Powermetal party: Amaranthe and Dragonforce in soldout 013

Although the festival season is still a ways off, we can already enjoy the first album releases and metal shows of the year. For power metal fans, February 25th was a double celebration: Amaranthe and Dragonforce joined forces for a joint headlining tour, which took place in a sold-out 013.

The evening kicked off with Moldovan band Infected Rain, delivering a blazing show that set the tone for the rest of the night. Since their debut at a Slayer concert in 2008, they’ve shared the stage with names like Mötley Crüe and Dimmu Borgir and released several albums, including Time, which was released in February. This performance provided the perfect opportunity to showcase their new music.

They played a total of five new songs, starting with PANDEMONIUM. Due to the early timing of the performance, it took a while for the audience to really get into it, despite the impressive light show and smoke effects. This was noted halfway through the performance by singer Catarag, who then managed to get the crowd moving with Fighter, encouraging fans to swing along with clenched fists. Subsequently, when the call for a massive circle pit came during BECAUSE I LET YOU, all hell broke loose; a pit erupted with moshing, dancing, and even some people participating in the Macarena. After each song, all lost shoes and phones were collected. However, anyone thinking that peace had returned was mistaken; with each new song, the mayhem erupted all over again.

Infected Rain’s electronic metal meshes perfectly with the energetic tunes of Amaranthe and Dragonforce, yet the dark atmosphere in their music creates a truly unique sound. A downside lies in parts where Cataraga switches from screams to singing, which sometimes involves heavy effects. This is especially noticeable in In the Realm of Chaos. Although she’s clearly a fantastic vocalist, these effects are too exaggerated and don’t do her voice justice. Additionally, drummer Voluta, tucked away in the right corner of the stage, stands out quite oddly in terms of style. While Cataraga and Ojog immediately grab attention with their fantastic dreads and bassist Alice Lane dresses entirely in style, Voluta could easily blend into the crowd. While clothing doesn’t usually play such a big role, this contrast was really striking. However, these are very minor points of criticism because Infected Rain succeeds in warming up and energizing the audience perfectly for the rest of the night with their dynamic and captivating performance.

Next up was the Swedish band Amaranthe with their blend of melodic death and power metal. The last time I saw them was in 2022 during their co-headline tour with Beyond the Black. Just before that performance, some band members had been ill, and this was one of the first shows they played again. However, they hadn’t fully recovered yet; singer Elize Ryd was frequently out of breath, guitarist Olof Mörck often missed his solos, and the entire performance was quite messy. Additionally, there was a temporary vocalist for the screams, who in my opinion didn’t fit that well with the band. Therefore this performance is a new attempt for the band to show what they’re made of and obviously to present their new music to their eager fans!

As it happens, Amaranthe has just released a new album as well: The Catalyst. The stage is accordingly dressed for it, with some props and a banner featuring the album cover in the background. After a brief introductory text ending with “I am the catalyst,” the performance kicks off with Fearless, a song from their previous album, Manifest. The three vocalists enter the stage one by one as their part of the song begins, each greeted with loud cheers from the audience. This is the first time we see new vocalist Mikael Sehlin (formerly lead singer of Engel, Degradead, and Paralydiu) performing with the band, and he’s clearly excited! His infectious energy and interaction with singer Nils Molin add a fresh dynamic to the performance. His screams also match up fairly well with those of Wilhelmsson, who left the band in 2022. This transition feels quite natural, and it’s clear that Amaranthe has found a worthy successor.

After the first three songs, all from previous albums, we finally hear the first song from The Catalyst: Damnation Flame. Unfortunately, only three new songs are played throughout the performance, and I missed the pre-released singles Insatiable and Outer Dimensions. We mostly hear songs from Manifest, which fortunately is a fantastic album and therefore makes up for the lack of new material. However, when a tour is focused on promoting a new album, including a stage fully styled for it, I believe the band should showcase more new music!

After a lot of explosive, energetic songs, the band decides to take a step back with Amaranthine. This is preceded by an acoustic intro, with Olof Mörck temporarily putting down his guitar and taking place behind the keys. Before starting the song he begins, to loud cheers from the audience, with a small piece of music from Lord of the Rings, smoothly transitioning into the familiar melody of Amaranthine. Then Elize Ryd finally steps onto the stage to sing the first verse and chorus, accompanied only by Mörck’s piano. However, this calm moment is short-lived, as after the first chorus, Mörck switches back to guitar, and Molin starts the second verse. This quiet interlude offers a welcome change amidst all the power metal mayhem!

The concert ends with another spoken piece of text, followed by the hits Archangel, That Song mixed with We Will Rock You (a surprisingly good combination), and their biggest hit, Drop Dead Cynical. With this performance, Amaranthe has certainly shown that they’re also a fantastic live band, with a repertoire that’s now quite extensive and clearly well-received by the fans, who sing along enthusiastically. In my opinion, they’ve definitely made up for their previous performance at Tivoli!

The evening concludes with the energetic power metal of English band Dragonforce. They’re the only band of the night where we have to wait a bit longer for new music: their album Warp Speed Warriors is set to release in March. However, that doesn’t dampen the excitement; even before the performance begins, it’s clear that Dragonforce is determined to make it an explosive show. Two enormous arcade machines appear on stage, and screens are set up promoting the new album.

With various smoke and light effects, confetti, and of course, loud cheers from the audience, the performance starts with Revolution Deathsquad. It’s immediately clear that the arcades aren’t just for show; each band member takes their place on one, making them visible even from the back of the venue. Dragonforce is known for their slightly longer songs, and the opener is no exception. However, there’s so much going on that the performance never gets boring; game footage is displayed on the arcades, the band members wear glowing neon glasses, various projections appear on the screens, and there’s plenty of interaction among them. The guitar solo is shared by guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman, both taking turns in the spotlight. They even play each other’s guitars for a bit, clearly having a lot of fun with this themselves.

Although the audience doesn’t really need further hyping, singer Hudson encourages everyone to sing along with the next song. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult; they only need to remember two words: Cry Thunder. This is enthusiastically followed by massive singing and jumping, followed by the first song from their new album: the pre-released single Power of the Triforce. This turns out to be based on Zelda game A Link to the Past. However, according to Hudson, they can’t play a Zelda song without a big chicken plushie, which promptly appears on stage and has to make its way around the entire venue. Passing the chicken around proves to be a fun addition to the show, and it even manages to reach the balcony, much to the delight of the audience!

Two power metal covers of well-known pop songs are also heard tonight: both Wildest Dreams, originally by Taylor Swift, and the famous My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. For these songs, the stage is even further decorated; this time with two gigantic dragon heads. In between, Hudson reminisces about their performance at Tivoli in 2020, where the audience enthusiastically called for “pants on your head.” Hudson, now familiar with the chant, happily joins in chanting in Dutch with the audience. He jokingly says they won’t continue until there are volunteers willing to actually put their pants on their heads, to which some willingly comply.

Of course, it’s not a Dragonforce performance without their biggest hit Through the Fire and the Flames; a fantastic end to an evening filled with energetic power metal. It’s clear that the band members themselves are also having a lot of fun, and they thank 013 for this first sold-out show of the tour. Their enthusiasm is incredibly infectious, and even if you never listen to Dragonforce’s music, their concert is definitely a must-see; truly a party to attend!