BEYOND THE BLACK / AMARANTHE
THE FORUM, LONDON
Symphonic titans team up and go for broke
WITHIN THE DARKLY opulent trappings of London’s Forum, a metal spectacle is unfolding – a warming antidote to this autumnal eve. Tonight’s show is a dual header between German symphonic metallers Beyond The Black and Sweden’s finest purveyors of synth-pop-infused melodic metal, Amaranthe. Bring on the drama.
The first thing that’s apparent about
BEYOND THE BLACK as they launch into the anguished Is There Anybody Out There?, is that singer Jennifer Haben loves theatricality. Between blink-andyou-miss-it outfit changes, the powerhouse vocalist adds a visual element to the show with a slew of props, from masks and horned headpieces to strobing fluorescent tubes that she wields like a wizard’s staff. It might seem like they’re overcompensating, but songs like Human and the folkmetal-tinged Reincarnation are so compelling that they really don’t need all the frills. It’s a clever, high-octane set of their most rousing tracks, but their greatest strength as a live act is by far their ability to sweep a crowd off their feet, as they demonstrate during the never-before-played new track, Dancing In The Dark. The lack of reliance on a keyboard/synth player onstage gives them a warmer, more organic sound that’s sometimes missing in this genre and makes for a simply brilliant melodic metal show, that leaves everyone utterly charmed.
Continuing in the same high-energy vein are AMARANTHE, who take an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to their music. Maximalism isn’t just the name of an album, it’s their entire philosophy. While they’ve undeniably got some irresistibly catchy songs, like Hunger, under their belt, it often feels like Amaranthe aren’t quite sure what sort of act they are. Crowding the front of the stage is the current rag-tag trio of vocalists – Elize Ryd on sound-barrier-piercing whistle-tone, Nils Molin on Fabio Lione-esque wails and unbuttoned shirts, and former Sonic Syndicate vocalist Richard Sjunnesson on growls. They tear through the setlist with choreographed precision, all smiles, and the uberglossiness of it all creates a disconnect that makes the band seem like the Abba Voyage holograms. Paired with their heavy use of backing tracks and little interaction with the fans, tonight they’re rather cold, and ultimately overshadowed by their co-headliners. CATHERINE MORRIS