If you were a bystander around Place Bell getting out of work and trying to catch a train, and suddenly saw a crowd of people in long shiny leather boots, trench coats (yes, the cold is unfortunately coming), and black shirts — plus long-haired dudes and… just one guy with all-blue paint and a blue wig?! Probably that last one got you thinking: what the hell?
It was the triple-header of symphonic rock and metal strings rolling through our city. Halestorm and Lindsey Stirling returned to the 514 as part of their new nEVEREST DUALITY tour, alongside the Helsinki veterans Apocalyptica.
With such a packed bill, we had an early start to the show, and Apocalyptica was first in line. I arrived at the venue probably a minute before the cello-driven metal band hit the stage. Cutting it close, but I was happy I finally got to experience them live. I’ve known about Apocalyptica since I was around 12 years old. My brother was the metalhead of the family, and I remember him saying: “Listen, man, they’re playing cellos… okay? But… it’s Metallica covers!” Yeah. Sign me the hell up. But somehow, even though they’ve played here about three times in the last five years, I was never able to make it — until now. And hell if it wasn’t a blast.
They opened with “Ride the Lightning” from Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2. I was photographing the show, but I couldn’t stop myself from headbanging all the way through the first three songs while I was in the pit.
Centre stage was Eicca Toppinen, the main driving force behind the band — imposing as all hell, long blonde locks hanging down as he ripped on the cello, bathed in a pool of light that rimmed his figure. To his side, his best friends and bandmates of more than 20 years, Paavo and Perttu. Paavo, on the left-hand side, is known for the most theatrics: he moved around the stage the whole set, constantly pumping up the crowd, and even played the cello backwards (you figure out the logistics) during “Seek & Destroy.”
You can tell how much the Finnish band loves Montreal. They were just here this past February playing MTelus, and Eicca mentioned how our city is always the highlight of their North American tours — and how much they feel the warmth of the fans here. They tore through a six-song set with “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” right after. I know it sounds cliché, but their energy — helped by the absolute bangers they were playing — was contagious. During “Enter Sandman” I actually stopped shooting for a bit and started singing along with the security guard in the pit, both of us screaming at the top of our lungs to one of the most iconic heavy metal songs of all time.
I don’t consider myself a metalhead by any means, but I had an amazing time. If you’re in the same boat as me, with at least an appreciation for the genre, check them out the next time they inevitably come back.
Next up was California violinist Lindsey Stirling. She’s back in Montreal after playing Jazzfest in 2022. She and Halestorm go way back, since Lzzy was featured on the title track of Stirling’s 2014 album Shatter Me. So the dual bill between these two makes a lot of sense.
The best way I can describe Lindsey Stirling is: goddamn impressive. You have to be a special performer to carry the weight of a venue like Place Bell with just a violin and almost no vocals — and she does exactly that. We’re talking about a frontwoman playing one of the most complicated instruments out there, while dancing a perfectly choreographed set, smiling the entire time, and making it look like pure fun.
Halfway through, she was literally doing crazy gymnastics while playing flawlessly. I thought to myself: “I can’t even play a flute, and my knees hurt when I squat. This is just criminal.” The balancing act alone is something to behold.
Her set was full of theatrics, with backup dancers, props, and outfit changes. At one point she came out in a red dress with broken wings, feathers falling as she danced, while dancers with full angel wings moved behind her.
Midway through, she stopped to chat with the crowd and pulled out a wheel of fortune with her song names on it. “What song would you like me to play next? Too bad, it’s up to the wheel of fate to decide!” She spun it, landing on “Moon Trance” from her 2012 debut album.
She sprinkled songs from across her catalogue, plus a few covers for fun — “Sandstorm,” for example. Stirling is a big EDM fan, and she mixes the genre into her music, so it made perfect sense. She announced: “Here goes the greatest song of all time!” Do I agree with that? No. But did I say “Hell yeah” in my head when the drop hit? Maybe. Yes. Absolutely.
I knew of Stirling’s reputation as a performer, but I’d never seen her live or followed her music closely. Her set, though, was pure entertainment — equal parts Cirque du Soleil, nu metal, and EDM.
Almost three hours into the night, it was finally time for Lzzy Hale and company to take the stage. A giant white curtain covered the setup, ambient music swelled, and we saw the silhouettes of the four band members walking on.
They began playing “Fallen Star,” the first track off their debut album, with only their shadows visible. It felt like old-school Gorillaz, until the curtain dropped on the first chorus to reveal Halestorm in full. Centre stage was the legendary Lzzy Hale, rocking a long shiny black leather trench coat with silver chains, a matching leather skirt, and her signature white Gibson Explorer.
What can I say about Lzzy Hale that fans don’t already know? She is cool as hell. Looking like she could give Kate Beckinsale a run for her money as the lead in Underworld (sorry for the deep cut), she sang with that signature powerful-yet-beautiful voice while ripping through riffs with Joe Hottinger on lead guitar. They blasted through the opener, both planting a foot on the monitors and mean-mugging each other.
After a couple of songs, Lzzy addressed the crowd: “Whether you are an old-school Halestorm fan or fresh meat, you’re stuck with us now, bitches!”
Their set felt like a victory lap of their long career — one that started before the Hale siblings were even in high school. It included older classics like “I Miss the Misery” (2011) and newer material like “Everest” from their latest album. During the former, they flipped arena theatrics on its head by blasting confetti all around the venue early in the night.
Halfway through, Lzzy said: “Quebec, I’m gonna ask you a favour — put your lighters up in the sky for this next one.” She sat at the piano to perform “Darkness Always Wins,” smoke crawling across the stage as thousands of phone lights — and a few old-school lighters — lit up the arena.
Later, after “Break In,” she reminisced: “I started Halestorm with my brother when I was 13. Don’t do the math, please! If you’d told me that more than 20 years later we’d be here playing our songs to all you beautiful people in Montreal, I would’ve called you a crazy person.”
What more could you ask for in a night? Metallica covers on cello by three headbanging dudes from Helsinki. A violin cover of “Kashmir,” perfectly choreographed by Lindsey Stirling. And a finale from veterans of heavy metal fronted by one of the most iconic women in the genre.
These are the kinds of shows Montreal — a city that loves its metal — lives for, especially as the weather turns cold.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m definitely not going to listen to “Sandstorm” for the third time since last night.
Review & photos – Andres Amaya
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