One stormy Saturday night in Joliet, IL, Finnish heavy metal band Beast in Black came and turned the city upside down. Taking place at The Forge, a rather popular spot for Chicago metal lovers, the Dark Connection tour continued their stride through North America. Originally billed with Canadian rockers Striker and the Florida foursome Seven Kingdoms, the tour faced a few setbacks due to the two bands unfortunately not being able to perform. However, Chicago thrash bands Beyond Deth and Bloodletter stepped in and both delivered amazing and unforgettable performances. The concert turned out to be one of the most energetic shows I’ve ever been to, and I loved every second of it.
Beyond Deth
The show opened with Beyond Deth taking the stage. With this being their first performance at The Forge, the band performed a high-energy set. Their usage of lights along with their hard-hitting riffs made for a rather entertaining set. As they went into their second song Astral Invasion, the excitement for the band’s set increased. Topping it off with a memorable guitar solo, by the end of the song, the crowd was increasingly growing more hyped. The excitement continued as the band performed more songs from their second album Accept Your Fate. Most notably, their closing song Burn His Eyes seemed to be a crowd favorite. Purple lights flashed as the headbanging continued, bringing the set to an end. For this being their first performance at The Forge, the band properly kicked off the night and set the tone for what was to come.
Bloodletter
With the crowd still hyped from Beyond Deth’s set, Bloodletter came through and turned up the meter even more. Already a crowd favorite, from the moment they started playing, the crowd did not stop moving once. Songs like The Darkness Reaches and Burnt Beyond Recognition made the crowd go wild. Their great band chemistry and usage of darker-toned lights made their set an interesting one to watch. Their set closed with Disinterment, a song from their most recent album Funeral Hymns. Before the song started, lead vocalist Peter Carparelli engaged in dialogue with the crowd, as he opened up about his mental health and told us the song was about depression. As the song started, the crowd almost immediately felt the energy and a mosh pit opened. The flashing bright lights added to the excitement and made for the perfect closing to their set.
Beast in Black
As the lights dimmed and anticipation grew, the crowd began to chant “Beast in Black! Beast in Black!” The excitement exuding from everyone made their entrance onto the stage more special. When they finally set foot onstage, the crowd went wild. The band opened with Blade Runner, the opening track to their 2021 album Dark Connection.
As they transitioned to their second song From Hell With Love, it became apparent that their set would be a career-spanning one. This excited the crowd, as they were cheering in-between songs and showing the band love all around. The energy they exuded on stage added to the overall mood of the show. During their songs, they would pose for pictures for the people who were recording and crack jokes in-between song transitions. Their crowd control was one thing that stood out, for it really showed that they loved their fans and vice-versa.
As the show continued on, the energy in the venue did not die down once. It was beyond refreshing to see so many excited fans having the time of their lives during the set. When the band began the opening to fan-favorite Die By The Blade, the crowd went wild. They extended the intro a bit, for this built the excitement even more. Delivering what was assumed to be the last song of their set, the crowd did not want the show to end. Everyone cheered and chanted until the band made their appearance again, delivering a three-song encore and closing out the show by handing fans in the crowd setlists, drum sticks and guitar picks.
As the night settled in, I left the venue a fan of three new bands. With me being a Chicago native, it was amazing to discover two bands from here and find out more about them. As for Beast in Black, I immediately fell in love with their playful, high energy stage presence and upbeat songs that make it hard to not get up and dance. All in all, when presented the chance, Beast in Black is a concert you do not want to miss.
Beast in Black complete setlist
- Blade Runner
- From Hell With Love
- Beast in Black
- Highway to Mars
- Born Again
- Cry Out for a Hero
- Bella Donna
- Moonlight Rendezvous
- Hardcore
- No Surrender
- Sweet True Lies
- Die By The Blade
Encore
- One Night in Tokyo
- Blind and Frozen
- End of the World
Keep in touch with Beast in Black across all social media sites
Also, keep up with Beyond Deth
And Bloodletter!
