DAY 1
Ever hungry and curious for new ventures in my gigging journey saw me travel to the 5th version of Dames Of Darkness, an event with a cult following of hardened fans of female fronted metal that shared some commonalities musically but had tendrils of their own styles effusing from their performances. Two days of this sub-genre of metal is more than some metal fans might be able to stomach, but the horde that attended this event was knowledgeable to the point of train spotting fanaticism. As a lesser version of the Metal Female Voices held in Belgium each year the audience had gathered people from all over the UK and into Europe and I even heard there was someone from Australia but was probably an exaggeration. However the Belgian event is on hiatus this year and it appeared that the attendees to that event had sought alternative fixes for their female fronted metal by descending on Bilston.
As always seems to happen with travelling in the UK traffic problems encouraged an alternative route to be taken but failed to avoid me missing The Fall Of Eve which I apologise to the band for. Not the best start to the weekend but with another 14 bands to watch over the two days the first act witnessed was UK symphonic exponents Aonia whose twin female vocal structuring suffered from a lack of cohesion with each vocal clashing when singing together. Some thought into the flow of the multi vocal approach would be beneficial so that the tunes hold together instead of fracturing. I wasn’t too impressed with the bands cover of Maiden’s “Man On The Edge”, as the vocals just did not work at all with this song I’m afraid. Musically this was bread and butter material with chuggy riffs coursing through ambitious tunes that profited from being stripped back slightly. The vocals did test my endurance as they were just an octave or two too high though the audience was enjoying every minute of them as I did on the music aspect of their show.
Spanish outfit Rainover showed exactly how this genre is done without overly complicating the songs yet retaining a fresh approach. Combining female and male vocals with a Gothic ambience is nothing new but as diminutive as Andrea Casanova was her vocals offered an eclectic yet highly accessible tone that blended with some pop metal song structures not too dissimilar to Delain. Antonio Perea’s growled vocals sat snugly with the wonderful female vocals in a beauty and the beast approach. The strangely titled “H2SO4” (formula for sulphuric acid) was an immaculate power metal anthem even down to some cheesy poses from the band members, the tune was catchy and highly memorable as the band went into “Despair”. This tune showcased a ballad like style, slow purposeful and emotional the vocals sat in the song like a queen on her throne. Into “Rain Over My Tears” and a piano piece is heard alongside a Gothic beat with keyboard work adorning the mix for added sonic zest. The requests to jump with the band were accepted by some though the more mature side of the audience refrained and as the bands set ended a rapturous applause was given right before a plague of locusts descended on their merch area ready for photos and buying stuff.
Apparition, whose members consist of Mr David Homer who organised the Dames Of Darkness festival, were on next and whilst I admire the bands tenacity in playing the festival as well as being part of its organisation their set came across as a little rushed and lacking cohesion. “Beyond The Wrath Of Ra” should have been brimming with power but the sound afforded it was wispy, lacking depth and clarity especially on the mellow vocal aspects by Fiona who was self-assured and would have benefitted greatly from a higher vocal mix. Despite the energy emanating from the show was a little jaded, which was not surprising given the band was at the beating heart of the whole weekend, the bands auditory nuances were not lost on the audience who lapped up their modern metal stance with utter glee. The potential of songs like “Elysium” and “Frozen Roses” was undeniable, quality song writing that just required a little more exigency and vigour when played. I would encourage more engagement with the audience as silent pauses between songs renders the set fragmentary as interaction is vital to any stage performance (apart from black metal though).
Freakish, weird, eccentric, bizarre are all superlatives to describe Gothic dark rock outfit Bad Pollyanna, whose enigmatic singer Olivia Hyde owned that stage the moment she walked on it. This UK act was one of the more unique bands of the weekend, their charismatic songs were infectious and possessed a wanton commerciality unmatched by other acts of the weekend. Olivia’s stage presence was coordinated by a vocal display of utmost flamboyance as the guys in the band matched that flamboyance by playing to a hooked crowd on “Create Me”. The accessibility of songs like “Define” and “Hollow” were a delight to hear and watch as the bands philosophy of darkened gothic pop was thoroughly captivating. Closing with “My Incubi” the bouncing beat pulsated with the keyboards adding an electrified tone similar to Evanescence at times but make no mistake this band has a niche of their own and they are going to be massive.
The rousing Bad Pollyanna gave Maltese gothic doom metallers Weeping Silence a mammoth task that at first looked insurmountable judging by the reaction of the audience after the high energy set preceding it. However the band persisted and clawed the skeptical crowd into their transfixing melodies that were imbued with sadness yet were some of the most ambitious and complex songs of the whole weekend. Carving furrows of melancholic dolour “Gothic Epitaph” epitomised a band with boundless song writing skills to tug those heartstrings to snapping point. Matching the sombreness of bands like early Theatre Of Tragedy and Draconian the vocals came across like whispering apparitions within your psyche during a tranquil dream; the subtlety was sublime and though it was hard to discern them occasionally in the mix they were faultless and self-assured right down to operatic intonations that revealed themselves within the set. Closing the set was “Innocent Cries” and the soporific style of the band rendered some punters into a state of pleasant unconsciousness it seemed as they’d dozed off. Stage presence was a little muted which may be attributable to language barriers but even a small interaction would go a long way to winning over the audience, otherwise this band was a highlight of the weekend for me.
I was very much looking forward to French band Whyzdom as I had heard a little bit of their music prior to attending the festival. Contrasting with the previous band this charismatic outfit set about reawakening the unconscious with scintillating melodies that were safely housed in the traditional style for the scene with upbeat choruses giving people something to clutch onto. Vocal arrangements like Therion in places marked their style as male and female vocals duelled in the songs with graceful panache. Visually stunning as well as sonorously immaculate newish singer Marie Rouyer was one of the best vocalists of the weekend which meant it was a shame when her voice was lost in the mix occasionally. Donning a full length white veil the stage theatrics including various hand gesticulations made each song live and breathe. Letting the veil fall like a feather Marie’s vocals had an incredible range that enabled her to push the songs far beyond other singers in this genre. With song titles being scarce I made do with just observing but certain to buy their releases at the first opportunity as the scrum for photos had already formed before the band had even finished; shooter and I however went for a beer.
Headlining the first day was Sirenia, an ever popular band with the female fronted fan hordes their extensive discography is tried and tested and undeniable in its quality as the new album and seventh in their career had just been released but alas there was no merchandise or albums for sale much to disappointment of my shooter and many fans alike. As the intro piece started the band members glided on stage one by one to stalwart adulation though the cheer for Ailyn was the loudest. Launching into “Serpent” from the said new opus Ailyn’s vocals were breathtaking as was her stage presence which whilst modest was beguiling as she floated about on stage with professional aplomb. Into “Lost In Life” the crowd was in full voice and as always the band has no bass player in their music, even live. My one criticism of this band live is the lack of depth in the sound plus having a good proportion of your sound being done by backing track feels a little cheating. Swirling hair from all quarters was excellent, as the catchiness of their music captured the spirit of the event by the barrel load on “My Destiny Coming To Pass” as by now the camera phone wielding posse were in full flow following Ailyn’s every movement. The symphonics of “Sons Of The North” and live a keyboard player doing these aspects would add so much character to the bands live set, but that is just my opinion as the crowd lapped up every second of the set. As the set breezed into “Earendel” the crowd stood in utter admiration at a band that created the scene they enjoy so much thanks to Morten Veland who founded the band. As the bands last song “The Path Of Decay” came and went, the band left the stage as ghostly as they appeared on it. Classic staples of the Sirenia set such as “The Other Side” and “My Mind’s Eye” were greedily acknowledged by the ever knowledgeable audience and ensured familiarity for the set which was peppered with new tunes but balanced with older material from the bands rich discography. Stalwart and dedicated fans of the band stuck around ardently awaiting for a photo session which Ailyn dutifully did and was unceremoniously mobbed and if I have one piece of advice for these bands with female singers it is essential that a merchandise desk or counter is placed between the band and fans to minimise inappropriate contact and maximise professionalism.
(Review Martin Harris Photos © Andy Pountney)
Part 2 http://www.avenoctum.com/2015/05/dames-of-darkness-5-the-robin-2-bilston-10515/
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