Beyond The Black (w/ Butcher Babies, Ad Infinitum) Saved the Night at Manchester O2 Ritz [Photos]

With the news breaking at mid-afternoon that Amaranthe was, unfortunately, having to pull out of their show in Manchester due to a “brutal case of stomach flu” breaking out in the band, there were a few disappointed fans outside the O2 Ritz in Manchester, but with the other bands continuing with the show, and longer sets being afforded to both Ad Infinitum and Butcher Babies, they weren’t disappointed for long.

The venue was packed when Ad Infinitum took the stage, and it didn’t take the symphonic metallers long to get the room jumping. With Melissa Bonny handling both clean and dirty vocals fluidly, their set was a masterclass in beautiful heaviness. The crowd lit up the Ritz with their phones for the entirety of “Upside Down,” making it an incredible experience that many enjoyed – and this was made clear by the queue at the merch stall and the sheer number of t-shirts they shifted after their set.

Next up were the bat-shit crazy Butcher Babies, who took no prisoners at all with a full-on brutal assault of the senses. With head butchers, Heidi and Carla stalking the stage delivering an attack of twin vocals that could strip paint from 50 feet, combined with fit-inducing lighting the audience went mental.

They benefited from having a longer set. Having seen them at Bloodstock in August, it felt like they had got everyone worked into a frenzy and had to stop too soon, but it was no such thing tonight as they built and built the frenzy into absolute mayhem. They call their shows “ragers,” and that doesn’t go anywhere near enough to describe them.

Beyond the Black was an unknown quantity coming into this show, but within minutes they had me questioning why they’d never been on the radar. Having always seen their name on t-shirts at festivals in abundance, it felt like I’d missed out on a best-kept secret or something. They sounded huge. They had a huge arena-esque lighting show and massive support from the Ritz audience.

Stepping into the headline slot at the last minute seemed like nothing to them. With all four of their studio albums and their fifth yet-to-be-released self-titled album all being heavily featured in the setlist, it was not only a great introduction to a great band for a newcomer like myself but a perfect setlist for the die-hards.

Had Amaranthe been able to perform, they would have tipped the needle over the edge of a really great show to that of an epic one. They were missed, but the whole night was an incredible experience, and hopefully, as they owe us a show, they will be back in Manchester sometime soon.

Beyond The Black (w/ Butcher Babies, Ad Infinitum) @ O2 Ritz (Manchester, UK) on October 11th, 2022

43 photos