Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
With warmer weather ever more a faded memory British Summer Time nudges ever closer to reverting back to good old Greenwich Mean Time we kick off our personal autumn gig calendar with an absolute blinder at Bristol’s O2 Academy.
Scandinavian power metallers Battle Beast are just six dates into an expansive European tour spanning across the next two months. Having just unleashed their seventh studio album ‘Steelbound’ a week prior and celebrated its release day with their largest, to date, German headline date at Hamburg’s Inselpark Arena this is an outfit who mean serious top-gear business.
The six-piece Finnish outfit, who last time around in Bristol sold out the Marble Factory following an upgrade from the Fleece, have brought the weighty talents of Dominum and Majestica with them. Swedes, Germans, and the aforementioned Finns all vying for the accolade of the crowd. Continental Europeans ‘do’ power metal, and all its related sub-genres, with a few exceptions like Dragonforce and Gloryhammer, much better than us Brits. Nobody herein is making up the numbers, and this promises to be an evening right from the very top drawer.
Getting the night express powering out of the platform are Swedish quartet Majestica. The brainchild of the renown multi-instrumentalist Tommy Johansson the former Sabaton guitarist has recently returned to his roots to rekindle this band he founded over two decades ago under the moniker ReinXeed. The four-piece make the very most of the cramped stage and short set cramming in all the trademark meaty riffs and technical wizardry you’d expect but a few twists and turns along the way.
Piercing white spots flash in the darkness as drummer Joel Kolberg, first to his station, rallies his colleagues stagewards with a thumping most regal. With a pulsating intro that sears vividly ‘Power Train’, the title track of their February release, gets their half hour underway in top gear reminiscent of ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’-era Helloween. Wielding the hammers of Odin and Thor the set-opener is despatched in emphatic fashion. With the backing of a hugely 80s AOR themed keyed segment Johansson promises to take us “back to 1985.” With the bright and breezy ‘Night Call Girl’ the Swedish quadrumvirate succeed in every sense as they sail the seas navigated by fellow countrymen The Night Flight Orchestra.
Continuing to pluck the big guns from 2019’s ‘Above The Sky’ Majestica are steady in ploughing a most royal furrow with ‘Rising Tide’. Gloryhammer would revel in this joyous romp in which dues are also paid to such ilk as Sabaton and Visions of Atlantis. Rammed to the gills with sing-along choruses and anthemic stirrings ‘No Pain, No Gain’ bounces along cheerily and wouldn’t be out of place in a Dynazty set. With a meaty rumble of Chris David’s bass strings the power metal canter of ‘Above the Sky’ flashes skywards.
It all seems effortless with twin lead guitaring that Malmsteen would be rightfully proud of before we served a final swerve ball with the Celtic fusion of ‘Metal United’. The 2021 single-only release is soaked in salutes to the legacy of Gary Moore – it all makes sense as Johannson is a self-confessed admirer of Moore after all – the O2 crowd bounce along spiritedly to the track dedicated, by Johansson, to “all the hard-working guys who give us geeks the chance to pretend to be rock stars!”
Outro-ing to the instrumental segment of ‘Alliance Forever’ I draw the safest of conclusions that there is no pretending to be witnessed within and that Majestica are worthy of much more success. Far removed from being a one-trick flat-track pony this is a serious contender for the next ‘big thing’ to emerge from their native Sweden.
Since first seeing the next band in the wee hours at last year’s Rockharz Festival in their native Germany and then witnessing them sweep an in-form Gloryhammer off the stage across the city at, what was until just recently, SWX early in the year we’ve become firm fans of Dominum. Rattling their chains these Bavarians, in spite of us knowing precisely how high their quality is, still managed to pleasantly surprise us with a 45-minute extravaganza that exhibited further growth and realisation of their immense potential. Led by the indomitable Dr. Dead possess an unerring knack of taking the familiar and distorting it so much that the resultant outpouring is undeniably their very own.
Dishing up a ghoulish delight of undead horror Dead and his ‘Chosen Ones’ provide a delectable ‘bump in the night’ replete with a huge slab of Hammer Horror. Fifteen minutes prior to the hour of eight the venue darkens menacingly and heavy thunder rolls, a taunting of the mystics. Spiky Halloween infused classics roll into an orchestral leaning of ‘Danger Danger’. Dead’s Zombie creations – a fantasy or some kind of insanity depending on your perspective – are hungry for more. Assembling they take Bristol brusquely by the hand for the freneticism of ‘Danger Danger’.
Blood is boiling, world destroying, as Dr. Dead imperiously strides forth. A massively compelling presence he controls the proceedings right from the off. “Bristol you know why we’re here!” he sagely notes. Within the first minutes it’s apparent that this horror-oozing delivery has been cranked right up into a wondrously theatrical experience. This is a band who are right at the forefront of a coming explosion of German metal. Collaborating with the likes of Feuerschwanz, Subway to Sally, Orden Ogen and Warkings they’re right at the forthcoming epicentre.
With hands waving side to side throughout ‘Killed By Life’ lurches with zombie grace from folky overtones to symphonic grandeur via applying a wringer to a nod towards a well-known sci-fi theme tune. The heavy ‘lullaby’ that is the utterly wondrous ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ tears the ether asunder, the O2 ensemble are right onside. With more than a scattering of band merch throughout the Thursday night gathering Dominum have no concerns, here is a growing fanbase that worship at the metalliferous altar.
There’s absolutely no danger of the crowd opting for soft jazz zombies when offered the option of heavy metal ones. With an earthquaking ubiquity ‘Frankenstein’ charts the “biggest fuck up of mankind” according to the good doctor. Applying ecclesiastical touches of Powerwolf and Ghost the path leads to damnation in the cathedral-charms of ‘We Are Forlorn’. It’s immensely contagious by design and academy are willingly put under the spell of Dead and his metal zombies.
We are one unified with this massively compelling four-piece as a spontaneous ‘Dominum’ chant sparks inducing Dead to note “Sounds like a good soundtrack!” before urging Bristol ‘Don’t Get Bitten By The Wrong Ones’. This is metal right out of the haunted chantry as blood runs in rivulets. A conflagrant cover of Scorpions’ classic ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’ ignites an uncontrollable wildfire that burns until the final notes of the set ring out.
We’re steered back to debut album ‘Hey Living People’ for the final three songs. Clever lyrics take us on the pathway to Eden in the jaunty power metal of ‘We All Taste The Same’ that delivers a worthy message of equality whatever the race. “Would you like fries with that torso?” enquires Dead, trapped in the food chain the reply is just one step away.
Growling and snarling with a good degree of gnashing of teeth ‘The Chosen Ones’ gets the enthused O2 gathering bouncing along prior to the roof being lifted by the Immortal Lord and his burgeoning experimentations in the set-closing splendour of ‘Immortalis Dominum’. A punchy heavyweight chorus redolent of Those Damn Crows and a resounding produces a massive reception that leaves Dead shaking his head smiling in visible disbelief at the scale of it all. Dominum have, once more, triumphed. We can’t wait for their third album due next year and to be premiered at Rockharz Festival.
Lightning flashes as the tempest rages above the battlefield hastening the arrival of the six components that comprise the ranks of Battle Beast. Drummer, and co-founder Pyri Vikki stands behind his kit and with a crash of cymbals and a pulsing of the bass drum he heralds the arrival of bassist Eero Sipilä, keytar-wielding Janne Björkroth and twin axemen Juuso Soinio and Joona Björkroth. They tear into the opening manoeuvres of the behemothic banshee strike of ‘Straight To The Heart’ craned in from 2017’s ‘Bringer of Pain’ long-player.
If Judas Priest and ABBA had a romantic interlude then this would be the resultant offspring for sure, striking vocalist Noorah Louhimo slays with a power I’ve never witnessed on such levels. Bringing a Joplin-esque rasp with more than edge of Heart’s Ann Wilson the vocalist possesses a mighty goddess strength with a control to match. Playing such a strong opening card, one that melds Amaranthe with Within Temptation, one could be forgiven for wondering how it could be followed. No such worries as Janne’s shimmering keys truck along into the operatically infused tones of regal headbanger ‘Master of Illusion’.
Absorbing the passionate cheers Noorah muses “It feels like home again” whilst Eero shapes a heart with his hands and Juuso, smiling broadly, greets the O2 with outstretched arms. We’re just a couple of songs in and Battle Beast are being received as returning victors. The open highway stretches out far afront as ‘Last Goodbye’, the first of several incursions into latest album ‘Steelbound’, registers on the Richter Scale. Noorah’s flicks the switch in the vocal department with such ease and control, hugely reminiscent of Rob Halford in his prime.
Forging ahead with further inspection of ‘Steelbound’ the heavied-up Vixen-drenched anthem ‘Here We Are’ demonstrates that this is an outfit unafraid of straying from their genre and paying respectful homage to what has preceded them. Keys helter skelter across the venue in the Sabaton / Visions of Atlantis alloy of ‘No More Hollywood Endings’. Segueing seamlessly into the symphonic glory of ‘Eye of the Storm’. Long hair blowing in the breeze Joona despatches a fret-burning solo catching both the eye and ear.
Battle Beast have fully engaged top gear and roll right into the achingly ethereal triumph of ‘Blood of Heroes’. Listen carefully there’s a touch of Magnum’s pomp amidst the Sabaton power metal strains. The O2 is afire as flashpoint is exceeded. A breather is taken as jovial bassist Eero enquires as to whether Bristol wants to get romantic for a few minutes. Indulging in a spot of Disney-metal the crowd sings lustily with Eero’s version of ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’. A sea of phone lights befittingly greets the moment.
Into the second half of the set matters are cranked back up with the symphonic / power metal avalanche of ‘Where Angels Fear to Fly’. A rousing battle-cry that emits ultra-high levels of contagion. The Scandic heavy metal eagle soars gracefully in the coruscant ‘Watch the Sky Fall’ afore we’re taken in an unexpected direction with the salsa-metal overtures of ‘Twilight Cabaret’. Summery and glittering the Latin American vibes results in a large degree of shimmering within the venue. Metal salsa is truly a thing, disbelieve at your own peril.
From sun-kissed beaches to the rugged fjords and peaks in an instant we’re transported with the stampeding Scandinavian tones of ‘Bastard Son of Odin’. Vikings run amok in this romp that worships alongside Feuerschwanz and Powerwolf. Late 80s AOR and Hair Metal entwine graciously in the arena-ready power ballad ‘Angel of Midnight’; a future classic in-waiting if for sure with its luxuriant embrace.
Title track ‘Steelbound’ flexes its muscular physique, a bonafide fist-pumping V8 anthem that applies the gentle caress of the thunder cloud with an unspoken strength. The utter powerage of the crusher of skulls ‘Eden’ sweeps all before bringing the main body of the set to raucous crescendo.
Naturally, there’s more; more glitter, more punch and time for a swift change of outfit with the encore commencing with the instrumentation of ‘The Long Road courtesy of Juuso and Janne. With a military rat-a-tat BB morph into the march of the gods with the high voltage ‘King for a Day’. Its exuberant harem scarem is detonative and is structurally destructive. The neo-operatic / classical underpinning of the shimmering beauty of ‘Wings of Light’ employs a symphonic choler that ensures Bristol is well and truly sucked into Battle Beast’s royal whirlpool for one last time.
Battle Beast have ended the night atop the pinnacle keeping their tour-mates at a respectful arm’s length with a show-stopping performance that sets them firmly apart from their peers. With multi-influences shining through and gainfully employed Battle Beast are like no other inhabiting a plane all of their own. And guess what? They’re so much better for this! Hats off to Stonedead Festival with their announcement of Battle Beast for their sold-out 2026 edition, they’ve pulled off a masterstroke in my humblest of opinions.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
