Apocalyptica
October 4, 2008
Culture Room
Ever spent the night seeing an orchestra? Sitting back and letting the music carry you off into another place…as you listen to renditions of Metallica and Sepultura? Wait are we talking about the same orchestra here? Maybe yes, maybe no, but on this rainy Saturday evening, Finnish classical metal outfit Apocalyptica graced the intimate settings of Ft. Lauderdale’s Culture Room for a definite night to remember.


I bet this is the first time you’ve seen people headbang to cello huh? I have to say I was very surprised to hear the band open with the Sepultura classic “Refuse/Resist.” For a good eighty percent of the cello trio’s set, they didn’t have a vocalist, but with a crowd as knowledgeable as this, who needs one? Flanked by rhino of a drummer Mikko Sirén, the band was able to continue the heaviness. Interesting enough was possibly the most famous double bass metal tune of all, Metallica’s “One,” which had cellist Eicca Toppinen, and Perttu Kivilaakso trading off on solo duties.


As a special guest for their tour, the band had alternative rock band Fuel’s new vocalist Toryn Green handling vocal duties for a few tunes. Green seemed to hold his own on the Adam Gontier (3 Days Grace), and Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) sung tunes “I Don’t Care” and “I’m Not Jesus,” but most impressive was when he tackled the German sung “Helden;” which the crowd loved of coarse. More Metallica classics were handled masterfully; including almost closer “Enter Sandman,” but then again this is something you should expect from a group who originally cut their teeth with their first disc of Metallica covers. All in all a fantastic show put on by great performers. Hey, just because they’re playing classical instruments doesn’t mean they have to stay seated, and neither should you.
-Matthew Pashalian

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