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London's own Aeon Zen have not played a live show in two years but tonight they break this spell of live inactivity at the same venue where their last show occurred. With new album 'Enigma' to promote, these proggers summon the London prog faithful to Islington for a night of excessive musical talent and boundless creativity.
Support comes in the form of De Profundis, also a London-based progressive metal act. Their penchant for extreme metal interwoven in prog metal compositions has afforded the young London-based act the opportunity to have enjoyed supporting a tumult of established names, largely in the extreme metal world, including Marduk, Endstille and Rotting Christ, in addition to a slew of headlining shows. Opening with 'Silent Gods' from last year's 'The Emptiness Within' full-length, the quintet hammer through a set of vicious prog metal. Death, black and even doom metal permeates the music appropriately, creating a unique musical vision that thankfully breathes life and creativity into London's underground metal scene. The technical proficiency of the band does not overshadow the variety of tones and atmospheres generated but compliments them. Guitar solos are dizzying and the bass bounce is reminiscent of Death, while the drum work weds technicality and extremity seamlessly.
The entirety of the setlist's five selections draws from 'The Emptiness Within', a release the Londoners are clearly proud of. The five-piece's stage presence matches the energy of their soundscapes, despite the limited size of the stage. The audience reaction is slightly sedate, the harshness of the extreme metal perhaps too ferocious and abrasive for some, yet many appreciate the unusual vision of the band and show their thankfulness through a solid ovation. Closing number 'Twisted Landscapes' punctuates the set and ignites De Profundis in a blaze of glory. They are certainly worth keeping an eye on and remain in the upper echelons of the London metal scene.
When Aeon Zen take over the stage, the volume is significantly quieter for the headliners than De Profundis. Unfortunately, conversations in the audience can be heard over the music, particularly during the more subdued moments. Nonetheless, the set opens with 'Enter the Enigma' the opener from this year's 'Enigma'. Vocalist Andi Kravljaca is a highly engaging frontman with a range of amusing faces and leaps on stage. His stage banter is naturally light-hearted, destroying the serious facade often associated with prog metal. His vocals are reminiscent of Dream Theater's James LaBrie, similar to how Aeon Zen's music shows clear influence from these American prog metal behemoths, alongside Pagan's Mind and fellow Englishmen Threshold.
The setlist draws heavily from 'Enigma', with prime cuts including 'Artificial Soul', 'Divinity' and 'Warning', and only two songs are from previous releases. Fragile guitar tones are complimented by emotive keyboard work and contrasted against heavy riffs and the occasional death metal growls. Although the music is velveteen, there is a clear technical aspect that does not swamp the music with a salad of riffs. The chemistry between the band is a convincing one, with Kravljaca at its core. Tonight is also the first live show of new keyboardist Shaz who surprises the audience with the use of a keytar, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the axemen.
A revamped version of 'Time Divine' originally from debut album 'A Mind's Portrait' closes the set and the audience are eager for more. Unfortunately, an encore is excluded from the show due to the venue's strict curfew but Aeon Zen's return to the stage is loved by all in attendance. Hopefully the band will endure a similar reaction when they support American prog metal vanguards Queensryche next month.
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article by: Elena Francis
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| published: 12/03/2013 17:30 |
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