In a departure from my recent punk rock adventures for Joyzine (and possibly a departure for Joyzine itself), I rolled into London to head for the Dome just over the top of the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park, for a soiree of symphonic rock. Honestly it must be 15 years since I was in these parts. Tonight was the first night of Xandria’s European tour to promote their new offering, Eclipse. Arriving to a queue the length of which hasn’t been seen at the Dome for I suspect a very long time (“wasn’t expecting this” confirmed a punter arriving behind me), there was a sense of anticipation in the air.
Maybe the Dome could have dealt with the queue a little better; I was far from last, and only just made it in the nick of time, getting over to the side of the stage just as the first support band came on.
Tulip are from Texas, and they brought their southern energy with them. Named after a flower you might think? Not at all, it’s an acrostic for the five principles of Calvinism. Whoa! Tulip brought a dramatic power to London to the kick off the evening, combining crunching guitars and pounding drums with layers of orchestral sound and dramatic edge. Singer Ashleigh’s voice was a real highlight, soaring above the intense music with a powerful, expressive delivery that suited Tulip’s grand, symphonic sound perfectly. A fine start to the evening. Half an hour just wasn’t enough!
Next on came Seven Spires, over from Boston. The scene was set before they had even played a note. Piercing white light from the back of the stage left the band almost completely in shadow, creating an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere, with occasional blood red light flooding the stage. Then the music started, and it felt like this was what a metal band might have sounded like in the Dark Ages – haunting backing chants, screaming vocals and rampant guitars combining into something dark and dramatic.
They opened with “A Fortress Called Home”, quickly followed by “Songs Upon Wine-Stained Tongues” and “Almosttown”, showcasing the band’s mix of symphonic metal and heavier, more aggressive sounds. There was plenty of atmosphere, but also a whole lot of power, with the guitars cutting through the darkness while the drums drove everything forward.
With the band largely silhouetted against that blinding white light (try getting a photo of that if you can), there was something almost theatrical about the whole performance. Seven Spires certainly made the most of the darkness.
The first night of a tour can sometimes feel like a band finding its feet, but there was none of that with Xandria. Four years into their current lineup, they hit The Dome in Tufnell Park with all the confidence of a band that knows exactly what it wants to do – and from the first note, they meant business.
They blasted straight into “Eclipse”, the title track from the new album, before following it with another new number, “Colours”. It was immediately clear that the crowd had come ready for the new material, lapping up every note as the temperature inside the venue climbed. By the end of the night, things were hot, sweaty and seriously loud.
Ambre was on phenomenal form. Her voice soared effortlessly above the grinding guitars and pounding drums, bringing both power and precision to the new songs. And there were plenty of those: the set was heavily weighted towards Eclipse, including “The Shannon’s Home”, with its Celtic flavour woven into savage, crunching riffs, along with “The Last Generation” and “Northstar”.
But there was still room for some old favourites. “Ravenheart”, dating all the way back to 2004, was a welcome reminder of Xandria’s history, while “Reborn” represented the more recent past. Then came “Nightfall”, and Ambre knew exactly what was expected. “You’ve heard it 300 times before, now sing along,” she instructed the crowd to a roar.
As the set gathered pace, the combination of Ambre’s soaring vocals, savage guitar work and powerful drums became increasingly overwhelming. By the end, I felt completely blown away.
If there was one complaint, it was that it was over far too soon. The first night of the Eclipse tour had barely had time to settle before Xandria were gone, leaving behind a very hot, very sweaty Dome and a crowd that had clearly loved every minute.
A hell of a way to start the tour.
Seven Spires: Website / Instagram
Words / photos by grillyx