From Fantasy to Reality, Anime and Manga not only motivate from within but, often times becomes the driving force for those who’ve chosen to embrace its influence. From popular Isekai and Shonen, to Dark Fantasy, Mecha, and more, there is no shortage of inspiration and aspiration that not only drive us, but fuel us on a path towards something greater.

One such series has led to a band that blends electronica and 80’s metal into one hell of a beast – Berserk! Created by the late Kentaro Miura, Berserk is a Dark Fantasy series led by the character Guts, a lone swordsman, and Griffith, who leads the Band of the Hawk. With the beginnings coming in the late 80’s, the series has not only picked up, but grown to capture the hearts of many, including one band who thought it more than fitting to embody Guts, the very Beast in Black.

Berserker may have dropped in 2017, but with tracks like “Zodd the Immortal” and the title track “Beast in Black“, the band not only dropped a bombshell in the metal scene but quickly became a hit among Anime and Manga fans alike. From Hell With Love (2019) dropped shortly after, with their Metal flavour touched by more of that 80’s flair. Still paying homage to Anton Kabanen’s love of Anime and Manga, killer tracks like “Cry out for a Hero” touched on inspiration from Fist of the North Star, and tracks like “Oceandeep” garnered further admiration for the band’s already growing fanbase. With their recent album The Dark Connection (2021) quickly garnering popularity with tracks like “Moonlight Rendevouz” and “Broken Survivors“; Beast in Black continued their Berserk homage while adding in new inspirations like that of Bubblegum Crisis, Armitage III, and Battle Angel Alita.

After debuting on North American terrain with Nightwish in 2022, the band had crowds in an absolute uproar, crying out for a hero after stunning the audience as an opener. Screaming for a headliner show, it wasn’t long before the band announced their very own North American headliner for late 2023.

Of course, yours truly had to get tickets to this, as I had gone absolutely crazy, mad, insane seeing them live when they opened for Nightwish at History in May of 2022. I was so enthralled I hadn’t taken notice of the radius in which other fans had given me so I could thrash out to my absolute max.

Preparing my excitement, I headed down to the Axis Club in downtown Toronto on September 17th, greeted by an already long line of excited fans not only there for Beast in Black but their opener, Dance with the Dead. I hit the back of the line, joined shortly after by friends (which always make a concert 100x better), and we moved in as doors opened.

Now, having not heard of nor listened to the opener, I fought the urge to pre-listen, wanting to go in with open ears and an open mind, to which Dance with the Dead did not disappoint.

Performing a set of instrumental beats in their genre of Dark Synthwave, I felt as if I were immersed in my own dungeon-crawling RPG. With tracks like “Sledge” and “Riot” seamlessly blending together for an unparalleled experience, the whole performance was not only entertaining but wildly fascinating. Watching one member switch instruments from track to track, and creating fantastical atmosphere with the mere stroke of a synth key, Dance with the Dead hit hard, and lingered with fans both old and new. Having no idea what to expect, I was hooked, tacking track after track onto my own writing playlist for future inspiration.

Of course, not to be outdone, Beast in Black was set to hit the stage. The weather had been oddly warm outside and that settled inside the venue. With a sold out crowd and busted A/C, it was no surprise that a fan fainted just as the band took the stage. Quickly being taken to fresh air, the energy hadn’t changed and the excitement boiled over the moment “Blade Runner” kicked on.

Positioned right at the stage, I proceeded to let myself go absolutely wild as they rolled out a setlist of back-to-back feverish hits to a crowd with relentless energy. Rolling through personal favourites like “Die by the Blade” and ” To The Last Drop of Blood“, I felt as if I could dance and headbang for ages. A sea of cellphone lights illuminated the venue as “Oceandeep” echoed through the air, mesmerizing and bringing a breath of relief to an already over-heated crowd.

From being handed a guitar pick and rocking out to more hits like my original go-to “Beast in Black” and the popular “Blind and Frozen“, it seemed soon our adventure would come to a close but, not before “Cry Out for a Hero” blazed onward until our finale of “One Night in Tokyo“.

But no finale goes on without a bang and once again a fan was overtaken by the sweltering heat of the crowd. With security scattered, fans called to the band for aid. Wasting no time, Yannis acknowledged fans and called in for help. Security made their way through the packed crowd, and an endless supply of water was handed out to the crowd from management and band members alike. Ensuring fans’ safety was paramount, with Yannis encouraging the distraught fan to conquer his plight, and to fans’ and his delight, the concert goer managed to come to and get outside for some fresh air. Though a slight delay, it was stunning to see a band step up for fans when they needed aid, bringing a new light onto a band that already had fans in the palm of their hand.

Closing out the night was “End of the World” that had fans erupting with a renewed sense of energy. From start to finish, the night was brimming with unmatched electricity despite its flaws. It not only left fans with new respect for a band that’s quickly selling out across the world, but with a heartfelt story to recount the moment the name Beast in Black is heard.

The band has just wrapped up their North American headline tour and are now headed back to Europe once again, preparing for their next round of shows with Gloryhammer on the “Glory of the Beast” tour that kicks off January 10th, in Stockholm, Sweden.

You can find out more information via the Beast in Black Tour page. And don’t forget to follow the band on their socials like Facebook, and Instagram to keep up-to-date with concert news, and announcements!

And don’t forget to check out Dance with the Dead on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram!