I arrived at the venue just before Nordic metal quintet Metalite took to the stage. They released their concept album `Expedition One` in January and opened with the thumping `Disciples of the Stars` and during the next thirty minutes shared another couple of tracks from the same album with `Cyberdome` a number that raced along and `Blazing Skies` a more thoughtful offering which retained that same power and intensity of what had already followed. We enjoyed another couple of cuts from the `Biomechanicals` album with the scorching `Far from the Sanctuary` and `Apocalypse` before closing the show out with the melodic `We Bring You the Stars` a single from a couple of years ago. The band comprising Edwin Premberg (guitar), Robert Örnesved (guitar), Robert Majd (bass) and Lea Larsson (drums) really built a platform for vocalist Erica Ohlsson to let rip and command the stage. A short but cracking set to really whet your appetite.
Next up were NorthTale a Swedish/American/Brazilian power metal band who shared five tracks during their twenty five minute performance with the reflective `Shape Your Reality` and blistering `Everyone`s A Star` the stand out tracks for me. It was really touching to hear vocalist Guilherme Hirose so wired about this first trip to the UK and tonight`s brief show in Birmingham. He showed a real stage presence and had such a varied vocal range. Hopefully, they`ll be back again with a longer set.
Headliners tonight, Leaves Eyes are a symphonic metal band whose content has its roots in Norse mythology and The Viking Age. Founder Alexander Krull supplies death growled vocals while Elina Siirala`s are more angelic, a style that is referred to as beauty and the beast vocals.
The band have a new album, ‘Myths Of Fate’, their ninth, out this month and play a few tracks from it along with a flavour of numbers that touch upon their career to date. The lights dim and a couple of Vikings in chain mail with shields and swords walk menacingly on stage as `Death Of A King Vikings` is piped through the pa. The band appear and head into `Chain of the Golden Horn` with Elina and Alex trading vocal duties.
`Hammer Of The Gods` is the first number shared from the new release with the duo inter weaving their own parts as the band pound away. The melodic `Who Wants To Live Forever` and anxious `Realm of Dark Waves` follow later in the set.
We enjoy a couple of numbers from `King Of Kings` with the almost Celtic `Swords in Rock` and `Edge Of Steel` and a couple from `Sign Of The Dragonhead` with the dreamy `Across the Sea` and pulsing title track.
There`s a brief interlude while the Viking Warriors fight each other on stage before we return with the deep `My Destiny`, and anxious `Hell To The Heavens`
This evenings performance closes out with the absorbing and pensive `Forged by Fire` from the forthcoming album and they leave us with `Galeids of the Væringjar` as they take their bows after this engrossing eighty minute presentation.
The forthcoming new release ‘Myths Of Fate’ sounds like it`ll retain the high standards set previously by this quintet and if tonight`s show is anything to go by the remaining two dozen gigs across Europe should be equally as amazing.
