Beyond The Black-Manchester Ritz 17th January 2026
Its been 4 years since Beyond The Black were on UK shores as singer Jennifer Haben informed the crowd at Manchester Ritz, looking a tad undersold this time around(and a smaller venue) what is it with UK crowds?
With a new album âBreak The Silenceâ released itâs only proper they open up with the title track,storming number it is too. Jenniffer Haben has a fabulous voice,soft yet powerful,backed by a talented band they know how to rock.The set grips and doesnât let up,guitarists Chris Hermsdorfer a Chris Holmes/Zakk Wylde lookalike muscles hair and tattoos plus his less assuming band mate Tobi Lodes provide the riffs whilst Kai Tschersky beats the skins, strangely they donât seem to have a permanent bassist so apologies to the lively gent on this tour for not knowing his name.
Every song is tour de force of melody with Habenâs soaring vocals,stood on the stage monitor in black bodice she is sexy and commanding in presence.
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A sprinking of previous album songs fly by before a quiet interlude with electronic drums and synths of âWounded Healerâ seamlessly blending into one of my favourites from new album âRavensâ,sees Jennifer wearing large golden wings. The crowd alone are left to sing âwoah oh ohâ as the soing fades out,a fantastic anthem.
âThe Floodâ has itâs name flashing on the giant screen ,a very catchy chorus complete with electronic style backing vocal; Haben has one of the finest female voices in rock for sure.âWhere Angels Fall â sees Hermsdorfer providing growling backing vocals, a throwback to their debut album.
Up and coming melodic band no more surely destined for great things Beyond The Black end the gig on another anthem âIn The Shadowsâ before an encore featuring another great track from new album âArt of Being Aloneâ with Lords of the Lostâs part being played on the screens. A crowd singalong of âRunning to the Edgeâ and âHallelujahâ finished a great concert,hope UK sees them again before another 4 years.
Melodic Supremacy
A visually engaging concert experiecne with well crafted songs
Mark Bedford. ★★★ â