I think I often forget the simplest of reasons why I enjoy metal. As I get older, I find myself tracing back my roots and revisiting albums that I loved, all in an attempt to re-evaluate what it is I expect out of the genre and the standards I’ve set up. With the bleak void that is black metal to the enveloping sorrow that typically accompanies death metal, I’ve come to love bands in those genres, all the while appreciating their sound as an art form separate from the core sound the genre started from. On the opposite side of the spectrum, it was last Friday night when Battle Beast took to the stage that I remembered what it was like to hear metal that aimed to be fun rather than evil. The band no doubt take their live show seriously, and they bring a fresh amount of energy to their set, but it’s just how outright enjoyable Battle Beast is that made their 40 minutes on stage the highlight of the night.

Announced nearly a year in advance, Battle Beast joined Kamelot and Delain for a sold out show in New York City. As the line for the show wrapped around Irving Plaza before the doors even opened, just walking by was a clear indication that the hype was real for this show. Delain came out that evening to a 

massive roar of fans packed into the room, which only grew louder as they kept piling on top of one another. Kamelot closed out the night with a massive set and relying heavily on spectacle and marksman-precise musicianship to carry them through a mind-blowing hour and a half set.

Battle Beast, however, had a much different circumstance that gave them an advantage. Given 40 minutes at the start of the night to make their impression, that’s just slightly more time than the average band has. There was a lot of build up as their intro music played, as their members stormed the stage one after another. By the time vocalist Noora Louhimo come onto the stage with a soaring falsetto over “Straight to the Heart,” complete with fist bumps returned by the crowd, it was evident that this was going to be a hell of a set.

In those 40 minutes, even in between songs, the band never allowed the energy to dip down. Louhimo was constantly engaging with the crowd, constantly introducing themselves to newcomers coming in, and getting right to the next song in the set. I’ve seen plenty of bands give it all they’ve got in 25 minute bursts, I’ve seen the energy dip around the halfway point, and I’ve seen bands be completely stationary, yet Battle Beast and its members were on the stage monitors and as close to the crowd as they possibly could be. Keyboardist Janne Bjorkroth opted for a keytar rather than being stationary behind the rest of the band on a keyboard, and props to him as it only allowed him to have as much of a presence on stage as his fellow guitarists and vocalists. Even bassist Eero Sipila manage to take command of the mic to introduce “Bastard Songs of Odin,” a big smile across his face as he got his minute to pump the crowd up. Battle Beast were having fun, and I sure as hell was by this point.

One thing needs to be addressed, though, and it’s important that in reading this that this is a huge thing taken away from this review. During the later half of the set, I was more impressed by what I was hearing from the band than others, so much that a vocal performance such as Louhimo was simply astounding. Almost too much, as it seemed too good to be true that anyone was able to maintain such an aggressive, melodic, and unique voice. I was almost convinced at the possibility that it was a backing track. So I took video during the closing number of the set, “Beyond the Burning Skies,” just out of curiosity. Upon returning home that night, I took to YouTube and went through numerous videos of the same song from Bloodstock, Graspop, and whatever shows I could find of the band. Each time, Louhimo gave an incredible performance, but was impressed me were the tiny details that I was looking for: different embellishments, slight variations in delivery, but all of the authenticity I was hoping for. I’ve never seen a band perform so well that I was considering the possibility of a backing track, and I’m glad the first time that it happened that I could actually validate that it wasn’t the case. Battle Beast is the real deal, and I’m still genuinely impressed just how precise and tight this band as a whole is.

I don’t know when Battle Beast will be returning to the US, but there’s still an entire US tour ahead of them before that even becomes a thing. This is a band that the general metal populace could absolutely get behind simply because of the amount of fun that comes with it. As there’s more extreme metal acts left and right and no shortage of guttural vocals to be found, Battle Beast as a more than sizable alternative that I can absolutely get behind seeing every time they come overseas. “Where are the next Metallica and Judas Priests for our era?” I constantly see being asked, and the answer’s simple: they’re opening for Kamelot.