Volbeat Crashes the Party at Van Andel Arena

Grand Rapids,Michigan (April 19,2019)-After a two-year hiatus, Denmarks hard rock sons, Volbeat, have made their way back to U.S. soil. On tour as direct support for Godsmack, the early spring, seventeen-city jaunt is just a small tune-up for their jam-packed summer schedule.

Tonight, the third stop on the tour, finds the band at the sold-out Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Even though their set was a limited 12 song, sixty-five minute sprint, Volbeat threw down the gauntlet that literally stunned the packed house.

Opening with the pounding “The Devils Bleeding Crown,” from their latest LP, Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie, proved to be the perfect elixir to grab and hold even the staunchest fans attention. With a follow-up run of “Lola Montez,” “A Warriors Call,” “Black Rose” and one of Volbeats’ biggest hits “16 Dollars,” the stimulating assault was on.

While Michael Poulsens vocal delivery and guitar work was clean and crisp as always, it was former Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano and bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen who garnered the most fan attention. Each relentlessly working the stage, often stopping to bump fists with fans between the scintillating licks that is the basis to Volbeats’ amazing sound. Tie in the pounding rhythm from vastly under-rated drummer Jon Larsen and you have the foundation of a very formidable hard rock band that can go head-to-head with the best the genre has to offer.

The tightness of that foundation was readily apparent during a ground pounding performance of the new song aptly named “The Everlasting.” Led by the tandem rhythms of Larsen and Larsen, the song takes the Volbeat sound in refreshing new direction that long time fans may or may not care for. In the world of music, that could be good thing and may actually bring new fans into the fold. Witnessed by the reaction, they may be on to something, but tonight it was just a precursor to a fabulous string of hits that would signal the end of the night. We would be remiss if we didnt mention that those hits are some of the biggest in the Volbeat archives; “Fallen,” “Seal the Deal” and then an exorbitantly heavy version of “Still Counting,” that left fans standing and cheering wildly to what they had just witnessed.

Its not very often a support band plays a set that actually challenges the headliners reputation, but Volbeat did it tonight. Have a look at our Godsmack review and get our take on how the night progressed; we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

        Volbeat © JOHN SWIDER Please do not alter image

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