Apocalyptica and The Hu brought their unique brands of metal to a packed crowd at The Fillmore Silver Spring on May 12.
Apocalyptica is currently touring in support of Plays Metallica, Vol. 2, an album decades in the making. This meant they skipped their original material in favor of an all Metallica setlist. They spoke about carefully curating tracks for the album and wanting to make sure each had a new interpretation. Seeing three classically trained virtuoso musicians banging out Metallica tracks would be pretty amazing already — but they truly bring their own perspective to each song. They not only offer a tribute from loving fans, but make each song their own. These are not just covers.
Another thing that makes an Apocalyptica show so special is that Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivilaakso, and Paavo Lötjönen all love being on stage. Each one has charisma and personality oozing from every pore. It’s obvious they genuinely have fun being on stage together. Its charming watching them interact with each other, and the audience is drawn in with every synchronized headbang and every smile.
Watch Apocalyptica perform Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” live for Metal Hammer Paradise on YouTube:
The Hu are like no other band in the world, crossing oceans in their sound. They simply exist outside of time and space, transporting the audience somewhere altogether new. The combination of traditional instruments and metal is powerfully affecting in ways that are hard to describe. Their visuals are just as cool, with their customized wardrobe and custom carved instruments providing fitting context for the Mongolian aspects of their sound. They also make excellent use of lighting, using color and intensity to convey mood. It all pulls from both ancient and modern to create something uniquely the Hu.
Amid recurring chants of “HU HU HU HU HU” the fans reveled in their world. This included a surprising number of young children up on boxes (all with proper protective headphones!) and dancing.
Watch the official music video for “The Men” by The Hu on YouTube:
The diverse audience was a reflection on how far reaching and universally appealing these bands are.
Here are some photos of Apocalyptica performing live at The Fillmore Silver Spring on May 12, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Katherine Gaines.
Here are some photos of The Hu performing live at The Fillmore Silver Spring on May 12, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Katherine Gaines.
