15 February 2023 – The Tivoli, Brisbane – review by Gabrielle Ross – pictures by Nicole Matthews
A warm summer Thursday evening could not keep excited punters away as the Tivoli bustled with endless energy.
Brisbane based melodic Folk Metal band Valhalore set the night off in a rumble of rolling drum beats, courtesy of drummer Morgan Cox, signifying the arrival of their Viking voyage. A super charged fantastic display of musical talents, their melodic sound weaved it way through the soundscape, you would have felt right at home with a mead in your hand and a sword on your hip.
Fans were enraptured with the beautiful sounds of flutes, expertly played by Sophie Christensen as front man Lachlan Neate flexed his vocal talents switching between guttural roars and soft harmonic melodies. Joseph Dipisa-Fiorenza’s bass thundered as Anthony Willis (guitar) slammed out some crushing riffs and Lucas Fisher (guitar) expertly woven majestic solos.
Valhalore was a thoroughly engaging and exciting band to watch and it’s clear to see why they are a crowd favourite!
The headline set started with a frenzied roar, Alissa White-Gluz (vocalist) whipped her hair into a tornado before letting out a hearty death growl, introducing screaming fans to ‘Deceiver, Deceiver’, just one of the many hits from ‘Arch Enemy’s’ newest critically acclaimed album ‘Deceivers’ that would be played tonight.
Swedish Melodic Death Metal band Arch Enemy does not play around when it comes to a live show! Providing their audience with a jaw dropping display of theatrics and musical skill fans were enraptured with their dynamic and electrifying performance, awestruck and quite literally losing their minds as the band seamlessly flowed into ‘The World Is Yours’.
Daniel Erlandsson led with thunderous precision on the drums as Sharlee D’Angelo pummeled the rhythm section with juicy bass work. Galloping riffs played by the bands founder Michael Amott and Jeff Loomis on guitar brough fiery energy to The Tivoli, reverberating throughout the soundscape.
With a flick of the microphone and a huge smile Alissa White-Gluz addresses punters “Brisbane, we are not just hungry, we are not just starving, we are RAVENOUS!” ‘Ravenous’, ‘War Eternal’ and ‘In the Eye of the Storm’ followed as their jam packed set continued.
White-Gluz’s presence on stage was furious and charismatic, topped off with her astonishingly clean and talented vocals. All eyes were on her as she let loose with epic kicks and hair flicks. Hands pumped in the air for ‘My Apocalypse’ and theatrics ensued as White-Gluz appeared mysteriously in a white cloak for ‘The Watcher’, this was a show that was a feast for all of the senses.
The entire band looked like they were having as much fun as their audience, Amott and Loomis had fans drooling as they executed extreme riffs with ease, playing off each other’s energy and giving music nerds everything they could want and more!
Arch Enemy went to end their set on a high note with ‘As the Pages Burn’, before the stage went black and punters chanted for one more song. The sound of Amott’s guitar roared through the soundscape before the band returned for an epic encore that featured ‘Enemy Within’, ‘Burning Angel’ and ‘Nemesis’.
An awe inspiring finale as White-Glutz held a Koala plushie aloft (a gift from a fan), Amott and Loomis played heart palpitating riffs, D’Angelo’s bass thundered and Erlandsson’s drum work beat relentlessly. This was an unforgettable show, Arch Enemy finished their performance that evening leaving fans breathless.
