It’s a good feeling to be in London for a show and just out of nowhere to discover that another show is scheduled for the previous day in a small club thus giving you the chance to grab a couple of beers and most importantly to have a good time.
The even better feeling is when this show proves to be such an awesome live experience that you find yourself chasing the band’s discography the very next day! But let’s start from the beginning…
The Bordeline Club is located in the heart of the Soho area in London. It may not be the Wembley Arena (as it approximately holds up to 200 people) but it’s surely a cool venue. After we passed the scrutinous checking control (after the Paris bloody tragedy, it was to be rightfully expected), we found our way to the club that was satisfyingly full. The Canadian band of The Order Of Chaos had just hit the stage and its speed/power style accompanied by the brutal meets melodic (!) vocals of Amanda Kiernan (kinda in the vein of Angela Gossow) won over the crowd and was actually a very good warm-up act.
Up next were the Germans traditional metallers Alpha Tiger that already have three studio albums under their belt. The one thing that was striking evident was the overall professional performance; a fact that surely didn’t go unnoticed despite the young age of Alpha Tiger’s members. As a matter of fact, the singer barely was legitimate for a drinking age. Many kudos to the bassist for wearing the awesome Helstar t’shirt.
A few hours before Battle Beast’s show, we had the pleasure of talking with Noora Louhimo at the adjacent Crobar club and we instantly noticed that this band is hungry for success and worldwide recognition. And truth be told here, they have every rightful claim for it. Their 90-minute set at the Bordeline was absolutely stomping and took everyone by storm (and for this writer, by surprise)! I am pretty certain that all the London fans who were lucky enough to be there had the time of their lives and will remember for many months (or even years) the Battle Beast live experience. Personally, I didn’t expect such a well-rehearsed performance enriched with a flawless staging and a magnificent orchestrated show. Everything was tirelessly worked even to the slightest detail. From the opening number “Far Far Away” up to the closing track “Out Of Control”, Battle Beast’s show was really a (battle) call to arms.
I must say that they won many fans that night and the recent departure of guitarist/main composer Anton Kabanen gave them more freedom and that was evident on stage. The absolute highlights were “Out On The Streets”, “Black Ninja”, “Into The Heart of Danger” and the ultimate dance metal (!) superhit “Touch in the Night”. Noora’s voice (quite reminiscent of Wendy O’ Williams and Lee Aaron) and Juuso Soinio’s excellent sense of humor added stood out.
In an ideal world, Battle Beast would become really famous and successful…and I am talking really soon. They deserve it!
Sakis Nikas
*All photos take from the bands’ Facebook pages
