By Monk
Having virtually lived in my favourite venue for ten full weeks, gleefully exposing myself to the hottest new sounds and talent our beautifully dirty home city has to offer, it had felt good to take a bit of a break from the pit action – but it felt better to dive straight back into the fray and once again climbing those hallowed stairs for a night of something which offered both a familiarity but also something fresh in and of itself…
Having been one of the few flag-bearers for female-fronted symphonic metal in this particular wee corner of the Überverse, Ravenlight had taken the bold step of replacing the now departed Rebecca Feeney with a male singer – something which obviously was going to have a huge impact on the band’s sonic dynamic. And so it proved…
With a set delivered with their usual practised precision – well, you have to be on your mark with the amount of backing tapes bands employ to reproduce their studio sound – the quartet veer more towards the progressive power pop encapsulation of the likes of Europe than their previous Evanescence/Leaves Eyes style of melodic symphonia. John B makes full use of his range, especially the higher end, and the performance is one which is taut in every department.
It’s very difficult for a band to change not only a key member but also a major component of their sound, but Ravenlight have managed it with aplomb and a veracity which reflects their belief in, and commitment to, what they do, and continue to do well.
It’s been more than a few hot minutes since our headliners have graced a stage in our dirty ol’ town, but it’s as if they’ve never been away as Darkest Era amble casually from changeover and line check straight into their set as if easing back in their favourite rocking chair.
Melding classic Celtic neofolk miens with doom-infused DM, they deliver an aural experience which is dense, hypnotic and entrancing, their big winding riffs spinning around dark melodies intertwining around each other in a way that is both dynamic and enervating yet as mysterious as the ancient landscape that influences it.
Every time I have seen Darkest Era live, it has been an intriguing performance, spellbinding in its delivery, enigmatic in its effect, with the only disappointment being that it has to come to an end. Tonight was no exception.
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