LIVE REVIEW: Battle Beast @ Club Academy, Manchester

BATTLE BEAST made their return to the UK as part of their European crusade, with the Finnish group enthralling a packed house at Manchester’s Club Academy. The group last ventured onto British soil two years ago, gracing Manchester once again at Ruby Lounge alongside MAJESTY. This time around they brought with them one of the newest supergroups CYHRA as support, and the metal mass were in for a treat.

Perhaps one of the smaller venues in one of the biggest metal hubs in the UK, that didn’t stop a huge turnout on a cold night and there was plenty of excitement and anticipation even before the doors were opened. Club Academy is certainly an intimate setting, the low stage giving that sense of involvement between band and audience, which both acts executed perfectly throughout their sets.

The floor was packed as the lights dimmed, and CYHRA entered the stage led by drummer Alex Landenburg with the echoes of Blood Brothers in the background, and the band went straight into one of their bigger hits Letter To Myself. The crowd erupted as Jake E emerged, and his vocals delivered the raw emotion from the track. It didn’t take long to get the crowd moving, with everyone on the floor with their hands in the air and Jake’s energy reflecting back. The setlist had the perfect balance of the new material from their latest record No Halos In Hell and Letters To Myself, and the acoustics of the Club Academy gave the sound an extra edge. Jake displayed all the qualities of an excellent frontman, interacting well with his band mates and the crowd. As more and more people entered the venue, the energy kept on building throughout their set, and to finish with one of their newest singles Out Of My Life left the audience wanting more. CYHRA were definitely the perfect warm up act before BATTLE BEAST, and after their set they shown glimpses of what fans can expect, and would certainly hold their own as a headline act.

Rating: 9/10

If the crowd were electric for CYHRA, things were about to go up another gear. BATTLE BEAST have been enjoying a growing reputation, and the reception for them within the opening seconds of their appearance on stage was astounding. Noora Louhimo definitely made an appearance with her unique attire, as the group opened with material off the new record in Unbroken. It was a perfect song to showcase Noora’s vocal talents, with the riffs crushing and the crowd bouncing, and everything coming together perfectly to open what was bound to be an epic night.

While some bands experiment with their setlist, playing some more obscure songs or in a different style to add a bit of spice, BATTLE BEAST delivered a playlist of arguably their greatest hits to date. Familiar Hell kept the momentum going from the opening number, with the audience singing back every lyric. Noora and the other members were quick to declare their appreciation and love for the collective, dedicating Straight To The Heart to Manchester, which got the crowd even more on board.

The setlist had something for everyone, new fans who had recently picked up the latest record, as well as tracks for more of the die hard BATTLE BEAST enthusiasts, the balance working incredibly well. There was plenty of crowd interaction with Noora pointing her microphone to the audience numerous times throughout each song, and one song that really was a highlight has to be Bastard Son of Odin, which got the venue shaking to its foundations.
A lot of bands always express their love for a venue or city no matter where they tour, but it was clear that BATTLE BEAST’s declaration to Manchester came from the heart, and the band claiming that the city had the best crowd of the tour to date.

Club Academy may not have been a sold-out venue, but the amount of people turning up to see BATTLE BEAST shows how much they have grown over the last few years, and they can without doubt fill some of the bigger outlets in the city. For the time being though, they rocked Manchester to the core and gave a performance you just didn’t want to end.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Jacob Kazara here: