In a dark room, an orchestra strikes up. Violins play a staccato melody, and as more instruments join – a horn here, a crash of drums there – blue lights overhead cast an eerie glow. By the time the music hits a triumphant crescendo, the room is finally illuminated enough to make out the crowd. There’s an expected mix of evening dresses, ball gowns, suits and tuxedos, but it’s the smattering of Meshuggah, Opeth and other miscellaneous metal shirts that give the biggest hint this isn’t your average classical concert.
We’re at the Alexela Concert Hall in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, for the first-ever performance by Bright & Black. The band are the brainchild of Jacob Hellner – best known for producing the first six Rammstein albums – and artist manager/former A&R rep Per Kviman. For 20 years, the Swedes had been discussing an idea: what if they asked well-known Scandinavian metal artists to compose original pieces of music, which would be performed by an orchestra?
