Apocalyptica & Nita Strauss Unleash a Musical Storm on Montreal [Photos]

Montreal’s MTelus was the site of a hurricane warning mid-month. Several weather systems were bearing down on Montreal at the time. Two were severe winter storms that dropped about 70 cm of snow on our fair city. However, it was the third system that saw Montreal get battered by high winds and thunderous noises. A cold northern front of classical renditions of songs by Metallica was about to collide with a warm southern front, bringing hurricane-like force. Apocalyptica and Nita Strauss were about to make land; the MTelus stage was Ground Zero for where this perfect storm would touch down.

Bad weather analogies aside, this double concert had been on my list of things I was most looking forward to in 2025 since the tour was announced last summer. I had already shot both Nita Strauss and Apocalyptica back in 2022, but the thought of both bands sharing the same bill was enough to make the mind melt at the thought of the musical prowess that would be on display. Alone, each performance was sure to be memorable, but combined, this concert was guaranteed to be unforgettable.

The show opened with the unmatched guitar playing of Nita Strauss. From being in Iron Maiden to sharing the stage with Alice Cooper and recently with Demi Lovato, Nita Strauss has been all over the musical map in recent years. She has also lent her talent to other entertainment heavyweights like the NFL and WWE. Her set list consisted of several songs from her latest album, 2023’s The Call of the Void, and a couple from her solo debut, Controlled Chaos.

The guitar play is master level as Nita Strauss stands at the head of the modern guitar player class. She is joined on stage for a few songs later in the set by vocalist Kacey Karlson, who takes on songs performed by some vocal heavyweights from The Call of the Void and makes them her own.

Apocalyptica is touring behind their most recent album, Plays Metallica, Vol. 2, and they raise our collective goosebumps before even hitting the stage. Going for the full Metallica experience, they arrive on stage to Ennio Morricone’s famous piece, “The Ecstasy Of Gold.” From there, the master cellists break into the best of Metallica while most of the MTelus sings the songs back to them as they play. When they encouraged the fans to sing “Enter Sandman” with them, the place almost exploded. And this was only their second song of the night. They even managed to make the much-maligned “St. Anger” into a crowd favourite. A feat that many in attendance seemed doubtful of when the band asked for their opinions on the song.

As a fan of Metallica and of classical music, the show is really something that must be experienced. The musicianship is out of this world. Where else can you see classically trained cellists drop down into power stances to play their instruments as a guitar while also windmilling and throwing the horns? Though they play cover songs, the interpretations are truly unique the show is something to behold. Add in the guitar wizardry of Nita Strauss and you have a show that simply can’t be missed.

The “Nita Strauss – Apocalyptica” tour comes to an end soon, but both will be touring again during the year. To say the least, it was a worthwhile experience to attend, even with the worst of winter making its presence felt.

Apocalyptica (w/ Nita Strauss) @ MTelus (Montreal, QC) on February 12th, 2025

30 photos