On Bank Holiday weekends, the following tends to happen; relax, use the extra day to get errands done or work. Unless you’re attending Reading And Leeds Festival, it’s rare for someone to mention they are heading to a gig. That’s exactly how I spend mine; the gig in question was the London date of the most recent International Women Of Rock Tour. This night took place at 02 Academy 2, Islington and it was headlined by Melodic Metal Troupe TEMPERANCE. They were backed up by equally powerful allies EDGE OF PARADISE, HELLCATS and CARVED.
Loyal fans of each of the bands travelled far and wide to witness this event. They queued prompt and early in order to secure those all-important spots to witness all these bands in action. Drinks bought and merchandise stand checked out, it was time to experience a night of great metal.
Melodic Death Metal outfit CARVED opened the proceedings and kicked things off. At first, I couldn’t quite hear the vocals; this may be due to sound issues regarding the vocals, or my experienced ears are going deaf. Either way, this didn’t stop the band giving an energetic and passionate performance; both components were incredibly infectious, and these shone through. From what I could hear from the vocals, I could tell this is easily a band I would listen to on a regular basis and after purchasing their record afterwards, I was quickly proved correct. The symphonic elements of the tracks provided a great touch and brought bands such as FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE to mind. It was confirmed that a lot of the songs they performed are from their upcoming album, spoiler alert they sound great. Being the opening act is high pressure as it sets the tone for the night, CARVED rose to the challenge and set a brilliant tone for the evening.
Can someone please holler a battle cry to GIRLSCHOOL and DIO? I am certain I have found their love child. Hard Rock quartet HELLCATS fits that description perfectly and they were next up. Before that evening, I hadn’t heard how their music sounds. They wasted no time kicking off their set with their self-titled track whether you were ready for it or not. Throughout the duration of their set, you were treated to top notch, no-nonsense hard rock that will allow you to blow off steam and go wild. Strong examples were found in their compelling performances of songs Warrior Princess, Proud To Be Loud and Now Is My Time; these will be sure to be stadium and festival anthems.
“Music from another world” was the sentence used to describe EDGE OF PARADISE’s music and after witnessing them perform as the main support that night, I could not agree with this statement more. I had listened to them briefly before the show, it’s worth noting that experiencing them live is a different ball game. As they wasted no time starting off with You Touch You Die, the first thing I noticed with them was their charismatic and spirited stage presence. It became clear very quickly who was in control of the crowd. Think if SIRENIA and AMARANTHE had a baby, this should give you an idea on what their sound is like. Due to unexpected extra time, they performed My Method, Your Madness; due to the the similar pumping beat and the spacy sounds, it reminded me heavily reminded me of MUSE anthem Uprising. Other highlights included False Idols, Fire, Bound To The Rhythm and closer The Unknown. They got the crowd pumped and ready for headliners TEMPERANCE.
From the opening notes of Pure Life Unfolds, it was clear why TEMPERANCE are firm favourites amongst their fans. Their dedication to give us an energy-fuelled performance shone through and passed onto the crowds in attendance. Parts of those included important interactions with their committed fanbase throughout their show and encouraging the crowd to sing along with them in between tracks. Their album Viridian was released during the COVID pandemic when bands couldn’t tour and Diamanti was released last year so the challenge of promoting two albums on one tour is a challenge in itself. This was a challenge they pulled off with flying colours as they managed to fit a brilliantly balanced selection of songs from across their records.
Their energy shone through as they performed personal favourites such as Start Another Round, I Am The Fire and Litany Of The Northern Lights. Hearts were touched when they performed Diamanti, the song they performed in different languages. Alessia Scolletti, Michele Guaitoli and Marco Pastorino’s strong vocal abilities were highlighted in The Last Hope In A World Of Hopes and closing song Catch The Dream where they treated us to one final acapella performance before taking a bow.
I use the phrase “more headbanging than note taking” when a live show keeps you so engaged and immersed that you don’t have time for much else. That’s how I would describe this fantastic night of metal. The night didn’t stop when the performance finished, it carried on passed the houselights being turned on as fans came to greet the members of each band. There was a mixture of signing merchandise, posing for photographs and sharing stories on how much their music meant to them. This community spirit amongst fans and members was encouraging to see.
Note: If any of these bands are touring at your local venue, catch them now. You won’t be disappointed.
Words & Photos: Lotty Whittingham
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