Volbeat: The New Voice of Heavy Metal

When Michael Poulsen sings, his distinctive voice and vocal range are like nothing you have heard from a heavy metal band before and probably never will. One of the reasons this heavy metal / rockabilly band are making a mark on the heavy metal /thrash band scene.

A couple of months ago my buddy Leon called to say that Volbeat, Anthrax and Crobot where coming to Grand Forks at the Ralph Engelstad Arena, tickets were purchased so now all we had to was wait for May to roll Around. Leon and his son caught Volbeat last summer in La Crosse Wisconsin and came back big fans in that voice. So last Thursday we packed up our two rock and roll sons (Blackjack) and hit the road.

The need for food, gas and the inevitable road construction slowed us down enough that we missed Pennsylvania rockers Crobot. I was looking forward to hearing them live as lead singer Brandon Yeagley has a powerful stadium voice and stage show. Word was they featured songs such as Legend of a Spaceborne Killer, Skull of Geronimo and Tap Dancing on a Tightrope from their 2014 album Something Super Natural. Now the stage was set for iconic heavy metal thrash band Anthrax.

Armed with floor passes the boys headed to “the pit” and Leon and I went for beer. Anthrax, one of the big four heavy metal bands since its formation in 1981 and with ten albums under their studded leather belts came out blasting. They didn’t disappoint their fans as they tore through Caught in a Mosh, Madhouse, Anti-Social, I am the Law and the mosh pit favorite Indians. Not unlike Motely Cru they powered up as if they were playing an outside festival event blasting their sound so loud vocals were almost indistinguishable. No unnecessary pyro-techniques but enough lights in your face to bring on a seizure if you were prone to have one.

There is something to be said for the phrase “when the student becomes the teacher” and the poetic symmetry that ex-Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano was now second guitar in Volbeat. There is a reason headliners are headliners. They have the sound, the show and polished stage presence that just grabs the audience that justifies their standing in the line-up.

Created in 2001 from the ashes of death metal band Dominus, Volbeat captured the European music scene with its first LP; The Strength/The Sound/ The Songs particularly in their home country of Denmark. They didn’t go unnoticed on the heavy metal scene and were asked to join heavy metal Gods Metallica, Megadeath and Slayer for their monster heavy metal concert in Switzerland, followed by Canadian and America tours with Metallica.

In 2013 they released Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies the sixth LP for original bands members lead singer / guitarist / founder Michael Poulsen, bassist Anders Kjolholm, drummer Jon Larsen and now joined by veteran rocker Rob Caggiano. Touring on the strength of this album with the majority of the songs written and composed by Poulsen, giving the occasional nod to his musical hero’s Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. And if you doubt their influence in his music just check out his tattoos honoring them.

With a giant banner cowboy image on a banner dropping from the top of the rafters revealing the rockers playing Hallelujah Goat the band showed their polish. Loud, but balanced, vocals clearly audible and for good reason as Poulsen’s range is from B flat 2 to G 4 for you music aficionados. With the aid of wireless technology band members were free to roam the stage and every mic was set up for Poulsen.

As they ran through songs New Day, Warriors Call and Sad Man’s Tongue bassist Kjolholm showed his entertaining side. While all the front men engaged with the audience it was Kjolholm that got the gift of a bra thrown his way which ended up as mic stand garnish for the rest of the show.

Caggiano showed why Poulsen had snagged him from Anthrax for his guitar licks on Cadillac Blood and Guitar Gangsters. Heaven and Hell, a video favorite, only lacked the harmonica from the studio version but with its catchy beat got the pit up and crowd surfing with Poulsen, no stranger to it, starting things off. Doc Holliday and The Mirror and the Ripper rounded off the two plus hour concert closing with a powerful rendering of Still Counting.

Volbeat proved they are a heavy metal voice to be recognized.