I bought a ticket for this show out of curiosity after seeing one of their recent Wacken shows on TV. I was never a fan their brand of symphonic metal with operatic vocals and cheesy synthesizers but I remember being very impressed with that particular gig. I had written them off because I could never stand Tarja’s vocal mannerisms. Their relatively new singer Floor Jansen thankfully has a more metal approach to the job which balances the pomposity of the compositions.
I purposely arrived after opener Beast in Black’s set. I saw them a year ago open for W.A.S.P. and I didn't care for them at all. So when I arrived the place was packed. I guess I never realised how popular they were. The Accorhotels Arena has a capacity of over twenty thousand people and the place wasn’t far from being sold out!
The presentation was incredible. The screens were constantly animated with wondrous backdrops, the light show was bombastic and the pyro was frequent. The whole thing was massive and very impressive to look at.
The band was very tight (as they must be with so much pre-recorded tapes and samples) and also very pleasant. I was expecting moody gothic edge lords and was pleasantly surprised. Floor looked stunning in her steampunk leather queen costume and sang great.
Their songs still sound like a soundtrack to 80’s animé but it was all so spectacular, professional and energetic that they completely won me over.
