Labyrinth's 'In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye' - Album Review

Despite not being as involved with the Italian power metal scene as I probably should be, there are certain bands which have come out of Italy over the years that I really like. Most power and symphonic metal fans will certainly be aware of Rhapsody and all of its spin-offs/rebrands, and they are easily the kings of the Italian power metal scene, but I think it is fair to say that Labyrinth are not far behind. They may have never reached the commercial heights and international recognition that Rhapsody did, but in terms of the quality of their output I think that Labyrinth are similarly important - and they are well-respected in the power and progressive metal scenes as a result of their bombastic, melodic, and, at times, complex songwriting. There is a link, too, as long-time Rhapsody frontman Fabio Lione sang on Labyrinth's 1996 debut album No Limits - but was replaced the following year by Roberto Tiranti who has been the definitive face of Labyrinth ever since. 1998's Return to Heaven Denied is often seen as a real classic of the 1990s power metal scene - and 2000's Sons of Thunder which followed is another strong effort. The departure of guitarist Olaf Thörsen in 2002 so that he could focus on his other band Vision Divine led to a change of direction - and the next three albums saw the band take on a much tougher, more progressive sound. Italian power metal is often characterised by a somewhat romantic overall approach, with sweeping melodies, plenty of acoustic guitar interludes, and heartfelt ballads - but the band's mid-2000s output generally eschewed such for a riffier and crunchier sound. Thörsen returned in 2009, teaming up again with fellow guitarist Andrea Cantarelli, and Labyrinth returned to their classic sound - releasing Return to Heaven Denied - Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream in 2010. Following a few quiet years, during which time Tiranti was briefly out of the band, Labyrinth signed to Frontiers Records - and their current era got underway proper. With a new line-up built around Tiranti, Thörsen, and Cantarelli, the band released Architecture of a God (which I reviewed here) in 2017 and Welcome to the Absurd Circus (which I also reviewed here) in 2021. Whilst perhaps neither were as deliberate a hark back to the past as the 2010 release had been, both of the Frontiers-era albums had plenty of hallmarks of the band's classic sound - albeit with a bit of a heavier edge at times. Both are albums I listened to a lot when they were released, and reviewed positively, so when the news was released last year that a new Labyrinth album, the band's tenth overall, would be released in January 2025 I was happy to jump back aboard the train. I had not listened to the band much since Welcome to the Absurd Circus, so it has been great to reacquaint myself with Labyrinth over the past couple of weeks with In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye, the new album. Sound-wise, it is not all that different from the last two - but the arrangements are perhaps a little more straightforward. It feels less progressive, but it is still heavier overall than the band's classic work - despite plenty of classic Italian power metal tropes throughout.

It is the band's second album with the current line-up, too, with everyone from Welcome to the Absurd Circus returning. The lack of any kind of build up showcases the album's overall heaviness, and Welcome Twilight gets underway with a bit of a drum barrage - over which a mid-paced riff that could easily sit on a thrash album is soon added, before Oleg Smirnoff lays down a warm keyboard melody. The mixture of classic synth leads, smooth vocals, and crunchy riffs is a big part of this album - and Welcome Twilight is very much typical of the album's wider feel. Keyboard and guitar shredding fills the latter part of the song's intro, before drummer Matt Peruzzi starts to lay into his double bass drums and the first verse gets underway. The rest of the song is generally fast-paced, with both the verses and the chorus feeling high-octane in that classic power metal fashion. Tiranti sings in his typically theatrical manner, though, adding some smoothness to the fast-paced riffing beneath him. He sounds as good as ever here. He perhaps does not go for as many high notes as he used to, but this romantic tone and sense of melody remains - and the song's chorus is packed with classic power metal hooks despite the fast pace. Not everything here is as fast, but this opening song is very much a classic power metal rager - and this is build on later with plenty of shredding guitar soloing by Thörsen and Cantarelli. Latin lyrics sung in a choral fashion later add some symphonic metal flair - but this moment is fleeting and the overall tone does not shift that significantly. Accept the Changes is somewhat similar - opening with a strident mid-paced riff and some shredded guitar leads, all while some dense keyboards add plenty of depth. This track is not as consistently fast as the opening cut, though, but there remains plenty of fast double bass playing early on - and the verses are similarly speedy. Some of the riffing early on feels a bit groovier than Labyrinth's core sound, which reminds me somewhat of their mid-2000s albums, but the track is much more dynamic overall - with slower sections which are filled with acoustic guitars, floaty keyboards, and Tiranti's romantic approach to singing. The chorus is fast, too, but the strong keyboard presence strips away some of the heaviness and there are plenty of sweet vocal harmonies - which build on the more acoustic-based pre-chorus. There is a lot of the band's classic sound here, then, despite some groovier riffing - and Tiranti really comes into his own with some smooth vocal melodies and the occasional high-pitched scream. Out of Place opens in a much slower manner, with acoustic guitar arpeggios and aching guitar leads - over which Tiranti soon starts to sing. Slower song openings like this are a real staple of the Italian power metal scene - and following two faster tracks something a bit more slow-burning is welcome. There is still plenty of crunch, with the chorus morphing the song into a mid-paced track with a strident guitar backing and heroic vocals - but generally the song feels a bit more power ballad-esque with a more atmospheric approach thanks to the acoustic guitars and synth backing. Songs like this always bring the best out of Tiranti as he gets plenty of space in the mix to showcase his warmth - whilst the chorus is still powerful. An emotional guitar solo is later included, too, which caps things off nicely.

At the Rainbow's End returns to the faster pace of the opening couple of songs, but the warmth of the previous song is also retained. The riffing does not feel as furious overall, with the slight thrash and groove elements reduced, and a more traditional power metal sound is instead established. There is a lot more keyboard in the mix this time, which likely helps with this aim. There is always a synth backing throughout this album, but there are keyboard leads and melodies this time - with the verses feeling bulked out with some flashy keyboard runs and the chorus backed by strong synths. The chorus is one of the smoothest and hookiest on the album overall in my opinion - and there is a great bridge section later on which reintroduces some of the acoustic guitars from the previous song, before launching into a precise and melodic guitar solo. It is a song which is very typical of the band's classic sound, then, and it could have sat nicely on any of their 1990s albums. The Right Side of This World is somewhat similar overall, although there is something of a classic rock strut throughout which helps to set it apart. The main guitar hook is very much classic power metal in sound - but the riffing here feels a bit more 1970s inspired. Peruzzi's drumming is a bit more restrained here, with less reliance on his double bass drums and more straightforward beats to match the rhythm guitars - despite plenty of lengthy and busy fills. The relatively simpler arrangement allows Nik Mazzucconi's bass playing to feel a bit more prominent, too, and his rumble underpins the crunch of the while track - whilst the Smirnoff provides plenty of counter-melodies with his string patches, particularly during the chorus. The more straight ahead arrangement allows for plenty of space in the mix for Tiranti's vocals, too, and he soars during the chorus - whilst the two guitarists trade leads during the later solo section. The Healing slows things down again, opening with acoustic guitars and a strange percussive loop - before a soaring guitar lead kicks in and a memorable intro section is filled with emotional playing. There are similarities here with Out of Place and the song feels like another power ballad at times - although there is perhaps a little more weight here, with the chorus feeling a little bigger and the presence of plenty of guitar leads is welcome. The verses are more acoustic-based, though, with some busy bass playing to add depth, so the song is another strong representation of that classic Italian sound. There is a bit of a heavier instrumental section later on - but even that does not meet the thrashy heights of parts of the album. Heading for Nowhere does return to a much heavier sound, though, despite some flashy synths, and parts of this song are the heaviest the album have sounded up to this point. There is a fast, thrashy riff early on which sounds like early Megadeth, which sees Peruzzi going all out, but the song is not consistently such - as the verses feel a bit more restrained before things speed up again for a faster chorus which is filled with flashy synth additions. The contrasts between all of the different sections help to create a dynamic and interesting song - which seems to take little bits from each era of the band. I really like the heavier riffing here, but the smoother chorus and Smirnoff's busy lead playing throughout is classic Labyrinth - so the song is a real highlight for me.

Mass Distraction reins in some of the speed of the previous track, with the band instead going for more of a mid-paced, strident power metal sound. The drumming is less busy here, but the verses are packed with more complex bass playing to keep the arrangement interesting. Like The Right Side of This World, there is something of a classic rock feel to some of the riffing and grooves - whilst some of the short bursts of double bass drumming utilised feel like double bass rolls from the early 1980s. The song has a real old-school feel, then, despite plenty of crunch remaining. The chorus is very melodic, packed with plenty of Tiranti's usual feel, but there is perhaps something of an AOR bent to some of the melodies which help to set the song apart. The overall feel is not hugely different - but the chorus certainly feels more blatant than is sometimes the case for Labyrinth. It is one that sticks in the brain, then, and there is plenty of prominent keyboard playing throughout to help add to this overtly melodic sound. The album's penultimate song, To the Son I Never Had, is another which slows things down somewhat. The acoustic guitars remain and the opening guitar lead really soars in a manner similar to many of the band's best slower tracks of the past. It is the third power ballad-esque track on the album and like the previous two there is plenty of emotional weight throughout. Tiranti really delivers the lyrics with passion here - and that has always been one of Labyrinth's big selling points. It is quite typical in the Italian power metal scene, but Labyrinth have always been the best at creating these emotional vibes in their slower songs - with the romantic acoustic guitars and delicate piano melodies sitting nicely alongside heavier guitars and massive vocal hooks. There are riffier moments here, and an instrumental section later on feels a little more symphonic thanks to some dramatic keyboards - but this soon gives way to a great guitar solo which plays around with some of the vocal melodies to really add to the song's emotional weight. It helps that the chorus here is another winner and the song is another overall highlight for me. The album then comes to a close with Inhuman Race, a track opens with quite a lengthy instrumental section - setting the scene with crunchy riffs and quite lengthy keyboard and solos. The song is not as heavy as some of the tracks here, but it is certainly quite a potent one - with Dream Theater-esque riffing at times during the lengthy intro and a snappy verse which has an urgency to it and plenty of double bass drumming. There is something pretty heroic about the whole thing, too. Tiranti's vocal melodies generally feel pretty anthemic, particularly during the chorus, and the headbanging riffing just gives the song a hooky feel which is a bit different from the band's usual approach to such. It is a bombastic track, then, with lots of additional keyboard melodies - and towards the end there is some spoken word relating to the war in Ukraine which further sets the song apart from Labyrinth's usual themes. The tougher yet melodic song ends the album on a high, though, and, overall, the quality here is high. Labyrinth might not be one of the biggest bands but the quality of their output is high - and In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye is no different. It is a great addition to the band's canon and it mixes elements of all of their eras together nicely whilst maintaining a classic Italian sheen throughout. Memorable songwriting and fiery solos are what the album offers - and all power metal fans should check it out.

The album was released on 24th January 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Welcome Twilight.

Toto - Birmingham Review

Despite having had a great couple of days in London with a couple of melodic rock bands, particularly H.E.A.T who really delivered at the Islington Assembly Hall on Friday night, my recent long weekend away was always likely to peak as it was coming to an end. This was because, following seeing two of the newer faces on the melodic rock scene, it was time to see one of the originals and, still, one of the very best - as the legendary American rockers Toto were making their first visit to the UK since 2019. Given the other shows, it made the most sense to see Toto in Birmingham - at the BP Pulse Live which is part of the NEC complex by the city's airport. I last saw Toto live in 2018, when they brought their 40th anniversary tour to the Royal Albert Hall. Since then, however, Toto's history has been somewhat rocky. The band's founding member and key driving force David Paich has essentially had to retire from active duty for health reasons - and they also found themselves in a rather messy legal battle with the estate of late drummer Jeff Porcaro which ended up costing them a lot of money. This drama and family strain also saw Steve Porcaro leave the band, which left Steve Lukather (vocals/guitar) as the only original member left standing. Following a brief hiatus to regroup, though, Lukather and long-time frontman Joseph Williams decided to put Toto back on the road, with support from Paich behind the scenes - and since the pandemic the band have been pretty busy with a number of top-class session players coming and going from the line-up. Sadly it looks like we will never see any new music from Toto due to the legal issues, but Lukather and Williams seem determined to keep touring - and the first proper run of UK shows since 2018 was a very exciting prospect to a die-hard Toto fan like me, even if the great core of original/long-time members which were present at the shows I saw in 2015 and 2018 had broken apart. Along with Paich, Lukather has always been Toto's co-driving force - and Williams is the band's only classic-era frontman who is still up to the task. The two have a real bond at this point, too, which has really come to the fore over the past few years. Following a couple of nights in London, then, it was time to head to Birmingham, via a slow train due to strikes - but I got to the country's second city in plenty of time for a late lunch before checking into my hotel for a bit of a nap. The BP Pulse Live is not my favourite venue as it requires getting a train to and from which can lead to clock-watching throughout gigs there - but it is a good venue and I have had a number of memorable nights there over the years. I got there around 45 minutes before the music started and found that I had good seats. The venue had been set up to appear much smaller than usual, with the stage further forward - which created a relatively intimate atmosphere despite the few thousand likely still in attendance.

The previous times I had seen Toto they did not have a support act - but this time the crowd were treated to around 45 minutes of smooth music from the yacht rock pioneer Christopher Cross. Cross is not someone that I am hugely familiar with, but his 1979 debut album is an all-time classic - so I was looking forward to checking him out further and exploring beyond those obvious few hits. Whilst his support slot was largely based around the hits, though, I had a great time watching him and his masterful band delivering some legendary songs and a few deeper cuts with ease. At 73, Cross looks to have barely aged at all. His voice has held up really well over the years, and his guitar playing is always much more fiery than I remember. It helped, too, that his backing band were really tight. All of the musicians were excellent, but special mention needs to go to Andy Suzuki (saxophone/keyboards) and Francis Amaud (drums). So many of Cross' songs had big saxophone hooks, and Suzuki's solos were masterful, whilst Amaud's grooves were tight and full of energy despite the largely more sedate nature of Cross' work. The trio of backing singers also added a lot to the sound, too, harmonising well with Cross throughout and even taking the lead during parts of some songs. Cross still sang well, though, and his tone has remained intact - and he took quite a few opportunities to talk to the crowd to introduce the songs. Many of the songs played did come from that famous debut, including Never Be the Same and I Really Don't Know Anymore early on - but the opening track All Right came from his second album and there were also deeper cuts played. He seems a man very at ease with his legacy. He knew that he had to include most of the hits as a support act, but his willingness to dip into his catalogue was welcome - with the relatively newer Dreamers being a mid-set highlight which followed the smash-hit Sailing. It was also great that he received a strong reception from the crowd throughout. In fact, the atmosphere was pretty good throughout the whole night, with most into everything played, and Cross seemed pleased with the warmth he received. With anthems like The Light Is On, though, it is easy to see why his set went down well - but support acts at arena shows, especially opening for older bands, can sometimes run into a wall of nothing. This was not the case, though, and by the time his set came to a close with Ride Like the Wind everyone was certainly good and warmed up for Toto. The setlist was:

All Right

Never Be the Same

I Really Don't Know Anymore

Alibi

Sailing

Dreamers

Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)

The Light Is On

Ride Like the Wind

There were about 40 minutes between the two sets, but this meant that there was time to stretch the legs and use the facilities before the long weekend's finale - and by the time 9pm rolled around I was really ready. Toto are a real favourite these days and this was only my third time seeing them live. They tend to switch up the setlist between each tour, too, so I was looking forward to hearing a number of tracks live for the first time - alongside all of the mandatory hits. There is never any pomp with Toto, either. The do not have fancy screens or stage sets - and in front of a simple backdrop they rocked hard for the best part of two hours, delivering masterful melodic rock to a receptive crowd. As it had been for Cross, too, the sound throughout was essentially perfect. Everything was audible and the overall balance was great - meaning that the band's tight vocal harmonies shone. It was an instrumental which kicked everything off, though, with Child's Anthem getting the show on the road. The driving keyboards of both Greg Phillinganes and Dennis Atlas gave the song its synth-edged majesty - whilst Lukather's searing guitar leads set the tone for what was to come. The band generally played the songs straight, although often outros were stretched out with extended soloing - and there were slight changes to the vocal arrangements at times. With most in the band singing lead at least once during the set, the vocal power was immense. Clearly Williams did the most of the singing and Lukather had a customary few numbers - but the biggest surprise was the newest recruit Atlas, who sang quite a lot, too. His powerful voice can hit those old Bobby Kimball and Fergie Frederiksen highs of the past - and he showcased this duetting with Williams during Carmen, which followed Child's Anthem. Carmen has long been a favourite of mine, so it was a real treat to hear that bombastic chorus live - and the whole room came to their feet during Rosanna which followed. The jazzy anthem was sung loudly by the crowd, with Lukather and Williams duetting - but the instrumental outro was full of bluster, including a lengthy guitar solo, plenty of keyboard action, and some saxophone from Warren Ham (vocals/saxophone/flute/harmonica/percussion). There were a few deep cuts included, too. Carmen counts as one I think, but the real treat early on was the second ever live performance of Mindfields - which featured Williams, Atlas, and Ham all sharing the lead vocals throughout. It might not be a classic, but it is a powerful and underrated song that sounded at home in the set. It was followed by a sing-a-long in the form of ballad I Will Remember, though, which likely got some of the casuals back on side - although I did think that Lukather was not in the best form vocally. Everything else about the set sounded great, but Lukather's voice was showing signs of age at times. He ended up duetting I Won't Hold You Back with Williams later, which suggests that maybe he is aware of his limitations - but this should take nothing away from his guitar playing which was as great as ever.

I have always preferred the more bombastic tracks than the ones Lukather tends to take the lead on in any case - which is why Angel Don't Cry was a big highlight for me. Williams and Atlas shared the vocals on this one, too, and there was a moment where I had to laugh which saw Atlas returning to his keyboards after venturing out to act as a frontman for a bit to casually rip into the mid-song synth duel with Phillinganes as if it was nothing - before heading back out to sing. Everything from the band seemed so effortless and that moment really summed that feeling up for me. The second half of the show generally contained more well-known tracks - but there were still a few I had not seen live before. The big ballad I'll Be Over You was one, surprisingly, but it was great to hear the anthemic White Sister live again, which Williams owned - before Atlas and he smashed through the funky I'll Supply the Love like it was nothing. This was another song which was was dragged out somewhat towards the end - with the closing instrumental section elongated to include plenty of powerful guitar soloing from Lukather. A pretty potent drum solo from Shannon Forrest followed, which included lots of tight grooves and tom rolls (this followed keyboard spots for both Phillinganes and Atlas earlier in the set) - which then led into a hard rocking performance of the more soulful and bluesy Don't Chain My Heart, another overall highlight. Lukather actually sounded pretty strong vocally during it, too, which was likely as the song was more of a rocker than a ballad, and the soulful harmonies during the chorus were on point. Sadly, there was not too much time left by this point. Lukather made sure to introduce all of the musicians on stage, though, giving us some history for each one - including that John Pierce (bass guitar) was in one of his high school bands back in the day. Many of these musicians have known each other for many years despite some of them being fairly new to Toto - but the quality of the line-up showed that Paich, Lukather, and Williams have found the best people for the job. It was left to three big singles to finish things off, with Stop Loving You seeing plenty of singing from the crowd - before Phillinganes reeled off the famous piano intro of Hold the Line and the place really went wild. Everyone was on their feet by this point and the Hold the Line chorus rang around the venue with ease - before Forrest and Ham teamed up for the percussive intro of Africa which turned out to be the night's last song. Williams sang the song in place of Paich, bringing it to life nicely, whilst the pulsing keyboards and tribal grooves saw plenty of dancing in the crowd. It was stretched out somewhat, too, with a bit more soloing and by Williams conducting a sing-a-long with the crowd. It was a great way to end to show - and there was no need for a silly encore. The band had played for the best part of two hours by this point - so took their bows to huge cheers. The setlist was:

Child's Anthem

Carmen

Rosanna

Mindfields

I Will Remember

Pamela

Keyboard Solo

I Won't Hold You Back

Angel Don't Cry

Georgy Porgy

Keyboard Solo

White Sister

I'll Be Over You

I'll Supply the Love

Drum Solo

Don't Chain My Heart

Stop Loving You

Hold the Line

Africa

Alongside Cross' excellent set, Toto put on a masterful showing in Birmingham this past weekend. It was up there with the 2015 show I saw in London, which was the best of the previous two - and it was great to hear some real favourite cuts live for the first time. The previous shows might have contained more 'legitimate' line-ups, but the current version of Toto is packed with quality - and the vocal power and variety in particular really stood out. Everything sounded tight but with enough groove and spontaneity to allow that classic Toto approach to shine - and I hope that they return to the UK again fairly soon, as I need more of Toto live in my life.

The Night Flight Orchestra - London Review

Following an excellent night in Islington with H.E.A.T the previous night - this past Saturday I continued my weekend of live melodic rock with a sold out show by The Night Flight Orchestra at The Garage - also in Islington. It was a rare treat to spend two nights in the same Travelodge. It meant that I had a bit of a lie in after the late night of H.E.A.T - and then spent a rather lazy late morning/early afternoon doing a trawl of the Islington record and charity shops for LPs and CDs. There are better parts of London for such, but as I was close by and it had been a while since I had done the rounds there it seemed like a good idea - and I came away with a couple of LPs and a handful of CDs (including a nice looking copy of the 1983 debut album from Fastway for £4.00 - likely the weekend's bargain). Following lunch at Franco Manca, I headed back to the hotel to finish off my H.E.A.T write-up and watch the football results roll in - so it was not long before I was ready to go back to Islington for the second show of the long weekend. I first got into The Night Flight Orchestra in 2019 - but they become a real favourite during the course of the pandemic. It helped that they released albums in both 2020 and 2021, so they naturally became part of the soundtrack of those years - but I also went back and picked up the back catalogue. I am not sure why it took me so long to give the band a listen, though. I have been a Soilwork fan for many years at this point, and I have also been an AOR fan for a similar period of time. As such, a band which combines the two should really have been on my radar earlier - but I got there in the end. I am not sure what it was that finally made me give the band a listen - but whatever it was I have not looked back. I have not had a chance to listen to their newly-released latest album Give Us the Moon yet, besides the singles, so I am looking forward to digging into it and reviewing it soon - but otherwise I am fully versed in the band's catalogue. Fittingly, too, given their heavy presence as part of my pandemic listening, I saw the band live for the first time at the 2022 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air. As the headliners of the Second Stage on the festival's final night, they were actually the last band of the weekend I saw. Their upbeat and fun music was certainly an antidote to what had generally been a heavy weekend in terms of music, and a very hot one in terms of weather, so their set was one of the festival's best overall in my opinion. Since seeing the band at Bloodstock, then, I had been waiting for them to announce their next headline tour - and the news of such dropped last year alongside the news that their seventh album, Give Us the Moon, would come out around the same time. Only one UK show was included, which was not a surprise, and it was at The Garage in Islington - a venue I had only been to once before when I saw Cats in Space there back in 2021. Given that the venue operates as a night club as well as a venue, those who bought tickets were told that the doors would open at 6pm - but it turned out to be 6:30pm which was frustrating as standing in the cold for an extra half an hour was not much fun. The doors eventually opened at around 6:45pm, too, following a delay - and it was good to get in out of the cold.

Given the 10pm curfew, there was only time for one support act - but, in truth, I wish that there had not been one. I have grown to be fairly open-minded over the years, and can generally find redeeming qualities in most bands - even if to make lacklustre support acts feel a bit more interesting. I have to say, though, that, for me anyway, there was absolutely nothing redeeming about Tragedy's set. I had heard of Tragedy before, a band who play metal covers of disco and pop songs, but I had not heard any of their interpretations. A couple of minutes into their set on Saturday, though, I just wanted it to end. I have seen some bad support acts in my time, and I doubt that Tragedy are actually the very worst - but they are certainly up there. One thing I have realised that I do not really like in my music is comedy - especially childish comedy. I went off Steel Panther pretty quickly after the novelty wore off and I get more tired of bands like Alestorm by the day - but Tragedy was a new level of childish humour. Steel Panther are all top-class musicians, too, but I could not say the same about Tragedy. They were competent musically, but I felt that vocally they left a lot to be desired. If a band is going to cover Bee Gees songs, then they need to be able to harmonise well - but most of Tragedy' harmonies sounded messy and screechy. The overall arrangements were pretty pedestrian, too. There was nothing interesting done to the songs to make them sound more metallic - they were essentially just sped up somewhat with more guitar than would be typical. Throw in a Bez-like figure, who only seemed to be there to jump around and play with silly props - and the whole thing really stuck in the throat. I spent the whole set just wanting it to be over - with each song sounding as bad as the last. I cannot remember all of the songs which were butchered, but we got Tragedy (naturally), It's Raining Men, and the real nadir of How Deep Is Your Love (if any song needs tight harmonies then it is How Deep Is Your Love) and, sadly, many more. What annoys me about this band opening for a good chunk of The Night Flight Orchestra's tour, too, is that they are depriving a 'real' band of a good opportunity. There are lots of newer, younger AOR/melodic rock bands out there who would have likely loved to jump on this tour - but instead a glorified meme was chosen, which says a lot about certain elements of the modern music industry.

By the time that The Night Flight Orchestra hit the stage at around 8:30pm, The Garage was packed. In truth, the band should have played a larger venue - and the overly cramped feeling of the venue did have something of an impact on my enjoyment of the show. The band were still great, and put on a masterful set despite being cramped on the stage - but it is clear that they have outgrown somewhere like The Garage. Why people continually try to push back and forth into non-existent space I will never know - but I tried to put the conditions to the back of my mind and just enjoy the show. For the most part, this was easy. Despite not having heard the new album, and five songs from it were played, the 17-song setlist was a great cross-section of the band's catalogue - and it was a new track, Stratus, which opened things up. It was one of the more majestic of the newer cuts played, and it worked well to kick things off - with frontman Björn Strid making a big entrance in his cloak and beret as the song got underway. This latest album is the band's first without the late David Andersson - and their first with Strid's Soilwork bandmate Rasmus Ehrnborn (guitar/vocals) stepping into his shoes. Andersson rarely toured with the band, so not much has changed on that front - but it was no doubt an emotional time for the band as their new era kicked off. Plenty of Andersson's songs were featured during the night, though, with the oldie California Morning being an early, riffy, highlight - before a couple of Strid's pop anthems in the form of Shooting Velvet and Divinyls saw plenty of singing from the capacity crowd. The former, another new cut, came across particularly well - whilst the sparkling playing of John Lönnmyr (keyboards) carried the latter. It was great to actually see Sharlee D'Angelo (bass guitar) touring with the band, too. Often he is too busy with Arch Enemy commitments to play live with The Night Flight Orchestra - but this tour has the band's full compliment present, and D'Angelo showed a different side to his playing with lots of funky grooves. Strid spoke to the crowd quite a bit, and teased the possibility of a proper UK tour in the future, but generally the band let the music do the talking. The Toto-esque Domino was another highlight - whilst another new cut in the form of Cosmic Tide took the band down a more psychedelic and even progressive path, with plenty of guitar interplay between Ehrnborn and Sebastian Forslund (guitar/percussion/vocals). Things later slowed down via another new track, the ballad Paloma, but this was only a brief moment of respite before the harder rocking older single Satellite and the big AOR grooves of Can't Be That Bad. A surprise late inclusion in the set was the lengthy Transatlantic Blues - a more progressive piece from the band's first album which differed from the soaring melodies found elsewhere. It allowed the band room to stretch out, with Ehrnborn, Forslund, and Lönnmyr all getting spotlight moments - before the main set came to an end with the soaring Burn for Me. A brief step off the stage saw the crowd baying for more - and a three-song encore followed which took the band past the curfew. No-one seemed to mind, though, with the shout-along anthem White Jeans seeing the two backing singers giving it their all - whilst one last new track in the form of Way to Spend the Night was another great representation of the band's easy-going sound. It was left to their anthem West Ruth Ave to bring what was a great set to a close - with many in the crowd partaking in a large conga line around the venue, which was impressive given how packed the place was. The setlist was:

Final Call (Intro)

Stratus

California Morning

Shooting Velvet

Divinyls

Domino

Gemini

Cosmic Tide

This Boy's Last Summer

Paloma

Satellite

Transmissions

Can't Be That Bad

Transatlantic Blues

Burn for Me

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White Jeans

Way to Spend the Night

West Ruth Ave

Despite feeling that the venue was too full, which meant for an uncomfortable experience at times (especially as one person near me had an enormous bag which kept bashing into me), The Night Flight Orchestra were excellent. Their set was packed with melodic rock anthems, many of which are as good as the classics from the 1980s, and I hope that Strid's talk of a proper UK tour does happen at some point - as it would be great to see the band play elsewhere other than London. The less said about the support the better, but the evening was another great night out - and the middle of what turned out to be a fantastic long weekend of live music.

H.E.A.T - London Review

It is always nice when long weekends away gigging are somewhat themed. It does not happen too often, as planning when bands tour is not down to me, but it always feels like the stars align somewhat when it does happen. I am currently in London and one show into a long weekend which is somewhat themed - as last night was and the next couple of nights will be filled with some of the best AOR and melodic rock of the current era. Whilst this type of music sprung from the 1980s, it has remained popular - particularly again over the last decade or so. There are whole record labels dedicated to pumping out this sort of music and some of the bigger bands in the scene have become pretty big names. Tonight I will be seeing The Night Flight Orchestra in London before heading to Birmingham to catch one of the legends of the sound in Toto - but this review will focus on last night's trip to the Islington Assembly Hall to catch the Swedish rockers H.E.A.T play to a pretty large and very enthusiastic crowd. I first listened to H.E.A.T over a decade ago, around the time that 2012's Address the Nation came out - but I did not fully get into them properly until I saw them opening for The Quireboys in 2018. I played catch-up from then - and have since seen the band another four times (including last night). Another shorter set came first, this time opening for Skid Row, before I finally got a chance to see the band as a headline act in 2022 - after the show had been postponed a couple of times due to the pandemic. Apart from last night, my last H.E.A.T show came last year - when I saw the band, alongside Tyketto and Dare, at Chepstow Castle. Despite my love of H.E.A.T, I actually found their set at Chepstow Castle somewhat underwhelming. All three of the previous shows had been great, but that one felt somewhat lacklustre. The sound mix never quite seemed right and the band also seemed to be suffering from some technical issues throughout the show. I think they struggled to follow a rampant Tyketto, too, who really blew the doors off with a stunning set packed full of anthems. Sometimes things like that happen, but I was not going to be put off - and when the band announced a UK tour for 2025 I picked up a ticket as soon as I could. I opted for the London show, despite closer options, due to it fitting in with the other aforementioned gigs which I already had booked. The Islington Assembly Hall is a good venue, too. It is not one that I get to all that often, but this was my second visit in a few months - having recently taken in Robert Jon & The Wreck there back in November. I was sat upstairs then, but I was standing this time - and the place was pretty full. The balcony was not that busy, but the floor was - so the turnout was decent and likely comparable to the 2022 show in Brixton. Following some dinner at the packed nearby Wetherspoons, I joined the queue outside the venue. We were soon let in and out of the cold - and I took my spot ready for what was to come.

There were two support acts before H.E.A.T took to the stage - and up first was Chez Kane and her band. I had previously seen Kane as part of her old band Kane'd, opening for Tyketto, but this was my first time seeing her as a solo artist. I enjoyed both of her solo albums, which are just pure AOR/melodic rock, so I was looking forward to see her bringing some of those songs to life - and she rocked the stage for 40 or so minutes, delivering a nine-song set with ease. Backed by a band featuring Tyketto's Harry Scott Elliott (guitar/vocals) and Walkway's James Ready (guitar/vocals), Kane put on a great set which got the evening off to a fine start. The setlist was pretty evenly balanced between both of her solo albums, and she kicked off with the big single Too Late for Love. It was clear from the off that many of those in attendance were also fans of Kane's - and those down at the front especially were really into it. Kane did not have to do much to get the crowd going, then, and at times she received reactions which some headliners struggle to attain. Her easy-going stage presence and powerful voice helped, but it was the strength of the songs which really sold it. Essentially everything she played was a real anthem - with chorus after chorus filling the room as the place filled up. Groovier hard rock tracks like All of It and Get It On sat nicely side-by-side with more AOR anthems like I Just Want You and Rocket on the Radio - and the overall vibe never dipped during her time on stage. It helped, too, that her band were really tight. I have seen Elliott a few times now with Tyketto, as well as with Kane'd in the past, so I knew about his guitar prowess - but Ready also impressed with some bluesier playing. I did see Walkway at one of the iterations of the Cambridge Rock Festival - but that was many years ago so I did not remember much about Ready. He and Elliott made for a strong guitar duo, though, with contrasting styles, and the few times they teamed up for unison leads were very enjoyable. Kane's set came to an end with one of her faster, more hard-hitting tracks in Powerzone - with the high-energy rocker certainly leaving the crowd wanting more. I am sure that most in attendance would not have minded hearing another couple of songs, but sadly by this point it was time to move onto the next band. I really enjoyed Kane's set and I am glad that I have now had the chance to see her having enjoyed her solo albums previously. I would certainly like to see her performing a longer set in the future - and I am also looking forward to where she goes from here musically. The setlist was:

Too Late for Love

All of It

I Just Want You

Nationwide

Ball n' Chain

Love Gone Wild

Get It On

Rocket on the Radio

Powerzone

Another Swedish band in Art Nation were up next. Strangely, though, the four-piece played a shorter set than Kane, at just under 30 minutes, and there was a bit of a long gap between the two. I thought that, perhaps, there had been some technical issues, hence the shorter set, but looking back at the band's setlists for the previous shows on this tour this situation seems to be the norm. Kane should have really followed Art Nation, then, especially as she received a much stronger reaction, but the Swedish four-piece still put on a decent set - even if their sound mix was never as good as either Kane's or H.E.A.T's. A bit heavier than most modern AOR bands, and looking more like a power metal band, Art Nation added a metallic edge to the night. With the big synth backing relegated to a backing track, the standout musician on stage was Christoffer Borg (guitar) - who filled the set with plenty of razor-sharp riffs and a lot of shredded soloing. The guitar firepower during Art Nation's set was much more high-octane than anything else during the night - and the high-pitched vocals of frontman Alexander Strandell complimented this guitar assault perfectly. It was a shame, then, that Strandell's voice was low in the mix for most of the set. When he unleashed a high-pitched scream he could be heard pretty well - but when he was singing more normally he was generally buried. This was a shame as I could not get a full sense of the band's melodic choruses, which were likely impressive - but as things stood the sound mix did not allow the band to fully flourish. Strandell clearly has a great voice, though, and Borg is an impressive guitarist - but it feels as if the band is somewhat caught between two camps and are not sure which sort of band they want to be. They might be a band who would actually benefit from being a bit heavier. They could transition into a pretty smooth power metal band quite easily, which would likely make better use of Strandell's voice, rather than ploughing AOR-esque furrows which others tend to do better. The closing track, Need You to Understand, was easily the best song they played - with a tougher approach yet a soaring chorus that lots in the room latched onto. By this point the sound was a little better, too, which helped - and the song left the good final impression even if Art Nation never fully impressed.

By the time the lights went down again and H.E.A.T took to the stage, the room was pretty full and everyone was up for a great night. Following the aforementioned underwhelming showing at Chepstow Castle, I was hoping for the band to really bounce back - and from the off it was clear that the show was going to be a special one. Due to the performance and a great setlist, last night was easily the best H.E.A.T show that I have seen to date - with the fast-paced new single Disaster getting things underway with its John Sykes-esque riff and a barnstorming chorus. Unlike Art Nation, H.E.A.T did not suffer from muddy sound. They sounded clear all night, with frontman Kenny Leckremo turning in a rousing performance as he soared above the rest of the band. Since he re-joined the band he has gradually improved over time. When I first saw him with H.E.A.T I thought that he perhaps lacked some of the power of his predecessor - but I did not feel that at all last night. He handled his material and the material he did not originally sing with ease - as was established early on with a version of one of my personal favourites Emergency. All of the band's albums, including the upcoming Welcome to the Future, were represented in the set - and there was a good balance between faster pieces, mid-paced AOR anthems, and slower numbers. Early on the vibe was more fast-paced, with the riffy and tougher Dangerous Ground continuing on the energy of the opening two tracks - but much of the set's first half which followed was generally more mid-paced. A more groovy Rise was an early highlight, and a song which I had not heard the band do live before. There were a few songs in the set which I had not heard live before, which is always good, with the newer Harder to Breathe and an old favourite In and Out of Trouble being two of such. The great thing about seeing H.E.A.T is that they always look like they are having a great time. Jimmy Jay (bass guitar/vocals) always covers every inch of the stage whilst throwing a number of old-school rockstar poses - and the more laid back Dave Dalone (guitar/vocals) oozed plenty of cool. As is common at a H.E.A.T show, Beg Beg Beg became a bit of a setlist centrepiece - and it was stretched out somewhat with some jamming and a portion of Black Sabbath's War Pigs. This led into a big solo from drummer Don Crash, before another newer cut in Back to the Rhythm saw plenty of singing from the crowd during the fist-pumping chorus. This last part of the set felt like a bit of a victory lap, with signature pieces like Living on the Run and 1000 Miles impressing as they tend to do. Perhaps the real treat of the latter part of the set, though, was getting a chance to hear another track from the upcoming album - with the catchy Bad Time for Love sounding like a real throwback to the 1980s. By this point there was only time for a couple more, and one last anthem in One by One, with plenty of pompy synths from Jona Tee (keyboards/vocals), had everyone rocking out - before the big power ballad Tearing Down the Walls was left to close things out, as the chorus was sung back at the band by the crowd as the night came to an end. The setlist was:

Disaster

Emergency

Dangerous Ground

Hollywood

Rise

Nationwide

Harder to Breathe

In and Out of Trouble

Beg Beg Beg/War Pigs [Black Sabbath cover]

Drum Solo

Back to the Rhythm

Living on the Run

Bad Time for Love

1000 Miles

One by One

Tearing Down the Walls

Overall, last night's gig in Islington was a great way to kick off my weekend of melodic rock. It was great to catch Chez Kane live considering that I have previously enjoyed her albums - and H.E.A.T put on a masterful showing that was the most powerful set of theirs that I have seen to date. It was great to hear such a different set from the band, as it is vital to ensure that things stay fresh, and it is always good to see a band like H.E.A.T playing to a decent sized crowd. I am sure that H.E.A.T will return soon - and I am already looking forward to hearing their new album when it drops in April.

Bullet for My Valentine/Trivium - Cardiff Review

I am used to bands that have been around for many years celebrating milestone anniversaries of their classic albums. I have been to many shows which celebrate anniversaries of albums released in the 1970s, 1980s, and even the 1990s - but given that 2005 was 20 years ago it should come as no surprise that some classics of my teenage years are now reaching landmark milestones. Nothing showcases the crawling passage of time quite like loved albums from our youth aging and being celebrated like many of the classics released before I was born have been in the past. I am not sure that I was aware of either of Bullet for My Valentine or Trivium in 2005, when The Poison and Ascendancy respectively were released, but it was not too long after that I started to pay attention. Trivium's The Crusade, which dropped at the end of 2006, was likely the first 'modern metal' album I bought - so it was probably not too long after I got hold of that album that I started to listen to both The Poison and Ascendancy. The videos from the former were certainly all over Kerrang! TV at the time, so they were hard to ignore, whilst Trivium fuelled my interest thanks to their inclusion of some more progressive influences into their metalcore sound. I saw Trivium in 2007 and Bullet for My Valentine in 2008, both in Plymouth, and, with the exception of seeing Lamb of God open for Heaven & Hell also in 2007, they were easily the heaviest concerts I had been to at the time. Metal purists will no doubt scoff at that, but young metal fans need to start somewhere - and Trivium's show in particular stands out as a memorable formative concert experience. Over the years I have followed both bands, but I think that it is fair to say that I followed Trivium more closely. I have always stuck close to the Florida-based band, lapping up each new album as it dropped, whilst also managing to catch them live a few times - taking in two concerts in 2023 alone. The band's heavier and more progressive sound has always spoken to me - and the technicality of their music has always kept me coming back. Whilst I never truly went off Bullet for My Valentine, I just found that they spoke to me less as time moved on. I kept up with them for a while, but started to somewhat lose interest during the mid-2010s - so much so that I did not pick up 2018's Gravity until much later. I enjoyed the band's 2021 self-titled release (which I reviewed here), and saw them live again around that time, but I have not returned to their music often since. Despite this, though, when a lengthy tour by the two bands was announced last year to celebrate their breakthrough 2005 releases I was all in. I do not need many excuses to see Trivium live, and getting a chance to hear The Poison in full was also tempting - and I am not sure that Bullet for My Valentine have ever bettered that caustic debut. I opted for the first night of the tour at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff - which soon sold out, prompting another show to be added. The venues booked were the biggest that either band have played in the UK for a number of years - and healthy ticket sales show that there remains plenty of love for both albums, even if there was no doubt a healthy amount of emo nostalgia at play.

Being a Sunday, the venue opened early and the evening's sole support act, Orbit Culture, took to the stage at around 6:15pm. The Swedish melodic death metal band only had around half an hour to play with, and battled somewhat boomy sound, but they delivered a strong set to a pretty receptive crowd. With an all-white stage set, which was rather grand by support band standards, the band made a strong impression from the off with their bludgeoning sound - which is different to most Swedish melodic death metal. There is a strong groove metal influence to be found within Orbit Culture's music - and there is little of the traditional lead guitar approach pioneered by bands like At the Gates and In Flames. As such, there is very little light to be found amongst the shade of the band's core sound, which does lead to limited variety - but I enjoyed the band's 30 minutes on stage. I had previously seen them live opening for Trivium two years ago - but I have not explored their work that much since. I have heard their two most recent albums, as well as a recent EP, but I am certainly no expert in their work - and the sound mix was a bit muddy at times to truly pick out some of the nuances. That being said, though, the riffing throughout was powerful, with a few circle pits opening up towards the end of the set, whilst the vocals of frontman Niklas Karlsson were generally pretty powerful. There were a few more lead guitar-based moments, which allowed Richard Hansson (guitar) to shine - but generally his showcase moments were solos rather than in-song melodies. Orbit Culture certainly have a very oppressive sound, both live and on record, and I do wonder whether breaking this up somewhat at times would help. They are the sort of band that can really fatigue the ears after a while, and this would have certainly happened on Sunday had their set been much longer. I like what the band do, but I struggle to fully connect with them for that reason - and I feel that there are times that their music could be more melodic. That being said, they went down pretty well at the show. A large crowd had got there early and the band even managed to get a decent-sized wall of death going during one of the songs - so I think that it is fair to say that Orbit Culture did their job of warming up the crowd well.

I get the impression that Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine are rotating who is in the headline slot each night - but for the opening night of the tour it was Bullet for My Valentine who topped the bill. This made sense given the band's Welsh roots, so it was Trivium who followed Orbit Culture. I have seen Trivium a few times over the years, but there were still a few songs from Ascendancy which I had not seen them do live. Unlike Bullet for My Valentine, I think that Trivium have since bettered their breakthrough album - but Ascendancy nevertheless remains a high point in their catalogue, and it is an extremely mature album considering how young the band were when it was recorded. Drummer Alex Bent was not part of the band at the time, but the other three all were - and as soon as the first riff of Rain crashed in it was clear that the band meant business. Trivium are always great live, but in terms of pure performance this might be the best yet in my experience. The main reason for this were the vocals of Matt Heafy (vocals/guitar) - who sounded the best he has live for many a year. He recently stated that he had managed to re-learn how he used to scream, although this time without damaging his voice. I had somewhat raised my eyebrows at this when I read it - but I was blown away by how great he sounded. He has always managed to adapt songs well live, but he really roared through the set - with Corey Beaulieu (vocals/guitar) singing less, despite still having a strong presence. The two headliners had just over an hour each, which meant that there was time for their respective album and a little more. Ascendancy was played in full from start to finish as the set kicked off, then, with Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr hitting the crowd early on and the soaring title track being an early highlight. Before A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation got underway, though, Bent laid into his kit for a bit of solo whilst a large inflatable version of the figure on the album's cover rose behind him - bring the set really up to arena standards. This, combined with a large catwalk which the band made great use of, really made the set feel like a spectacle - and anthems like A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation and Like Light to the Flies really filled the room with everyone singing along. The guitar solo trade-off between Beaulieu and Heafy during the latter was excellent - and the band just went from strength to strength as things progressed. The only song on the album which I do not think has aged all that well is Dying in Your Arms, and it felt a bit overtly emo compared to everything else - but the thrash of The Deceived and a rare outing for the strange and off-kilter Suffocating Sight showcased the band at their best. With the album's deeper cuts sitting towards the end, too, the set stayed interesting throughout - with the more acoustic-based Departure and the lengthy Declaration, neither of which have been played live too often over the years, bringing Ascendancy to a close. There was time for one more, though, and as Capsizing the Sea played over the PA it was clear what was to follow - and the groovy riffing and big chorus of In Waves brought a masterful metal set to a powerful close. The setlist was:

The End of Everything

Rain

Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr

Drowned and Torn Asunder

Ascendancy

Drum Solo

A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation

Like Light to the Flies

Dying in Your Arms

The Deceived

Suffocating Sight

Departure

Declaration/Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr

Capsizing the Sea

In Waves

It was always going to hard for Bullet for My Valentine to top Trivium's set and, in my opinion, they did not manage to do so. I still enjoyed the Welsh band's set, but in my opinion The Poison has not aged anywhere near as well as Ascendancy - and it very much feels rooted in 2005 thanks to its angsty lyrics and overall emo vibe. That being said, it remains a strong album of the time - and hearing many of the songs live for the first time was fun. I moved further back during Bullet for My Valentine's set, so I enjoyed it more casually, but the sound mix was powerful - with Matt Tuck (vocals/guitar) sounding great vocally, whilst Jamie Mathias (vocals/bass guitar) added plenty of throaty screams. The thrashy Her Voice Resides and the anthemic 4 Words (To Choke Upon) sounded great as always - and it is fair to say that the hometown crowd were really up for the show. There was a lot more singing during Bullet for My Valentine's set than there was during Trivium's - with the soaring power ballad Tears Don't Fall, sitting far earlier in the set than it usually would, eliciting a big sing-a-long. I would argue, though, that the band did not fulfil their brief - as they did not play The Poison in full as advertised. This is because Spit You Out was not played, which has been left off some reissues and overseas releases in favour of Hand of Blood (which was played), but I would assume that most in attendance grew up with the original version of the album which included Spit You Out. I was looking forward to hearing the song live, too, as it is one of my favourite deeper cuts on the album - so when it was not played I was disappointed. Hand of Blood could have still been played, perhaps as part of the encore instead of being inserted into the album where it never really belonged, but either way I think it was a mistake to leave out Spit You Out. That said, though, many of the deeper cuts still sounded strong. Hit the Floor sounded pretty anthemic - with Room 409 being another unexpected highlight later on. Michael Paget (guitar/vocals) found plenty of time throughout the set to solo, although he sadly seemed quite rooted to his spot on the stage - with only Tuck really making significant use of the catwalk. Trivium had been all over it, so it seemed rather like the Tuck show as a result - with the others knowing their place. This was a shame, and the set had a different overall vibe, but the performance was still strong. When it was time to play Cries in Vain, though, the band had to stop twice due to issues in the crowd. I am not sure what was happening but there was an awkward silence for what was probably a couple of minutes and the band tried twice to start the song before finally getting to play it at the third attempt. The main set then came to a close with The End, a much more atmospheric song overall, and the band briefly left the stage to loud cheers. The screens on the stage soon crackled back to life, though, and a two-song encore followed. The newer Knives showcased the band's current sound, before the anthemic Waking the Demon brought the night to a sing-a-long close - and the band took their bows to plenty of love from the Welsh rockers in attendance. The setlist was:

Intro

Her Voice Resides

4 Words (To Choke Upon)

Tears Don't Fall

Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)

Hit the Floor

All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)

Hand of Blood

Room 409

The Poison

10 Years Today

Cries in Vain

The End

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Knives

Waking the Demon

Overall, I enjoyed all three bands. Orbit Culture put on a strong showing for half an hour and Bullet for My Valentine were a lot of fun - playing what remains their best album (mostly) in full. For me, though, the evening belonged to Trivium. They are one of the leading lights of the modern metal scene in my opinion, and they have gone from strength to strength since Ascendancy dropped in 2005. They remain a creative and vital force in metal and even on this nostalgia-packed night they showcased why. This tour is likely to be hugely successful for all involved - and both bands deserve to reflect on what they achieved 20 years ago.

Magnum - Wolverhampton Review

I think it is fair to say that, when the band's founding guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin died in January 2024, I thought that I would never see Magnum live again. I had a ticket to see them live last year, but the tour was cancelled a month or so before Clarkin's death due to his ill health - and at the time it was suggested that that might be it as far as touring was concerned, even before his sad passing. Founding frontman Bob Catley confirmed as much not long after Clarkin's death, too, and I do not think that anyone could really be surprised. Whilst Catley had fronted Magnum since the beginning, Clarkin essentially was Magnum - at least in terms of songwriting and production. Whilst Catley was the focal point on stage and brought Clarkin's songs to life - Clarkin essentially wrote everything Magnum ever put out on his own, and also became their producer during the second half of their career. Nothing could ever replace that force - and Catley seemed broken by the death of his friend and long-time associate. A few months ago, though, it seems that he had a change of heart - and it was announced that, in agreement with Clarkin's family, Magnum would reunite for a short run of tribute shows in 2025. In place of Clarkin would be his long-time guitar tech Brendon Riley (guitar) - with Catley leading the charge alongside the rest of the last line-up of the band. Whilst this left Catley as the only founding member (and, indeed, the only long-term member) in the band - I am not sure that many people minded. Many of Magnum's other founding or long-term members have been out of the band for some time by this point - and the last line-up of the band was likely the strongest of the the reunion era, at least in terms of drumming and vocal support for Catley. It would have been nice to have seen some other key older members join this run of shows, but Catley and Clarkin's family clearly just wanted to be surrounded by those they gelled with - and it made sense to pick up where things left off. Of the handful of dates announced, I opted for KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton. The show ended up selling out quickly, so a second date was added - alongside other shows in London, Manchester, and Glasgow. The Glasgow show ended up being postponed due to the recent storm, so there is at least one more Magnum show to come somewhere down the line - but as I write the tour is over and Magnum have no other plans. It did feel as if this tour would be it, and it makes sense to bow out here. Catley is 77 and is known to struggle with his voice at times - and without Clarkin there are not going to be any other new albums to promote. As such, this triumphant final tribute tour featuring many of Clarkin's best songs from over the years seems like a good way to close the Magnum book - and KK's was packed on Saturday night in anticipation of such. The band likely made a fortune in merch sales, as the queue for shirts and a limited edition LP snaked around the venue, and there was a great atmosphere in the room from the moment the doors opened - with the band's dedicated fanbase looking forward to singing along to their favourite songs one more time.

It turned out to be quite an early one, too. There was no support act, and the band played two sets with a 15 or so minute interval - which all kicked off at 8pm and was done by just past 10pm. There was little in terms of hanging around, then, particularly after standing in the merch queue for quite a while - and when the lights went down the place went wild. Magnum fans are very loyal and that showed throughout the next couple of hours as the band essentially played through a greatest hits set. Shows in recent years have, rightly, generally be filled with newer material, particularly from whatever the latest album was, but this setlist largely focused on the band's original 1970s - 1990s run - with just a couple of fan-favourite newer cuts included. Pictures of Clarkin were flashed up as the show got underway, before the familiar atmospheric keyboard intro of How Far Jerusalem filled the venue. Generally the song sits towards the middle of a Magnum set, but it worked well as an opener - with the band slowly taking to stage as the synths swirled around and Catley sang the opening lyrics. Having had quite a lengthy period off the road, his voice sounded pretty strong for the most part. He still struggled at times, but he is nearly 80 so some cracks should be expected. His classic tone and emotive delivery was intact, though, and Dennis Ward (bass guitar/vocals) ably helped him out at times with some strong harmonies. Riley also filled Clarkin's shoes nicely. Clarkin was never a flashy or technical player, rarely truly soloing, and Riley kept his playing to Clarkin's blueprint - and it looked like he was having a great time up there on stage with people he has worked with for many years. Following How Far Jerusalem, which did feature a little soloing from Riley, the first of two post-reunion cuts in Lost on the Road to Eternity was played - which really highlighted the playing of Rick Benton (keyboards). He has always been very statesmanlike behind his keyboards since joining the band a decade or so ago - and he added plenty of flourishes to the evening. His keyboards were always high in the mix, too, with the synth pulses of Wild Swan bringing the off-kilter rocker to life - before Riley had a few more chances to show off with the swelling hard rock of When We Were Younger, which featured maybe his best solo of the night. It was also the last 'newer' cut played - with the rest of the set made up of classics. There was something of a deep cut which followed, though, in the form of the acoustic-based The Tall Ships - which had not been played live for a few years. This, and The Flood which followed, were probably the two main surprises of the set - but the die-hard fans treated these slightly deeper cuts like old friends. It was the two WWI-influenced pieces which rounded out the first set which brought the loudest cheers, though, with the piano ballad Les Morts Dansant seeing phone lights held aloft as Catley ran through the poignant lyrics with ease - before the monstrous Don't Wake the Lion (Too Old to Die Young) brought the night's first half to a close. I had not see the band do the song live before - and the 10 minute-plus epic was one of the night's overall highlights.

Following the break, the band came back for what felt like a victory lap. With a couple of deeper cuts and newer numbers in the first half, the second half and the encore which followed were very much just chock full of classics. It would have been nice if a couple of extra deeper tracks were included, or even a song from the band's last album which was never toured, but it was hard to argue with the anthems chosen given that this could well be the band's last tour. More swirling synths heralded the band's arrival back on stage - but this time the vibe was much more dramatic, and they soon launched into Soldier of the Line. This hard-hitting and melodic piece has always been a favourite, so it was great to hear it live again, before the band pulled a couple of favourites out which I had never seen them do live before. Both Just Like an Arrow and Need a Lot of Love have been played live by the band many times over the years, just not at the handful of shows I had seen before. It was great to hear Just Like an Arrow in particular - as the song was one of the first Magnum tracks I got into many years ago when I was introduced to both Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow (their newest album at the time) and On a Storyteller's Night at the same time. The smooth 1980s rocker has always been a favourite, then, as has the latter's title track which followed - which featured one of the biggest sing-a-longs of the night. In truth, the crowd were vocal throughout - but the second half of the show just seemed to get bigger in terms of crowd participation, with the song's chorus really ringing around the venue. This was also the case with the chugging and proper hard rock of All England's Eyes, which is ever-present in the Magnum set, before the one-two punch of Vigilante and Kingdom of Madness were wheeled out to round out the main set - as is often the case. Vigilante was a particular highlight, with Benton's keyboards filling the Steel Mill - as Lee Morris (drums) provided lots of tight fills. He is easily the best drummer to sit behind the kit during the band's reunion years. I personally never felt that Harry James was right for Magnum, despite him suiting Thunder and, strangely, The Quireboys, but Morris has that slightly grander edge to his playing which suits Magnum's pomp rock sound. A rousing Kingdom of Madness brought the main set to a close, then, and the crowd were left wanting more - which was soon given to them. A two-song encore followed, with an emotional The Spirit nailing the atmosphere of the night perfectly. Catley was clearly full of love for his lost friend at this point, and he led the crowd perfectly through one last sing-a-long in the form of When the World Comes Down - with the ballad being the perfect way to close out the night. The setlist was:

How Far Jerusalem

Lost on the Road to Eternity

Wild Swan

When We Were Younger

The Tall Ships

The Flood

Les Morts Dansant

Don't Wake the Lion (Too Old to Die Young)

-

Soldier of the Line

Just Like an Arrow

Need a Lot of Love

On a Storyteller's Night

All England's Eyes

Vigilante

Kingdom of Madness

-

The Spirit

When the World Comes Down

It is very likely that this past Saturday contained my last ever Magnum show. It was my fifth time seeing them, which does not seem all that many considering how long I have been listening to them, but each show was memorable - and I was glad to be there at the end. It seems that the band are leaving things open as to whether they will do any more. They have a cancelled Glasgow show to fulfil, but otherwise there are no plans for anything else. It seems the right time to bow out, but should the band want to tour again at some point then I am sure the fans will support them - but for now was can just reflect on a great career and a triumphant final setlist filled with classic tracks.

Tremonti's 'The End Will Show Us How' - Album Review

Despite his last year or so consisting of an extremely successful Creed reunion tour, the post-grunge band's first since 2012, Mark Tremonti still found time to write and record his sixth solo album. I have said on this blog before that both Tremonti and his Alter Bridge bandmate Myles Kennedy are some of the most prolific songwriters in the modern hard rock and metal scenes. They are always working on something new, either together or separately, and generally what they put their names to is excellent. Alter Bridge are scheduled to record a new album this year, too, so I imagine that 2026 will see them back on the road, but 2025 also sees Tremonti return to his self-titled solo band whilst also remaining on Creed duty. It could well be that Creed also end up writing and recording some new material, too, and Kennedy has already said that he plans to record another album with Slash this year - so the next couple of years are likely to be stacked with new releases from the duo. The End Will Show Us How, then, Tremonti's sixth solo album, could be seen as the first release of this upcoming glut - although it should also be noted that Kennedy released his third solo album The Art of Letting Go (which I reviewed here) late last year, which was probably the true start of this on-going series. The point that I am trying to make is that there is a lot of good music to look forward to - and The End Will Show Us How is another strong slab of heavier songwriting from Tremonti. It is his first solo album since 2021's Marching in Time (which I reviewed here) and it maintains the core sound he has been injecting into his solo work since he debuted as a solo artist back in 2012 with All I Was. The End Will Show Us How, though, does feel different to what has come before. Whilst it is still very much a metal record, some of Tremonti's grungier influences from the past have crept into the songwriting and arrangements this time. Having spend much of last year playing those Creed classics again for the first time in over a decade, it is perhaps unsurprising that elements of that sound have crept back in his writing. That is not to say that The End Will Show Us How sounds like Creed, as it does not - and the album's overall sound still sits within that alternative modern metal sound which has served him so well. There are just tones throughout the album which feel dirtier - and there is less of a razor-sharp sheen to the overall production. Michael 'Elvis' Baskette produced the album as he generally does when Tremonti or Kennedy are involved. I can be a bit lukewarm on him as he has been known to brickwall albums, but I actually think that this album's oppressive sound actually works in its favour. There is a good balance of clean-sounding riffing and a dense murkiness which helps to set the album apart from the rest of Tremonti's solo work. It sounds pretty heavy as a result, then, but generally there is less of the fast-paced approach heard previously - with more of a mid-paced feel and less of a thrash influence which sets it apart from its heavier predecessor. It is the second album with his current solo band line-up, too, with guitarist Eric Friedman, bassist Tanner Keegan, and drummer Ryan Bennett all returning.

This grungy sound establishes itself right from the off. The album opens with The Mother, the Earth and I - a pretty anthemic piece overall, but one that is packed with snaking 1990s grooves and less of the typical thrashiness as mentioned. The opening clean guitar melodies feel somewhat Alice in Chains-esque, and the main riff that later kicks in is not too far removed from that band's style either - with the track generally being a mid-paced effort with Bennett's punchy drum grooves and Keegan's pulsing bass playing. The guitars are less metallic than usual, with snaking and surprisingly bluesy riffs and leads building on the grooves of the rhythm section - whilst Tremonti's rich vocals sound as good as ever. He has, wisely, not leaned into a grungier vocal approach, though. His melodic and powerful delivery is present and correct - with a later bridge section featuring some soaring vocal hooks, whilst the slow-burn of the song's chorus is brought to life by his lower tones and some screaming guitar leads. The closing guitar solo is a bit different from the norm too, despite some high-octane runs, and it often fades into the riffing behind it - leaning into that grungy approach further. Upping the heaviness, though, One More Time feels a bit more typical for Tremonti. Despite the more metallic sound, though, there remains a grungy edge - and the riffing throughout has more of a southern feel than is typical - with Pantera certainly referenced at times. The opening guitar barrage is tight and oppressive, with Bennett's fast double bass drumming matching up nicely with Tremonti's riffing, whereas the verses feel more roomy - with a strong mid-paced groove and heroic vocal melodies. Whilst some of the songs here feel a bit more involved, this track feels like it was written to be a live favourite. The chorus packs a real punch as a result, and there are a few pretty overt guitar leads throughout which act as build-ups to the next key part of the track - whilst the guitar solo is more typical and shreddy. It is a sing-a-long piece, then, and one which will feel pretty familiar to fans of Tremonti's previous work. Just Too Much is another riff-heavy piece - and it is another song which is pretty mid-paced overall. Despite some faster riffing during parts of the previous song, the album's first three tracks are generally pretty mid-paced. This is a bit of a surprise given the pace of much of Tremonti's previous work as mentioned - but the core approach does not feel all that different. His riffing is still just as strong, even if it feels bluesier, and his vocals are given plenty of opportunity to shine during these mid-paced pieces. The chorus is another which is easy to latch onto, which will likely see the song becoming a live favourite, whilst the riffing is packed full of headbanging grooves alongside a hint of grunge and even stoner rock at times - leading to another strong effort.

Nails is also pretty mid-paced, but it has more of an urgency to it overall - and it feels much more like an old-school Tremonti track as a result. The main riff is less grungy this time, with some screeching harmonics throughout, whilst the drumming of Bennett is hard-hitting and full of the all the punch which characterised older Tremonti releases. There are some effects-heavy guitar leads, which return to some of those stoner-esque sounds previously referenced, and the verses are a little more atmospheric, but generally the track feels much fatter overall - and there is more pace in the riffing and drumming despite it not picking up speed for much of the song's duration. As things move on, though, the speed does increase - with the guitar solo taking place over a pretty thrashy backing which is the album's highest-octane moment up to this point. Throw in a really hooky chorus, though, and some juddering riffing towards the end, and the track becomes something of an overall highlight for me. It's Not Over opens much more slowly, with Tremonti's rich, emotional voice sitting atop some chiming clean guitar melodies. Following the ever-present riffing up to this point, something more slow-burning is welcome - and an unsettling tone remains behind the clean guitar melodies thanks to some strange bass additions and a cold use of synths. Parts of the song feel warmer, though, as the overall soundscape expands somewhat - opening up during the song's chorus to feel like sunlight shining down on the bleakness which came before. As a ballad, then, the song works well. Tremonti has always written strong ballads, in whichever context he is operating, and this song is no different - with its evolving arrangement that gradually grows in scope. It does feel heavier as it moves on, with the rest of the band adding some weight - but it never feels truly heavy, with a grungy harder rock sound instead rearing its head briefly. It is shame that there is no centrepiece guitar solo, but not every ballad needs to have one. The title track follows, which also opens quite slowly. The clean guitars which open The End Will Show Us How feel busier, though, and it is clear that the track is going to be one of those growing rock tracks which Tremonti has written many of over the years - and with which Alter Bridge has essentially made a career out of. A tight drum groove sits behind the hypnotic clean guitar melodies during the verses, which feature some more excellent Tremonti vocals - and the song generally moves through a couple of different verse iterations with subtle tweaks in guitar melody, with a slow-burning chorus feeling less anthemic than might be expected also providing a point of difference with a little warmth. The song keeps threatening to explode, though, and it later does with a big guitar solo - and it somewhat maintains this heavier approach for the rest of the song with a strident closing section with screaming guitar leads and a bigger version of the previous chorus.

Tomorrow We Will Fail opens with a percussive drum groove, which is soon built upon by Keegan and his bass playing, before the guitars kick in and the song becomes another slightly cleaner-sounding piece. It feels tougher and more hard-hitting than the previous song, though, and it is one that grows a lot more as it moves along - with more variety in general in the arrangements. Some of the riffing here feels a bit bigger, but it still is not all that metallic - despite some more chugging moments acting as part of a chorus as the song moves along. Bluesier guitar moments and a slightly psychedelic feel characterise parts of the track, too, which only adds to the grungy and stoner vibes which has already been present on the album up to this point. The chorus does hit harder, with some bigger riffing, but elsewhere this album's core sound dominates more and adds to that strange warmth the album can sometimes have. Those missing the heavier Tremonti of old, though, will love I'll Take My Chances. This is a much faster and thrashier piece, with perhaps the album's most venomous riff - and the much more overtly metallic approach is certainly welcome following a few more restrained pieces overall. There has been plenty of riffing on the album up to this point, but the riffing here is much different to that of most of the rest of the album - with crunchier tones overall and a really tight rhythmic style which reminds me a little of the style of Jon Schaffer (and this is not the first time I have compared Tremonti to Schaffer). The chorus is pretty anthemic, too, in classic Tremonti fashion. It is perhaps not as fast as the rest of the song, but it still feels pretty urgent overall - and there is a great guitar solo here, too, which is pretty lengthy and filled with a lot of different feelings. It is the sort of song that just kicks in and does what it needs to with little fuss - and it is great to have some no-nonsense metal here given the overall vibe the album sets. The Bottom somewhat sits half way between the heaviness of the last song and the songs which preceded it. In some ways, the track is similar to the more anthemic approach of songs like One More Time earlier in the album. There are more organic moments, with cleaner guitars and something of an atmospheric feel, but there is plenty of heaviness, too - with one of the album's best choruses that recalls Tremonti anthems of the past. It is an easy song to latch onto melodically, then, with many of the hooks and vocal arrangements harking back to All I Was in style - which was a much more straight up anthemic metal album. It is great that Tremonti's overall sound has evolved over the years, and he has not really sat still despite his core sound generally remaining true, but this more old-school piece is certainly welcome. I do like this album quite a bit for its differences, but I do miss some of Tremonti's riffing prowess this time - so hearing a track like this with a massive chorus and some big guitars reminds me of the best of his work.

Those who want big guitars, though, will love Live in Fear. There is very little of the grungy side of Tremonti's playing here - with the song instead being overtly metallic with lots of knotty double bass drumming from Bennett and some guitar tones which are not too far removed from those used by Tool. There is something fat and mechanical about some of the riffs utilised throughout this track - and the pace is generally upped, too. It is not as thrashy as some of his work, but there is an urgency and energy to the piece - with a fast-paced chorus and riffy sections sitting nicely alongside some more mid-paced and organic verses. It might not be as hooky vocally as some of Tremonti's best songs of the past, but the chorus still feels memorable and the guitar riffing is a big overall highlight. There is a lot of headbanging which can be done to this track - so I imagine that it will feature in the set for the album's tour. Returning to the album's grungier core sound, though, Now That I've Made It is more of a cinematic and bluesy piece. It returns to the mid-paced sound which generally characterises the album, with clean guitars dominating during the verses, aching leads sitting atop them at times, whilst Tremonti sings with all the gravitas he can muster. The chorus feels heavier, but it does not really up the pace - although there is a strong, slow-burning guitar lead which sits atop the riffing as Tremonti sings which gives the track a bit of a strange overall feel. It works well, though, and there is some heaviness later on thanks to a more strident vocal-led bridge section before a final reprise of the chorus. The album then comes to a close with the slightly lengthier All the Wicked Things. Whilst not exactly an epic, it is a song which feels like it has a bit more time to stretch out - and it crosses a number of bridges that the album up to this point has crossed. It opens slowly, with chiming guitars and a somewhat cold atmosphere, before Tremonti starts to sing - his bluesy voice sitting nicely against this calm. Much of the song is more up-tempo, though, and when the rest of the band kick in things really get going - and there a pretty big chorus here which is backed by some strident guitar chords, alongside some chugging instrumental sections with really staccato guitar stabs. The riffing here is not as consistently heavy as it has been during the album's toughest moments, but there is still plenty of weight here - alongside another pretty expressive guitar solo, which is also quite lengthy. The piece generally rocks out pretty hard, then, but it does slow down towards the end, though, which means that the song finishes out as it started. Given that the album itself started quite slowly, too, this fade out is fitting - and it suits the overall more restrained feel of much of the album. Whilst I do miss some of the more overt heaviness of Tremonti's best solo work throughout The End Will Show Us How, I do like the album for its somewhat different approach. The change is not drastic, but it is enough to stand out - and I think the grungier approach works well for the most part. Artists need to evolve to stay fresh and this is certainly a fresh-sounding album for Tremonti - even if it feels more of a slow-burner and a grower than some of the more anthemic releases of the past.

The album was released on 10th January 2025 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Just Too Much.