Delain - London Review

Delain are one of the most popular bands in the symphonic metal world, and their star is still rising. Unlike the majority of their peers who often perform just a token one-off show in London whenever they tour, Delain have always made the effort in the UK. This has paid dividends, and the band have a large legion of fans here, and that legion continues to grow. This European tour, supporting their fifth album Moonbathers, sees them playing some of their biggest UK headline shows to date. Their venue of choice in London has historically been the O2 Academy in Islington, a favourite of melodic metal acts, but this time they came to the beautiful old Koko venue just south of Camden. This is a venue I had only been to once before, to see Kamelot in 2010, and have been wanting to return ever since. The old theatre decor inside gives the venue a classy vibe, the sound is always very good there. It was probably a bit of a risk for them to play the Koko on this tour, but the risk paid off and the place was pretty full. I was on the floor, which was pretty much full right to the back, and there seemed to be a good amount of people on the balconies above too. Delain are seeing the fruits of their labour, with their 1970s-esque touring work ethic reaping the rewards. This was my fourth time seeing the band live, having caught them in Birmingham in 2012, and twice last year at Bloodstock Festival and in Bristol. All three of these shows were excellent, and this one in London was no different - in fact it could be the best of the lot!

Before Delain's set however, the crowd were treated to two strong support acts. Kobra and the Lotus opened the show, and played for just over half an hour. They are a band I had heard the name of before, but had never bothered to check out. This shall be rectified immediately however, as their set of melodic heavy metal impressed. Frontwoman Kobra Paige has a dynamic and captivating stage presence, and her voice reminded me a bit of Doro. She has serious power in her voice, but always sings with a melodic edge. The band were much heavier than I expected, with lots of excellent riffs and guitar solos throughout. Many of these solos were provided by session guitarist 'Shred' Sean Maier, formerly of the fantastic American 1980s-style metal band Blessed by a Broken Heart (who need to reunite!). I saw him live with BBABH back in 2010, so to see him peel off a few excellent guitar solos again was a real treat. The band's material was generally pretty strong too, with lots of big choruses throughout. They impressed me during their set, and I shall look to pick up one of their albums soon.

Up next was gloomy Swedish progressive metal legends Evergrey, a band I have been wanting to see live for a while. While I would not class myself as anything other than a casual fan of their music, their unique sound has always interested me and I had a feeling they would put on a great show. Despite this only being a support slot, they pulled out all the stops and delivered a headline-worthy performance of songs from throughout their catalogue. Unsurprisingly, five of the eight songs played were taken from the band's excellent two most recent works, with Passing Through and The Fire kicking things off. Tom S. Englund (vocals/guitar) sounds as great live as he does on record, and his passionate vocal performance was the best part about the band's set. The whole band work together so well as a unit, with the performance being more than the sum of the parts, but special mention must go to lead guitarist Henrik Danhage for some excellent soloing throughout. His solo in the closing number Kings of Errors was a display of restrained shredding, and his atmospheric solo spot before A Touch of Blessing showcased his slower, more emotional playing. This set was a taster of a full Evergrey show, and I hope they return to the UK soon so I can catch them at one of their own concerts. The setlist was:

Passing Through
The Fire
Leave It Behind Us
Black Undertow
In Orbit
Broken Wings
Guitar solo
A Touch of Blessing
King of Errors

Delain are a band that really know how to put on a good show, and the 90 minutes they were on stage whizzed by as they churned out anthem after anthem for the large crowd. Being the Moonbathers tour, new material dominated the set with seven (eight if you count the intro) songs from that album being featured throughout the evening, with songs from the all of the rest of their albums making up the rest of the show. The show started with the orchestral The Monarch, the new album's closing track, but it worked well as an intro as the band members slowly took to the stage to play along with it. Ruben Israel (drums) was the first on stage, followed by the rest and the band then exploded into the heavy Hands of Gold. Frontwoman Charlotte Wessels sounded fantastic throughout the set, and has matured into a commanding focal point for the band too. She knows how to work a crowd and her confidence and energy is infectious. This current six-piece version of the band has gelled together really well now, and are a tight live unit. The Glory and the Scum was an early highlight, with Otto Schimmelpennick van der Oije (bass guitar/vocals) adding some harsh vocals to the chorus. Old favourites, such as Get the Devil Out of Me and Army of Dolls, were thrown in to mix things up, but the new material was so well received by the crowd that everything felt like an old favourite. The band's new album is one that took a bit of time to grow on me, and hearing many of these songs live now has only improved my opinions of them. Pendulum is definitely one that sounds better live than on the album, with more energy and a thicker sound thanks to the two guitars. The delicate rock of April Rain was a great mid-set rest from the heaviness, and shows just how much heavier the band have become since their second album. Merel Bechtold (guitar) also handled the guitar solo here, something which is usually dealt with by Timo Somers (guitar/vocals) in most of the other songs. The is one thing I would like to see Delain incorporate more of now they have both Somer and Bechtold, two fantastic guitarists, in tow. More dual lead guitar riffs and solos would be a fantastic addition to the band's sound! It was two more of the new songs, Fire with Fire and Danse Macabre, that proved to own the second part of the show, and from them on it was all older classics. The Gathering is always a great live song. The chorus is one of the catchiest in the band's catalogue, and it always gets the crowd going. The main set came to and end with the oldie Pristine, with more crushing harsh vocals, and the band left to huge cheers. Despite 11pm fast approaching by this time, they managed to squeeze in a further three songs as an encore. Mother Machine and the dancey Don't Let Go were popular choices, but it was the anthemic closing number We Are the Others that elicited the biggest response of the evening with plenty of singing. The setlist was:

The Monarch
Hands of Gold
Suckerpunch
The Glory and the Scum
Get the Devil Out of Me
Pendulum
Army of Dolls
The Hurricane
April Rain
Here Come the Vultures
Fire with Fire
Danse Macabre
Sleepwalkers Dream
Stay Forever
The Gathering
Pristine
-
Mother Machine
Don't Let Go
We Are the Others

Overall, this was another fantastic evening of live music. Delain continue to get better and better live, and I predict that they will be playing bigger venues than the Koko before long. It was great to finally catch Evergrey live too, and the discovery of Kobra and the Lotus was a pleasant one. I am sure it will not be long before Delain return to the UK, and I shall endeavour to go again if it is possible.

Europe - London Review

1986 must have been a great year for music. I recently saw FM celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album Indiscreet in Nottingham and, exactly two weeks later, I was in London to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Europe's seminal hard rock album The Final Countdown. The Final Countdown is easily Europe's most important, and most defining, album. It contains the band's best known singles, including the legendary title track which literally everyone knows, and was the first album by the band to feature all 5 of the current members of the band. It also established the Swedes as a big-hitter in the American-dominated AOR market, and increased the role that keyboards played in the band's sound after two heavier albums. It is a fan-favourite album for good reason, and it is extremely consistent throughout. It would be a crime if the band did not choose to do something to celebrate this landmark anniversary of their most famous album, so when this tour was announced earlier in the year I snapped up tickets as soon as they went on sale. Europe never disappoint live, and all three of the shows I had seen previously were excellent. This anniversary tour was a shorter one that usual, with only one UK show included, but that made it all the more special and it sold out. The venue of choice was the Roundhouse, a new venue for me that is just north of Camden. I was impressed with the venue for the most part, and it was great to see a band like Europe selling out a good-sized venue like this!

Before Europe hit the stage however, the crowd was treated to a couple of support bands. Up first were fellow Swedes The Electric Boys. Despite being around in some form or another since the late 1980s, this was my first encounter with the band. I knew the name, but had never heard a note of their music before this show in London. Unfortunately, the band did little to impress. Their groovy, bluesy hard rock was very formulaic and they never really seemed to set the audience alight despite there obviously being a few fans in attendance. The majority of the songs they played just were not that memorable at all, and lacked strong melodies or standout riffs. They were only on stage for about half an hour however, so they did not outstay their welcome.

Dare, on the other hand, were very good. I have been a fan of them for a few years now and had never had the chance to see them before, so when they were announced as the main support for this show I was excited. They only had just over half an hour to play with too, so they wasted no time and started with Wings of Fire and We Don't Need a Reason, both from 1991's Blood from Stone. While the sound was never brilliant during their set, the keyboards and backing vocals were far too low in the mix, the band still impressed and made their six song set count. Home was the only new song played, and frontman Darren Wharton sounded at his best vocally here. The band's smooth, atmospheric songs suit his voice better these days, and Vinny Burns (guitar/vocals) played some fabulous guitar leads during this song. The final three songs were all from the band's debut album Out of the Silence. Singles Abandon and Into the Fire all sounded great, although more backing vocals in the mix would have really improved the stadium-sized choruses! The mellower Return the Heart brought a short, but sweet, set to and end. I am glad that I finally got to see Dare live, even if it was really only a taster. Dare toured with Europe in 1989, so this show was almost a little recreation of history! The setlist was:

Wings of Fire
We Don't Need a Reason
Home
Abandon
Into the Fire
Return the Heart

It was Europe that everyone was here to see however and their two hour set was fantastic - probably the best show of theirs I have seen so far. Europe sets are often dominated by new material, so the real nostalgia fest that this show originally promised to be would have been a strange and novel prospect. Before the complete run through of The Final Countdown however, the band treated us to a complete run through of last year's excellent War of Kings album - two albums for the price of one! Only Europe could make a tour celebrating a classic album's 30th anniversary to not be a total evening of nostalgia, and the format worked well showcasing the band's classic sound and their modern sound. War of Kings was not played in order however, and the show opened with the upbeat and hard rocking Hole in my Pocket. This is raw hard rock song, and frontman Joey Tempest was on fine form from the off posing for the cameras (this show was being filmed for a future DVD release) and spinning his microphone stand around. The early part of this half of the set was dominated by more atmospheric bluesy pieces however that really showcases John Norum's (guitar/vocals) playing. All of the songs have fantastic guitar solos, with the heartfelt Praise You standing out the most. The album is quite varied however, and sees the band tackle a lot of styles. Days of Rock 'n' Roll is almost a throwback to the band's 1980s sound, and features a prominent keyboard riff from Mic Michaeli (keyboards/vocals). His keyboards were high in the mix throughout the evening, which was great. The War of Kings album is dominated by his grinding hammond organ playing, and this helped to give the songs an extra boost live. The non-album bonus track instrumental Vasastan was played too, which became a showcase for Norum with another fantastic bluesy solo. The two songs that ended this half of the show were arguably the best however. The Zeppelin-esque Light it Up has a great riff and some fantastic vocals, before the album's title track crashed in with the Deep Purple-like organ riff and triumphant chorus. This is one of the band's best modern songs, and was a fitting way to end the modern part of the show.

Despite there being a lot of love for the band's more recent work, this show was all about The Final Countdown album however. Despite being the band's most famous album, only the title track, Rock the Night, and Carrie (and to a lesser extent Cherokee) are regulars in the band's live sets. This meant that a lot of songs were played for the first time in a while, with closing track Love Chaser having not been played live since 1987! It was strange hearing The Final Countdown halfway through a Europe concert, but it gave everyone the boost of energy that was needed after the more downbeat War of Kings material. From this point on, the show was a real party, and when the band launched into Rock the Night, full party mode had been activated. The crowd was so loud during this song, and they sung the words back at the band with real gusto as lots of classic pictures of the band from around the time of the album's release were shown on the big screens. While those songs are classics and are always enjoyable live, some of the lesser-known songs stood out more as the evening moved on. Danger on the Track was one of these, and the keyboard-heavy rocker was well-received by the crowd. Cherokee was another highlight, and is one of the album's best songs. The pulsing keyboard riff and the anthemic chorus perfectly sum up Europe's 1980s sound, and by this point the band were cruising. Even the album's weakest song, Time Has Come, sounded better live with a slightly heavier arrangement. I would say however that my overall highlight of the night has to the the penultimate song On the Loose. This song has always been the diamond in the rough on The Final Countdown, and to hear it live was a treat. It is a faster song, and features one of the band's catchiest choruses. The evening came to an end with the aforementioned Love Chaser, another extremely underrated song, and a little coda of The Final Countdown at the very end just to get the crowd to give a huge roar one more time. There was no encore, but there was no way the band could have followed the set they had just played, and this was the perfect way to end the show. The setlist was:

Hole in my Pocket
The Second Day
Praise You
Nothin' to Ya
California 405
Angels (With Broken Hearts)
Days of Rock 'n' Roll
Children of the Mind
Rainbow Bridge
Vasastan
Light it Up
War of Kings
The Final Countdown
Rock the Night
Carrie
Danger on the Track
Ninja
Cherokee
Time Has Come
Heart of Stone
On the Loose
Love Chaser/The Final Countdown

Overall, this was a fantastic evening of old and new music from one of the best melodic hard rock bands of the 1980s. The setlist was perfect in retrospect, and I am looking forward to reliving this show when the DVD is released sometime next year. The band are also planning to release a new album next year too, so I look forward to that and the touring that will inevitably go with it.

Sonata Arctica's 'The Ninth Hour' - Album Review

While traditional power metal seems to be on the decline somewhat, Finland's Sonata Arctica are a band that always manages to stay relevant. Since forming in 1995, the band have created a diverse catalogue complete with finely-crafted melodic metal songs and experimentation. Granted not all of their experiments have paid off, but they are a band that deliver the goods more often than not. Sonata Arctica were never content to stick to the rigid power metal formula, and it could be argued that their last 'true' power metal album was 2004's Reckoning Night. While all of the band's subsequent albums have contained songs that hark back to their original sound, they have also explored other avenues. They are a band that are now hard to pigeon hole, but if I had to label them I would call them simply 'melodic metal'. While they have a slight progressive bent, which gives the band their distinctive quirky sound, their songs are always focused on strong melodies. Singer, and main songwriter, Tony Kakko has definitely become one of metal's most distinct composers. His playful melodies and strange lyrical style define the band's sound, and is the thing that makes Sonata Arctica who they are despite a few different musicians passing through their ranks during their history. While the band's recent discography has been fairly solid, Sonata Arctica have not released a truly classic album since 2009's The Days of Grays. The band's last album, 2014's Pariah's Child (which I reviewed here), was an album that started off really strongly, but tailed off toward the end. Overall however, it turned out to be a solidly enjoyable album that could probably do with a bit of a reappraisal. The band's new album The Ninth Hour, which is unsurprisingly the band's ninth album, is very similar in sound and structure to Pariah's Child. Once again, the first half of the album contains many of the best songs and it does tail off towards the end. That being said, there are still plenty of interesting moments here, and Kakko has written some of his most progressive songs yet for this album. There is a song here that could easily be a contender for my favourite Sonata Arctica song for a good number of years too! As with the last album, bass guitarist Pasi Kauppinen also acts as the band's producer. His results on this album are stunning, and this is easily the best-sounding Sonata Arctica album yet with extreme sonic clarity and instrument separation. This album is also fairly heavy on the atmospheric side of the band's sound. Fewer songs than normal feature in-your-face guitar riffs or shredded solos, which gives the album a unique feel.

The Ninth Hour starts off in relatively restrained style with the quirky opening number Closer to an Animal. It is a mid-paced rocker, with buckets of groove courtesy of Kauppinen and drummer Tommy Portimo, and some of Kakko's strangest lyrics yet. This is a song that is quintessentially Sonata Arctica, and is the sort of song that only they could pull off. The drumming here dominates, wit h Portimo's vast variety of mid-paced beats giving the song real character. The melodies here are subtle, often backed up by ringing keyboard notes, and the vocals are fairly subdued. I did not like this song much on first listen, but it has improved immensely on repeated viewings, and shows the band's originality and songwriting prowess. Life is more typical of the band's earlier sound, but mixed with some of the floaty-ness of Closer to an Animal. Elias Viljanen's guitar leads in the intro are extremely uplifting, before the keyboard-heavy verse takes over and Kakko's croon is utilised. His vocals throughout this album are somewhat less bombastic and expressive than usual, which suits the album's mood, but he does let rip in the song's chorus which is the first moment on this album to really crank up the power. There is a traditional power metal instrumental mid-section here, with Viljanen and keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg both having chances to shine. The melodies throughout this song are sublime however, and this is the song I was talking about that could well be my favourite of their's for a number of years. Fairytale is heavier, opening with gothic keyboards and a crunching guitar riff that would not sound out of place on a Nightwish album. After the previous two songs, this songs comes along like a freight train and really hits the spot. Klingenberg's keyboards are all over this too, with a lengthy lead section before the vocals kick in, and huge orchestral arrangements throughout. This song has a real Reckoning Night vibe to it, with a gritty chorus and a chugging energy. Portimo's drums never let up the pace throughout, with some precise double bass drumming that is the song's rock. There is another excellent duel solo section too, and this is a song that ought to appeal to fans of the band's older sound. We Are What We Are is the album's first true ballad, and it is a great one! The low whistle skills of Troy Donockley (Iona; Nightwish) are featured here, particularly in the folky intro section. Donockley seems to be the go-to man now for folky additions to metal albums - he is extremely in demand (I hope however he still finds time to make his customary appearance on the upcoming Mostly Autumn album Sight of Day!). This is a real lighters-in-the-air moment, and easily the album's best ballad. While the chorus is pretty repetitive, it still works well and really get itself stuck in your head. Till Death's Done Us Apart is another somewhat strange song with some really 'out there' lyrics and a big mix of styles. Heavy, almost thrashy, metal sections are mixed with piano-driven vocal sections that have almost a Broadway feel to them. The song is playful and somewhat progressive, and actually ends up working very well. It is probably Kakko's best vocal performance on the album too, mixing his trademark soaring melodic style with a more laid-back lounge style to great effect.

Among the Shooting Stars is another ballad, but this one is less interesting than We Are What We Are. By this point in the album, most of the best songs have come and gone which gives this second half a bit of a half-baked feel at times. The slow crunch of the guitar drives the song, but this only serves to sound a bit monotonous. Parts of the song do shine, such as when Kakko opens his voice up a bit and sings to a strong orchestral backing during the chorus, but the rest of the song is a bit of a let down. Rise a Night has a very old-school feel. This is a fast power metal song, with some great old-school keyboard sounds and a great display in power metal drumming from Portimo. This is a song that has clearly come from their recent tour where they played their 1999 debut album Ecliptica in full, as it certainly harks back to those days but with a modern sound. It is not as good as their earlier efforts at this sound, but it is still a strong song with a lengthy guitar solo and a blood-rising pace that is rarely seen on a Sonata Arctica album these days. Those who say that they can no longer play power metal should listen to this song and be transported back to the early 2000s again! Fly, Navigate, Communicate is another strange song, but one that has grown on me a lot since first hearing it. There are some great fast sections here, but also some more progressive sections are present that showcase Kakko's modern writing style. It also a showcase for his diverse vocal style. It is a hard song to describe, so just listen to it and make up your own mind - I like it! Candle Lawns is another ballad, and this is the middle of the three. It is not as good as We Are What We Are, but it is better than Among the Shooting Stars with lots of excellent piano melodies from Klingenberg and a lengthy guitar solo. This is a very stereotypical power metal ballad, with quite a lot of drama in the vocal delivery and a large orchestral backing. Despite this familiarity, it is a strong song and one that is sure to give people a warm, fuzzy feeling when they hear it. White Pearl, Black Oceans - Part II: By the Grace of the Ocean, a sequel to the song on Reckoning Night, is over ten minutes in length but it is a song that never really seems to go anywhere. Sonata Arctica have never really made a success of the longer progressive 'epic' and this song does little to stop the rot. It feels like lots of bits of other songs pieced together with little natural flow, and I am not sure exactly what this has to do with the original song. There is a great shredded guitar solo about of a third of the way in however, and this leads into a fluid and extremely melodic keyboard solo, which is easily the highlight of the song. Sonata Arctica are much better when they stick to a more concise songwriting style, as is demonstrated elsewhere on this album. On the Faultline (Closure to an Animal) is a bit of an atmospheric re-working of the album's opening song, and works well to close the album and bookend the material here. It is different enough to make it stand as it's own song, but also has enough familiarity to act as the album's perfect coda. Overall, The Ninth Hour is a strong album from Sonata Arctica that sums up their modern sound perfectly and showcases their quirky songwriting style. The first half is certainly better than the second, but there is enough here to keep me listening on a fairly regular basis and I imagine this is an album that will only continue to sound better with each listen.

The album was released on 7th October 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Life.

Y&T - Bristol Review

Despite the fact that American hard rockers Y&T come to the UK for a fairly lengthy tour each Autumn/Winter, I had never actually seen them live before this past weekend! I think the fact that you know you will have plenty more opportunities to see a band can sometimes make you complacent when it comes to booking tickets. I had always wanted to see the band live, but with only a finite amount of funds available for gig expenses, Y&T shows always got passed over for bands that I was either: a) a bigger fan of; or b) do not come over to the UK that often. That is why this year, when the tour was announced quite a few months ago, I booked by ticket straight away! I did not want to go another year passing up an opportunity to see Y&T, as their reputation as a fantastic live band is an opinion that is pretty much universally held by rock fans. The fact they were playing in Bristol too made the decision easy, as Bristol is usually quite cheap for me to get too, and it is a nice city to visit anyway. The O2 Academy there, while not the best venue of it's kind, is certainly not a bad place to watch live music (unless the show is sold out, or close to being so). That was not the case here though and, while there was a decent amount of people in attendance, there was still plenty of space to stop things getting too cramped. I do not usually try to get to the front for gigs these days, but the sparser crowd made this easier than usual, so I made my way down to the barrier where I stayed for the entire evening. As with the Anathema show the day before, there was very little hanging around. The support band went on 15 minutes after the doors opened, and there was a very short turnaround before Y&T came on. I much prefer shows like this, as the endless hanging around can get very tedious, and it stops the evenings from being ridiculously late all the time.

The aforementioned support band was Praying Mantis, a band who originally found fame as part of the NWOBHM movement in the early 1980s, but have since become a bit of a cult band with their excellent brand of melodic hard rock. I had not seen the band since the 2013 edition of the Cambridge Rock Festival, so this was a set I had been looking forward to almost as much as Y&T's. They only had just over half an hour to play with, but they made it count with 6 hard-hitting yet melodic rock songs that seemed to impress the growing crowd. A couple of songs from last year's Legacy were included, with the opening number Fight for Your Honour being one of the set's highlights. The band have improved considerably since frontman John Cuijpers joined the band in 2013. His voice and stage presence are both great, and has the range to do the band's catalogue justice. The band's sound is characterised by lots of twin-lead guitar riffs from founding member Tino Troy (guitar/vocals) and long-time member Andy Burgess (guitar/vocals), with all of the band's songs featuring extremely melodic harmony guitar lines. The real highlight of the set however was ballad Dream On, which features a fantastic chorus, and a stunning guitar solo from Burgess. Two old songs ended the set, including the muscular Captured City, a song which featured on the hallowed 1980 NWOBHM showcase compliation album Metal for Muthas. This was a set that was far better than your average support slot, and I hope to see a full-length set from the band sometime in the future. The setlist was:

Fight for Your Honour
Panic in the Streets
Believable
Dream On
Captured City
Children of the Earth

After the short changeover , Y&T hit the stage with little fanfare, and ploughed through a two-hour set with great energy and professionalism. Their set was mostly focused on their mid-1980s albums, but there were a few songs from their latest album Facemelter thrown in for good measure. One of these songs, On with the Show, opened the show with Aaron Leigh's (bass guitar/vocals) bass riff before it morphs into a real hard rock anthem with a big chorus. Y&T are a very uncomplicated band, with simple, riff-based, songs, but they are songs that are made to be heard live. Sole-founding member Dave Meniketti (vocals/guitar) is the star of the show throughout. His voice still sounds as good as it did in the 1980s, and he takes the vast majority of the evening's guitar solos and shows off what a fantastically underrated player he is. Lots of well known songs came early on with Lipstick and Leather, Dirty Girl (which was drawn out with solos from both Meniketti and John Nymann (guitar/vocals)), and Mean Streak all impressing. Songs from the band's late-1980s AOR-influenced period were also included. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was one of those featured, but without the keyboard backing that the album version had it felt a little flat. This was unfortunately the case for all of songs from that part of the band's discography, with the band's tough live sound overpowering the songs' melodies. The lack of volume in the backing vocal department did not help either. The band's earlier songs, and more recent numbers, all sounded fantastic however. Winds of Change and Black Tiger were both highlights of the middle part of the show, before a slightly re-arranged version of a personal favourite Midnight in Tokyo was played. I liked the new arrangement, with the slower introduction, and there was plenty of singing from the crowd at this point. Another song that was drawn out for guitar pyrotechnics was the ballad I Believe in You which saw Meniketti launch into a soaring and emotionally-charged solo that went on for quite a while. At my position on the barrier, I could take in every note of this solo, and that made it even more special. Unfortunately fan favourites Contagious and Summertime Girls suffered the same fate as Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and did not hit the spot as they really should do. I understand that the band have reverted back to their heavier early 1980s sound these days, but maybe some basic programmed keyboards would help these few songs live? The set came to an with Rescue Me and I'm Coming Home, which were both fantastic and helped to end the set on a real high. Despite being on stage for nearly two hours by this point, there was still time for a couple more. Open Fire was a surprise with it's heavy riff and powerful chorus, before another fan favourite Forever was played to a huge cheer before the band took their final bows and left the stage, bringing another European tour to an end. The setlist was:

On with the Show
Lipstick and Leather
Don't Stop Runnin'
Dirty Girl
Mean Streak
Don't Bring Me Down
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Winds of Change
Blind Patriot
I'll Keep on Believin' (Do You Know)
Black Tiger
Midnight in Tokyo
Down and Dirty
Hang 'em High
I Believe in You
Contagious
Drum solo
Summertime Girls
Rescue Me
I'm Coming Home
-
Open Fire
Forever

My first live Y&T experience was a positive one, and this was one of the best honest rock 'n' roll shows I have seen in a while. I shall definitely look to see the band again next time the come to the UK, as their reputation seems to be more than justified. I met three members of Praying Mantis at the merch desk after the show too, and got them to sign my copy of Legacy and one of their setlists which was given to me by one of the crew after their set!

Anathema - Cardiff Review

There are not really any bands that I can think of that sound like Anathema. Since forming in 1990, the rockers from Liverpool have morphed many times, taking on new sounds and influences - and have become one of the country's best loved alternative bands. These days, Anathema are firmly in the 'progressive rock' camp, with complex songwriting and huge atmospherics at the forefront of their sound. Influences are also taken from modern alternative rock, electronica, and metal, and these sounds are all woven seamlessly together to create Anathema's unique brand of soaring and emotional music. With a new album on the cards for next year, the band decided to arrange a UK tour to road-test some of this new material. The venues chosen for this tour were smaller than those the band would usually play, and the intimate setting really brought the best out of the band. This sort of music is supposed to be in your face and emotionally hard-hitting, and the confines of the smaller venues certainly helped this fact. These shows were also billed as 'Evenings With...', which meant there were no support bands at any of the gigs, with the band opting to play a two hour headline set instead. I chose to go to The Globe in Cardiff, which was the second night of the tour. This was a new venue for me, and it one I hope to return to. Despite being slightly outside of the main city, the 350 capacity venue was great, with a decent-sized stage that was not crammed into a corner, and even a small balcony. I was near the front for the entire show, but it strikes me that you would probably have a great view of the band wherever you chose to stand. Despite some early sound issues that affected the first couple of songs, the sound throughout the evening was excellent. It was so clear, which is exactly what is needed for Anathema's complex and multi-layered music. With the venue opening at 8pm, and Anathema hitting the stage at 8:30pm, this made for an efficient evening. So many venues leave you hanging around for ages before the music starts (and then again between bands) and it was refreshing to have very little waiting time here.

To go with this theme of efficiency, there was little fanfare throughout the show either. The band came on stage and immediately went into their first number, which was one of the four new ones played, Gotyou To (which I assume is a working title, as that is a horrible name for a song!). In true Anathema style it was a bit of a surprise, with little of the atmospherics that has characterised their more recent work. Jamie Cavanagh (bass guitar) drove the song with a powerful bassline, and Vincent Cavanagh (vocals/guitar/keyboards/percussion) delivered one of his trademark passionate vocal displays. It was quite a short song, and some sound issues definitely affected it, so I do not feel able to form an opinion on it. Sound issues affected about half of Untouchable - Part 1 too, with everything just sounded extremely quiet. Suddenly however, the PA seemed to really come to life and full volume was restored. From this point onward, the show was stunning. I had only see Anathema once before, which was an acoustic show at Exeter Cathedral last year which was fantastic, but to finally see the band at full power and strength was something to behold. Untouchable - Part 2 followed with Lee Douglas (vocals) duetting perfectly with Vincent as main songwriter Daniel Cavanagh (guitar/keyboards/vocals) played the piano. Many of the band are multi-instrumentalists, with the Cavanagh brothers (besides Jamie) swapping between guitar and keyboards throughout, and John Douglas (drums/percussion) and Daniel Cardoso (keyboards/drums) constantly moved around the stage to perform different roles. An early highlight was the Lee-lead Ariel from the band's most recent album, before another new number Springfield really wowed the crowd. This was more familiar territory for the band, with both Vincent and Lee performing vocals, all underpinned by Daniel's spacey guitar melodies. The Storm Before the Calm is a song that really comes alive when played live, with Vincent and Cardoso both providing keyboard duties, while Jamie's bassline adds the slightly funky edge to the electronic cacophony created by the keyboards.

Another song which highlights the band's electronic side is Closer. This saw Vincent again behind the keyboards, and singing with some really strange effect on his voice. It is such a unique song, that descends into near-metal riffing at one point, and one that definitely needs to be heard live to reach it's full potential. The band briefly left the stage at this point, although it was not for an encore as Firelight played over the PA and they soon returned to play the juggernaut Distant Satellites. This is a fantastic song, and one of the best numbers from their most recent album. It is a real vocal showcase for Vincent who uses the really delicate side of his voice for a lot of it. It was one of only two songs from that album played however (not counting Firelight) with the majority of the setlist being culled from Weather Systems and We're Here Because We're Here, along with some others including the new numbers. The final two new songs followed, and again they were two quite different beasts. The first, Bricks, was a guitar-driven and slightly punky upbeat rocky number which had a different kind of energy to that which the band usually have. This was more of a primal rock song, foregoing much of their complex layers of sound, but it still worked well and shows a bit of a different side to the band. The second, The Optimist, was dense and emotional ballad which would have fit right at home on any of the band's more recent albums. It seems Anathema are going to give us both familiar and different material on their next album, and hearing these four work-in-progress tasters makes me look forward to hearing the album when it comes out next year. The final two songs played were both real fan-favourites. The bluesy A Natural Disaster is Lee's real vocal showcase, and it has become an ever-present addition to the band's live set. It always goes down well live, and she sings it perfectly. Closing the evening was a raucous version of Fragile Dreams, the only 'old' song the band seem to still play live on a regular basis. It is built around an excellent guitar lead, and the chorus is a real sing-a-long moment which had the sold-out crowd singing it back at the band with real passion. I brought a fantastic evening of live music to a triumphant end and the crowd called for more well after the house lights had come back on! The setlist was:

Gotyou To
Untouchable - Part 1
Untouchable - Part 2
Thin Air
A Simple Mistake
Ariel
Springfield
The Storm Before the Calm
The Beginning and the End
Universal
Closer
Firelight
Distant Satellites
Bricks
The Optimist
A Natural Disaster
Fragile Dreams

Finally getting to see a full-blown electric Anathema show was something I had been wanting to see for quite some time, so to finally get to see one in a small venue was fantastic. I am sure this will be one of the highlights of my gigging year come next month, and I really look forward to hearing the new album next year. Luckily I do not have long to wait before seeing the band again, as they are supporting Opeth at Wembley Arena in a couple of weekends time!

Opeth's 'Sorceress' - Album Review

Opeth are one of those bands that, despite owning nearly all of their albums, I do not think I have ever really 'got'. Some days I am really in the mood to listen to them, and I love their work; and on other days an Opeth album is the last thing I want to hear. They are the ultimate 'mood' band, but when you are in the mood for them they can truly hit the spot like no other band. The Swedes are easily one of the biggest modern progressive bands, and have built up a large global fanbase by relentless touring and releasing a huge array of diverse and challenging albums that attract those who like something a little different. For the majority of their career, Opeth's sound was defined by extreme use of dynamics and light and shade. Long, complex progressive metal songs containing a melting pot of influences, mainly death metal and progressive rock, was the band's trademark, although hints of blues, jazz, and folk were all a regular part of the band's sound. Vocalist, guitarist, and main composer Mikael Åkerfeldt, Opeth's sole founding member in the band's current line-up, has become known throughout the metal world for his extremely diverse vocal range. It was not uncommon for him to use both brutal death growls and gorgeous clean vocals in the space of the same song, which helped to link all of the band's influences together. Since 2011's Heritage, the band's tenth album, Åkerfeldt decided he wanted to take Opeth in a new direction. Gone were the death metal sections, and instead he chose to focus on the progressive rock side of the band's sound, with organic keyboards and fuzzy drums included to produce a retro sound. This has been Opeth's way ever since, which has been divisive in the band's notoriously precious fanbase, but has also opened the band out to a wider audience. Åkerfeldt's love of bands like Camel, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Gong have been clear on recent works, and Sorceress, the band's twelfth album, is the culmination of the retro prog sound Åkerfeldt has been chasing since Heritage. While being noticeably heavier overall than Heritage and 2014's Pale Communion, with some great doomy riffs clearly inspired by early Black Sabbath, Sorceress really sticks to the retro prog ideals. Keyboardist Joakim Svalberg, now on his second album with the band, is all over this album. His grinding hammond organ lines help to drive the entire album and he often steals the show, especially when he gets to cut loose with solos to rival those of Keith Emerson. It is his contributions that really enhance that prog sound, and he comes into his own here. Incidentally, this the first Opeth album since 2005's Ghost Reveries to not be released via Roadrunner Records, with the band opting to go with Nuclear Blast this time around. Roadrunner have lost two big bands recently, with Alter Bridge jumping ship as well, so it makes you wonder why a label would want to loose bands of Opeth's stature!

The album is bookended by two short instrumentals. Persephone starts things off with delicate guitar melodies, and the spoken word section from Pascale Marie Vickery adds a strange and slightly ethereal quality as the shimmering keyboards join in. This leads nicely into the first 'proper' song on the album, which happens to be the title track, which takes a sudden turn into jazz-fusion territory with discordant keyboard melodies that intertwine playfully with Martín Méndez's fat bassline. This does not last too long however, and a doomy, chugging riff introduces the verse and Åkerfeldt's vocals. His clean vocals these days have much more grit and weight behind them then they did in the band's early days when the clean vocals were used in contrast with his death growls. His cleans are now his exclusive voice on new Opeth albums, and he showcases a much greater range than previously. The song has a very old-school vibe, with hammond organ often dominating the sound, as the two guitars and the bass chug away below in simplistic fashion. The ending of the song is fantastic, with a soaring keyboard riff that sounds like something that could have been on any classic Emerson, Lake & Palmer album! The Wilde Flowers is, on the surface, a much simpler after the meandering title track. The main verse moves along at a mid-pace, with stabs of guitar and hammond organ, recalling classic Deep Purple. Eastern melodies are also included, with plenty of snaking guitar lines for Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson to sink their teeth into. It has the album's most obvious choruses too, with some surprisingly catchy vocal melodies from Åkerfeldt that soar above the majestic music below. The album's first true guitar solo is also included too. I presume this is Åkesson's handiwork, as he seems to take the lion's share of the band's guitar solos these days, really lets rip with some chaotic shredding that works in great contrast to the methodical crunch of the rest of the song. Will O the Wisp is a great bit of acoustic folk rock that comes in after the previous two heavier songs to show off the delicate side Opeth have always had. This is very reminiscent of Songs from the Wood-era Jethro Tull, and the keyboard sounds used here even evoke the sound and feel of a flute at times! Åkerfeldt sings these sort of songs perfectly, and with a voice like this it is clear to see why he has taken a step back from harsh vocals. Floaty sections of lead guitar occasionally break out, especially during a spacey prog section towards the end, but the song is mainly focused around the vocals. This is a very uncomplicated song on an album that generally takes many twists and turns, and that makes it stand out even more. Chrysalis breaks the serene mood with Martin Axenrot's drum flurry, before launching into a fast song with an urgent verse led by a riff that would seem thrashy if it was not for the warm guitar tones. There is a large focus on the instrumental side of the band's playing throughout, with plenty of solo sections for all involved. That being said, the vocals are still very memorable, with some of the strongest vocal melodies on the album. It is one of the best songs on the album due to this excellent mix of strengths, and the guitar/keyboard duel that takes place part-way through and is pretty breathtaking at times. It recalls those classic moments between Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord in Deep Purple, with all the musicians playing off each other perfectly and adding their own tastes and colours to the song. After this excitement, it slowly fades out with repeating lyrics which works well to end a great song.

Sorceress 2 is another largely acoustic number, but fails to hit the spot like Will O the Wisp did. It seems strangely placed, as not much time as passed since the last acoustic song, and might have had more impact if it was moved to a later spot in the album's running order. I am not sure why it is called Sorceress 2 either, as it does not seem to have any lyrical or musical similarities with the album's title track, maybe it was just to be quirky? It has quite a nice haunting atmosphere throughout, helped by some really cold-sounding keyboards, but it just falls a little flat in comparison with what has come before. The Seventh Sojourn also starts off acoustically, but some tribal percussion soon joins in and the song gradually builds up over time. The Eastern melodies that the band experimented with earlier in the album are back in force here, and the song has a very Arabic feel throughout. It is also largely instrumental, which gives you a chance to focus on what is going on musically throughout. Méndez's bass guitar is surprisingly high in the mix here, and helps to dominate at times with rumbling notes that act almost as percussion to add weight to the jangly myriad of acoustic guitars dancing beneath. A spacey vocal section kicks in towards the end, with delicate piano lines and Åkerfeldt's vocals which have a strange effect on them. It sounds like something The Enid would do, and feels really strange after the Eastern instrumental workout. The song then moves seamlessly into Strange Brew, which opens with piano and Åkerfeldt's delicate vocals once more. The song's intro is very classic prog, with layers of keyboard coming in a out, and subtle guitar leads making whale-like noises for effect. A gorgeous clean guitar takes over, but this is soon blown out of the way by Axenrot crashing the party with his whirlwind drumming and the album starts to rock again. The album has sat in acoustic/mellow territory since Chrysalis, so it is a bit of a shock when this section kicks in and the band ramp up the gears once more. Both Åkerfeldt and Åkesson get a chance to solo by the sound of it, with two lengthy guitar solos following one after the other, with a pulsing hammond riff below for a grinding backing. This song has the feel of classic Opeth, without the death metal elements of course, as it continually changes between heavy rock sections and more delicate piano-led moments. It is the album's longest song too, at well over eight minutes long, and is one that really grows on you over multiple listens. Any old-school Opeth fans who are suspicious of the band's newer sound should give this song a go, as it contains all of the band's classic trademarks. A Fleeting Glace opens with a renaissance, Greensleeves-esque guitar melody, before a harpsichord melody takes over to play a staccato riff that, when paired with Åkerfeldt's mirroring vocal melodies, ends up sounding a bit like Supertramp. The song mostly sits in the 'floaty prog' camp and is never particularly heavy. There are occasions where the guitars are ramped up, but on the whole it has a very laid back feel. This is a great contrast to the album's penultimate song Era which is pretty furious and heavy throughout. Although it opens with piano, it is not long before the song's main riff hits you like a hammer and Axenrot's slightly off-beat drumming hits you from the other side! The result is quite confusing at first, as the two do not seem to fit together, but Opeth manage to make it work. Despite this, the song is pretty simple by the album's standards, and helps to end the album with a easily digestible bang. The album ends, as it began, with Persephone (Slight Return), although this time with piano rather than guitar, and things come full circle. Overall, Sorceress is a triumphant piece of work from a band I have never fully 'got' but nevertheless have a huge respect for. This is easily my favourite of their 'classic prog' releases, combining the best of Heritage and Pale Communion for some excellent results. The album artwork is fantastic too!

The album was released on 30th September 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Sorceress.

Epica's 'The Holographic Principle' - Album Review

With the exception of Nightwish, there is no symphonic metal band out there more popular than Epica (Within Temptation are excluded from this as they are not really a symphonic metal band these days!). Since forming in 2002, the Dutch band have been perfecting their over-the-top, heavy brand of symphonic metal that includes plenty of influences from death metal and progressive music. While the band have never made a drastic departure from the basic sound that has been in place since their 2003 debut album The Phantom Agony, each album does tend to have a slightly different identity driven by intertwining lyrical themes. The theme behind The Holographic Principle, the band's seventh album, is similar to that of the band's previous opus, 2014's The Quantum Enigma (which I reviewed here), and could be seen as a natural companion to that album. Much of the band's previous work has been more focused around more 'romantic' tops, with the Mayan civilisation and questioning the existence of God being a couple of examples. This album deals more with reality and how we view the universe, often with slightly science-fiction leanings, which follows on from The Quantum Enigma's themes. As I said at the time, The Quantum Enigma was a big step forward for the band as far as production goes. Gone was the overly-compressed style of long-term producer Sascha Paeth, something which I felt had really hampered 2012's Requiem for the Indifferent, and in it's place was a bright and bombastic production courtesy of Joost van den Broek. For me at least, van den Broek's work with Epica was a revelation. Paeth was in a bit of a rut generally, with many albums he had had a hand in around the same time as Requiem for the Indifferent had extremely flat and compressed productions, and Epica were wise to step away and seek someone else's services. Paeth has upped his game again since, and his more recent works have sounded better, but van den Broek is clearly the man for Epica now. He returns again here and, in sound as well as theme, The Holographic Principle is a great companion piece of The Quantum Enigma. As with all of Epica's albums, the band have introduced a few new little sounds into the mix while sticking firmly to their successful and signature formula. More electronic sounds seem to be used this time around, with futuristic synths mixing in well with the more traditional orchestral and piano sounds. There is even a song here that has a real classic rock groove, and it is these little changes that help to keep the band sounding fresh. On a final note before I get into the review proper, this is the band's first album where founding member Mark Jansen has not been credited for playing guitar on the album, only for his trademark harsh vocals. He still plays guitar live, and still seems to have a strong hold over the band's songwriting and thematic direction, so it seems strange that he chose to hand all guitar duties over to Isaac Delahaye this time around? It makes no real difference to the album's overall sound however, it was just interesting to read in the album's sleeve notes!

As with all of Epica's albums (and, in fact, the vast majority of symphonic metal releases) The Holographic Principle starts off with an orchestral instrumental. Eidola is the piece here, and helps to set the tone for the album with dramatic orchestrations and some beautiful vocals from a young child. This leads nicely into Edge of the Blade, one of the album's 'singles' and a song that will instantly be a hit with Epica fans due to it's recognisable style. A synth riff sits atop a snarling prog metal riff, before a groove-based verse introduces Simone Simons' angelic vocals once again. Her performance here is fairly restrained by her standards, before really letting rip in the powerful chorus backed by Jansen's growls. The song is instantly memorable, and is destined to become the band's latest concert opener. It has everything that is great about Epica's sound crammed into four and a half minutes, with a heavy focus on Delahaye's technical riffing. A Phantasmic Parade is more of a mid-paced piece, that opens with some plucked strings before exploding into a grinding rhythm and a verse that sees Simons use the higher end of her vocal register while a three-note melody repeats to great effect. Drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek is the song's principle composer, which makes the focus on rhythm here more obvious. The drum patterns are varied too, especially during the verses which have an off-kilter technicality to them, but is the the flat-out death metal section late on complete with blast beats that really shows off his skills. Universal Death Squad, the first song released from the album online a few months ago, was a great introduction to the overall themes and sound of the album. A great groove-based riff sits over a fast drum pattern, which acts as a great contrast, and Coen Janssen's synths and gorgeous orchestrations soon join the party to add more layers of melody. This is another microcosm of Epica's entire sound, with strong choral-led vocal sections, and one of the album's best choruses with a snaking vocal melody from Simons that sits atop Delahaye's staccato riffing. The song is consistently pretty heavy but a grinding slower section later in the song, complete with Jansen's powerful harsh growls, amps up the 'metal' before a speedy section complete with classical piano runs shows the band's diversity. There is even a short guitar solo thrown in, and all of this is in the space of little over a minute. If someone was to ask me what Epica sounded like, I would direct them to this song, as I feel it perfectly sums up the band's raison d'être. Divide and Conquer shows the simpler and atmospheric side of Jansen's songwriting with a lengthy orchestral intro and plenty of choral sections throughout. The progressive elements are paired back somewhat, and a call-and-response verse between Simons and Jansen provides some early crunch. The guitars are more a background instrument here, which is more reminiscent of the band's early works, which lets the orchestrations and vocal melodies shine through. Simons' chorus vocals are particularly strong, with a surprising lack of other interfering melodies to compete with. This song definitely has an old-school Epica vibe, which shows how far the band has come musically without ever making any dramatic changes in their sound. The political soundbites used, including a rather rousing one from former British Prime Minister David Cameron, also hark back to the band's early work. Beyond the Matrix is a real mish-mash of different sounds, but the influences meld together and manage to create something cohesive. The choral intro is typical of the band's sound, but the verse comes out of left-field with Rob van der Loo's bass dominating and Simons delivering the vocals with a real classic rock strut. The choral intro also forms the song's chorus, but it is the verses and the build up to these chorus sections that show the band at their most creative. Simons uses her full range her and shows considerable depth in her performance, going from uncharacteristically warm, low vocals, to higher notes within the space of a few words.

So far, The Holographic Principle has been a pretty relentlessly heavy affair. The changes on Once Upon a Nightmare, which is a ballad in the band's traditional style. Epica have always done strong ballads along side their heavier material. Janssen is the band's principle ballad writer, and his piano dominates here, as well as a varied vocal display from Simons with some parts of her delivery sounding almost like whispers, which works really well. She also unleashes her full-on operatic voice at some points, which fit perfectly alongside Delahaye's soaring guitar leads that come in at the same time. The pairing creates quite an emotional sound, and is the start of the song moving into heavier territory. It never totally leaves it's ballad routes however, and the song moves between heavier and quieter sections with ease. Janssen's piano and synths are always the dominant instrumental however, and shows what he brings to the band. The Cosmic Algorithm is probably the first song on the album that fails to really connect with me. After the diverse and strong material that has come before, this song does not have the wealth of hooks or melodies that the others have. Simons turns in a great vocal performance however, but the music is flatter and less interesting than other songs on this album. Ascension - Dream State Armageddon picks up the quality with a really strong mid-paced heavy song that showcases Jansen's harsh vocals. His vocals are often used more in the background, or on heavier breakdown-type sections of songs, but here he has more a staring role with big sections of the verses dedicated to him. Simons' operatic voice is used again here to great effect, and gives the chorus some real class. The song's mid-section is almost symphonic black metal, with van Weesenbeek's blast beats (he also contributes some eerie spoken word parts) and gothic orchestrations which fit perfectly with Jansen's howls. Dancing in a Hurricane is another instantly catchy song, but this time the band use some strong Middle Eastern influences to create some fantastic melodies. The opening has a very percussive feel, with tablas and other ethnic percussion used to great effect, and the orchestrations and guitar melodies also add to this feel. The song takes a while to build up, using Simons' voice to help grow the sound, but when the song explodes into the chorus it really begins to hit home. It is one of the most instantly powerful songs on the album, driven by that percussive feel and the triumphant chorus. There are heavier sections too, with harsh vocals, but this song is all about Simons really, and showcases her unique vocal talents. Tearing Down the Walls is a song that sounds quite different from anything the band have done before, yet it is hard to say why that is the case as there is nothing obviously radically different! Jansen's vocals again dominate, which is possibly why, but I think it comes down to the fact that the melodies are slightly out of keeping with the band's usual style. It works well though, and Simons sounds freed during certain parts, using bits of her voice that are not on show too often. As is usual with Epica albums, The Holographic Principle ends on an epic song. It is the album's title track that provides the album's final entertainment, and has everything you would want from a prog epic and more. As you would expect, the song moves through many different sections, but keeps returning to a great heavy riff with Jansen's devilish vocals atop it. Everything including Gregorian choirs, atmospheric guitar solos, and beautiful vocals from Simons are present here, and this is probably my favourite epic from the band since the title track of 2005's Consign to Oblivion. It is extremely melodic and memorable despite it's length, and is the perfect way to end the album. Overall, The Holographic Principle is another excellent album from one of the biggest creators of symphonic metal. They are a band that continues to deliver and showcase all of their strengths on this latest opus.

The album was released on 30th September 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Edge of the Blade.