Leaves Eyes, Diabulus In Musica, Enkelination – live O2 Academy Islington, November 10 2015

Leaves’ Eyes return to London in support of latest album King of Kings Accompanied by Spanish band Diabulus In Musica and London-based EnkeliNation the three band bill did a...

Live Review : Adrian Hextall (Reviewer \ Interviewer \ Writer – MyGlobalMind Magazine) 

Photo Credit: Adrian Hextall (MindHex Media)

Additional Content Credit – Sally Berrow for the great job on identifying the current line ups for Enkelination and Diabulus in Musica.

Sally’s own article can be found HERE:  

Leaves’ Eyes return to London in support of latest album King of Kings Accompanied by Spanish band Diabulus In Musica and London-based EnkeliNation the three band bill did a good job a ensuring a decent sized crowd were in attendance.

EnkElination

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EnkeliNation are a melodic rock/metal band founded by classically trained opera singer and Finnish expatriate Elina Siirlana. The band also includes guitarist Shadow Venger, drummer Benjamin Tarten and bassist Julia Cadau.  This was a first for me as I’d never heard of the band before but they certainly resonated with a sizeable portion of the crowd. They put in a solid performance and left people in no doubt that the début album, Tears of Lust, is worth investigating.

SETLIST:

Never Ending
Insane
Changeling
Last Time Together
Tears Of Lust

Diabulus in Musica

LeavesEyesSITE_004Next up were another band new to me. Diabulus in Musica, fronted by a positively glowing and very pregnant Zuberoa Aznàrez, played as a four piece as usual guitarist Alexy Kolygin is absent, leaving bassist Odei Ochoa to handle things. The bass then was presumably provided thanks to keyboardist Gorka Elso’s impressive kit set up at the side of the stage. Gorka also provides the grunts and growls to offset and compliment the gorgeous operatic vocals from Zuberoa. The lighting seemed to suit Zuberoa perfectly and you’ll see from the gallery below what I mean about her glowing on stage.

Every song got a great response from the hugely friendly crowd, clearly here for a good night out rather than simply waiting for the head line act. I believe this was their first UK tour so a positive response should see them return to these shores soon.

SETLIST:

INTRO: Et Resurrexit (Libera Me)

Hidden Reality

Lies in Your Eyes

Ex Nihilo

Eternal Breeze

Sceneries of Hope

Sed Diabulus

Spoilt Vampire

OUTRO: Horizons

Leaves Eyes

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In keeping with the concept behind latest album, King of Kings, Leaves Eyes have been inviting Viking re-enactment groups to join them on stage during the opening and closing numbers. For the UK, Jomsborg Ulflag (a group that operate \ fight \ congregate in the UK ) join them at the London show. As we came out of an interview pre-show with Liv, it was quite unsettling to see this group of burly warriors stood outside the stage door in full battle gear smoking what I can only assume was tobacco blended with the blood of fallen enemies.

Following the obligatory epic intro, the band opened with a blistering rendition of Halvdan the Black. The Vikings formed a human shield in the background and left room for the band to then take over centre stage. Naturally, the interplay between Liv and husband Alex is perfect and they really worked the crowd into a frenzy with Liv’s beautiful vocals wonderfully matched by Alex’s roars.

With shields being banged thanks to the broadswords on show, the roars and energy of Alex Krull and the tight energetic performance by the rest of the band, the heat and passion emanating from the stage washed over the first 20 rows with ease and it was difficult to spot anyone not sporting the biggest of grins.

Like Doro Pesch, Liv is one of those vocalists that manages to command a wonderful and hugely respectful following. The crowd lap up every word she utters during the lengthy set and she in term recognises the support from the crowd. Every release over recent years has swelled the audience for this excellent band and tonight is no different with the Academy now pretty much full.

There were so many highlights during this note perfect and visually spectacular show. It’s not often a venue the size of the Academy can make you feel like you’re stood in a room of 5000+ people but the atmosphere, lighting, sound (in fact the whole package) was flawless. Symphony of the Night raised the roof and Liv’s voice never sounded better. Revisiting back catalogue with Into Your Light, having the confidence to play the majority of the new King of Kings album (always a concern when it’s your latest and the crowd may not be familiar but it mattered not one iota!) on the setlist amd seeing the Vikings return to the stage, led by a sword-swinging Alex dressed in his King of Kings album-cover battle gear as Harold “Fairhair” Hårfagre, first King of Norway.

I’m not sure but I believe a significant amount of pillaging and plundering took place in Islington that night!

Liv returns to London for her solo show at the Camden Underworld on 20 December 2015 celebrating her time with Theatre of Tradegy. Former band mate Raymond Rohonyi will also be playing with her which will make the shows pretty special. 

SETLIST:

Intro: Sweven

1. Halvdan The Black
2. Sacred Vow
3. Farewell Proud Men
4. The Waking Eye
5. Symphony of the Night
6. Melusine
7. Edge of Steel
8. Into Your Light
9. Galswintha
10. My Destiny
11. Swords in Rock
12. Hell To The Heavens
13. King of Kings

Encore 1:
14. Elegy

Encore 2:
15. Blazing Waters

Outro: Mot Fjerne Land

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EXTREME’S UNMATCHED MUSICAL MASTERY AND ELECTRIFYING STAGE PRESENCE: A DEFINING FORCE IN ROCK HISTORY LIVE AT MARS MUSIC HALL, HUNTSVILLE, AL

EXTREME’S UNMATCHED MUSICAL MASTERY AND ELECTRIFYING STAGE PRESENCE: A DEFINING FORCE IN ROCK HISTORY LIVE AT MARS MUSIC HALL, HUNTSVILLE, AL

Photo Credit: Myglobalmind

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