Words and Pictures: Adrian Hextall / (C) MindHex Media
The undisputed kings of power metal, Helloween, brought their stunning Pumpkins United line-up to the absolutely rammed Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on Monday, October 20, 2025. And it was without any doubt, the hottest ticket in town! Not just a concert, but the band’s only London stop on their glorious crusade, making it the essential pilgrimage of the year for all power metal purists.
If Helloween are the godfathers of this style of music, then the opening act of the night might just be the young pretenders to the throne. Both acts know how to throw in the kitchen sink when it comes to creating historic anthems. Both acts have a passionate following and both bring the party to each and every venue they play.
Beast In Black
Taking the stage to ignite the packed Apollo crowd were the Finnish/Hungarian/Greek five-piece, Beast In Black who delivered a sound that was an absolute, party metal blast. Blending relentless guitar driven rhythms with thunderous power, their infectious melodies were pure, high-octane fun, making them the perfect, joyous counterpoint to Helloween’s mighty foundation. They hit the audience like a leather-clad battering ram, a whirlwind of unapologetic, party-starting pop-metal, with five band members that couldn’t stop smiling from the outset. Frontman Yannis Papadopoulos is nothing short of a vocal deity, but more importantly, he was a charismatic one as well, pushing the crowd to adopt the band as their own. To be fair, the number of BiB t-shirts on display suggested that this was already a given. Tracks like ‘Die by the Blade’ and the fan-favorite ‘One Night in Tokyo’, which felt less like a song and more like an exercise in crowd-choral harmony helped transform the Apollo into a colossal, futuristic rock club, no mean feat given the headliners that would follow. The entire set was a fist-pumping, anthemic, riff laden display with choruses to die for and dazzling, synchronized guitar moves. Beast In Black proved that power metal can be utterly, contagiously fun, delivering a show that was not just technically brilliant, but a genuinely thrilling, joyous spectacle, setting an impossibly high standard for the headliners.
Sadly as we went to print, it was confirmed that the band had parted ways with Kasperi Heikkinen after ten incredible years together.
“As we’re currently in the midst of a massive tour with Helloween, we’ll continue performing as a four-piece for a few shows until we find the right guitarist to join our ranks.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to Kasperi for a decade filled with Heavy Metal and unforgettable memories. Since we’re in the middle of a tour, we won’t be commenting further at this time – but we’re looking forward to rocking out with all of you, our Beasts, louder than ever!”
Thanks then Kasperi, it’s truly been a blast and what a way to close off those ten incredible years.
SETLIST:
Power of the Beast
Hardcore
From Hell With Love
Blood of a Lion
Cry Out for a Hero
Sweet True Lies
Enter the Behelit
Beast in Black
Die by the Blade
One Night in Tokyo
Blind and Frozen
No Surrender
Helloween
Picture this, an imposing red curtain conceals the stage, yet the atmosphere has already hit a state of tense anticipation even before the band play a single metal drenched note! From the second the huge curtain dropped and the dark, brooding, and effortlessly cool Sascha Gerstner took to stage, laying down the opening riff of ‘March of Time’, the song that introduced me to the band and confirmed my love of metal thanks to it being played on Radio 1’s Friday Rock Show band in the 1980s, it was clear something fantastic was still to come.
As the rest of the band came on stage, flanked by colossal video screens, delivering an epic cinematic spectacular that felt as though we’d been dropped into some fantasy led ‘Demon’s Souls’ like videogame.
A euphoric, career-spanning celebration cemented the legacy of a band that practically forged the power metal genre. Crucially, this was the majestic, seven-piece Pumpkins United line-up, now several years and two albums into the mix. Reuniting the talents of Kai Hansen (guitar/vocals) alongside his founding partners, Michael Weikath (guitar), Markus Grosskopf (bass), the band now comprises ‘Keepers’ era and beyond Michael Kiske (vocals) alongside the powerhouse modern era of Andi Deris (vocals), Sascha Gerstner (guitar), and Daniel Löble (drums).
Never a band to disappoint, they delivered a breathtaking two hours set, unleashing a metal blitzkrieg of soaring vocals, devastating triple-guitar majesty, and boundless theatrical joy, reminding everyone why they remain the undisputed godfathers of the speed-and-melody doctrine.
From the onset, the show was a masterclass in setlist construction, flawlessly balancing every major era of the band. Following the furious opener ‘March of Time’, the seven-piece immediately hammered the venue with their epic scale on the bombastic, near-thirteen-minute Deris-era track, ‘The King for a Thousand Years’. The crowd roared its approval as the unmistakable synth intro, accompanied by the shadowy menace of ‘Gorgar’, detonated into the anthemic, fist-pumping frenzy of ‘Future World’.
The set was peppered with tracks that celebrated the band’s unified present, including the high-energy modern classics ‘We Burn’ (Deris era) and the recent epics ‘This Is Tokyo’, ‘Universe (Gravity for Hearts)’, and ‘Hell Was Made in Heaven’, which proved the band’s modern writing remains as vital as their vintage material. The three guitarists (Weikath, Hansen, and Gerstner) created an impenetrable, majestic wall of sound, most evident during the classic Kiske-era track ‘Twilight of the Gods’ and the latest album’s ‘Into the Sun‘.
A definite highlight arrived when the legendary founder Kai Hansen, seized the microphone. Reminding the crowd of Helloween’s thrashier roots, Hansen tore through the ferocious early cuts ‘Ride the Sky’ and the declaration ‘Heavy Metal (Is the Law)’, unleashing a torrent of riffs that proved his voice still holds all the grit and raw power of the ‘Walls of Jericho’ era. Following the powerful modern anthem ‘Hey Lord!’ and a thunderous drum solo from Daniel Löble, the stage lights dimmed for a welcome respite.
One of the evening’s most unique and heart-stirring moments came during the acoustic interlude. Seated at the centre, the band delivered intimate, scaled-back versions, starting with a snippet of ‘Pink Bubbles Go Ape’ and the beautiful, heartfelt ballad ‘In the Middle of a Heartbeat’. The crowd singing along was a shared moment, very intimate (as you can be with 5000 people present), leading perfectly into the cherished classic ‘A Tale That Wasn’t Right’.
The power returned with full force as the band launched back into the stomping Deris-era anthem ‘Power’. This led directly to the majestic centerpiece of the evening: the legendary, sprawling epic ‘Halloween’. The song was a theatrical and musical showcase, perfectly framing the band’s mastery and speed doctrine.
The show wrapped up with the recent track (and personal favourite off the new album) ‘A Little Is a Little Too Much’ followed by the playful, iconic ‘Dr. Stein’, which saw all three vocalists interacting and tossing vocal lines back and forth in a demonstration of collaborative genius, then after a brief but tantalising snippet of ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’, it was a wrap!
It was the perfect, explosive conclusion, leaving the Hammersmith crowd utterly breathless and triumphant.
SETLIST:
March of Time
The King for a 1000 Years
Play Video
Future World (With Gorgar Intro)
This Is Tokyo
We Burn
Twilight of the Gods
Ride the Sky
Into the Sun
Hey Lord!
Universe (Gravity for Hearts)
Hell Was Made in Heaven
Drum Solo
I Want Out
Pink Bubbles Go Ape (acoustic)
In the Middle of a Heartbeat (acoustic)
A Tale That Wasn’t Right
Power
Heavy Metal (Is the Law)
Halloween
Invitation
Eagle Fly Free
A Little Is a Little Too Much
Dr. Stein
Keeper of the Seven Keys (snippet)
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