So this has happened. People need to decide what they chose to see today. Queensrÿche and Manowar play 550 meters from each other and, I assume, both suffer from this fact. I am choosing the lesser evil, despite the fact that I would love to see Michael Angelo Batio shred. But today’s choice is clearly Queensrÿche.

Night Demon are opening tonight. The stage looks cool, quite a big backdrop, but the venue looks empty and it is so even while the second floor is closed. Three minutes before the stage time a loud intro gets started, and strangely it is a Night of the Demon song by the Demon band. Night Demon must be very much into demons, I get it, but it is a strange choice to start a show with a song of another band. Then the lights are off, and the real intro is on.

First the drummer and then the rest of the band jumps onstage. V-guitar and V-bass, a lot of hall reverb on vocals, and energy, energy! For those of you who have not heard them live, it is a mix of everyone’s favourites. My first association is Metallica’s version of Helpless from the Garage days, such a lively thrash-heavy. Armand John Anthony is running around with guitar and delivers solos and back-vocals when he is around his mic. I note that it must be someone else hidden who does the effects and wah (despite Arnand having a huge pedalboard on his corner), - running and delivering a solo with wah on a stand in another corner looks very effective! After a number of songs I would associate the act with W.A.S.P. that have changed vocalist to someone who is really into Iron Maiden. The set is not short for a warm-up band, and the fellows do not have any breaks, which I enjoy the most. A very powerful act that knows how to play tasty.

Queensrÿche show a gigantic logo on the backdrop. It is the main act, so it will for sure be louder. I note Kemper and mission engineering, - since I am one of those who also comes to check the equipment. There is a delay, they should have started playing already, but it is not there yet. Then out of a sudden, a very loud Pantera Walk intro is on. What a strange day, - why would you use Pantera’s best song as an intro, - how do you compete with it during your set? Then a real intro is on, and Queensrÿche headed by Todd La Torre in sunglasses are onstage. If you are thinking cliches and what rock stars should look like, search no more - these guys check all the boxes.

Michael Wilton standing on the right from a spectator's perspective is a bit low in the mix, but in general the sound is very pleasing. The drums have this very nice sound from the 80th, while being quite sharp.

The first thing that strikes is how perfect the vocals are. You might like them or not, but the mastery is unmatched. Perfectly hit notes come back with the well-set delay time supporting the groove. Oslo’s Rockefeller club is not particularly sunny, so on the second song the sunglasses are off.

Eddie Jackson (bass) does the backing vocals and it sounds like he could front a band as well - sounds especially good when Todd and himself sing in intervals. The third song Blinded starts without a count in, I like how well-thought all the transitions are. There are more and more people in the venue, which is pleasing.

A lot of the usual suspects are being played, but for those not being fans of the band, nothing from the set really stands out. You have some great experience and have a chance to fly back in time, which is an awesome nostalgia pill, but I think, one really needs to be into the band to enjoy it to the full extent.