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.
