Metal in the Middle of Nowhere – Helloween and Stratovarius Review

Finding two of Europe's most influential metal bands in Beijing is a treat and a curse. A treat because they are consistently good live, but a curse as the venue lies far to the East. The One Club is worth the trek though, with a great sound system, excellent lighting and just the right size for a gig like this.

Stratovarius were first up, and are often seen as the better of these two bands in terms of record sales and popularity, with the Finnish band having sold over 3.5 million records. Their catchy power metal is best realised in 80‘s-inspired tracks like "Hunting High and Low" and "Black Diamond". Although they have gone through infinite line-up changes over the years, they are still a crowd-pleasing band, driven by the personality of singer Timo Kotipelto.

Stratovarius definitely came second-best to Helloween though. Not only are this German band tighter and more dynamic, but with their new album "7 Sinners" they are still producing excellent material. Highlight of the evening was the 15-minute medley of songs from the "Keeper of the Seven Keys" albums. A condensed version of three songs totalling over 40 minutes in length, this non-stop barrage of time changes, lightning solos and vocal dexterity from singer Andi Deris showed a band that can still mix it with the very best. Props must also go to drummer Daniel Löble who was absolutely brilliant throughout the set.

Helloween and Stratovarius will perhaps never reach the heights of the UK bands they were so influenced by, such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, but even in the far reaches of Beijing’s East Fourth Ring Road they are still playing gigs worthy of much larger crowds.