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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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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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Metal Chick of the Month – Ambre Vourvahis

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I will not give up… I will not stand down!

Greece, France and Germany are three countries well known for their immensurable contributions to rock and metal music, and here on The Headbanging Moose how about we unite all three and have an absolute blast with our metal lady of the month of July? That’s exactly what you’ll get with the talented, gorgeous vocalist Ambre Vourvahis, the new frontwoman for German Symphonic Metal act Xandria, and a woman who definitely knows how to add tons of passion and feeling to her already powerful vocal lines. Having said all that, are you ready to join us and Ambre in this short but sweet tribute to one of the most promising names of the Symphonic Metal scene worldwide?

Half-Greek and half-French, but currently residing in Germany, the mesmerizing Ambre Vourvahis was already singing in choirs and musicals when she was in middle school, saying in one of her interviews that her life has always revolved around music, although she continued her studies in literature and philosophy and concluded it with a philosophy degree while at the same time she was still dreaming of making music, singing and going to concerts (which she confessed she sometimes did instead of going to class, just like all of us metalheads have already done at a given point in our lives). She said she started listening to metal music when she was around 11 years old, saying metal has been a crucial part of her whole life, and let’s say it’s quite easy to notice that by the way she sings, always putting her heart and soul into her performances.

Just a few weeks ago, our Greek goddess was announced as the new vocalist of Xandria, and in her own words, “I am beyond happy to be part of this adventure, I gave everything I had on the songs that are about to come and I love every single one of them. I hope you will do too. I can’t wait to meet you all and hear about your own musical journey.” Combining atmospheric, delicate vocals with harsh, visceral roars, her potent and versatile voice fits perfectly with the new musical direction of the band, which can already be seen in their new single title Reborn (which you can also stream on Spotify). Formed in 1994 in Bielefeld, a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Xandria have already had in their career the impressive number of eight vocalists, those being Nicole Tobien, Lisa Middelhauve, Kerstin Bischof, Manuela Kraller, Dianne van Giersbergen, Lisa Middelhauve, Aeva Maurelle, and now our metal lady Ambre Vourvahis. Accompanied by fellow musicians Robert Klawonn on the guitars, Tim Schwarz on bass and Dimitrios Gatsios on drums, as well as of course Ambre on vocals, the newly formed outfit around band leader, main songwriter, composer and guitarist Marco Heubaum is ready to bring its impressive career to the next level.

“Xandria is reborn… and the first sign of the return to life is the respectively titled song. Like before, Xandria are taking you on a voyage to your imagination, and the emotional and varied voice of new frontwoman Ambre Vourvahis will show you the way there with more facets then ever – prepare for some surprises! The new line up around mastermind Marco Heubaum will definitely start a whole new chapter that is fascinating and fresh, but still genuinely Xandria. Because this is what Xandria always has been – a voyager and explorer in the inspiring world of symphonic and heavy music. And now it is reborn,” commented the band about this new phase in their career, with Ambre also having some words to say about her new band. “I knew the band personally for a long time now and during their break Marco and I started to work on music for a possible project, while at the same time he was writing already some new Xandria songs, and then he thought my voice would fit very well on them, too. In the end we even took some of the ideas for that project into Xandria as it was fitting also really well actually and brought some new elements and diversity.”

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Although nothing is known about the new album yet, Ambre seems to be very excited and can’t wait to meet the band’s fans on the road. “I feel grateful, especially with the overwhelming warm welcome I got so far by the wonderful Xandria fans,” said our raven-haired diva, and I bet you can’t wait to listen to the follow-up to their 2017 album Theater of Dimensions and to see Ambre taking the stages by storm when the band begins their tour to promote their upcoming album. By the way, starting this September the band will embark on a massive European double headlining tour with Austrian Melodic/Symphonic Power Metal band Visions of Atlantis, inviting fans to dive deep into breathtaking soundscapes of Symphonic Metal, and hopefully that tour will also be extended to other places such as North and South America, Japan and Australia. “We want to plan a lot of tours, in as many countries as we can. But especially continue to make music that will be exciting for us and our fans,” said Ambre, also mentioning that she wants to thank all of the band’s fans in person and discover their musical journeys and taste as well, as she really loves to talk about music. Well, I bet you don’t want to miss that opportunity when Ambre hits the road together with Xandria, right?

You can also find Ambre doing the female vocals for Fragment Soul, a Progressive Metal band formed in 2016 in Greece which has another metal lady featured already on our webzine, the charming Heike Langhans, as a special member on vocals. How can she sing in such different bands at the same time, one might ask? Well, Ambre mentioned in one of her interviews that she loves to challenge herself vocally and to try new things, and as she can do both clean and guttural vocals it won’t be a surprise if other musicians and bands start recruiting her to be part of their new albums or live concerts, consequently leading her to visit more and more cities and countries while on tour. Hence, let’s show our total support to Ambre in this new phase of her career, and hope that sooner than later we’ll be able to witness her kicking some ass onstage with her bandmates from Xandria in our hometowns, showing once again why Symphonic Metal has always been the perfect place for skillful and hard working women who rock our world like our up-and-coming Greek vocalist.

Ambre Vourvahis’ Official Facebook page
Ambre Vourvahis’ Official Instagram
Xandria’s Official Facebook page
Xandria’s Official Instagram
Xandria’s Official YouTube channel
Xandria’s Official Twitter

“I trained and developed my singing on my own (especially the harsh vocals) as well as with vocal coaches for many years, and still today – there is always so much more to learn and to achieve so I will probably never stop working with a professional vocal coach.” – Ambre Vourvahis