05/28/23
The Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS
A night full of some serious guitar shredding, stellar vocals, double bass thumps, head banging and hair flips.
The Granada opened as a silent movie theater in the 1930s and started hosting as a comedy/music venue in Lawrence, KS, in 1993. The venue’s theater is full of nostalgia, from a massive hardwood floor area in front of the stage to brass mermaid handles on the step railings, leading fans to the front. The floor plan is tiered so that fans can view the stage from wherever they stand.
One of Kansas City’s hardest melodic thrash metal bands, Hellevate (Spotify), opens the night to raise a little hell. Hellevate came out full force with raunchy riffs and vocals playing the title track off their new album, The Purpose is Cruelty. Their stage presence was just as energetic throughout their six-song set. The energy hyped the crowd really quickly, and a mosh pit soon entailed.
For those who have never heard Hellevate’s material, one can hear some old-school heavy thrash inspiration intertwined in the bridges and verses of their songs. They came to raise a little hell, and that they did. The band finished the set with “No Further Action Is Required.” You can listen to/purchase their material via Bandcamp or Apple Music.
According to lead singer Joacim Cans, it has been almost four years since the Swedish rockers of HammerFall (Spotify) could tour in the US due to the pandemic. The last time HammerFall played in the KC area was in October 2019.
Formed in 1993, Hammerfall opened their set with “Brotherhood” from their 2022 album Hammer of Dawn. Guitarist, Oscar Dronjak is still as bendy as ever and shows the crowd how low he can still go while doing some serious shredding while playing “Any Means Necessary.”
One thing has remained the same with HammerFall, they have never caved to corporate and changed their sound to meet trends. The hammer is here for life and stronger than ever. Oscar and Pontus are such a powerful guitar duo, which is something missing from much of today’s music. Joacim’s impressive octave vocal range sounds just as good as it did 30 years ago. His vocals are solid and powerful, emphasizing the storyline in HammerFall’s lyrics. Fredrik’s impressive bass playing and David’s drums skills carry the reinforcements and grooves throughout the set.
The encore had arms and fists in the air and fans singing along to “Hammer High.” The night ends with Joacim stepping down to the back of the barricade to sing with fans during “Hearts on Fire.” Oscar gets bendy while he plays his last sweeping arpeggio of the night.
This concert is easily in my top 3 shows in a small venue. The crowd was a mix of ages, and many of us were seeing Hellevate or HammerFall for the first time ever. So, if you ever have the chance to see Hellevate or HammerFall, do it. You will not be disappointed with the sound or stage energy.
Hammer high…until I die.
