Apocalyptica at Royal Grove in Lincoln, Nebraska on September 25, 2025.
Photos and Review by The Pit Magazine Contributor, Bob DeHart Photography
It was a great night at the Royal Grove getting to see the Finnish band Apocalyptica perform, playing an all Metallica set. First off, it was cool to be back at the Royal Grove. I had shot quite a few shows over the years there. Then, after a change in ownership, it became more of a dance club. They have started to host bands here and there again. This was my first time back in the venue in at least three years. And as a bonus, the band that I got to cover was Apocalyptica. I have listened to quite a few songs from them over the years and especially their take on some Metallica classics.
If you are not familiar with Apocalyptica, you might be surprised to hear that they are all classically trained cellists. And so all their music is performed on cello’s. Which, if you were like me, you may have been confused when I heard they loved Metallica and loved playing covers of their classics. But let me tell you this, it is pretty amazing what these guys can do on a cello. And if you don’t think that Metallica’s music will translate well on a cello, you would be wrong. Their latest album is Volume 2 all Metallica songs.
Apocalyptica is made up of cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lotjonen, and Pertu Kivilaakso. All three of them are super talented and after watching them play, you can see the passion they have for playing these instruments and also these songs. They have been recording and touring for about a decade now. Their first release was the first volume of Metallica songs. They have a great following worldwide. This was my first opportunity to be able to see them and I was pretty excited about it. They definitely did not disappoint.
A few highlights for me was Master of Puppets, Seek and Destroy, and one of my all time favorite Metallica songs, Nothing Else Matters. A surprise for me was St. Anger, which is maybe a polarizing song for most Metallica fans. But it sounded amazing and went over very well. I encourage you to give these guys a listen and check them out if you can. They are amazing musicians!
Photos by The Pit Magazine photographer, Bob DeHart Photography in York, Nebraska. ©2025.
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