Live Review: Eden's Curse @ The Underworld, London 25.05.2014

EDEN'S CURSE

TAINTED NATION AND DENDERA

THE UNDERWORLD, LONDON 25.05.2014

Words by Charlotte Whittingham

As much as I love Melodic Metal it can often be a hit and miss; the miss being that the tunes can all sound similar, with no real variety, so it becomes boring. This was not the case however when I was treated to a mind-blowing night of it headlined by the almighty EDEN’S CURSE with equally brilliant support from TAINTED NATION and DENDERA.

I first arrived at the venue appropriately named The Underworld for the very first time to find people already queuing before the doors opened so they could secure that much needed spot to see their idols. There was certainly excitement and eagerness in the air as I was taken away to interview EDEN’S CURSE.

Upcoming Portsmouth Metal outfit DENDERA had just started playing whilst I was interviewing the headliners. I had seen DENDERA a few times in the past and I must admit I was never overly keen on them before, often likening them to a long boring version of IRON MAIDEN. I was however impressed with their performance on Sunday night; they certainly improved their sound and stage presence this time. They provided us with fantastic melodic metal containing killer guitar solos and riff.  Ashley Edison’s vocals also shone through tremendously. DENDERA were overall the perfect choice to kick off this enticing evening of Melodic Metal.

TAINTED NATION were up next to show London what they were made of. From what I understand vocalist Pete Newdeck is the former drummer of EDEN’S CURSE but I was glad to see that didn’t affect the choice to pick them as the main support. They proved to be the impeccable choice for the main support as they pretty much had the crowds at their feet from the word go. Their amazing melodies featuring some excellent guitar work and powerful vocals brought fellow Metal band DRAGONFORCE to mind. I admired Pete Newdeck’s charismatic stage prescence immensely as he kept his crowds entertained throughout the set, even when there were technical difficulties he carried on like a true metal showman. With a variety of metal tunes that made me smile, they certainly proved to be my perfect kind of Melodic Metal.

With the appearance of headliners EDEN’S CURSE looming I was anxious; TAINTED NATION were a tough act to follow. My anxieties however were swept away when “Symphony Of Sin” was performed with such passion, they provided the introduction I certainly won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

The set EDEN’S CURSE provided encompassed many emphasises that made the performance all worthwhile. These included the infectious energy that had the crowds under their thumbs; their energy was so evident that they even had some fans rocking out at the back of the venue, which was certainly a first. Another highlight being guitarist Thorsten Koehne entering my list of top guitarists in Metal after witnessing his skills as he shredded unique solos and riffs that were completely out of this world. Judging from members of the crowd practising air guitar I am adamant in thinking that these guitar riffs and solos will be becoming Metal classics. Vocalist Nikola Mijic really did himself proud as he belted those singing chords that filled the venue, this live show certainly showed off how versatile his range was and this left me mesmerised.

The set list consisted of an eclectic selection of songs from the beautiful, enchanting single ‘Evil & Divine’ to the liberating ‘Wings To Fly’ this show had everything you could possibly have wanted to make the perfect live performance.

'Angels & Demons' allowed the devoted fans one last mosh before marking the end of an astonishing show.

Talking to fans after the show I was very surprised and delighted to hear that some people travelled thousands of miles to catch their idols play. These included fans from South Korea, Canada and Japan; it was touching to see how much seeing and meeting your idols meant to them. It also reassured me that the Metal scene would certainly be kept alive and kicking by its loyal and dedicated fans.

Live Review: Within Temptation @ Wembley Arena, London 12.04.2014

WITHIN TEMPTATION

DELAIN

WEMBLEY ARENA, LONDON 12.04.2014

Words by Charlotte Whittingham

One of the most anticipated metal shows of 2014 occurred this weekend that left many individuals blown away from the word go! This event I am speaking about is when Dutch symphonic metallers Within Temptation and Delain conquered Wembley Arena for the very first time.

It was definitely one of the most awaited shows of 2014 as many dedicated fans queued up at least five hours before opening time so they could secure the perfect spot to watch their idols. My friends and I arrived just after the doors opened and I could feel excitement from all corners of the venue; from the crowded merchandise stand where you had to think fast or you’d loose your place in the queue to the packed arena where fans eagerly awaited for the show to start, it was an amazing atmosphere to be part of. Between a couple of friends and I, it was our first time seeing both bands live where we all shared our feelings of excitement and anticipation.

Suddenly the lights went down and the venue echoed with excited cheers as support band Delain took to the stage quite naturally. Opening up with Go Away and Get The Devil Out Of Me had the crowds jumping up and down, clapping and head banging from the word go. There was a very eclectic selection of songs from across their albums including new songs Army Of Dolls and single Stardust from their latest album The Human Contradiction. The highlight of their set for me was when they performed my personal favourite song The Gathering, this I think was their arena anthem which was welcomed by the whole venue with open arms. Closing with We Are The Others marked the end of a fantastic set. Speaking to some fans after the show they enjoyed Delain’s set very much, the only criticism I heard was they would have liked to have heard Delain perform more songs.

After Delain thanked their fans and left the stage roadies started getting the stage ready for headliners Within Temptation. It was all kept in secret however when a huge flag with the cover of their latest album Hydra was displayed and the cheers indicated the fan's love for it. Leading up to the show, my friends and I all spoke about what we thought the set would consist of.  Questions included how they were going to fit the dragon on stage, whether there was going to be pyrotechnics and what songs we wanted to hear. All of that was going to be answered in a matter of minutes and as the set up was being completed the venue got fuller and more packed.

The lights started to slowly dim, the intro music was heard on the system and the flag dropped to reveal a grand set featuring dragons, a huge video screen and the instruments. Starting the set with new song Let Us Burn the cheers got louder as the band made their way onto the stage with lead vocalist Sharon den Adel in tow, during the dramatic chorus we got our first taste of the pyrotechnics which the crowd were blown away by. There was a balanced selection of songs from all their different albums, which I admired; from the up-tempo In The Middle Of The Night to a soft acoustic rendition of Whole World Is Watching this set contained excellent arena type songs to suit every mood under the sun. What I really loved about their set was that included those sort of songs you sing along to as loud as you can. Those songs for me were Paradise (What About Us?), Angels, Mother Earth and What Have You Done.

As well as the fantastic live performances of the songs you also got great visuals to go with a live show. These included the videos going on behind them, pyrotechnics, Sharon’s costume changes and the lighting. The videos were very effective; particularly during songs that featured guest singers such as Paradise (What About Us?) and What Have You Done where you could see the guest singer in the video singing their part.

Closing with classic anthem Ice Queen allowed the fans one more sing along and mosh before marking the end of a spectacular show.

So as you could tell from this review, I thought their live show was absolutely phenomenal from start to finish. You don’t just get a live show from Within Temptatiion, you get a theatrical masterpiece that I hope will return to London soon.

Find Within Temptation on Facebook, Twitter and their official website

Find Delain on Facebook, Twitter and their official website

The Treatment @ 02 Academy Islington, London 07/02/2014

Pure classic rock and roll is the phrase I would use to describe my night at London’s O2 Academy in Islington featuring some of the greatest British upcoming rock bands!

The night started off with a brassy howl from London rockers The Howling. They just started playing as I walked into the academy that evening and I was instantly taken with their energetic stage presence with some destructive elements, such as slamming the microphone down onto the floor. Their studio like sound when performing live certainly went down with the crowds and members of the audience headbanging showed this within the first few minutes of their set. A great band to kick off the show, their spectacular live performance only reinforces the positive feedback received from familiar names such as Kasabian’s Tom Meighan.

Main support Cage The Gods have certainly been making a name for themselves in the past year and their performance from Islington Academy is vital evidence as to why they were featured in Classic Rock as one of the bands to watch out for. Starting off with an atmospheric introduction leading into the song Badlands that received a more than welcoming reception from the crowds Cage The Gods were well under way. As their set continued, the band’s infectious energy circulated around the venue particularly via the songs Sacrifice and Favourite Sin. All I can say is keep an eye out for these talented rockers, their new album Badlands will be out soon!

I was very excited about seeing headliners The Treatment! As you’d have seen from a previous blog post their new album hit the shelves last week and I really enjoyed it. When the lights went down I could feel the eagerness and anticipation build up in the venue as they awaited the Cambridge rockers. The set got off to an explosive start with single I Bleed Rock And Roll that most certainly got a unquestionably enthusiastic reception from the crowds. The Treatment most certainly know how to take care of their fans as they included an eclectic selection of songs in their set that seemed to really Get The Party On (see what I did there?). 

The songs that highlighted their set for me were Emergency, Just Tell Me Why and Nothing To Loose (But Our Minds). Emergency is my personal favourite song on the new album Running With The Dogs, singing and dancing along to the song put the biggest smile on my face. I hadn’t heard Just Tell Me Why performed live for a long time and when I heard the first few notes played I felt very warm inside. Nothing To Loose just provided the perfect end to a brilliant set as everyone swayed their arms to and fro.

So as a whole, the night was excellent. It provided us a rare opportunity to see front man type energy from every band and I look forward to the next time they tour!

Words by Charlotte Whittingham and Dan Leigh

Find The Howling on Facebook, Twitter and their official website

Find Cage The Gods on Facebook, Twitter and their official website

Find The Treatment on Facebook and Twitter