Weekend of Concerts 2: Rapid Fire (Night 2/3)

Night 2 (November 1st)

(The Great Tour @ The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts)

Hammerfall

The one and only opening band of the night was Hammerfall, coming all the way over from Sweden. This was my third time seeing these guys. Vocalist Joacim Cans was on point as usual, nailing every note. The guitarists definitely seemed to be enjoying their time on stage, which I appreciate. It helps the crowd get into the music, too. They played 10 songs this time around, with their set time being about an hour. Maybe halfway through their set, they played the absolute banger of a song called 'Hector's Hymn.' I looked down to the general admission floor, and I noticed the mosh pit opened up. 

Naturally, I ran right down there to slam myself into some fat, sweaty men!

I'm not super into Hammerfall's music anymore, but they are definitely an enjoyable band to watch live, and they kept the crowd entertained. One of the standout moments was right before they performed their last song. Vocalist Joacim Cans said, "We have one song left for you guys tonight. . . who is booing? For you my friend? We play two more songs. I'm just kidding!" This lead into them playing their most popular song 'Hearts on Fire.' For this song, Cans stood on the barrier, asking the audience to sing with him. This was only a warm up for what was to come later.

Sabaton

One of my favorite bands! I'd been impatiently waiting to see these guys since the last time I saw them in March 2018. They released a new album in July titled 'The Great War,' an album based entirely on events that took place in World War I. The Swedish power metal giants have returned to Worcester to show everyone that they mean business. . . funny business. They aim to put smiles on everyone's faces. They did just that at their show on November 1st. Playing almost entirely World War I related material, meaning choice cuts from the new album as well as emotional ballad 'The Price of a Mile' and a new favorite among fans 'Bismarck.' Other material was included in their set, but the theme of the set revolved around World War I.

My favorite part was the stage tank they brought. They normally don't bring this into the United States because they said they've broken at least three stages with the tank. So, what the stage tank is - well - it's an actual tank. On top of the tank is a platform they put the drums on. This was the first time I'd seen it in person. I hope they do it again.

I did enjoy their song selection. I enjoy the new album, so it was cool to hear a bunch of the new songs live. I wish they'd played 'A Ghost in the Trenches,' but oh well! At least they played '82nd All the Way,' which is another one of my favorites from the new album. I crowd surfed during that one. I crowd surfed a lot at this show. I went really crazy at this show and sung my heart out. This is one of the bands that you can't go wrong with. They always lift me up, and they're always fun to listen to. I also want to mention that I saw my classmate Dan there, so that was epic.

The Stage Tank

Part 3 coming in a little bit. Keep your eyes peeled, but please don't peel them too much or it will hurt.