Edge of Paradise - Plymouth Review

Last Tuesday I went down to Truro to catch what turned out to be an excellent show by Jethro Tull at the Hall for Cornwall. It is always nice to go to a gig that I can return home to afterwards - so it is perhaps fitting that yesterday, which was also a Tuesday, I headed out for some more local live music. A drive to Truro was not even necessary this time, as the destination was the ever-reliable The Junction in Plymouth - a much-loved small venue just on the edge of the main city centre on Mutley Plain. I always enjoy a trip to The Junction, largely as it is about a 10 minute walk from my house, but it is also just a good venue to visit - with a decent stage area, sound system, and just general space and feel for a venue of its size. I have lived in Plymouth for over 10 years now, and have been to The Junction quite a few times - and it is the sort of venue that can sometimes attract bands of a surprising size. This was not really the case last night, but I cannot say that I expected a band like Edge of Paradise to play at the venue - especially as part of a three-night UK headline run which also included shows in London and Newcastle. The American band did not come over to Europe just to play three rather random UK headline shows - as Edge of Paradise have also been over in Europe, both in a headline capacity and also opening for Visions of Atlantis. I am not sure if the band had visited the UK before, but I know that Monday's London show was the band's first headline show in the UK - which means that last night's Plymouth show was their second. I was familiar with Edge of Paradise in name only when, a few months ago, last night's show was announced. I had seen them mentioned in reviews and had seen them on tour posters before - and I had wrongly assumed that they were either a symphonic metal band or a power metal band. Whilst they certainly take some influence from both, particularly the latter, I soon discovered Edge of Paradise to be something a bit different - despite what their band photos and album covers would suggest. Formed around frontwoman Margarita Monet and guitarist Dave Bates, Edge of Paradise have been around since 2011 and have released six albums. I have heard the most recent three, but I would not call myself an Edge of Paradise expert by any means - and I am still, even after seeing them last night, not quite sure what to make of them. The band's sound is quite unique, as it mixes elements of both symphonic metal and power metal with more of a harder rock edge, occasional industrial moments, and possibly even the occasional nu-metal adjacent riff. There is a real mix of atmosphere and toughness in the band's sound, then, with Monet's voice being quite different to your average symphonic metal or power metal singer. She definitely has a grittier, but poppier, approach which suits the band's sound - and she has quite a range. I find the band's overall sound to be a bit strangely abrasive at times, but then I have also found songs that I quite like - so I am yet to make up my mind. Regardless, it was good to get the opportunity to see them locally. Bands of this ilk rarely headline outside of London, although that has started to slowly change in more recent times, so I always want to support the scene. I think that it is fair to say that last night's Plymouth show was not all that well attended - with the turnout being pretty much what I thought it would be for a pretty unknown rock/metal band in the UK on a Tuesday night here in Plymouth.

There was one support act to warm the crowd up before Edge of Paradise's set, with the Cornwall-based four-piece The Phantom Division playing for around 45 minutes. Delivering a much more synth-heavy sound than the main event, The Phantom Division play a brand of music which largely mixes 1980s synth music with heavy metal. Thrashy metal riffs and occasional shredded solos sat quite nicely alongside dancing drum beats and sparkling disco synths - although the main focal point was the saxophone and woodwinds played throughout. The guitar was rarely a lead instrument, aside from the occasional solo or melody, with the sultry saxophone leads and lengthy solos largely leading the way. The mix of sounds was quite different from the norm, then, but largely everything seemed to come together quite well. The main disappointment was that the band's frontman was pretty much always quite low in the mix - and I was not convinced that he was all that strong a vocalist in any case. His cleaner vocals felt a bit on the weak side, but he did sound more powerful when he went for a slightly gruffer delivery. He could not always be heard that clearly, which may not have helped, but I would recommend focusing on a gruffer delivery more often going forward - as that side of his voice seemed to suit the band more. Quite a lot of the set was instrumental, too. I think at least a couple of bona fide instrumentals were played, but even the vocal-led songs had quite long instrumental passages - largely filled by the aforementioned saxophone. These were probably some of the best moments of the set - and it is always good to experience something new, as The Phantom Division seemed quite original overall. They are not really the sort of band that I would listen to at home, but live there were a fun prospect - even if their overall mix was not the best at representing every facet of their sound.

The changeover between the two bands happened at a pretty leisurely pace. For a while it seemed as if Edge of Paradise were in no hurry to get going - but then everything came together and the five-piece took to the stage, and delivered a strong 13-song set that lasted just over an hour. All of the songs played, with the exception of one stand-alone single, came from the band's last three albums - so I was largely familiar with what was included. Kicking off with the up-tempo Prophecy Unbound, the band brought something of a bigger stage show to The Junction - with Monet wearing a pretty impressive spiked armour-like outfit which lit up at times. The sound mix had also levelled itself out by this point, and Monet was generally pretty high in the mix. I did think that Alex Nasla (keyboards) could have been a bit higher in the mix at times - but the rhythm section and the dry crunch of Bates' guitar ensured that the band's poppy and danceable grooves filled the room. Despite the small crowd, those who had made the effort were certainly appreciative of the band coming to Plymouth. The crowd often sounded larger than it was - and it was likely that some had travelled to catch a band that rarely appear in the UK. The band did not seem all that disappointed with a smaller turnout, either, and just seemed happy that anyone had turned up - with Monet just seeming like she was having a great time throughout. Throughout the next hour or so, then, the band's quite varied sound was put through its paces. Much of the set was fairly up-tempo, as Hologram showcased, but there were also heavier moments such as the riffier Soldiers of Danger - which saw Monet adopting a slightly screechier vocal style at times to fit in with the tougher riffing. The band are also capable of slowing things down, too, and there is certainly a strong atmospheric side to their sound - as Dark was quite an early example of. Songs like this allowed Nasla to showcase a bit more of his playing style - and I am under the impression that he is quite a new recruit, and is the band's first live keyboard player. Monet has handled all of the keyboards on the band's albums up to this point, but live keyboards are always better were possible - and there was a well-rounded sound coming from the band despite the dominance of the riffing and the hip-shaking drumming of Jamie Moreno. The newest song played, single Requiem for a Dream (And the Angels of Static), was a bit more piano-orientated and featured a bit more of an epic power metal sound - which perhaps is a sign of what is to come for the band. They are certainly associated with that scene, but do not neatly fit into it - so perhaps there is a desire to smooth things out going forward. This song was perhaps at odd with the heavy pop, with sugary, repeated choruses, of songs like Death Note and The Other Side of Fear - but there is certainly room in the band's set for both such sounds. There was also time for more atmosphere in the form of the pandemic-inspired The Unknown - which saw Monet again sing in quite a different manner. The 13-song set was rounded out by the bombastic Falling Light, and the hour or so that preceded it had certainly been enjoyable. The setlist was:

Prophecy Unbound

Hologram

Soldiers of Danger

Give It to Me (Mind Assassin)

Digital Paradise

Dark

Basilisk

Requiem for a Dream (And the Angels of Static)

Death Note

Martyr (Monster)

The Unknown

The Other Side of Fear

Falling Light

I enjoyed my time with Edge of Paradise last night, but I am still not convinced the band are 100% for me. They are interesting, that is for sure, and I am interested to see how they proceed from here having expanded their line-up and the direction that the new single suggests. It is always good to try something new, though, and the band are next going to be in the UK in December when they join Dominum and The Night Flight Orchestra on tour. I am still contemplating going to the Bristol show of the tour, but I am waiting to see if the hotels drop in price. If I do end up going, I am sure I will enjoy seeing Edge of Paradise again.