Beast In Black & Sonata Arctica in Villeurbanne

Beast In Black is a Finnish power metal band formed in Helsinki in 2015 by guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen, formerly of Battle Beast. Fronted by Yannis Papadopoulos, the band pairs heavy guitar riffs and high-register vocals with prominent synthesizers. Its catalogue includes the albums Berserker, From Hell with Love and Dark Connection, as well as songs such as “Blind and Frozen” and “Sweet True Lies.” Beast In Black joined Nightwish for European dates on the Decades: World Tour in 2018. The band later headlined the From Hell with Love Tour, followed by the Dark Connection Tour across Europe and North America. Their festival history includes performances at Wacken Open Air and Tuska Open Air.

Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power-metal band formed in Kemi in 1996. Led by singer and principal songwriter Tony Kakko, the group became known through the album Ecliptica and songs including “FullMoon,” “Replica” and “Don’t Say a Word,” combining rapid melodic metal with prominent keyboards and dramatic vocal lines. Sonata Arctica joined Stratovarius and Rhapsody on European dates in 2000, soon after the release of Ecliptica. The band later supported Nightwish on the North American leg of the Dark Passion Play tour in 2008. The Ecliptica 15th Anniversary Tour revisited the debut album in full, while the Acoustic Adventures tour presented the catalogue in acoustic arrangements. The band has repeatedly toured Germany and has mounted multi-city runs in Brazil and Mexico.