The Pumpkinheads Unite For A 40th Anniversary Celebration Tour Kickoff At The Bomb Factory On April 7th

All Live Photos By Larry Petro/Petrofyed Photography
Band Photo Credit: Mathias Bothor

As concerts go, this was truly one for the ages. Growing up, I like to think I played a role in introducing my younger brother to heavy metal—and for the most part, that holds true. Still, there were several bands he turned me on to in return: ROUGH CUTT, GRIM REAPER, and ARMORED SAINT immediately come to mind, along with the early glam/hair-era incarnation of PANTERA (yes, I go back that far). HELLOWEEN was another such discovery—though, until now, I had never had the opportunity to see them live.

Since I began contributing to KNAC.COM over 25 years ago, HELLOWEEN has remained firmly on my photography bucket list. For reasons I still can’t quite explain, the last several tours—this current run included—have bypassed Houston altogether. So when this tour was announced, and with no guarantee of how many more chances I might have to catch them live, I decided to attend opening night in Dallas at The Bomb Factory in the Deep Ellum district—a venue I’d only visited once before, back in 2018, when JUDAS PRIEST, SAXON, and BLACK STAR RIDERS shared the bill. Much like that previous experience, the venue proved exceptional in every respect, not least due to a staff that is nothing short of outstanding.

Joining the festivities on this 40th Anniversary Tour (or 42nd, if we’re being precise—but who’s counting?) was Finnish powerhouse BEAST IN BLACK, founded by former BATTLE BEAST guitarist Anton Kabanen and fronted by Greek vocalist Yannis Papadopoulos. I had previously caught the band in Houston in 2023 during their headlining run, serving as the show’s sole photographer. To this day, they remain unmatched in their willingness to engage the camera—posing, performing, and reveling in the moment more than perhaps any act I’ve photographed over the past two decades.

The band’s lineup, however, has seen some recent shifts. Longtime guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen departed mid-tour last year while BEAST IN BLACK were on the road in Europe with HELLOWEEN. Daniel Freyberg (of CROWNSHIFT and formerly CHILDREN OF BODOM) was brought in as a touring replacement alongside Kabanen. Then, in a somewhat unexpected twist, Kabanen announced—on the very morning the U.S. tour began—that he would be sitting out the run to focus on completing the band’s long-awaited new album. The decision itself was understandable; the timing, however, raised more than a few eyebrows.

Regardless, BEAST IN BLACK wasted no time asserting their presence, launching into their ten-song set with “Power of the Beast,” the title track from their 2024 release, before barreling through “Hardcore” and “Sweet True Lies.” Their seamless blend of power, pop, and electronic metal proved a perfect complement to the tour, and from the outset it was clear they were thrilled to be back on U.S. soil. The energy remained high as they tore through fan favorites like “Born Again,” “Die By the Blade,” and “Blind and Frozen,” alongside the new single “Enter the Behelit”—a track that intriguingly bridges the worlds of Diablo and the acclaimed manga Berserk—before closing with their anthemic rallying cry, “No Surrender.”

If you haven’t experienced them yet, consider this your invitation.

Setlist:

“Power of the Beast”
“Hardcore”
“Sweet True Lies”
“Born Again”
“From Hell With Love”
“Enter the Behelit”
“Die by the Blade”
“One Night in Tokyo”
“Blind and Frozen”
“No Surrender”

At precisely 7:45, following a swift stage changeover, the house lights dimmed and a roar surged through the crowd. A towering video screen at the back of the stage flickered to life, its ominous, trademark eyes slowly parting to reveal a stark, mountainous landscape. As the visual journey unfolded—album imagery crashing into the terrain while the camera swept dramatically through the scene—the PA thundered with Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You,” followed by “Interlude.” Moments later, HELLOWEEN stormed the stage, opening with “March of Time”—a perfectly chosen overture for an anniversary tour steeped in legacy.

From the outset, the band radiated joy and confidence, tearing through their set with precision and enthusiasm. “The Keeper,” the faceless, hooded figure, made his presence known via the PA to introduce the sprawling, 13-minute epic “The King for a Thousand Years,” which seamlessly gave way to “Future World,” complete with a playful nod to “Gorgar” in its intro.

What followed was a staggering two-hour-and-twenty-minute performance that traced the band’s evolution from ‘Walls of Jericho’ (1985)—with early cuts like “Heavy Metal (Is the Law)” and “Ride the Sky”—through to their latest opus, ‘Giants & Monsters’. From the latter, four tracks were showcased: “A Little Is a Little Too Much,” “Into the Sun,” “This Is Tokyo,” and “Universe (Gravity for Hearts).” As expected, ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys Parts I & II’ formed the backbone of the evening, contributing nine songs, including staples like “Eagle Fly Free,” “Dr. Stein,” and “Twilight of the Gods.”

Remarkably, for an opening night, the band was utterly flawless. Where one might anticipate the occasional misstep, none emerged. Instead, HELLOWEEN operated as a finely tuned metal machine. Guitarists Kai Hansen, Michael Weikath, and Sascha Gerstner, alongside bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble, locked in with surgical precision. Vocalists Michael Kiske and Andi Deris led the charge, engaging the audience with effortless charisma while keeping between-song banter to a minimum—letting the music speak volumes. The production was equally impressive, with expansive LED backdrops and side panels delivering vivid, dynamic visuals throughout, though it’s easy to imagine smaller venues on the tour scaling this down.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the evening was the interplay between Kiske, Deris, and Hansen. While lineup changes are commonplace in the music world, it is exceedingly rare—if not unprecedented—for multiple former and current vocalists to share the stage in such harmony, both literally and figuratively. The trio alternated lead duties with fluid ease: Deris commanding certain songs, Kiske others, Hansen revisiting his own material, and at times all three uniting in rich, layered harmonies. Their camaraderie was palpable, elevating the performance into something truly special.

Roughly two-thirds into the set, the intensity gave way to a more intimate moment as Kiske and Deris took seats at the front of the stage with an acoustic guitar for “In the Middle of a Heartbeat.” The segment opened with playful snippets of “Yesterday” by THE BEATLES and “Slip Slidin’ Away” by Paul Simon, before transitioning into “A Tale That Wasn’t Right.” The first half unfolded acoustically, gradually building as the full band rejoined for a spirited, jam-infused finale.

“The Keeper” reappeared once more to herald the climactic pre-encore performance of “Halloween,” after which the band exited to deafening chants. They soon returned for a triumphant three-song encore—“Eagle Fly Free,” “Power,” and “Dr. Stein”—before closing the night with the soaring final chorus of “Keeper of the Seven Keys.”

If there is one show to see this year, make it this one. The tour continues through May 2nd in Las Vegas, with stops in cities including Orlando, Boston, New York City, Denver, Seattle, and Inglewood.

Legacy acts would do well to take note: HELLOWEEN has set a formidable standard for how to celebrate a career. One can only hope others rise to meet it—perhaps extending beyond the increasingly common 60- to 75-minute sets and delivering something truly worthy of their own histories.

Setlist:

“Let Me Entertain You” (Robbie Williams) (PA)
Interlude (PA)
“March of Time”
The Keeper (PA)
“The King For A 1000 Years”
“Future World”
“This Is Tokyo”
“We Burn”
“Twilight Of The Gods”
The Keeper (PA)
“Ride The Sky”
“Into The Sun”
“Hey Lord!”
“Universe (Gravity For Hearts)”
“Hell Was Made In Heaven”
Drum Solo
“I Want Out”
“In the Middle Of A Heartbeat” (Deris/Kiske acoustic)
“A Tale That Wasn’t Right” (1st half Deris/Kiske acoustic, 2nd half whole band)
“A Little Is A Little Too Much”
“Heavy Metal (Is The Law)”
The Keeper (PA)
“Halloween”

Encore:

Invitation (PA)
“Eagle Fly Free”
“Power”
“Dr. Stein”
“Keeper Of The Seven Keys” (Final Chorus)

Remaining Tour Dates:

04/12/26 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
04/14/26 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
04/15/26 – Boston, MA – Citizens House of Blues
04/17/26 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square
04/18/26 – Montreal, QC – L’Olympia
04/19/26 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04/21/26 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
04/23/26 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
04/25/26 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
04/28/26 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
04/30/26 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
05/01/26 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater
05/02/26 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues

BEAST IN BLACK

HELLOWEEN