Review by Richard Henry for MPM
Another night in the city, cold, raining, yeah folks it is November, so the best thing to do is get inside a venue and listen to three bands on a Monday night! It’s an eclectic mix tonight, singer/songwriter, hard rock and symphonic metal, kicking us off tonight is Damian Wilson from the bands Threshold/Ayreon/Headspace!
Damian Wilson
Just the man himself and an acoustic, it’s an interesting way to kick off a rock gig, I absolutely loved it, there is just something about the purity of his voice and the acoustic guitar, the man can tell a story as well, how his family is originally from Belfast, about his aunt and his dad, it was personal, and it really felt like he shrunk the place to be sitting in his front room, only a great front man can do that, and at one point he had one foot on the stage and one foot on the front barrier and sang with no mic, acapella to the crowd and the place was silent, honestly, I would love to actually go and see a full show from him, spectacular is all I can say!
Stone Broken
Revelation
The English lads kick us off tonight with a song from their Revelation album, title track Revelation it’s a driving foot to the floor song it actually reminds me a bit of Nickelback, great way to start the set off with a real drive in number and the crowd in here have started to pick up the places nearly at capacity, not a lot of room on stage with the drum kit down the front, but the guys make use of the space they have.
Stay All Night
No time for a break and we are straight into a song from the “All in Time” album, this was actually the first single these guys ever released and it’s a great driving drum beat from Robyn and also the backing vocals in the chorus from her really add something to the whole sound, it’s somewhat in the same vein as the first song just to drive and rocker and obviously a great way to start the whole set with these two, heads nodding along in the crowd, great atmosphere for these guys!
Heartbeat Away
Now we shift onto the “Ain’t Always Easy” album, love the heartbeat sound to start this coming through the tracks from the laptop this one again is very Nickelback with a huge chorus to boot what’s not to like, again having the double vocals for the chorus really adds to the sound although in some points the drummer’s vocal was getting a bit lost in the mix, really nice meaty riff comes in just before the break before the last chorus as well really enjoyed that part.
Black Sunrise
First track from the Revelation album and I love that intro just with the guitar and the vocal before the band kicks in again it follows the same sort of formula as the other songs, and this in a way can be the only downside with these guys are the songs do tend to meld into one another, huge choruses expected but the nice thing in this song is we actually get a solo from guitar player Chris nice and melodic as expected and then straight back into that big chorus!
Remedy
This has just been released as a new single, I really like that start stop riff at the start of the song, we then sort of go into familiar territory verse and then into the huge chorus the one thing I really liked about this song was there was a half-time breakdown just after the second chorus which really added to the song!
Make It Out Alive
Back to the revelation album for this one, nice change of pace at the start of this one with just the backing track piano and the vocals before it slams into a really detuned riff, Great use of the twin vocals in the chorus of this one, and the pace of the song in general was just down a bit and tempo and it actually really added to this set in bringing it down a bit.
Let Me Go
Back to the first old one for this one, and after a bit of a reprieve from the last song we’re about the foot and the floor stomper for this one, and just a massive chorus and a sing along for everyone in the crowd tonight the crowd are absolutely loving these guys and it’s good to see in a Monday night the place is full, the English guys are getting a great reaction tonight.
The Devil You Know
Lovely stomp to the start of this one and a really cool little guitar part from Chris just adding to the start of it, there’s a really lovely drum groove just before the chorus as well and then it just hits into the chorus and again like most of their songs it’s absolutely massive and very sing alongable, Chris gets an extended solo at the end of this song and it’s nice to see him get to stretch out a bit.
Not Your Enemy
Last song of the night from these guys and we’re back to the first album again, really nice choppy riff in this one during the verses and as expected it jumps right into another massive chorus few people around me know this one because they’re singing along to the band and it’s great to see, fantastic turn out tonight for these guys and great response from the crowd and hopefully we’ll see them back soon!
Delain
The Cold
The orchestral intro rolls in on a cold Monday night and the guys enter the stage, really sparse set up, really clean stage, all the mic stands, Keyboard stands and the bass drums have LEDs in them lined up to the tracks, really cool visual, Diana front and center, massive choir of come at you in the chorus of this one, and it’s a proper driving track to kick us off from the newest album Dark Waters, founder member Martjin is doing a lot of work back there and sometimes I feel the keyboardists in these bands are the unsung heroes, adding so much to the overall sound of the band, and you can hear it straight away on this one!!!
Suckerpunch
Back to 2016’s, “Moonbathers” for this one, keys and Dianas vocal at the start, by the way drummer, Sander who kicks in is an absolute beast, great drummers, this one requires us all to woo ooh along with the band, and the one thing that i get all night is that it’s one big party, everyone on that stage smiling and gesturing to the crowd, it’s a fantastic atmosphere in here, lovely melodic solo comes in from Roland over on stage left, then a break and back into the singalong!!
Burning Bridges
From 2020’s “Apocalypse and Chill album, that’s a meaty slab of a riff that gets you right from the off, but listen to all that keys work in the background as well, even during the verse, all the little additions and flourishes, star of the show is undoubtably Diana who is front and center commanding the stage and the crowd, absolutely soaring vocals on this one, but rhythm section of Sander and Ludovico are absolutely driving this, when it half times for the chorus its really powerful, love the harsh vocals from Ludovico and Roland on the middle of that, gives it some punch, then a huge choir comes in, really aggressive track this one!
The Reaping
New song from the “Dance with the Devil” Ep, I love the melody being slightly different than the main riff, gives it an off-center sort of vibe, then another crushing riff comes in, this one is more of a riff driven song, its Diana who provides the melody in this one, that’s a huge chorus, I just love that key’s part that comes in again after the chorus, it’s so catchy and adds so much to the song, lovely melodic solo from Roland, little bit of shred at the end, before it drops to keys and Diana who is standing in ethereal light at the front of the stage before that intro comes in and we have a key change in the track, what a track!
Glory and the Scum
Roland introduces this one, are we tired on a Monday night, are we louder than Dublin, of course we are, great crowd response to the guys, they actually seem really overwhelmed by it, which for me is awesome (come back again!!), from the Moonbathers album, that’s a low and dirty riff there on the verse of this, just grinding away, I love that break just before the chorus comes in, really nice mix of the hash vocals from the guys with Diana clean over the top of it, again so much going on back there on the keys, heavy pile driver of a chorus, lovely tom groove before the tempo picks right up, again drummer Sander, absolute beast, loved watching the guy all night!
April Rain
From the album of the same name all the way back in 2009, keys subtly bringing this one in, I love the constant interaction from the band to the crowd, getting us to clap, wave, jump, it doesn’t end all night and it’s a real show, that riff through, nasty, I love it, then it breaks down in a bass and drums groove with just Diana over it, love the interaction between, Roland and Ludovico, pulling faces, talking in each other’s ears, swapping sides of the stage, always something to see, love the keys part in the break of the song, just a little dancing melody before the guitar solo then into a heavy riff section!
Army of Dolls
It’s almost a trance/techno intro to this one from “The Human Contradiction” album, this one is definitely guitar driven, massive verse riff, and I love the way it stops and goes half time for that chorus refrain of “Do You Want Me”, good few around me singing away to that part of the song, then second verse it breaks to the keys and vocals and gives Diana center focus before the band kick back in with another riff, break and chorus, love that half time feel, that middle riff, that is an absolute sledgehammer of a part in the middle, dancing between it and the dancy techno part then into the solo, what a track!
The Quest and the Curse
From 2023’s Dark Waters, that’s just a driving riff to start that off before it breaks into a drum and bass groove, with Diana again center stage, I love the scoops in the vocals as well, just highlighting her vocal prowess, the harsh vocals thought really set this one off with that monster riff and the orchestral backing behind it, it’s almost dark and light going from that to Dianas vocal straight after it, that middle section though with the huge choir section is so huge sounding before Diana soaring vocal comes back in, then the break before the chorus comes back at us again, epic!
Here Come the Vultures
Human Contradiction album again for this one, the crowd is outstanding tonight I have to say, what a response to these guys, Diana starting this one, with the Martjin on the piano, then boom, that big riff slaps in, then the song really starts to drive in, now we all need to fil in for the hey on this one, with Roland guiding us on what to do, there is a real villain sort of keys part lingering in the background, like a little bell sound I heard, hard to pick out but it’s there, I love the atmosphere on this one, the riff is great but it’s the other parts the keys are adding really make this one, that halftime middle section with the vocal over the top is a potent riff on its own, then it drives with more of the “heys” from the crowd!
Get the Devil out of Me
From 2011s “We Are the Others” album, it’s a real fist in the air head banger of a track, there is a little synth part in the background of the verse riff that keeps catching my ear, then it really opens up into the chorus part, love the drop into that second verse, gives you a chance to hear Dianas vocal acrobatics on this one, lots of people singing to this one, loads of arms in the air, again the crowd are so into these guys tonight, love that melodic guitar break, it’s really epic sounding, very Norse, then we have a key change up and the keyboard melody is driving it, that’s one of my favorite tracks tonight!
Queen of Shadow
Back to Dark Waters, epic synth intro at the start of this and then the band comes in and follows it, love that melody that comes in as well that follows the chords, it’s just grinding away in the verse, that chorus though with the guys adding the clean vocals is just absolutely massive sounding, Ronald and Ludovico swapping stage sides and smiling away to the crowd, again a key change brings so much to a song as yet again they employ it to great effect at the end of this one, great vocal from Diana as well!
Your Body is a Battleground
Now from the Human Contradiction album, I see this title and immediately want to know if it’s a take on the John Mayer title, now I knew what was going to happen as I saw Damian side stage, what I wasn’t expecting was him on the front row barrier in front of me, screaming away, between the stage and the front row on this one, it was a great addition to this song to see him do it live, great solo comes in from Roland, melodic and soaring, before a huge wave of keys come in again, then a break with Diana and Damian in unison together, before Damian casually walks off into the crowd, awesome!
The Gathering
The only track from the debut, “The Lucidity”, it’s a really nasty riff, then it’s into a heavenly verse, bass and drums driving it, it really highlights the vocal, with the keys swirling around in the background, nice vocals from all three of the guys at the front and the crowd are giving it their all for this one as well, it’s sort of short and to the point but it’s such a catchy song and chorus you want it to go one for another few minutes, brilliant song!
Don’t Let Go
Keys intro to this from Human Contradiction, then it just drives into that verse riff, lots of heads nodding away to this one, then it really picks up in the next riff, then a break into the chorus and the lower vocal is a nice change for the chorus as it really adds as you always expect it to go up, I am loving that riff though, that’s a beauty, this song sort of drives but it doesn’t really build bar the riff, not my favorite one of the night to be fair.
Moth to a Flame
Dark Waters again for this one, that’s just a massive happy riff right there to kick this one off, then it changes into something a lot more driving and aggressive, it’s a nice change to have it dancing around the clean vocal in the chorus, then it starts to build with the keys coming in before we hit that chorus, now if that doesn’t stick in your head then you need help, so catchy, so singable and Belfast did sing along, that middle section with the climbing keys line between the heavier riff is so good then back to the chorus and then another key change, loads going on musically but beneath all that is just a huge singalong song!
Dance With the Devil
From the new Ep of the same name, always watch your guitar straps, there was nearly an incident with a lovely Dingwall bass, in comes this bed of an intro, before we come into a real bouncy groove, the guys wanting us all to jump and dance with them, which the crowd here tonight in Belfast are absolutely into, there is real potency to that groove just before the break into the chorus, which as expected is absolutely massive, it’s so pop in a way but it’s not, it will absolutely stick in your head, that break for the riff before the harsh vocals come in just set up that section so well, real headbanger of a riff there and then you get the other side with the keys break and vocals before we bang right back into that chorus again and then key change!
We Are the Others
From the album of the same name, the keys’ part kicks it off, everyone is bouncing on the spot, then into the bass groove of the verse and the vocals really take center stage on this, that little keys part in the back, everyone is singing that chorus part back at the band, who are dancing about on the stage and just having a great time, Roland getting the crowd involved, then a key change into the next chorus, the break we are swaying arms side to side before you know what is coming, boom, back into the last chorus!
I think the band was genuinely taken aback by the reaction from the crowd tonight, and to be fair it’s the loudest I have heard the Limelight 2 in ages, I absolutely loved them! A few dates left in the Uk and Dublin tonight on the 19th, go catch them if you can, and Delain, come back to Belfast again!!
