Tag Archives: melodic power metal

Metal Chick of the Month – Vanessa Funke

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I’m always on my own… Even in my dreams I die alone… Loneliness is a garment… Made of shadows hanging above…

There’s nothing better than kicking off the short but always freezing cold month of February than with an ultra talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who personifies the underground like our metal lady of this month, setting fire to the atmosphere with her undisputed blend of Extreme Metal. Known for her involvement with some amazing underground bands the likes of Zion Code and Cordiscord Elysium, and more recently for her undisputed solo career, releasing an array of first-class albums, she brings the noise directly from Germany to The Headbanging Moose, taking no prisoners in her quest for heavy music. Her name is Vanessa Funke, and after knowing more about her life and her career, I’m sure you’ll get addicted to her fusion of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal with an overdose of raw emotions and, therefore, feel beyond eager to get caught in a mosh while she kicks some serious ass both in the studio and onstage.

Hailing from Finnentrop, a municipality in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Vanessa said in one of her interviews that music has been all around her basically her entire life, mentioning she remembers hearing the intro to Thin Lizzy‘s version of Whiskey In The Jar as a child and imagining that she would play it herself. “It took a while for me to pick up an instrument though, which was about 2009. I was absolutely fascinated with Mike Oldfield around that time, especially that he can play all those different instruments and basically creates albums almost on his own. That really was the impulse that led me to playing guitar and later keyboards. When I got into metal about two years later, I started to play it myself too.”

She believes the first ever metal song she learned on the guitar was Weather The Storm, by Finnish melodeath masters Insomnium, becoming the rhythm guitarist shortly after for a band named Storm Unleashed, which was basically her first step into the music business, naturally evolving more and more even after she decided to pursue her solo career. Clearly a huge fan of the Melodic Death Metal from the 90’s and 2000’s, she also started incorporating elements from Gothic Metal into her music, giving it even more depth, which consequently allowed her to explore darker emotions in her compositions.

Speaking of her solo career, it all began in 2017 when she started recording a few demos, which only came to light in 2022 as a compilation encompassing those demos from 2017 until 2021. After that, she kept firing her own blend of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal through the 2022 EPs Sorted Out and Broken, followed by the split Ode to Hopelessness (alongside French Depressive Black Metal act Angel of Suicide), her first full-length album Solitude, plus the splits Nothing Left… (with UK-based Black Metal outfit Black Apathy) and Anthems of Gomorrah / Vanessa Funke (with Pinellas County, Florida-based Black/Death Metal horde Anthems of Gomorrah), all also in 2022.

Then in 2023 she released the EP Reflections, the splits Lonely Suicide (with American Atmospheric Black Metal creature Nymphrenia), In the Shadow of the Lights (with a band named Luroga), A Road to Nowhere (with Panama’s own Black Metal entity The Last Weapon), and Barely Living on the Edge…​ (with the bands Nymphrenia, Black Apathy, Shallow Existence, and Have a Nice Life…), and her sophomore full-length opus entitled Dawn. In 2024, the EP Lament and the full-length Void saw the light of day, while in 2025 she brought into being the split Locomotion of Escape (with a band called Tachanka), and her fourth full-length installment, titled Requiem. All of those releases can be found on BandCamp and on Spotify, and on her official YouTube channel you can also find her official videos for songs such as Worthless, Broken Ground, Infelicity, and I Need You Tonight, among several others. Not only that, her music is also featured in a few interesting compilations, including the songs Solitude on the  LDP Smörgåsbord Series #2 (released by Liminal Dread Productions in December 2023), Sorrow on Mind Over Metal 4: Volume 1 (released by Cave Dweller Music in May 2024), Buried on Black Metal Against Blackout (released in January 2024), and Dead Souls on Heavy for the Hollers (released by Liminal Dread Productions in November 2024).

One very interesting fact about her solo albums is that all of them have just one word in the title (Solitude, Dawn, Void, and Requiem), not to mention she keeps an impressive streak of one album per year. “I actually try to keep up the pace with one full length release every year. I’ve written so many songs that I have enough material for at least another album right now and several rough sketches and demos. When I get into this certain creative flow, I try to let it all out. Later I come back to these ideas and refine them. Having just one word as the title wasn’t something I planned. I released an EP called Broken in 2022, after that my first album Solitude followed and I basically just stayed with those one word titles since then. Fun fact: the album title never appears as a song title on the same album, but I do tend to use it later. For example, Solitude is the title of my first album, but also the title of the first song on Requiem,” explained our unstoppable metal diva.

Furthermore, she also explained the reason why the song titles in her latest album Requiem also have just one word, like Useless, Worthless, Sorrow, Death, and Buried, but that doesn’t mean her music should be labeled as Depressive Black Metal. “On this album I came up with the song names before I had the music. I wanted to be inspired by those simple words, like what do I feel when thinking about them and translate that feeling to music. Of course reading those titles can definitely imply something depressive, which is partially true because of the story behind it. But the music isn’t depressive black metal in my opinion, more a mixture between atmospheric black metal and funeral doom. The melodic death and gothic influence isn’t that strong here.”

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Apart form her undisputed solo career, Vanessa is (or was) also part of an interesting music project assembled to celebrate the 36th birthday of Alicia Cordisco (of Arizona’s own Thrash Metal beast Transgressive), with its collaborators spanning countries across three continents, including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The name of such a unique project is Cordiscord Elysium, a Melodic Death and Power Metal outfit with several guest musicians from different underground bands, and that released their debut EP titled Alicia Cordisco’s Amazing Birthday, in 2025, followed by the EP Alicia Cordiscord Autumnal Ball, and the single All Carols are Bangers, both also from 2025, and all available on BandCamp. From all songs recorded so far by the project, the most interesting one is hands down their cover version for Eagle Fly Free, by Helloween.

Prior to flying solo, Vanessa was a member of a Zanesville, Ohio-based Progressive Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore band named Zion Code, taking care of their vocal duties from 2022 to 2024, plus playing guitars, bass and keyboards for the band between 2023 and 2024. Formed in 2021 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Mitchell, the band has already released seven full-length albums and two EPs, with Vanessa being part of the 2023 albums Zion Code and Festung, and the 2024 albums Apocrypha and New Dawn Rising. Curiously enough, nothing is available on BandCamp nor on Spotify anymore for reasons beyond our knowledge. Anyway, apart from recording vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and drums in those albums, Vanessa was also responsible for the production, mixing and mastering, and even the artwork for the 2023 album Festung. I’m curious to listen to Zion Code as I haven’t had a chance yet, but apparently there’s nothing available anywhere, not even unofficial videos uploaded on YouTube by random users.

She can also be found as a guest musician for some very interesting bands and projects. For instance, she recorded vocals for the 2025 album The Burden of I, by Tucson, Arizona’s own Melodic Black/Death Metal musician Alicia Cordisco; vocals for the 2023 single We Can Win, by California-based Avantgarde Black/Power Metal act Black Stag Rising; the dialogue on the song Lebenssinn, from the 2023 EP Die Welt schl​ä​ft ein, by French Black Metal entity Myrkyttää; additional vocals on the song Remember Me, from the 2025 album Down the Drain, by American Depressive/Atmospheric Black Metal act Nymphrenia; and additional vocals on the song Writhing in Agony I: Reopening Wounds I Have Once Forgotten, from the 2023 EP Writhing in Agony, by UK’s Depressive Black Metal act Shallow Existence. Not only that, Vanessa was also responsible for the artwork for the 2023 album Broken Cleansing and the 2023 EP Afuckt Up Mess, both by American Metalcore/Technical Death Metal act A Karmic Gray, and for the artwork for the 2023 EP Chaos Undivided, by Ohio’s own Death Metal brigade Bloodthirster.

When asked about how she feels having the drum arrangements (as well as the mixing and mastering) done by Michael Easley for her latest album Requiem, she said that it was an exception under her one-woman band project. “I usually do everything myself. This one album is actually the exception. I used a pretty old drum plugin initially, which lacked some human feel. As Michael is a drummer, he offered me to change it a bit and put a bit more life into it, which I gladly accepted. But nothing was done without my approval of course. Also a lot of the music was recorded at a time where my mixing skills weren’t that good. So Michael basically polished it to make it sound similar to my previous albums. For the next album I already have a higher standard I set for myself, so I’m pretty sure right now that if I get it right the way I imagine it, there’s no need for changes afterwards.” Furthermore, she also shared a few words about her writing and composing style. “When I start to write a song, I only have one chords progression or a melody from which I build up the whole song. So most things actually just happen during the recording process. There’s not much planning ahead usually.”

One very interesting thing about her album Requiem is that it is based on her own experiences as a teenager. “If you look at the album in two different sides (songs 1-5 and songs 6-8), there are two different things I wrote about: the first side deals with the feeling of spiraling deeper into depression, while the second side deals with intrusive thoughts. I couldn’t be completely neutral, but I still tried to keep things vague enough so others can find their own story in this. For me personally this story is deeply tied to dysphoria, something that was really strong when I was younger, the fear of coming out and not being able to live as myself. Even if I’ve come a long way since then and it isn’t that bad anymore, I still felt the need to have an outlet for all these emotions.”

Last but not least, Vanessa is not the type of person that’s very active in social media. “I do use Instagram and Bluesky apart from Bandcamp, but generally I’m not that good in this social media game, so my accounts there are definitely not as professional as bands often have them. But I generally don’t feel the need to change that, as it feels more comfortable for me like this,” she commented, and we must all agree she’s doing the right thing. Focusing on her music, on the quality of her final product, is way more important to us listeners than having an active Facebook or Instagram account. And don’t worry, Vanessa, because your music is so good we can take care of the social media posting on your behalf, spreading your emotional music to the four corners of the earth. Because, in the end, that’s what good music is all about.

Vanessa Funke’s Official Instagram
Vanessa Funke’s Official YouTube channel
Vanessa Funke’s BandCamp
Vanessa Funke’s Spotify

Album Review – Alterium / Stormrage EP (2025)

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The new EP by this up-and-coming Italian band captures the essence of classic Power Metal while pushing their sound into exciting new territories.

Further cementing the band’s place among the most promising names in the new wave of European Power Metal, Stormrage is the brand new EP by Italian Symphonic/Melodic Power Metal warriors Alterium, a powerful chapter that bridges their acclaimed 2024 debut Of War And Flames and their upcoming full-length album. Formed of Nicoletta Rosellini on vocals, Paolo Campitelli on the guitars and keyboards, Alessandro Mammola also on the guitars, Luca Scalabrin on bass, and Dario Gozzi on drums, the band continues their tradition of blending agile riffs, epic atmospheres, and battle-hardened energy in Stormrage, capturing the essence of classic Power Metal while pushing the band’s sound into exciting new territories.

The whimsical, epic keys by Paolo will embellish the airwaves and invite you on a symphonic journey in the title-track Stormrage, accompanied by the classic drumming by Dario and the melodic and powerful vocals by Nicoletta; whereas Sui starts in a more melodic manner, sounding almost like a Folk Metal ballad, before Paolo and Alessandro strike us all with their scorching Heavy Metal riffs in a very detailed, imposing and electrifying feast of Symphonic and Melodic Power Metal. The CD version of the EP comes with two amazing bonus, the first one being their cover version for the classic by Symphony X titled Paradise Lost (check the original version from their 2007 album Paradise Lost), and Alterium’s version is just as magical and enfolding, with Nicoletta’s powerful vocal lines being flawlessly supported by Paolo’s keys and the low-tuned, groovy kitchen crafted by Luca and Dario. And closing the CD version of the EP we have the orchestral version of Of War and Flames, a cinematic rendition of the original version from their own 2024 album Of War and Flames, where all orchestrations walk hand in hand with Nicoletta’s epic, soaring vocals.

In summary, this new chapter sees the band sharpen their songwriting and deliver a fresh burst of adrenaline that both longtime fans and newcomers will appreciate, reaffirming their mission to carry the torch of European metal with pride and power. Hence, you can get in touch with those Italian metallers via Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase their new EP from Big Cartel. As aforementioned, Stormrage works as a bridge between their 2024 album and their future endeavor, and based on the high energy and quality of the music found in their new EP, we can rest assured the future looks extremely promising for such an amazing up-and-coming band.

Best moments of the album: Sui and Paradise Lost.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Stormrage 4:16
2. Sui 5:27

CD Version bonus tracks
3. Paradise Lost (Symphony X cover) 6:45
4. Of War and Flames (Orchestral version) 3:40

Band members
Nicoletta Rosellini – vocals
Paolo Campitelli – guitars, keyboards
Alessandro Mammola – guitars
Luca Scalabrin – bass
Dario Gozzi – drums

Album Review – Primal Fear / Domination (2025)

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The Teutonic eagle of Heavy Metal strikes again with a thunderous 13-track opus, a masterclass in sonic warfare offering an unrelenting barrage of soaring vocals, earth-shattering riffs, and battle-hardened anthems forged in fire and steel.

Spanning more than 25 years of pure Heavy and Power Metal, having faced numerous challenges since their formation in 1997, and having repeatedly risen from their lowest points like a phoenix from the ashes, Germany’s own metal commando Primal Fear is finally back into the battlefield with their fifteenth studio opus, simply titled Domination, following up on their successful 2023 album Code Red. After a recent line-up change, which saw the incredible Thalìa Bellazecca join on guitar and André Hilgers on drums, alongside the iconic frontman Ralf Scheepers, the unbreakable bassist Mat Sinner, and the unstoppable guitarist Magnus Karlsson, the band will strike again with a thunderous 13-track opus, a masterclass in sonic warfare offering an unrelenting barrage of soaring vocals, earth-shattering riffs, and battle-hardened anthems forged in fire and steel.

The album kicks off with the striking The Hunter, with Ralf delivering pure adrenaline through the song’s classic words (“Through the labyrinth of fear, you’re lost and alone / A primal force unleashed a river of blood / This is the part / When you will run for your life / And every step you take / Leads closer to my knife / Blood stains the ground / The hunt never ends”); and  Magnus and Thalìa showcase their passion for shredding in the excellent Destroyer, a pure Primal Fear extravaganza with Mat and André keeping the rhythm flowing in great fashion. The band then goes full Melodic Power Metal in Far Away, where Thalìa proves why she was chosen as the new band’s guitarist as her dexterity is impressive, followed by I Am the Primal Fear, and as cheesy as the song title might sound, the music is a great mid-tune party by the band, with Mat kicking some ass on bass. Needless to say, it’s great to have him back in action. Tears of Fire is another song with a classic title following a similar pattern as the previous song, with Ralf’s soaring vocals adding an extra touch of epicness to the overall result; whereas back to a heavier, faster and more dynamic sonority we face Heroes and Gods, with André crushing his drums while Ralf pierce our minds with his undisputed screams.

Hallucinations is a smooth, melodic instrumental piece where Thalìa once again steals the spotlight with her flammable axe, warming us up for Eden, a dark and enfolding power ballad by those Teutonic metallers led by Ralf’s passionate vocal performance. In Scream the name of the song says it all, demanding us to jump up and down with Primal Fear and simply scream together with Ralf. Furthermore, the heaviness flowing from the guitars by Magnus and Thalìa is truly awesome, boosted by Mat’s thunderous bass. The Dead Don’t Die brings forward another blast of razor-edged riffs and blast beats that reek of Rock N’ Roll, perfect for some wild headbanging, and get ready to be caught in a crossfire of pure Heavy Metal to the sound of Crossfire, where André pounds his drums nonstop for our total delight. March Boy March is a song that gradually evolves into a metal attack led by Ralf’s piercing vocals while the band’s guitar duo keeps delivering sheer electricity through their axes, and ending the album we have the melancholic ballad A Tune I Won’t Forget, which is fine for what it is despite taking away some of the power blasted in all previous songs.

Recorded by Dennis Ward at Kangaroo Studios, produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by Ralf Scheepers and Magnus Karlsson, and mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Domination reeks of classic Primal Fear while at the same time sounding fresh and unique, proving why the band has been on the road for so many years against all odds. You can check what the German eagle is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, including their breathtaking live performances, stream their incendiary discography on Spotify, and above all that, put your metallic hands on Domination by clicking HERE. Primal Fear are more than ready to spread their metal wings once again all across the globe and dominate the world of heavy music armed with their new album, a new chapter in the career of this Teutonic eagle that refuses to die, forever fighting in the name of our beloved Heavy Metal.

Best moments of the album: Destroyer, Heroes and Gods, Scream and Crossfire.

Worst moments of the album: A Tune I Won’t Forget.

Released in 2025 Reigning Phoenix Music

Track listing
1. The Hunter 4:21
2. Destroyer 4:31
3. Far Away 4:19
4. I Am the Primal Fear 5:41
5. Tears of Fire 5:14
6. Heroes and Gods 4:10
7. Hallucinations 2:37
8. Eden 7:25
9. Scream 4:27
10. The Dead Don’t Die 4:27
11. Crossfire 4:12
12. March Boy March 5:01
13. A Tune I Won’t Forget 3:32

Band members
Ralf Scheepers – vocals
Mat Sinner – bass, vocals
Magnus Karlsson – guitars
Thalìa Bellazecca – guitars
André Hilgers – drums

Album Review – Crimson Shadows / Whispers of War (2025)

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Bringing fast and thrilling songs of battle and victory to our metal hearts since 2006, Toronto’s own metal warriors are finally back into the battlefield with their breathtaking third studio album.

Bringing fast and thrilling songs of battle and victory to our metal hearts since the already distant year of 2006, Toronto, Canada’s own Epic/Melodic Death/Power Metal warriors Crimson Shadows are finally back into the battlefield with their fusion of the guttural screams and blast beats of Death Metal with the epic up-tempo guitar harmonies and choruses of Power Metal in their brand new album, the magnificent Whispers of War. Mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson, and displaying a classy artwork by Péter Sallai of Mortpaintgraphics, showcasing a brave, dauntless warrior that perfectly depicts the sound of the band, the new album by frontman Jimi Maltais, guitarists Greg Rounding and Ryan Hofing, bassist Alex Snape, and drummer Cory Hofing is a worthy follow-up to their 2014 beast Kings Among Men, offering our avid ears an overdose of the band’s characteristic sound while also pointing to an even brighter future ahead of them.

Those Toronto warriors waste no time and kick off their metal music played at the speed of light party in Dawn of an Age, with Cory taking the lead with his crushing beats, and Jimi and Greg make a phenomenal vocal duo in Guardians, with it’s catchy-as-hell lyrics (“Guardians / We stand in a time of blood and fire / Ancient tales become our legacy / Skies ablaze, spirits of evil surrounding me / The prophecy remains our destiny”) inspiring us all to raise our fists and join them in a lecture in Melodic Death and Power Metal. Defenders of the Crown offers our avid ears more of their epic lyrics (“Here we stand to hold our ground / We defenders of the crown / Hold your steel and clench it tight / Or we all will die tonight”) in another classic battle hymn; and featuring the unparalleled Canadian growler Matt McGachy of Cryptopsy, Whispers of War is a fulminating metal attack by the boys sounding as fast as it is epic and aggressive, with Greg and Ryan firing truly piercing riffs nonstop, followed by Embrace the Fire, a little bit below the rest of the album but still fast, furious and presenting the band’s trademark sonority.

Then a smooth piano-driven intro quickly evolves into another shredding extravaganza by Greg and Ryan titled Battle Hard II: Battle Harder (the sequel to their 2012 song “Battle Hard”), while Jimi roars and growls with all of his strength and passion for heavy music. And featuring the indomitable Brittney Slayes (frontwoman for Canadian metal masters Unleash The Archers), who brings balance to the vocals together with Greg, we have Secrets of Our Time, not to mention Cory demolishes his drums in great fashion until the very last second. Jimi then sounds out of control, roaring manically in The Legacy of Steel, another headbanging beast where their riffs and solos exhale pure Heavy Metal magic, whereas lastly, the band will head into their final battle entitled Rise of the Fallen Soul, with Greg stealing the show with his awesome clean vocals while their Dragonforce-like guitar solos bring an extra onrush of electricity to their sound.

Crimson Shadows might have competed in and won the 2013 edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada, and they absolutely deserved it, but in my humble opinion it’s now with Whispers of War that their trademark metallic, roaring sounds are ready to spread all over the world, positioning them as one of the forces to be reckoned with in the current Heavy Metal scene. Furthermore, those brave metallers are ready to take on the stages of the world by storm, and you can keep an eye on their tour dates by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, as well as by clicking HERE. Don’t forget to also stream their striking creations on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course to grab a copy of the incendiary Whispers of War from BandCamp or from Big Cartel. War is upon us, and it’s time to fight side by side with Crimson Shadows to the sound of their superb new album, one of the best of the year, and a lecture in Canadian metal.

Best moments of the album: Guardians, Whispers of War, Battle Hard II: Battle Harder and The Legacy of Steel.

Worst moments of the album: Embrace the Fire.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Dawn of an Age 4:46
2. Guardians 4:20
3. Defenders of the Crown 5:09
4. Whispers of War 5:18
5. Embrace the Fire 4:07
6. Battle Hard II: Battle Harder 5:57
7. Secrets of Our Time 4:48
8. The Legacy of Steel 5:39
9. Rise of the Fallen Soul 5:51

Band members
Jimi Maltais – vocals
Greg Rounding – guitars, clean vocals
Ryan Hofing – guitars
Alex Snape – bass
Cory Hofing – drums

Guest musicians
Matt McGachy – vocals on “Whispers of War”
Brittney Slayes – vocals on “Secrets of Our Time”

Concert Review – Visions of Atlantis (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 04/09/2025)

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Sailors, comrades and buccaneers from every nook and cranny of Toronto gathered this Wednesday night for an electrifying feast of first-class Melodic and Symphonic Power Metal.

OPENING ACT: Seraina Telli

Sailors, comrades and buccaneers from every nook and cranny of Toronto gathered at the always cozy Lee’s Palace this Wednesday night for a cinematic, thrilling feast of Melodic and Symphonic Metal, plus some colorful and vibrant Hard Rock, courtesy of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS with special guest SERAINA TELLI during their Armada Over North America Tour 2025, brought to the city by the iconic Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such a unique experience in the city, and I must say that from all Symphonic Metal bands out there these days, Visions of Atlantis are by far the most entertaining one, and the one I can listen to on a regular basis without getting bored at all. Quite the contrary, right after the show I kept listening to their music instead of switching to something else, just to give you an idea of how exciting the whole night was.

But before those Austrian pirates (seasoned with French and Italian elements) hit the stage, we were treated to the electrifying Hard Rock by Switzerland’s own SERAINA TELLI, a pleasant surprise as I’ve been following her work since she was part of Burning Witches, but I honestly had zero hope of seeing her live with her solo career in Canada. Well, it was amazing watching Seraina on the stage at Lee’s Palace, as she simply kicked ass with her beyond powerful and beautiful voice, colorful looks (which matched perfectly with her 2023 debut solo album Addicted to Color, available on Spotify), and rockin’ moves, and the crowd loved every single moment of her show. Not even the fact the bass lines were pre-recorded took away the energy of her show, with songs like Addicted to Color and Wish You Well masterfully depicting her passion for Rock N’ Roll. There was a funny moment when during one of her interactions with the crowd she asked us to sing with her some sort of “oooh-oh-oh-oh!”, and one guy screamed “what does that mean?” Seraina laughed out loud as she was caught by surprise, sayinbg no one had ever asked her that before, and that moment made the whole show even more intimate and relaxed. Hopefully we’ll see her again soon in Toronto, because at the same time she’s addicted to color, Toronto is just starting to get addicted to her music.

Setlist
Addicted to Color
Wish You Well
I’m Not Sorry
Take Care
I Dare to
Think!
All Your Tears
If No One Else Had Ever Been There Before
Modern Warrior

Band members
Seraina Telli – vocals, guitar
Mike Malloth – drums

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS

It was 9pm sharp when the Austrian pirate ship of Melodic/Symphonic Power Metal buccaneers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS docked in the “port” of Lee’s Palace for one of the most entertaining shows of the year, making everyone at the venue raise their fists, jump up and down, dance, headbang, and even row on the floor, thanks to their awesome pirate gimmick (or maybe they’re real pirates, who knows). Their latest albums Pirates (2022) and Pirates II – Armada (2024) resulted in an amazing live album titled Armada (Live Over Europe) (2025), available on Spotify, and that was basically their setlist for the night. I had no idea how they would behave during their first-ever headlining tour in Canada and in the US, after having a few opening slots like when they opened for Korpiklaani in 2024, but Visions of Atlantis were incredible from start to finish and, therefore, deserve a bigger venue when they get back to the city (as much as I love Lee’s Palace).

Songs like Monsters, Heroes of the Dawn, Where the Sky and Ocean Blend, Clocks, Tonight I’m Alive, Hellfire, and so on (and holy shit, they definitely know how to craft catchy tunes!) sounded thrilling live thanks to the perfect synchronicity between their pirate frontman Michele Guaitoli and their stunning siren Clémentine Delauney, plus their heavy artillery brought forth by Christian Douscha, Herbert Glos, and Thomas Caser. Michele and Clémentine are by far one of the best, most talented and most charismatic vocal duos in heavy music, maybe only losing to Helloween’s iconic vocalists Michael Kiske and Andi Deris (just to give you an idea of how good Michele and Clémentine are), and their clash of vocal styles kept the energy flowing majestically during their entire show. Michele brings power and fun to the stage with his crazy pirate character, while Clémentine is simply hypnotizing, driving the crowd crazy and putting huge smiles on everyone’s faces.

The last part of the show was a very entertaining and demanding one, starting with the pirate ship rowing during Pirates Will Return, the unstoppable jumping during the “jump jump” song Melancholy Angel, and of course the screaming of “HAIL JOLLY ROGER!” and “ARMADA!” during their now all-time hit Armada. I was even tired after the show was over, but a good type of exhaustion, I mean, when you’re tired but very satisfied and happy, got it? And if you ask me, not only they need to return to Toronto sooner than you can say “ARMADA!” with an even bigger headlining show, but they also deserve a spot opening for bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Helloween anywhere in the world. Visions of Atlantis are absolutely awesome, and if you don’t like them, it’s time for you to walk the plank.

Setlist
To Those Who Choose to Fight
The Land of the Free
Monsters
Heroes of the Dawn
Where the Sky and Ocean Blend
Clocks
Legion of the Seas
Tonight I’m Alive
Collide
Hellfire
The Dead of the Sea
Underwater
Magic of the Night
Pirates Will Return
Melancholy Angel

Encore:
Master the Hurricane
Armada

Band members
Clémentine Delauney – female vocals
Michele Guaitoli – male vocals
Christian Douscha – guitars
Herbert Glos – bass
Thomas Caser – drums

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Album Review – Unleash The Archers / Phantoma (2024)

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Canada’s most innovative Power Metal institution returns with a bold and thrilling concept album, recounting the trials of AI gaining sentience on a dystopian, near-future planet earth.

Vancouver/Victoria, British Columbia, Canada-based Melodic Death/Power Metal powerhouse Unleash The Archers does not shirk from the tough stuff. Their unique blend of heavy music, pop, and prog comes together with brutal force on their brand new album, entitled Phantoma, the striking follow-up to their 2020 opus Abyss. Produced and recorded by Andrew Saunders and JJ Heath at Silverside Sound, mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, and displaying a futuristic, dystopian artwork by Dusty Peterson, the new beast by vocalist Brittney Slayes, guitarists Grant Truesdell and Andrew Kingsley, bassist Nick Miller, and drummer Scott Buchanan concerns itself with the influx of AI and what the future looks like with it involved in our art and society. Led by the album’s protagonist Phantoma, a Phase 4 / Network Tier 0 unit – model A, the story recounts the trials of AI gaining sentience on a dystopian, near-future planet earth, while musically speaking the album represents a huge leap forward in the band’s towering trajectory.

Just hit play and sounds of nature will instantly blend with the guitars by Grant and Andrew in the opener Human Era, before Britney comes ripping with her deep, powerful vocals in a gentle but impactful Power Metal tune, flowing into the title-track Ph4/NT0mA, where the band puts the pedal to the metal and delivers sheer adrenaline led by the classic beats by Scott, resulting in an amazing song that will drive fans crazy whenever played live. Let’s keep galloping together with the band to the future in Buried in Code, another fast-paced composition where Britney’s striking vocals walk hand in hand with the riffage by the band’s guitar duo, supported by the rumbling bass by Nick, followed by The Collective, starting in an ethereal manner before exploding into more of their ass-kicking Melodic Power Metal, and it will surely inspire some mosh pits during their live performances. And we then face Green & Glass, with its darkly poetic lyrics declaimed by Britney (“All around me, I see / Formations of green and glass shining in the sun / Never before have I seen such a beautiful display of how it was once / Before the earth was changed, they ruined every / Mesmerized, in a dream / Roaming so aimlessly, blinded by it all / Wonders abound in a way reminiscent of a time they can no longer recall”) being boosted by a delicate yet piercing sonority.

Then investing in an 80’s Synth Pop-inspired sound, Unleash The Archers will penetrate deep inside your soul in Gods in Decay, with Nick’s bass sounding massive while the band’s guitar duo embellishes the airwaves with their trademark riffs and solos. After an overdose of lightning Power Metal, the band brings forward the power ballad Give It Up or Give It All, which sounds even more 80’s than the previous song, albeit a bit generic in the end. Ghosts in the Mist, the first single of the album, offers more of their stylish words (“From out of shadows, and without warning / They’ve come to join the war, who’re they fighting for / Like phantoms in the dark, they’re hunting / They silently command who is the unseen hand”) with the keyboards adding a futuristic vibe to the song’s very melodic rhythm; whereas Seeking Vengeance is one more lecture in pure Heavy Metal where the incendiary riffs by Grant and Andrew sound fantastic, not to mention the song’s atmosphere is also very pleasant, melodic and thrilling. Lastly, we’re treated to the epic, cinematic finale Blood Empress, a darker, more melodic tune by the band that concludes the Phantoma storyline on a vibrant note, with Scott kicking some as usual on drums.

Britney and the boys are waiting for you to join them in the dystopian future of Phantoma on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify, and you should definitely purchase a copy of the best Power Metal album of the year so far by clicking HERE or HERE, letting their music flow through your brain like perfect coding. The band is now embarking on a wild, thrilling tour to all four corners of the earth, and if I were you I wouldn’t miss the chance to see them kicking some ass live with their old classic and brand new tunes, as Unleash The Archers are definitely one of the driving forces of the current Canadian metal scene. They’re heading to the future singing about the future while remaining loyal to their roots, and that’s what makes Phantoma so compelling, a timeless album about the past, present and future of mankind that will certainly take the name of the band to even further lands.

Best moments of the album: Ph4/NT0mA, Buried in Code, Gods in Decay and Seeking Vengeance.

Worst moments of the album: Give It Up or Give It All.

Released in 2024 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Human Era 5:40
2. Ph4/NT0mA 6:30
3. Buried in Code 3:39
4. The Collective 5:53
5. Green & Glass 5:30
6. Gods in Decay 5:02
7. Give It Up or Give It All 7:35
8. Ghosts in the Mist 5:46
9. Seeking Vengeance 5:22
10. Blood Empress 5:10

Band members
Brittney Slayes – vocals
Grant Truesdell – guitars, additional vocals
Andrew Kingsley – guitars, harsh growls, additional vocals, synths
Nick Miller – bass
Scott Buchanan – drums

Concert Review – Korpiklaani (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 04/13/2024)

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A night full of melody, pirates, sauna, beer, vodka, dancing and circle pits to warm up the hearts of all fans of good heavy music in Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Illumishade and Visions Of Atlantis

Round 2 of a very metal weekend in Toronto started with “round 2 of very bad traffic”, taking me over an hour to reach once again The Phoenix Concert Theatre when it should have taken me only about 35 or 40 minutes in total this Saturday night. Well, at least this time I was able to see all bands, those being ILLUMISHADE, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS and KORPIKLAANI, during their party-like Rankarumpu North American Tour 2024, one more unforgettable event organized by the unstoppable Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. My friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were a bit tired from the previosu night of brutality by Thy Art Is Murder, but as soon as the first band hit the stage the adrenaline started to flow and our batteries charged up quickly.

That first band was Switzerland’s Symphonic/Progressive Metal/Rock outfit ILLUMISHADE, and let’s say they won the hearts of every single person at the venue instantly with their talent, charisma, and passion for what they do. Of course all band members were great, but it was their frontwoman Fabienne Erni who stole the show with a hypnotizing performance, with her soaring vocals and beautiful moves captivating the eyes and ears of everyone at the venue. The band has recently released the album Another Side of You, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, with their setlist being almost entirely based on that album, and with songs like Here We Are and Cloudreader sounding awesome live. I really hope they return to the city sooner than later for another great show, because they’re an amazing new band from the Swiss scene and they’re definitely going places based on the quality of their music.

Setlist
Elegy
Enemy
Here We Are
Riptide
In the Darkness
Cloudreader
Tales of Time
World’s End

Band members
Fabienne Erni – vocals, piano
Jonas Wolf – guitars
Mirjam Skal – synths, orchestration
Yannick Urbanczik – bass
Marc Friedrich – drums

After a quick break, the venue was taken by storm by the most beloved pirates to ever arise from Austria. Yes, you read that correctly, as I’m talking about Melodic/Symphonic Power Metal privateers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, who put on a fantastic show for our total delight. Spearheaded by one of the most charismatic, talented and charming duos of the entire Power Metal scene, the stunning Clémentine Delauney (what a voice, my friends… what a voice!) and the electrifying Michele Guaitoli, the band brought a storm of heavy music to all fans at the venue, blending songs form their most recent album Pirates, like Master the Hurricane and the extremely catchy Clocks, with new tunes like the cheesy but awesomely fun Armada, from their upcoming album Pirates II – Armada, to be released on July 5. Their show was so full of energy to the point there were several mosh pits going on during some of their faster songs, all of course led by Michele who had all fans on the palm of his pirate hand the whole time. You can enjoy their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, as usual, and board their pirate ship when they invade your city for a sweet live concert. HAIL JOLLY ROGER!

Setlist
Master the Hurricane
Clocks
Mercy
Tonight I’m Alive
Heroes of the Dawn
Monsters
Armada
Melancholy Angel
Pirates Will Return
Legion of the Seas

Band members
Clémentine Delauney – female vocals
Michele Guaitoli – male vocals
Christian Douscha – guitars
Herbert Glos – bass
Thomas Caser – drums

KORPIKLAANI

If you have never seen the incendiary Finnish Folk Metal crew KORPIKLAANI live in your life, you have no idea what you’re missing. Let’s say that from the very first notes of the song Kotomaa, from their brand new opus Rankarumpu (to be reviewed here at The Headbanging Moose soon), it was a wild party with lots of dancing, beer, vodka, the heat of a real sauna, and so on, driving all fans crazy inside the venue. The last time I saw the band live was way back in 2014 during Paganfest America Part V (yes, that festival existed one day in Toronto), but I must say this Saturday the band was a lot tighter, more professional, more vibrant and heavier than ever, with of course frontman Jonne Järvelä stealing the spotlight with his inebriate vocals and classy dance moves.

Their setlist was a thing of beauty, blending old school songs like Wooden Pints and Happy Little Boozer with several new ones including Aita, the title-track Rankarumpu, and the breathtaking Saunaan, proving the band is in great shape and form in their new album. Also, it’s always fun to witness Sami Perttula on the accordion and Olli Vänskä on violin live, as their instruments bring an amazing vibe to all of the band’s songs, and of course that translates into endless dancing and jumping inside the circle pit (which was VERY intense, by the way). Well, let’s say things got even faster and rowdier inside the pit during the encore when they played the classics Beer Beer and Vodka, proving booze will always be the best fuel for any heavy music party, leaving all fans eager for more Korpiklaani the second their wild show was over. You can keep up to date with all things Korpiklaani by clicking HERE, and DO NOT miss their live concerts in your city or wherever you are, alright? VITTU, PERKELE, SAATANA!

Setlist
Kotomaa
Wooden Pints
A Man With a Plan
Happy Little Boozer
Journey Man
Ievan polkka
Gotta Go Home (Boney M. cover)
Aita
Tuli kokko
Pidot
Leväluhta
Sanaton maa
Rankarumpu
Pixies Dance
Juokse sinä humma
Tapa sen kun kerkeet

Encore:
Viima
Metsämies
Saunaan
Beer Beer
Vodka
Outro (Mother Earth)

Band members
Jonne Järvelä – vocals, acoustic guitar
Kalle “Cane” Savijärvi – guitar
Jarkko Aaltonen – bass
Sami Perttula – accordion
Olli Vänskä – violin
Samuli Mikkonen – drums, percussion

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Concert Review – Alestorm (The Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, 03/22/2024)

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In a winter-like night of spring in Toronto, countless fans braved a ruthless snowstorm to enjoy the incendiary concert by the most famous pirates of the metal scene worldwide.

OPENING ACTS: Glyph and Elvenking

Unfortunately due to a heavy snowstorm that hammered the city of Toronto on Friday night (it looks like we moved from a spring-like winter to a winter-like spring, which is a real bummer), I wasn’t able to make it to The Concert Hall to enjoy the start of the Tour of the Dead Marauder 2024, with the bands GLYPH, ELVENKING and ALESTORM, another amazing event brought to the city by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Not only that, this was the first ever event Noel held at The Concert Hall, which according to my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi is a fantastic venue for metal concerts. Huge stage, amazing lighting and sound, and the wrap around the upper balcony has a wicked view with one bar. Hopefully I’ll be able to see other bands playing at The Concert Hall, because I’m really curious to see how it is now. Anyway, as mentioned Keith was able to make it to the show, so not only he was responsible for the photos, but he also had to send me some words about each of the bands that played Friday night. I’ll add some information about the bands to the review as well, just to make it more detailed, and I hope you crazy metalheads enjoy the reading.

“Toronto is in its 4th day of spring and old man winter thought it would be nice for a snowstorm. However, the fans of the band Alestorm didn’t care. They stood outside for more than an hour in the blustery wind and snow to get inside a warm and newly renovated The Concert  Hall, where Noel Peters and his company Inertia Entertainment put on their first show. The bands Glyph, Elvenking and headliners Alestorm kicked some ass and let all their fans enjoy some much needed moshing,” said Keith about the entire night. The doors opened at 7pm and the first band of the night, GLYPH (a Power Metal featuring members of Gatekeeper, Greyhawk, Hjelvik, and Ravenous) went on shortly after, leaving Keith scrambling to get his camera ready and fight his way through the already packed venue. I believe they played the songs Honor, Power, Glory, A Storm of Crimson Fire and When The World Was Young during their set, and maybe a few others, but these three definitely deserve a listen. Moreover, Glyph will release their new album Honor. Power. Glory. this Friday March 29, so don’t be a fool and get ready to rock with such an amazing band by purchasing it or streaming it on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Band members
R. A. Voltaire – vocals
Rob Steinway – guitars
Darin Wall – bass
Jeff Black – keyboards
Ryan Yancey – drums

Right after Glyph finished warming up the crowd, it was time for Italian Melodic Power/Folk Metal entity ELVENKING to take the city of Toronto by storm (and fortunately not a snowstorm) with their hypnotizing concert, blending songs from their vast catalogue (as the band has been kicking ass all over the world for 27 years already) with their most recent effort, the 2023 album Reader of the Runes – Rapture. In addition, Elvenking are not your regular band, as their lineup includes mystical creatures represented by frontman Damna, guitarist and keyboardist Aydan, guitarist HeadMatt, bassist Jakob, drummer Symohn, and the iconic violinist Lethien, who definitely adds an extra touch of magic to their live performances. Keith said their concert was insane, driving their fans crazy and eager for more Elvenking in the city in the near future, and I honestly can’t wait for that as long as there isn’t a boring snowstorm blocking all roads, of course.

Setlist
Rapture
The Hanging Tree
Draugen’s Maelstrom
Pagan Revolution
Silverseal
Moonbeam Stone Circle
To Oak Woods Bestowed
Pagan Purity
Bride of Night
The One We Shall Follow
The Wanderer
The Divided Heart
Elvenlegions
She Lives at Dawn

Band members
Damna – lead vocals
Aydan – guitars, harsh and backing vocals, keyboards
HeadMatt – guitars
Jakob – bass
Lethien – violin
Symohn – drums

ALESTORM

Finally, after a quick break, the main attraction of the night took the stage for a memorable performance. The one day Scottish but now multinational Folk/Power Metal privateers ALESTORM kicked some serious ass according to Keith, with a jam packed venue making the night even more special. Having released that same Friday their new EP Voyage of the Dead Marauder (which is really cool, by the way), the band formed of Christopher Bowes, Máté Bodor, Gareth Murdock (and if you don’t know his Black Metal band Imperial Demonic, I highly recommend listening to their 2023 debut EP Beneath the Crimson Eclipse), Elliot Vernon, and Peter Alcorn was on fire during their entire set, playing classics like Keelhauled, Drink and Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship as well as the new songs The Last Saskatchewan Pirate and Voyage of the Dead Marauder, leaving a sold out The Concert Hall eager for another killer show by those metallic pirates in a not-so-distant future. “The crowd barrier broke and me and the security held it up during the third song for Alestorm. They had to fix it on the fly,” said Keith who, despite having a corrupt memory card and losing most of his over 200 Alestorm photos, made sure I got a very special (or maybe I should say divine) photo taken by our amazing brother and photographer Ryan Miles Leblanc. “There was a special appearance by the lord Jesus Christ who graciously moshed and crowd surfed,” said Keith in a message to me. Well, who would say that Jesus would be a fan of pirate metal, right? YAAAAAARRRR!

Setlist
Keelhauled
No Grave but the Sea
The Sunk’n Norwegian
Alestorm
Under Blackened Banners
Hangover (Taio Cruz cover)
The Last Saskatchewan Pirate
Wenches & Mead
Magellan’s Expedition
Mexico
Voyage of the Dead Marauder
Big Ship Little Ship
Nancy the Tavern Wench
P.A.R.T.Y.
1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)
Shit Boat (No Fans)

Encore:
Drink
Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship
Fucked With an Anchor

Band members
Christopher Bowes – vocals, keyboards
Máté Bodor – guitars
Gareth Murdock – bass
Elliot Vernon – keyboards, backing vocals
Peter Alcorn – drums

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Metal Chick of the Month – Anni Kokkonen

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Your love is poison… Running through my veins!

As it’s getting colder and colder in the Northern Hemisphere, we needed a metal lady for the month of December who’s not only used to this chilly, frosty weather, but who can also warm up our hearts with her undisputed talent, charisma and passion for heavy music. Hailing from the beautiful land of ice and snow, commonly referred to as Finland, she’s the lead singer for Symphonic/Melodic Power Metal band Nevicate, and for Symphonic/Melodic Groove Metal band Stormbreaker, as well as a lyricist and a pianist, always putting a huge smile on our faces and inspiring us to raise our horns with her powerful voice and whimsical keys. If you have no idea who Anni Kokkonen is, get ready to be stunned by one of the must-see names of the current underground scene in Finland, taking you on a wild journey through the realms of Melodic Metal in her homeland.

Anni started her career in music as the vocalist for Joensuu, Finland-based Symphonic/Melodic Power Metal outfit Nevicate (which by the way means “snowfall” in Italian) back in 2014, when the band was actually formed. Sometimes labeled as a band that plays “Pop Metal”, the music by Nevicate projects a great deal of musical features including modern EDM, classically orchestrated “drama-music” and dark, mystical Nordic atmospheres, or in other words, it’s a mixture of symphonic tones, pop vibes and electronic elements, with all lyrics revolving around psychological themes, dealing with the fragile human mind and wounds caused by adversity, resulting in a blend of feminine power, masculine headbanging and melancholic moodiness. So far, the band formed of our diva Anni Kokkonen on vocals, Lassi Porali on the guitars and backing vocals, Lumi Ollila on keyboards and backing vocals, Oskari Hevonkoski on bass and Toni Manninen on drums released their self-titled debut demo in 2016, followed by the singles Shattered, in 2017, The Surface, in 2019, and Dewdrops, in 2021, with Anni being responsible for the vocals and lyrics in all of them.

The band began to gain more ground in 2015 after participating and getting more encouragement in a project called Rock Academy in Joensuu, during which the band developed their own personal sound that reaches both catchy and heavy spheres. Having a strong musical background which can be heard from their meandering song arrangements and rigorous co-playing, all band members exploit both their steady musical knowledge and the emotion and interpretation entailed by years of playing experience. If you want to explore in more detail the mystical world ruled by Nevicate, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, BandCamp, Spotify, and YouTube, where by the way you can watch their videos for the songs Dewdrops, The Surface, and Shattered, as well as other nice videos of making of’s and playthroughs. No idea at all if the band is on hold, if they called it quits, or if they’re just taking their time before their next release, but one thing is certain, and that is we need more of the music by Nevicate.

We can all say that right now Anni is fully focused on her Symphonic/Melodic Groove Metal band Stormbreaker, playing melodic but deliciously aggressive metal music. Founded in 2021 in Joensuu, the band currently comprised of Anni alongside veteran musician Petri Tarvainen on vocals, Jaakko Kauppinen and Tomi Virtanen on the guitars, Tatu Heikkinen on bass and Sami Ratilainen on drums was originally formed as a solo project of Petri Tarvainen, employing a host of familiar traits including a dynamic male and female vocal approach, stunning musicianship, and classic arrangements, being therefore recommended for fans of Arch Enemy, Beast In Black and Nightwish, among others. Earlier this year the band released their debut effort, a four-track EP overflowing adrenaline, harmony and rage entitled Vengeance, available for a full listen on YouTube, Spotify, BandCamp, Tidal and Apple Music, or click HERE for all things Stormbreaker.

Apart form her amazing work with Nevicate and Stormbreaker, we can also enjoy Anni and her hypnotizing vocals as a guest backing vocalist in the 2022 six-track EP Age of Mist, by Joensuu-based Melodic Death Metal band Cerebral Mist. The band is currently inactive due to the death of founding member Antti Parviainen in February 2018, with Age of Mist being finished posthumously by the remaining members of the band four years later to honour him and his work. Hence, you can enjoy the music by Cerebral Mist and celebrate the life of the deceased Antti Parviainen by listening to the EP in its entirety on BandCamp, on Spotify, or on YouTube. Furthermore, you can also enjoy Anni’s powerful vocals as a guest in the single Singularity (available on BandCamp, on Spotify, on YouTube, and on other streaming services), released in 2019 by Finnish Melodic Death Metal act Decrowned.

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Not only a fantastic vocalist, Anni is also a skillful pianist who does improvisations and covers on her Instagram profile @piano_b_onfire, and as Anni states in the profile herself, she plays the piano “just for fun”. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure the fact Anni can play the piano so well is extremely helpful for her when it comes to writing music for any of her bands, and speaking about her influences, she mentioned her own feelings as one of the driving forces in her writing process. “Usually, my current life situation gets me to write down my feelings which gradually develop into a lyric form. Also, whenever I’m touched by some other things that can make me put my thoughts on paper,” commented our Melodic Death Metal diva.

It’s also important to mention how dynamic the duo of Anni and Petri is for Stormbreaker, with Anni not only doing the clean parts in paradox to Petri’s harsh growls, but also showcasing her more venomous side and doing some screams as well, again proving how versatile her vocals can be. Her vocals will remind you of a young Doro Pesch at times, ad also of the iconic Kimberly Goss (of bands like Sinergy and Avernus), and all that range and versatility can be appreciated in all of its glory when Anni hits the stage, as she truly loves to perform live. “Live performances are one of the most important things to us. They tell the listeners what the band is truly about and can easily reach new fans at the same time. And to me being on stage is the best part of doing music,” she commented.

Anni doesn’t only love to be on stage and bring her music to life in front of an audience, but she also believes music videos are another crucial part of any band. “Music videos are a great way to promote bands in order to get gigs, and making them can give new exciting experiences which is always great and motivational,” she said, and we must all agree it’s always great to see a charismatic performer like her on screen, right? And lastly, when asked in one of her interviews if she prefers physical copies like CD’s, LP’s and cassettes, or if she’s a fan of digital downloads, she actually answered both are necessary in our world today. “Both have their pros and cons. Digital downloads are easy to share and spread all over the world but of course it’s a different matter to put an actual CD on a shelf. That’s why we like to make physical copies as well so we can really feel our accomplishment in our own hands.” Hence, what are you waiting for to buy the music by Anni’s amazing bands in digital or physical format, or even both? I’m sure she’ll be more than happy with that, inspiring her to keep creating thrilling and beautiful music, always embellishing the airwaves of her homeland Finland and anywhere else where good music is appreciated with her striking voice.

Anni Kokkonen’s Official Instagram
Anni Kokkonen (piano)’s Official Instagram
Stormbreaker’s Official Facebook page
Stormbreaker’s Official Instagram
Stormbreaker’s Official YouTube channel
Nevicate’s Official Facebook page
Nevicate’s Official Instagram
Nevicate’s Official YouTube channel

“Live performances are one of the most important things to us. They tell the listeners what the band is truly about and can easily reach new fans at the same time. And to me being on stage is the best part of doing music.” – Anni Kokkonen

Concert Review – Kamelot (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 08/22/2023)

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A memorable night of Symphonic and Power Metal in the city of Toronto where the women from all bands stole the show with their undeniable talent, energy, beauty and charisma.

OPENING ACTS: Xandria and Battle Beast

I’m sorry, all guys from the three bands that kicked some as last night at The Opera House in Toronto during the Awaken the World Tour 2023 with the bands XANDRIA, BATTLE BEAST and KAMELOT, but the girls absolutely stole the show. On a very pleasant summer night in the city, Ambre Vourvahis of Xandria, Noora Louhimo of Battle Beast, and Melissa Bonny of Ad Infinitum ( who’s taking care of the female vocals for Kamelot during this North American tour) were flawless on stage, exhaling talent, charisma and passion for heavy music, gaining nothing but respect and admiration from the crowd who turned the venue into a “metal sauna”. It was a very special night for me as it was my first time ever watching all three bands live (plus Melissa!), and they didn’t disappoint this extreme music fan here at all; quite the contrary, I only have good things to say about all bands and musicians responsible for a very special night in Toronto.

Precisely at 7pm, Bielefeld, Germany-based Symphonic Metal outfit XANDRIA kicked off the night’s metal ceremony with a short but extremely powerful and vibrant performance spearheaded by the Greek goddess Ambre Vourvahis, who was clearly very excited for playing in Toronto for the first time in her career, and visibly emotional for the warm and wild reception received from her Torontonian fans to the point she didn’t even know anymore if yesterday was Tuesday (something that made everyone laugh together with her, of course). Ambre was amazing not only during their setlist formed mainly of songs from their excellent new album The Wonders Still Awaiting, those being You Will Never Be Our God, Reborn and Ghosts (my favorite of their setlist, by the way), plus the fan-favorites Nightfall and Valentine, inspiring everyone at The Opera House to raise their horns, screams and dance together with her. It was a little weird seeing Xandria on stage without a bass player, as apparently Tim Schwarz had some issues to get his visa to Canada in time for the show (and I’ll never understand why our government gives a hard time to hardworking musicians to grant them their visas, while at the same time they easily allow a bunch of garbage into the country), but the four members who were there put on their hearts and souls into their performance, and I bet we’ll see Xandria in Canadian lands soon based on the total sync and endless energy flowing between the band and the crowd.

Setlist
You Will Never Be Our God
Reborn
Nightfall
Ghosts
Valentine

Band members
Ambre Vourvahis – vocals
Marco Heubaum – guitars
Rob Klawonn – guitars
Dimitrio Gatsios – drums

Right after a quick break, Finland’s own Heavy/Power Metal torchbearers BATTLE BEAST started their lecture in what can be labeled as “Dance Metal” for the delight of all fans at the venue, making everyone extremely happy (and I was beyond happy for finally seeing them live after an over 10-year wait) due to the level of electricity and power crafted by the band on stage. Still promoting their 2022 album Circus of Doom, those Finnish rockers put on a breathtaking show, with songs like Straight to the Heart, Wings of Light and Eden making everyone at the venue dance even if they didn’t want to. And what can I say about the incendiary performance by Noora Louhimo on vocals? That woman is a beast live, showcasing not only a flawless, jaw-dropping vocal performance, but her onstage presence, moves and charisma are way beyond awesome, and at least for me there’s no other woman in metal, rock or pop music capable of uniting all those qualities at the same time like her. Well, of course Noora’s striking performance is only that good because of the support she gets form her bandmates, in special bassist Eero Sipilä and drummer Pyry Vikki, and the result was a mesmerizing show that made every single person inside (and maybe some outside the venue) to keep their fists and horns high in the air nonstop. Thank you, Battle Beast! And please get back to Toronto soon for another “metal party of our lives”, like Noora herself said.

Setlist
Circus of Doom
Straight to the Heart
Eye of the Storm
Where Angels Fear to Fly
Wings of Light
Eden
Master of Illusion
King for a Day

Band members
Noora Louhimo – vocals
Joona Björkroth – guitars, backing vocals
Juuso Soinio – rhythm guitars
Eero Sipilä – bass, backing vocals
Janne Björkroth – keyboards, orchestrations, backing vocals
Pyry Vikki – drums

KAMELOT

There was a minor delay in the start of the atmospheric and cinematic show by Tampa, Florida’s own Progressive/Melodic Power Metal masters KAMELOT, but nothing that would take away the excitement from a jam packed venue. Blending songs from their newest album The Awakening, including Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem), One More Flag in the Ground and NightSky, with some of their classics such as March of Mephisto and Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife), the band created back in 1987 by guitarist Thomas Youngblood was on fire throughout their entire set, inviting the crowd on a metal journey full of epic guitar solos, whimsical keys, and the classy vocals by Swedish frontman Tommy Karevik (who’s by the way married to Canada’s own Kobra Paige, the awesome frontwoman for Kobra and the Lotus), driving their loyal fans to ecstasy with each and every song played. There was even time for an excerpt of Queen’s classic “We Will Rock You” during one of the songs, led by Tommy, a tribute to Canada’s institution Rush during Alex Landenburg’s drum solo when he played part of the all-time hit “Tom Sawyer”, and a touching tribute by Tommy to everyone we lost due to the pandemic in the past few years.

As aforementioned, just like what happened in the past with several amazing vocalists the likes of Simone Simons, Charlotte Wessels, Elize Ryd, Alissa White-Gluz, Floor Jansen and Noora Louhimo, the female vocals on this tour were masterfully done by Melissa Bonny, known for her work with Ad Infinitum, The Dark Side of the Moon, Evenmore and Rage of Light, and let me tell you that the band couldn’t have chosen a better vocalist for the task as Melissa is simply fantastic with both her clean vocals and harsh growls. As a matter of fact, it was clear how much the crowd at The Opera House loved Melissa when she delivered her enraged roars in her stylish attire, turning the temperature up considerably during the show. I’m a huge fan of female growlers, and of course I was stunned every time she was a she-demon incarnate on stage. If you know nothing or have never heart of Melissa before, I highly recommend you go after all of her work because she’s by far one of the most talented singers of the new generation.

After the last few notes from Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy), the crowd kept screaming as loud as possible to thank Kamelot for their awesome performance, while the band couldn’t hide the huge smile on their faces for another truly successful concert. They promised they’ll return to Toronto sooner than later, and let’s be honest, as Tommy is married to Kobra Paige, why not having a Kamelot plus Kobra and the Lotus tour in Toronto and other Canadian cities in the near future? I’m sure all fans would love to see Tommy and Kobra singing together on stage, right? And speaking about females vocalists touring with Kamelot, after the concert was over my friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography (responsible for all the amazing photos of this review) and I had the utmost pleasure of meeting Melissa in person (thanks to my friend Pedro, of A&P Reacts), and I must says she’s a really down-to-earth, humble and sympathetic person, apart of course form being a sensational vocalist and performer. Needless to say, she needs to return to Canada as soon as possible, but next time with Ad Infinitum to show the Canadian metallers everything she’s capable of. To be honest, all bands need to return to the city for a lot more concerts, and I’m sure that will happen really soon because Toronto needs more Melissa Bonny, more Xandria, more Battle Beast, and more Kamelot without a shadow of a doubt.

Setlist
Overture
Veil of Elysium
Rule the World
Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)
Insomnia
When the Lights Are Down
Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)
New Babylon
Karma
Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)
Song for Jolee
NightSky
Drum Solo
March of Mephisto
Keyboard Solo
Forever

Encore:
Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)
One More Flag in the Ground
Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)

Band members
Tommy Karevik – vocals
Melissa Bonny – vocals
Thomas Youngblood – guitars
Sean Tibbetts – bass
Oliver Palotai – keyboards, orchestrations
Alex Landenburg – drums

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