents

Released By: Nuclear Blast Records Release Date: October 29th, 2021 Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal / Arena Rock

Band Members:

• Anton Kabanen / Guitars, backing vocals, keyboards
• Yannis Papadopoulos / Lead vocals
• Kasperi Heikkinen / Guitars
• Máté Molnár / Bass
• Atte Palokangas / Drums

“ Dark Connection ” track-list:

1. Blade Runner 2. Bella Donna 3. Highway To Mars 4. Hardcore 5. One Night In Tokyo 6. Moonlight Rendezvous 7. Revengeance Machine 8. Dark New World 9. To The Last Drop Of Blood 10. Broken Survivors 11. My Dystopia 12. Battle Hymn ( MANOWAR Cover) 13. They Don’t Care About Us ( MICHAEL JACKSON Cover)

“ Dark Connection ” is available as:

• Digital album
• Black Vinyl
• Clear/Sky Blue Marbled Vinyl [limited to 300 pieces]
• Blue Transparent Vinyl [UK exclusive, limited to 300 pieces]
• Red/Ocean Blue Splattered Vinyl [Bravado Exclusive, limited to 300 pieces]
• White/Red Inkspot Vinyl [EMP exclusive, limited to 300 pieces]
• Purple/Silver Inkspot Vinyl [US exclusive, limited to 300 pieces]

Having been at the forefront of bringing the worlds of melodic metal and 80s post-disco/synth pop together for the past decade, former Battle Beast guitarist and mastermind Anton Kabanen, and his current fold of veteran metal warriors, usher in their latest studio venture in effortless fashion, proving that what is old can indeed become new

• Songwriting 9
• Musicianship 9
• Originality 8.5
• Production 9

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Average setlist for tour: Dark Connection Tour 2022

Note: only considered 65 of 77 setlists (ignored empty and strikingly short setlists)

• Blade Runner Play Video
• From Hell With Love Play Video
• Beast in Black Play Video
• Born Again Play Video
• Moonlight Rendezvous Play Video
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• Sweet True Lies Play Video
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