Art and culture are on the rise in the city of Detroit because every corner of this metropolis has some exceptional humanities movement happening. Mexicantown is no exception. El Club is a cozy-sized music venue that rests in the Southwest corner of the city. This spot has made its mark by being known to graciously  host an assortment of acts from all genres. Last Monday the venue welcomed Finland’s Power Metal act, Beast in Black. This was the last stop on this band’s headlining tour, so they came ready to party. 

Unfortunately, their supporting act was unable to perform so the night began and ended with the headliners. A hubbub rose in the shrimp-sized hall as it quickly swelled up with excited Power Metal fans. The pleasantly filled room revealed the resurgence of the genre and how its popularity is beginning to soar once again. The fact that this band made their first album just a few short years ago and that they are already headlining in other countries spoke strongly to this testament. The evening began with the band booming onto stage with an animated enthusiasm and warm fervor. Bass player Máté Moinar and guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen greeted the ecstatic crowd with beaming grins of delight as they dived into the opening number, ‘Blade Runner’. The high energy and good times vibe spread quickly as vocalist Yannis Papadopoulos belted his first notes. The dramatic leatherworks worn, and elaborate poses made by each member added to their very entertaining set. The room was riled up on numbers like ‘Highway to Mars’ and ‘Cry Out for a Hero’. The disco beats, wailing guitar solos, and spirited synths had everyone jumping up and down for a majority of the show. 

Papadopoulos gave elaborate backstories to numbers like ‘Bella Donna’ and ‘Sweet True Lies’. His chattiness and amiable demeanor swooned the ladies in the audience. On top of being heartbreakers, this group of guys had their fair share of tricks and shticks to share. They clearly enjoyed each one of their comic book based or sci-fi inspired songs by letting their gimmicks and goofiness shine through. The three stringed players would often line up and move to some choreographed bit which had similarities to how the greats like Iron Maiden and the Scorpions do it. The whole set was a genuine dance party. Former Battle Beast member and founder of the band, Anton Kabanen carried charisma in his fluid-like playing and on point backing vocals. The sugary sweet notes hit between him, and Papadopoulos dazzled their enamored crowd. Since it was the last night of the tour, their manager jammed with them on stage for their hit, ‘One Night in Tokyo’. Soon they came to their final number of the evening, ‘End of the World’, a track off their first album Berserker (Nuclear Blast). The uplifting, melodic, and catchiness of the tune resonated with their fans and had them eagerly singing along. The applause thundered as the band took their final bows and many hoped this rising act would return soon. The jolliness, vibrancy, and genuine celebration of cheesy Power Metal proved why this genre is on the rise.

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RAGIN ROSIE