Live report BEYOND THE BLACK, AMARANTHE, BUTCHER BABIES & AD INFINITUM, Zeltphilharmonie, Hamburg – November 5th, 2022

Once you get through the Elbtunnel in Hamburg without a traffic jam and then you wait in line in front of the parking lot of the Zeltphilharmonie. The latter is a new location in Hamburg, located in the middle of the harbor area. It is the Cruise Center Steinwerder, on whose large site a tent has been installed, which premiers today and is home to the show of four female-fronted bands. After the car was finally parked on the parking lot, the way to the venue offered the rare sight of the departing cruise ship Aida, an experience one doesn’t have that often when going to a show.

But now enough from harbor romance and back to music. The described traffic jam in front of the parking lot leads to the fact that I unfortunately miss Ad Infinitum and I guess that many of the fans make the same experience tonight.

When I enter the hall, Butcher Babies just started with a brilliant show. With their energetic performance, the Californians spread a lot of good vibes and succeed in no time to put the hall into a state of euphoria. The band starts their set with ‘Korova’ and especially the two singers, Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, put their agile touch to the show. And when Shepherd jumps into the pit to let the fans in the front row shout into the microphone, the spell is broken. You rarely see so much proximity to the fans, especially after Pandemic. Butcher Babies have a total of nine songs in the starting box today and definitely fire up fans present.

Amaranthe, who are co-headliners of this tour together with Beyond The Black, benefit from this. The Swedes put a sparkling set on stage. With three singers, Amaranthe has all possibilities at hand to play a versatile show. The trio of singers is very well attuned to each other, just like the whole band is. Professionally and in breathtaking speed the Swedes surf through a 16 song setlist and are cheered by the audience. It’s ‘Fearless’ from the ‘Manifest’ album, a song that is the starting point for loud clapping along; a wave of euphoria that even reaches the back of the hall.

Furthermore, during ‘Crystaline’ the cell phones are pulled out for filming, while ‘Amaranthine’ demanded an activated flashlight function of the cell phone. With three encores Amaranthe are not sparing with music and during ‘That Song’ even a few Queen moments are woven in. What must not be missing is a screaming competition according to the motto: Munich was really loud and we want to see if Hamburg being even louder. After about 60 minutes it’s over and the fans have deserved a refreshment. In its entirety, the performance of the Swedes is a highlight where fans certainly get their money’s worth.

Last but not least, home game for Beyond The Black, at least as far as the country is concerned. The band, with roots in Saarland, starts with a new song called ‘Is There Anybody Out There?’ and singer Jennifer Haben appears with her two shining LED pole as visual elements. The exact meaningfulness has not quite opened up to me, however, it is rather the songs and the music which are crucial. The opener and three other songs are new and will be on the upcoming album, simply called ‘Beyond The Black’. All four songs sound very promising and one can be excited about the new record.

The mentioned LED stick is used again during the catchy ‘Winter is Coming’, while Jennifer Haber is hitting the drum herself while performing ‘Dancing in the Dark’.

A special moment tonight is when Amaranthe singer Elize Ryd appears on stage for ‘Wounded Healer’ and it’s impressive how well the voices harmonize for the duet. An dearly hug at the end of the song also shows mutual respect.

During ‘ Heaven in Hell’ it gets really metallic and there are strong riffs that dominate. In addition, the mood in the venue rises noticeably. If it was the first rows, which initially went along with the band, the wave of enthusiasm rolls in the second half of the show also towards the back rows.

I had the opportunity to see Beyond The Black on one of their first tours. It was 2015 and the band opened for Queensrÿche and Armored Saint. A lot has happened between then and now. Today one experiences a band that has evolved a lot and delivers a very professional show, maybe even a little too professional.