Beast In Black

About Beast In Black

Beast In Black started as a spinoff from Battle Beast, which is pretty much the most metal origin story possible. Guitarist Anton Kabanen left his previous band in 2015 after creative differences over musical direction, then immediately formed Beast In Black with the kind of determination that suggested he had a very specific vision in mind. That vision turned out to involve power metal, 80s synth worship, and an unexpected amount of anime references.

The band released their debut album "Berserker" in 2017, and it made their intentions clear from the first track. This wasn't going to be subtle. Vocalist Yannis Papadopoulos brought a theatrical range that could hit the stratospheric notes power metal demands, while Kabanen's songwriting leaned hard into the melodic bombast he'd been crafting for years. The title track became their calling card, mixing thrash-influenced riffs with choruses big enough to fill arenas they weren't playing yet. "Blind and Frozen" showed they could do the soaring ballad thing without losing their edge.

What set them apart from the crowded power metal field was their unironic embrace of retro-futurism. "From Hell with Love" in 2019 doubled down on the 80s aesthetic, pulling from everything from Terminator to Japanese animation. The album's lead single referenced Berserk, the manga series, because apparently Kabanen wasn't interested in half-measures. Songs like "Sweet True Lies" and "Cry Out for a Hero" sounded like they were specifically engineered for people who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons and never quite moved on. The production was slick, almost too polished, but that seemed to be the point.

"Dark Connection" arrived in 2021 and found them refining the formula rather than reinventing it. By this point, they knew what worked: massive hooks, relentless energy, and Papadopoulos hitting notes that seemed medically inadvisable. Tracks like "Moonlight Rendezvous" and "Hardcore" kept the momentum going, though some listeners started wondering if the band would ever meaningfully evolve their sound or just keep perfecting the same template.

They've built a dedicated following in the European power metal scene, particularly in Finland and Germany, where this kind of unashamed melodrama still packs venues. Their live show is exactly what you'd expect: loud, fast, and performed with the seriousness of people who truly believe in the power of a good chorus. They're not reinventing metal or pushing boundaries, but they're also not pretending to. Beast In Black exists for people who want their metal anthemic, their synths obvious, and their references to 80s pop culture completely shameless. They tour consistently, release albums on a reliable schedule, and seem perfectly content operating in their lane.

Their shows are surprisingly tight given the orchestration density. Crowds are into it but reserved—the kind of people who clap on beat and sing along to every word. Valo commands attention with presence rather than showmanship. The real draw is hearing all those keyboard layers and choir-style vocal layers actually land live.

Known for Blind and Frozen, Cry Out for a King, Born Again, The Earth Mantra, Beyond the Burning Skies

See Beast In Black Live