 HEYOKA'S MIRROR (C) 2018 www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich DIRE PERIL (C) 2018 www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich VALINOR EXCELSIOR (C) 2018 www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich THREAT SIGNAL (C) 2018 www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich SIRENIA (C) 2018 www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich | Written and photographed by Xavier Cattarinich (Ravenkin Photography) (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com SIRENIA w/ THREAT SIGNAL, VALINOR EXCELSIOR, DIRE PERIL and HEYOKA'S MIRROR @ Dickens Pub Calgary, AB, Canada April 20, 2018 Presented by Annihilatrix Productions On April 20, Norwegian gothic metal outfit Sirenia played Dickens Pub in Calgary. I had long looked forward to seeing them perform live, as I credit Sirenia’s first two albums, At Sixes & Sevens (2002) and An Elixir For Existence (2004)—along with Therion’s Secret Of The Runes (2001), Tristania’s Beyond The Veil (1999), and Tiamat’s Skeleton Skeletron (1999)—for rejuvenating my waning passion for metal during the late nineties and early two thousands. I was also thrilled to see them bring an international line-up on tour with them, including guests from the U.S. (Dire Peril), Canada (Threat Signal), and as far away as Colombia (Valinor Excelsior), while likewise making room on the bill for a local opening act (Heyoka’s Mirror). The show promised to be a delight for fans of melodic metal. Last seen performing as contenders during Wacken Metal Battle Calgary in February 2018, Heyoka’s Mirror had vocalist Andrew Balboa exclusively at the keyboard this time around, leaving all guitar duties to Omar Sultan. Undaunted by the sparse early evening crowd that largely kept their distance from the stage, the lads gave it their all and encouraged the audience to put their hands together as they launched into “Face Of Void” from their debut EP, Loss Of Contact With Reality (2017). Bad luck hit early on as Sultan broke a string right out the gate, but the band played on and recovered swiftly. Heyoka's Mirror also gave spectators a taste of what’s to come on their first full length album, tentatively scheduled for release in 2019, when they performed their second and final song of the night, “Celebration Of Life.” Given the length of HM’s complex, meandering compositions, two songs unfortunately is all you get when they have the opening slot. I caught hints of Dream Theater, Rush, Orphaned Land, and System Of A Down while listening to them. Performing their very first show on this tour, Sacramento’s Dire Peril took the stage next. The brainchild of axe master Jason Ashcraft, DP upped the speed and energy with their sci-fi influenced power metal. Lead vocalist John Yelland, the only other permanent member in the band aside from Ashcraft, belted out the songs with a range, tone, and dramatic flair that called to mind ex-Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate and Midnight of Crimson Glory fame. Former Solborn vocalist Karli Romyn made the 300km trek down from Edmonton to join DP on stage for “Queen Of The Galaxy.” Her confidence and top notch performance made it seem as though she had been a longtime member of the band. Yet for all the energy and talent the group displayed, a more unified “sci-fi look” would have taken their show to the next level. Hailing from Tunja, Colombia, Valinor Excelsior kept the audience on the power metal train. Although their Facebook page lists six members, they performed as a quartet sans bassist and keyboardist on this tour, their first in North America. The guys looked like they were having the time of their life in spite of a restrained audience, which probably seemed fairly dull by Latin American standards. The blistering melodic leads provided by guitarists Fernando Moreno and Carlos Mendoza—in addition to vocalist Jhonny Velazco’s predilection for channeling Rob Halford—firmly situated the band between Helloween and Judas Priest. Though caricature-like at times (and isn’t Halford himself a caricature?), Valinor Excelsior were a pleasure to behold. Hamilton’s Threat Signal evidently drew many of their own supporters to the event. The previously timid crowd thickened its ranks and closed in on the stage, and it didn’t take long for some serious moshing to break out. Lead vocalist and sole remaining original member Jon Howard was on fire, his explosive performance manifesting the pent-up aggression bottled up from being sidelined for six years. Fortunately, the rest of the band projected the same level of intensity. While touring in support of Disconnect (2017)—their fourth album but first to be released since 2011—the guys also reached back into their grab bag to play older fan favourites, including breakthrough single “Rational Eyes” from their debut recording Under Reprisal (2006). If groove-laden metalcore with big uplifting choruses is your thing, then Threat Signal delivered in spades. Like Dire Peril, Threat Signal also took advantage of their local connections, inviting stab.twist.pull vocalist Big James Arsenian to contribute to the action. Instrumental track “Seti” from The Seventh Life Path blared over the P.A. to announce the impending arrival of headliners Sirenia, who then dove into “Goddess Of The Sea” from their latest record, Dim Days Of Dolor (2016). New lead singer Emmanuelle Zoldan—who had previously been a member of the Sirenian choir going all the way back to the band’s earliest days—came through crisp, clear and flawless in her vocal delivery. Although I must confess to having been less than captivated by the band’s more mainstream post-Sirenian Shores (2004) output, the rhythm section led by guitarist, main composer, and sole original member Morten Veland had sufficient power in a live environment to please those with a preference for edgier music—even in the absence of a bassist. If, like me, you had come hoping to hear them play as many songs from their earlier days as from newer releases, then you were out of luck. The only pre-Nine Destinies & A Downfall (2007) number they performed was “Meridian,” from At Sixes & Sevens (2002). Given that they were on a Canadian tour, I also half-expected them to spring their cover of Leonard Cohen’s “First We Take Manhattan” as an encore, but alas, that honour went to “My Mind’s Eye” and “The Other Side.” Still, I can’t fault a band for moving on and emphasizing their most recent work if that’s where their heart now lies. Sirenia’s reliance on sequenced electronic passages and pre-recorded choral arrangements precluded any live experimentation and spontaneity, so although they played a tight set, they offered no surprises or otherwise awe-inspiring moments. In the end, the devout got what they came for.
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| VALINOR EXCELSIOR Jhonny Velazco - Vocals Fernando Moreno - Guitar Carlos Mendoza - Guitar Daniel Triana - Drums Daniel Murcia - Bass Diego Nieto - Keyboard Label: Unsigned Website: www.valinorexcelsior.com | THREAT SIGNAL Jon Howard - Vocals Travis Montgomery - Guitars Ryan Miller - Bass Oswin Wong - Guitars Joey Muha - Drums Big James Arsenian - Vocals (Guest musician) Label: Agonia Records Worldwide Website: www.threatsignalmusic.com | SIRENIA Morten Veland - Guitars & vocals Jan Erik Soltvedt - Guitar Jonathan A. Perez - Drums Emmanuelle Zoldan - Female Vocals Label: Napalm Records Website: www.mortenveland.com/sirenia |
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