Tonight's bill is a must-attended one for those adherents of '80s American metal. Queensryche, Armored Saint and Death Angel have several appearances throughout the UK this month yet only London will witness all three of these outstanding acts in the same place. Initially after the doors open, the venue is scarcely populated but as the night progresses, the capacity is appropriately filled up.
Bay Area thrashers Death Angel may be more popular than Armored Saint but considering their frequency in the capital, it is a commendable decision that they are opening tonight's proceedings. Kicking off with 'Seemingly Endless Time', Death Angel beautifully embellish classic thrash metal with catchy rhythms that instantly summon a tide of headbanging from the crowd. The dynamism of vocalist Mark Osegueda ensures all eyes stalk him around the stage with the remainder of the band headbanging throughout. The songs tonight are predominantly selected from the Americans' post-reunion efforts with the likes of ' Left For Dead', 'Claws in So Deep' and 'The Dream Calls for Blood' featuring disciplined tremolo riffs and consistent thrash drumming while Osegueda's rasps season the songs seamlessly. Closer 'Thrown to the Wolves' from the classic 'The Art of Dying' album delivers a lengthy final aural assault before the band vacates the stage to an ovation that most openers dream about.
A decade has almost elapsed since Armored Saint were sinking their teeth into London. Opening with the title track of their new album 'Win Hands Down', the five-piece effortlessly combine a variety of soundscapes into their approach – melodic hard rock, modern heavy metal and an atmospheric guitar solo, fabricating contrasting moments of introspection and just plain rocking out. One of the fan favourite songs 'March of the Saint' follows with the fans in the audience voicing their approval by singing along to the heavy metal chorus. Squeezing a fair representation of their 30+ year old career into their allocated 40 minutes with the likes of the older 'Nervous Man' and contemporary thrashy 'Left Hook from Right Field', their audience's attention is sustained, despite sizeable portions of the attendees being unfamiliar with Armored Saint's repertoire. Vocalist Joey Vera's idiosyncratic voice and the guitar's refusal to stick to one subgenre of riffs equips this band with a unique sound and songs that differ greatly from each other. The curtain-calling track is 'Can U Deliver' from debut album 'March of the Saint' and succeeds in involving the crowd to sing along, a perfect finale to a confident set.
A lengthy wait passes before the familiar 'Anarchy-X' is played over the PA in anticipation for the progressive metal champions Queensryche. With all the members on stage, the set officially begins with the older 'Nightrider' from the debut 'Queensryche' EP, boasting nothing but robust heavy metal. Todd La Torre may not be the first vocalist of Queensryche but his vocals are identical to original singer Geoff Tate's recorded efforts with sky-shattering falsettos and muscular vibrato aplenty, while he confidently strides around the stage.
Since the division of the Queensryche line up in 2012, the La Torre-fronted version of the band (now the official one) has been open about adhering closely to the first four albums of the band's career, particularly the first two that were generally overlooked in previous live shows with Geoff Tate. Undoubtedly, the attendees composite in the surge in classic heavy metal's popularity among the younger generation in the past few years are delighted at the inclusion of the likes of 'Warning', 'En Force' and 'The Whisper' in the setlist, performed with absolute clarity and bull's eye accuracy. Unlike their heavy metal peers, Queensryche had more detail in their epic guitar riffs that lends itself magnificently to storytelling and generally far more interesting compositions.
Of course, the progressive metal game-changers of 'Operation: Mindcrime' and 'Empire' cannot be ignored, fusing hard rock and heavy metal with the complexities of prog rock that crown Queensryche as one of the inventors of this underrated subgenre of metal. The dramatic 'Breaking the Silence', tender ballad 'Silent Lucidity' and spirited 'The Needle Lies' have no challenge in getting large portions of the audience to croon along. But tonight is not exclusively a homage to nostalgia; 'Where Dreams Go to Die' from the last eponymous studio full-length and a delectable preview of new song 'Arrow of Time' from the 'Condition Hüman' album released later this year are aired to the audience and earn a positive response.
The vulnerable-sounding 'Eyes of a Stranger' fan favourite closes the set but the venue bays for more and before too long, the headliners return to dish out the brilliant 'Queen of the Reich' with La Torre's vocals reaching for vertigo-inducing heights with heavy metal splendour. The final song of the evening is 'Take Hold of the Flame' yet another song that strikes flawlessness and leaves a great taste in everyone's mouth. Once again, Queensryche have proven that they are at the highest they have been in a severely long time and appear to show no sign of waning. The Electric Ballroom's response is deservedly extraordinary.
This being La Torre's sophomore appearance in London, it appears that this section of the Queensryche line-up split was largely unaffected by the drama that occurred, with the support of the audience fully behind them and an outstanding choice of setlist that is nothing short of a crowd-pleaser, particularly for long-serving fans. Hopes are high for their forth-coming album but no matter the outcome, it seems doubtful they will lose notable attendance figures at their live shows.
FUTURE GIGS
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