APOCALYPTICA Announces 'Plays Metallica Vol. 2' 2024 European Tour

Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA have announced a European tour in support of the follow-up to their legendary debut record. "Plays Metallica Vol. 2" tour will continue the journey that began in 1996 when cellists from Helsinki's world-renowned Sibelius Academy played symphonic tribute to the biggest of the big four — heavy metal titans METALLICA. Countless shows later, the classically-minded dynamos are returning to their roots to bring a legendary story full circle.

APOCALYPTICA says: "We call this tour 'Plays Metallica Vol. 2'. Being able to share our love for METALLICA's music with the live audience has always been and surely will be an absolutely magical experience! This time, the show is going to be next level. We can't wait to get back out there and share the fun with all of you!

"Public onsale for tickets will start Friday, February 23rd. At the moment, our Patreon members can already get tickets! So if you want to get yours early, hop on to Patreon and check out the member options.

"Since it was so much fun in Brazil and México, we will offer upgrades to regular tickets including Meet & Greets as well as some goodies. You can also get your VIP packages starting Friday 23rd. So best thing to do on this day, February 23rd, 10am CET sharp...Check out our homepage, click on your favourite date, see you soon!"

APOCALYPTICA leader Eicca Toppinen added: "It's incredible to think that after all these years our tribute to METALLICA still speaks so powerfully to people. To be able to share our love for METALLICA's music with the live audience is an absolutely magical experience. This time, the show is going to be next level, and we can't wait to get back out there and share the fun with our fans!"

In a 2019 interview with Australia's Heavy magazine, APOCALYPTICA's Paavo Lötjönen spoke about the impact of the band's 1996 "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" debut. Consisting solely of METALLICA covers, the album cast a spotlight on the group's classically trained abilities, setting the stage for them to release their own material in ensuing years. Since the 20th anniversary of "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" in 2016, APOCALYPTICA has been playing the album in full at select live dates.

"It's been really fantastic," he said about playing "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos". "If we are talking about music in common, if you listen to music you used to listen to 20 years ago, it's a weird thing somehow, it brings all the same feelings back. Like, you are feeling when we were 20 years younger. I would call music a time machine in that sense. The same happens for us when we play those songs. Somehow the same feelings come back to us when we felt like we were 25 years or 20 years old and touring with a shitty van around Europe playing venues. This time, all the venues are bigger and really portioned nice. There's lots of people, and it's not too hot and shitty on the stage. It's a lot of joy and fun to play those songs. The magic of METALLICA has not disappeared anywhere. It's still really strong and passionate music. It's a lot of fun to play. We have never played this well as we are playing at the moment. I'm happy to see we have learned something during these years."

In 2015, Lötjönen and APOCALYPTICA's Perttu Kivilaakso spoke to Austria's Mulatschag about what it was like to join METALLICA on stage at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of the band's 30th anniversary in December 2011. Perttu said: "Of course we felt very privileged being included amongst all those amazing artists. And after the thing, what we have done during our career, it has been pleasant to realize and notice that, actually, the METALLICA guys, who are the reason for us to start to do something like this, that they do respect us at least that much that they wanted us to be a part of this big celebration of their career. Of course, it was crazy. I remember that when we started to play 'One', I'm starting this song and James Hetfield is just next to me, and I'm thinking, when I was 13 years old, he was my biggest idol and now we are playing together. So it's absurd, but just natural and logical in other terms."

Added Paavo: "You know, the connection to METALLICA has been really super great all these years. We played first time as a support to them already in '96. It was actually our fifth show for a proper rock and roll audience, and we were supporting METALLICA, so it was quite crazy. And since that, we have played many times with them at same festivals and… Let me say that the connection with METALLICA is really cool and really nice."

"Plays Metallica Vol. 2" tour dates:

Jun. 08 - FI Helsinki - Ice Hall (public on sale 26.2.)
Sep. 13 - AE Dubai - [to be announced]
Sep. 19 - TR Istanbul - Zorlu PSM
Sep. 21 - SE Stockholm - Kagelbanan
Sep. 22 - NO Oslo - Rockefeller
Sep. 23 - DK Copenhagen - Amager Bio
Sep. 24 - DK Aarhus - Train
Sep. 26 - DE Hamburg - Große Freiheit 36
Sep. 27 - NL Tilburg - O13
Sep. 29 - UK Manchester - Manchester Albert Hall
Sep. 30 - UK London - Royal Albert Hall
Oct. 01 - IE Dublin - 3Olympia Theatre
Oct. 03 - UK Glasgow - SWG3
Oct. 04 - UK Nottingham - Rock City
Oct. 05 - UK Cardiff - Great Uni Hall
Oct. 07 - DE Wiesbaden - Schlachthof
Oct. 08 - DE Munich - Tonhalle
Oct. 09 - DE Cologne - E-Werk
Oct. 10 - AT Vienna - Gasometer
Oct. 11 - CZ Prague - 02 Universe
Oct. 12 - DE Dresden - Alter Schlachthof
Oct. 13 - DE Berlin - Columbiahalle
Oct. 15 - PL Krakow - Studio
Oct. 16 - PL Warsaw - Progresja
Oct. 18 - LT Palanga - Concert Hall
Oct. 19 - LT Kaunus - Zalgiris Arena
Oct. 20 - LT Vilnius - Compensa Hall
Oct. 21 - LV Riga - Arena
Oct. 22 - EE Tallinn - Alexella Hall
Nov. 11 - LX Esch Alzette - Rockhal
Nov. 12 - BE Brussels - AB
Nov. 13 - FR Paris - L’Olympia
Nov. 14 - FR Bordeaux - Le Rocher
Nov. 15 - ES Bilbao - Santana 27
Nov. 17 - PT Lisbon - LAV
Nov. 18 - ES Madrid - La Riviera
Nov. 19 - ES Barcelona - Razzmatazz
Nov. 20 - FR Marseille - Espace Julien
Nov. 21 - IT Milan - Alcatraz
Nov. 22 - CH Lausanne - Metropole
Nov. 23 - CH Zurich - Komplex
Nov. 25 - HU Budapest - Barba Negra
Nov. 26 - RO Cluj - Form Space
Nov. 27 - RO Bucharest - Sala Palatului
Nov. 28 - BG Sofia - NDK (National Palace of Culture)
Nov. 29 - MK Skopje - Jane Sandanski Sports Center
Nov. 30 - RS Belgrade - Hangar