When the tour announcement was released, I could not believe that the Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis was actually going to be making a stop in Charlotte, NC as part of their ‘Halo’ North American tour. I knew this was a show that I just couldn’t miss so once again, I found myself headed out to the NODA section of the city and the very familiar Neighborhood Theater.
One of the coolest things about the ‘Halo’ tour is the diversity of bands that are on the bill. Not only do we have the prog-metal masters of Amorphis headlining but also three other, very different bands that I was excited to check out.
First up was the dark rock duo Hoaxed, hailing from Portland, Oregon. The band features Kat Keo on vocals and guitar and Kim Coffel on drums. For this performance, they also had a bass player. I really liked their sound, very ethereal and mystical, a bit gothic I suppose. Unfortunately, the sound that I grew to love from tracks like ‘Candle Master’ did not carry over well in the live setting. It’s not that the band sounded bad because musically they were spot on but they seemed to lack that special something that really makes a live performance something special. Perhaps, it is a lack of experience touring but at one point Kat experienced some technical issues with her guitar and mic and looked extremely perplexed as if she had no clue what to do. My hope is that over time Hoaxed can remedy this and allow their live performance to be as wonderful as their recorded music.
Next to hit the stage was the Norwegian beauty Kathrine Shepard, known musically as Sylvaine. She is not only an extremely talented vocalist but also a multi-instrumentalist who surrounded herself with a wonderful band to help round out her sound. Sylvaine is out in support of her latest album ‘Nova’ and I have to say that she is absolutely breathtaking live. Her vocals and her music provide a perfect dichotomy between beauty and darkness and between our experience here on Earth and the otherworldly. It is a harmony that oozes from her inner being whether the outcome is an exquisitely done vocal or a guttural harshness that is in direct contrast to what just came before. Sylvaine was a whirlwind, a living duality that is expressed through her musically and I was thoroughly impressed.
After a short break, the black metal of UADA was about to take the crowd at the Neighborhood Theatre on an entirely different but also very enjoyable journey. The stench of a virulent incense permeated the venue as the fog began to encapsulate every square inch of the theatre. I have been to more than my fair share of metal shows in my lifetime and I have never seen the level of smoke and fog that engulfed us on this night. It made for the perfect backdrop to the pagan ritual that was about to hit the stage. UADA is known for lyrics that reflect on nature and Pagan themes and the setting was just about as perfect for that as you could get.
Indeed, I felt like I was in another place, perhaps in a wooded forest, under the moonlight, the air thick with fog as UADA provided the soundtrack with songs ‘The Purging Fire’ and ‘Cult of a Dying Sun.’ At times, the stage and venue went entirely dark as the band kept on performing, dressed in their black hoods, faces concealed to those around them. It was an epic set of black metal from one of the best new bands in the business. This is a live show you should experience at least once, if not multiple times, in your life.
After UADA, the excitement in the crowd was at a fever pitch and everyone was more than ready for the Finnish metal masters of Amorphis to make their presence known. in stark contrast to the stage set up of UADA, Amorphis came out amidst a blaze of brightly colored lights, purple, blue, and white with a giant Halo logo banner hung at the rear of the stage. Not only was the band touring in support of ‘Halo’ but also celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1992 debut album ‘The Karelian Isthmus,’ although their set did not include any tunes from that album. We were however given the opportunity to hear four songs from the ‘Halo’ album, including the show opener ‘Northwards’.
From the moment Amorphis hit the stage, they had complete control of the theatre and the crowd was mesmerized. Lead vocalist Tomi Joutsen sounded phenomenal, his voice soaring over the theatre with all the power and force you could hope for. Guitarists Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari kept things sizzling while Olli-Pekka Laine on bass and Jan Rechberger on drums made the rhythm section a driving force musically and sonically. Filling out the sound was the lush keyboards of Santer Kallio. It’s difficult to imagine the band sounding fuller and better in a live setting yet Amorphis pulled it off. The band finished off an epic evening of metal with a two-song encore of ‘The Bee’ and ‘House of Sleep’, which was both an audio and visual pleasure and a perfect way to finish things off.
- PHOTO CREDIT: All photos © fiascokris/ Über Rock. You can view our full gallery of photographs HERE.
- Amorphis will return to the ÜK and Ireland in November for four co-headline shows with Eluveitie. They will play the Academy in Dublin on Tuesday 22, QMU in Glasgow on Wednesday 23, Manchester’s O2 Ritz on Thursday 24 and the O2 Forum Kentish Town on Friday 25. Tickets for all shows are on sale now from usual outlets.
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