Queensrÿche and Armored Saint Take Théâtre Beanfield Back to 1984 [Photos]

No need for a DeLorean; all that was needed to go back in time was a ticket to the sold-out Queensrÿche/Armored Saint showdown at the Théâtre Beanfield this past Saturday night. Once inside the historic old building, you are instantly transported to the early days of entertainment in Montreal, as some murals that date back to the 1920s still decorate the walls.

A quick adjustment of the time circuits had us speeding through time at 88mph, or 142km/h Canadian, to 1984. A time when the North American metal scene was beginning to explode, denim and leather were the fashion de jour and, straight from the mouth of John Bush himself, he had much more hair. It was also the year that two young and hungry bands released a couple of albums that are still heralded to this day. Armored Saint released their debut album, March Of The Saint, and Queensrÿche released their debut album, The Warning.

This tour, headlined by Queensrÿche, celebrates the time as they play that entire album in full, as well as their self-titled EP released the year before. Their set opened with the four songs from the Queensrÿche EP before the air raid sirens began to wail, and we were off to the races. Armored Saint opened the evening and threw down the gauntlet by performing a set of classics and some songs from their most recent album, Punching The Sky, released in 2020, that rocked the old building to its foundations.

It would be hard to follow such a performance, but Queensrÿche was up to the challenge from the moment that singer Todd LaTorre hit the stage adorned in his Montreal Canadiens jersey. LaTorre’s vocals are very true to the original versions. With original guitarist Michael Wilton and Eddie Jackson on bass, there was no doubt that the music would be spot on. Which it was. Queensrÿche’s most recent album was 2022’s Digital Noise Alliance, though you won’t hear any of those songs on this tour.

The joints may be a little more sore, and the hair might be a little more grey, if any remains. But, for a few hours, it was 1984 all over again, and nobody would have minded if the Flux Capacitor had broken and left us there for the rest of time. If you’re a fan of music from this time or just want to experience it firsthand for yourself, be sure to drop in when Armored Saint and Queensrÿche bring their show to your town.

Queensryche (w/ Armored Saint) @ Théâtre Beanfield (Montreal, QC) on April 20, 2024

60 photos