LIVE: KAMELOT wsg SONATA ARCTICA and BATTLE BEAST – September 19, 2019

Venue: Harpos Concert Theatre

City: Detroit, MI

Date: September 19, 2019

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

Kamelot scheduled a stop in Detroit, landing at Harpos Concert Theatre on a Thursday night.  This tour saw Battle Beast and Sonata Arctica opening the show.  As a fan of Battle Beast, I looked forward to their set, which was a tight representation of the band’s sound and energy.  The songs chosen were delivered to the audience with precision and power.  Song after song, you could see the crowd getting more into the set and the band was winning over fans from the other bands on the bill.  Armed with new material – 2019’s No More Hollywood Endings – the band hit the crowd with 8 tracks, with half of them coming from the latest disc.  The other four tracks were from the band’s 2017 release Bringer Of Pain.  The blend of track was great and allowed the band to showcase their talents as individuals, but also show how cohesive a unit they are in a live situation.  The songs were strong, thanks to the twin guitar attack and Noora Louhimo’s vocals, while the set seemed to fly by due to Noora’s control of the show’s flow, and her banter with the crowd.  Next up was Sonata Arctica, which admittedly I knew nothing about going into this show, but the venue was full of fans who knew exactly who they are and were ready to rock with them.  These guys rolled into town also promoting a new album that dropped earlier this month – Talviyö.  Like the opening band, they featured half of their set from the new tracks, and they all seemed very well received by the crowd.  With a stage full of band members, it was cool to hear the layering of the musical tracks underneath the vocals.  The band ripped through song after song giving the audience what they came for – a set of songs that were familiar, but not overdone.  Lead singer Tony Kakko took the reins early and led the bands charge through new tracks like set opener “A Little Less Understanding” and “Cold.”  The band seemed to save the best for last, as they tossed out a one-two punch of “FullMoon” and “Life” that had the audience cranked up to max from first note to last.

Still touring to promote the 2018 release The Shadow Theory, headliners Kamelot came out firing on all cylinders as they kicked of their set with “Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)” from the 2018 disc, which also featured Lauren Hart of female vocals.  She would join the band on several tracks throughout the show, but the searing leads from Thomas Youngblood, the pounding bass lines from Sean Tibbetts, and the soaring vocals of Tommy Karevik were the real stars of the show.  Not to be dismissed were the keyboard talents of Oliver Palotai and new drummer Alex Landenburg.  The band would feature two more songs from that same release with “Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)” and “Burns to Embrace” also making an appearance in the set.  Digging into slightly older material from 2015’s Haven, the band played four tracks, including the disc’s first three singles “Veil of Elysium” which also featured Hart on vocals, “Insomnia,” and “Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)” also with Hart on vocals.  The band dug as far back as the 2001 release Karma, playing the title track.  A couple of the older tracks originally recorded with a different singer came of perfectly vocally, as Karevik nailed “Rule the World” and “March of Mephisto.”  The audience ate up every song played and sang along with the band while they raised fists and banged heads at the opportune moments throughout the bands set.  A highlight for fans of the night’s opener saw Noora Louhimo join the band for a great rendition of “Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)” near the end of the set.  The band closed out the night with the powerful combination of “March of Mephisto” and the previously mentioned “Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy).”  Be sure to check this tour out when it rolls through your town – it is a great night of symphonic-styled power metal.

Kamelot Setlist: Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire) – Rule the World – Insomnia – When the Lights Are Down – Vespertine (My Crimson Bride) – Veil of Elysium – Karma – End of Innocence – Center of the Universe – Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife) – Burns to Embrace – Forever – March of Mephisto – Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)

Sonata Arctica Setlist: A Little Less Understanding – Closer to an Animal – Cold – Storm the Armada – X Marks the Spot – Who Failed the Most – FullMoon – Life

Battle Beast Setlist: Unbroken – Straight to the Heart – The Hero – Eden – No More Hollywood Endings – Bastard Son of Odin – King for a Day – Beyond the Burning Skies

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Complete set of KAMELOT show photos HERE

KAMELOT LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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Complete set of SONATA ARCTICA show photos HERE

SONATA ARCTICA LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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Complete set of BATTLE BEAST show photos HERE

BATTLE BEAST LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries