Symphonic metal trio Apocalyptica and special guests Lacuna Coil kicked off The Cell-O Tour in Atlanta on April 7th, bringing the best of European metal to the U.S. for the first time in several years. The tour, which was originally scheduled for 2020 when Apocalytpica’s latest release Cell-O was released, was postponed until this year. For Atlanta metal fans, the long wait was more than worth it.
Lacuna Coil, a gothic metal band out of Italy, took the stage in their signature black and white outfits and dove straight into “Blood, Tears, Dust” from 2016’s Delirium. “Trip the Darkness,” from 2012’s Dark Adrenaline got the crowd jumping up and down with Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, two of the most fun to watch performers out there, who play beautifully off each other. The band’s latest album, 2019’s Black Anima, got some love with “Apocalypse,” “Reckless,” “Layers of Time,” and the stunning “Veneficium,” which showcased Cristina’s incredible, operatic voice.
Fan favorites “Heaven’s a Lie” and “Our Truth” had the crowd singing along before Lacuna Coil closed out the much too short set with “Nothing Stands In Our Way.”
The crowd was hyped and ready for Finland’s Apocalyptica, who were accompanied by Franky Perez on vocals throughout the night. The classically-trained cellists took the stage with fervor, riling up the crowd even more as they began with “Ashes of the Modern World,” a track from Cell-O. Watching these guys perform is unlike anything else, with all the energy and headbanging of a metal show combined with effortless musicianship, humor, and joyous camaraderie among the band members.
Cell-O was well represented in the set with “Scream for the Silent,” “En Route to Mayhem,” and “Rise,” while old-school Apocalyptica fans enjoyed “I’m Not Jesus,” and “I Don’t Care” from the band’s breakout album, 2007’s Worlds Collide, as well as “Not Strong Enough,” from 2010’s 7th Symphony. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Apocalyptica show without some Metallica covers, and the band delivered with “Nothing Else Matters,” which fans provided the vocals for, and “Seek and Destroy,” which closed out the set.
Fans demanded more, and the band delivered with “Farewell” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” but unfortunately “S.O.S.” a song that features Cristina Scabbia on vocals, was not played.
Check out the remaining tour dates below, and catch Apocalyptica on tour in your city!
Apocalyptica Gallery
Lacuna Coil Gallery
