Classical cellos and heavy metal shouldn’t work. Yet cello-metal maestros Apocalyptica have established a career (now 26 years strong) doing just that - merging metal with classical tendencies to create a feast for the senses.
The Finnish quartet took to the traditionally classic stage of the Sydney Opera House (29 September) to deliver blindingly beautiful renditions of Metallica classics, taken from their 1996 album ‘Four Cellos Play Metallica'.
To say the evening was a display of Apocalyptica's innovation is an understatement – the evening was in fact, sublime.
Though the first half of the evening was billed as the classical segment, that didn’t stop cellist Perttu Kivilaakso from taking command of the stage, his long, blonde locks frequently windmilling.
With his own kind of swagger, Kivilaakso marched across the stage, cello in arms, visibly singing along to the metal music he clearly loves so well, executing Metallica solos with his fingers practically dancing across the neck of his instrument – if you thought Apocalyptica’s performance might suffer from a lack of frontman as master of ceremonies, you’d be wrong; Kivilaakso more than qualifies.
Similarly, Apocalyptica mastermind Eicca Toppinen spoke to the audience in intervals as a friend might in conversation: charming, humorous, and warm. The passion with which Toppinen welcomed the congregation in the Opera House was equal to that which was delivered by him through seminal songs like ‘Harvested Of Sorrow, ‘Sad But True, and ‘Wherever I May Roam’.
Borrowing the principal cellist of the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra, Lauri Kankkunen, to complete the traditional formation as heard in the original album, he more than made an impression as he navigated materials so far removed from his daily repertoire, proving he could make it as a metal bad boy if he wanted to.
Is it a standing ovation when the audience has been on their feet for half an hour? In this book, yes, and rightly so. Screams for an encore brought the elated band back to the stage to close the evening with ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and ‘One', vocals, naturally, offered by the audience. And the audience remained on their feet, cheering, clapping, screaming wildly, and rightly so.
On your feet and adoring Apocalyptica is the rightful place for anyone attending their performances, no matter the venue.
