Preparation towards the Halloween festivities were underway on a raining Saturday evening and one could not help the look of bewilderment from the public walking past the illustrious Birmingham o2 Academy. A sea of 1980's workout gear, ghoulish costumes and the more left field dress-up were eagerly waiting for the Germany's electronic metalcore boasters Electric Callboy at their final date of their sold-out UK tour to explode the stratosphere. The last band who made history in this venue on their headline show was Ghost in 2017. The question on the night was will it be the night that the title could be swiped?
Bringing the heat to the evening was UK's own metal quintet As Everything Unfolds, a group with two full-length albums under their belt and has been praised as the ones to watch in the alternative music scene. As the evening progressed, their company revealed an animated set of diverse metal genres. Ultraviolet and Slow Down showed their catchy aspects all the while the soaring anthems Flipside and Felt Like Home further revealed the metal dynamics within the group. As Everything Unfolds have publicised a 2024 UK headline tour as their strong closer On The Inside blasted through the speakers, spectators were confident to add themselves as new listeners, creating further intrigue.
As far as metal shows are concerned, there seems to be a checklist that's needed to become a fan overnight or a firm future listener. It might be smoke or fire filling up the stage. There might be an ocean of dark colours. On this night, all of that were thrown out of the window. A successful control test of their resident conductor on the big screen with a strong blast of confetti saw Tekkno Train invaded the room in an indescribable happiness. The metal ravers MC Thunder II (Dancing Like A Ninja) and Spaceman didn't give Birmingham o2 Academy a chance to breathe and when Electric Callboy did give that opportunity during Love/Hate, it was their cover of Cascada's classic Everytime We Touch that couldn't hold the most elitist of metalheads from making their voices raw. The thumping duo of The Scene and Castrop X Spandau led to some serious neck snapping and Arrow of Love revealed some serious love in the air.
As the delightful David-Karl Friedrich charmed through the drums with a sneaky addition of Darude's Eurodance classic Sandstorm added into the mix, through sheer exhilaration, the Germans possessed a force that was not only comfortable in presence, but flawless on stage. The power couple Kevin Ratajczak & Nico Sallach exhumed a dichotomy that most multiple front singers can’t match. Guitar dualists Daniel Haniß & Pascal Schillo and bass pounder Daniel Klossek possessed a string power that was smooth in each transition. Just put it into perspective, Electric Callboy were in their worthy history making element.
The craziness shot up above eleven with Hypa Hypa and rager Parasite before Birmingham were treated to a stripped-down ballad pairing of Frozen’s Let It Go and the Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way. All fans old and new had their voices ruined for the second time all the while being orchestrated on a phallic shaped piano, showing no hidden catches on an unadulterated fun singalong. Europop deathcore favourite Hurrikan was a moment where love and fury became best friends, party, Fuckboi witnessed As Everything Unfolds main lady Charlie Rolfe providing unmatched vocals and party starter MC Thunder grabbed all by their collective horns in celebration.
How did the night already got to their three song encore was by anyone's guess. However, the colourful Pump It instigated an intense workout, Mindreader prepped the war and their undeniable showstopper We Got The Moves all dressed in uniform and made history. "This is the biggest show of our UK tour, it is also the hottest," gleefully exclaimed Kevin Ratajczak and, quite rightfully, if a metal show can make a chronicle in Birmingham o2 Academy's timeline of a career blossoming, it was Electric Callboy's. It was a sold-out moment like no other and we'll see if anyone can follow suit.
