Anchored in downtown Atlanta in the shadow of the SkyView Ferris wheel, just steps from Centennial Olympic Park, The Tabernacle endures as both a historic landmark and one of the city’s most absorbing live music rooms. Hosting the early third stop on German power metal titans Helloween’s 40th Anniversary Tour, this venue first opened more than a century ago as the Broughton Tabernacle Baptist Church. Reimagined as a concert hall for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the space retained its soaring architecture and old-world grandeur. Even with a 2,600-person capacity and layered balcony tiers, the room still manages to project an unexpectedly intimate atmosphere.
Charging onto the stage at 7:30 p.m. like a power metal juggernaut, Finnish-based band Beast In Black delivered a high-octane performance that felt equal parts arena spectacle and retro-futuristic fever dream. From the opening synth swell of “Power of the Beast” to the final thunderous conclusion in “No Surrender,” the band fused razor-sharp riffs with glossy, ’80s-inspired melodies, creating a sound that was as massive as it was irresistibly catchy. Of note, founding guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen is sitting out this tour to complete the band’s forthcoming album. Beast in Black had planned to release their fourth studio album late last year, but instead collaborated with gaming company Blizzard Entertainment to celebrate the Diablo IV: Season 8 and Berserk crossovers, punctuated by their standalone soundtrack single “Enter the Behelit.” Kabanen’s role is currently filled by touring guitarist Daniel Freyberg (ex-Children of Bodom).
As for the gig, charismatic frontman Yannis Papadopoulos commanded the room with soaring, almost superhuman vocals, effortlessly cutting through the dense wall of metal music while engaging the crowd with charismatic ease. Tracks like “Hardcore” and “Blind and Frozen” ignited waves of fists-in-the-air energy, with their dedicated fans shouting every word as if it were gospel (and kudos to the fat guy in the upper balcony repeatedly lifting up his shirt to get attention from Papadopoulos). The lighting rig pulsed in sync with the band’s cyber-metal aesthetic, amplifying the sense that this wasn’t just meant to be a concert — it was a full-blown escapist experience. By the time Beast In Black rounded out their ten-song performance, the audience was left buzzing, having witnessed a band operating at peak power and proving that they will remain one of modern metal’s most electrifying live acts.
Beast In Black
Atte Palokangas – Drums
Daniel Freyberg – Guitars
Yannis Papadopoulos – Vocals
Anton Kabanen – Guitars (not touring)
Mate Molnar – Bass
Setlist:
1.) Power of the Beast
2.) Hardcore
3.) Sweet True Lies
4.) Born Again
5.) From Hell With Love
6.) Enter the Behelit
7.) Die by the Blade
8.) One Night in Tokyo
9.) Blind and Frozen
10.) No Surrender
Following a fairly swift equipment change, the house lights dropped at 8:50 p.m., giving way to a massive video backdrop that teased Helloween’s iconic album cover history. Moments later, the band stormed into their Atlanta set with “March of Time,” pulled from Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II (1988). From the jump, Helloween delivered a high-voltage, high-production reminder of why they remain one of power metal’s most enduring forces, turning the room into a unified surge of raised fists, shouted lyrics, and air-guitar frenzy.
Drawing from their deep catalog, the German power metal veterans struck a seamless balance between precision and exuberance, with razor-sharp guitar harmonies slicing through a dense yet polished mix. The sprawling, two-plus-hour set — spanning more than four decades — unfolded with forward momentum rather than nostalgia alone, weaving in newer material from their latest release Giants & Monsters (2025) alongside classic anthems without sacrificing pacing or crowd engagement.
Front and center, the dual-vocal attack of Andi Deris and Michael Kiske proved to be one of the night’s defining elements. Their interplay — soaring leads and tightly layered harmonies — felt effortless, breathing fresh life into staples like “I Want Out.” Behind them, the rhythm section provided a rock-solid foundation, locking into galloping tempos that powered the set without ever feeling rushed. Between songs, the band kept crowd interaction brief but genuine, letting the music do the heavy lifting while still feeding off the audience’s palpable energy.
Visually, the performance leaned into a clean, effective approach; lighting cues enhanced the dynamics without overwhelming the stage, keeping the focus squarely on the musicianship. Extended instrumental passages offered space to fully appreciate the band’s technical command, particularly during fluid handoffs between guitarists Kai Hansen, Michael Weikath, and Sascha Gerstner, whose chemistry remained undeniable. The result was a performance that felt both meticulously crafted and organically alive.
By the time the final notes of “Keeper of the Seven Keys” rang out, the crowd had long since surrendered to the band’s momentum. Helloween didn’t rely on spectacle to leave an impression; instead, they leaned on consistency, craftsmanship, and sheer melodic power. It was the kind of set that not only celebrated their legacy, but reinforced their continued relevance in a scene that still thrives on both tradition and evolution.
Helloween’s 40 Years Anniversary Tour continues on for another month before they will wrap up their U.S. dates on Saturday, May 2nd, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the House of Blues. This tour is not to be missed.
Helloween
Michael Weikath – Guitars, backing vocals
Markus Grosskopf – Bass, backing vocals
Kai Hansen – Guitars, lead vocals
Michael Kiske – Lead vocals
Andi Deris – Lead vocals
Sascha Gerstner – Guitars, backing vocals
Daniel Löble – Drums
Matthias Ulmer – Keyboards
Setlist:
1.) March of Time
2.) The King for a 1000 Years
3.) Future World
4.) This Is Tokyo
5.) We Burn
6.) Twilight of the Gods
7.) Ride the Sky
8.) Into the Sun
9.) Hey Lord!
10.) Universe (Gravity for Hearts)
11.) Hell Was Made in Heaven
12.) Drum solo
13.) I Want Out
14.) In the Middle of a Heartbeat (acoustic)
15.) A Tale That Wasn’t Right (acoustic)
16.) A Little Is a Little Too Much
17.) We Will Rock You (Queen cover)
18.) Heavy Metal (Is the Law)
19.) Halloween
Encore
20.) Eagle Fly Free
21.) Power
22.) Dr. Stein
23.) Keeper of the Seven Keys
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.