As part of their album release ‘Seraphina: The Fall From Eden’ UK tour Phoenix Lake, a female led metalcore band based in Nottingham, delivered an incredible headline show at the 229 venue in London on 2 April.
With the crowd warmed up by the amazing support acts, Joe Synnott grabbed our attention with the beats of the drums to their intro song ‘Sor-El’. And just as the song translates, the rest of the band descended upon us to deliver an emotionally and melodically resonant performance to end the night. But all I could focus on as they took over the stage were the red accents that unified them as if they were a single entity, representing the powers of a phoenix.
Ferocious riffs by bassist Zak Smith and guitarist Ash Wilson continuously filled the room with beats that rumbled through your feet, all whilst electrifying the energy on stage with their consistent up beat performance. And of-course! Front and centre, lead singer Lana Phillis matched this intensity, delivering powerful vocals that drove the performance to an eternal level. And whilst most of the set encompassed the feelings of chaos, transformation and love through intense, yet melodic symphony. Phillis provided a grounding moment with a raw, stripped-back performance of ‘I’ll let you go’. By removing all distractions, her voice acted as an anchor that unified the entire room. And with a couple of dates left of their tour you can also experience this powerful moment.
The opening act of the night was New Jersey based indie rock artist Torppsbride, who delivered an incredible action packed performance full of props and energy. It felt like being on a set of a music video just without all the “lights, camera, action!” part. With themes of cults, and song names like ‘Bend me like Beckham’ after which I will not be able to watch the movie without remembering Torppsbrides performance, you still find something meaningful. Once you truly listen the lyrics are packed with unravelling emotion that can feel deeply relatable.
Second up were London based alt-metal band Night Thieves. They have a strong focus on blending heavy and powerful instrumentals with more thoughtful and emotional messaging that leaves the crowd wanting to hear more. With lead vocalist Jess Moyle having a powerhouse of a vocal range, she easily shifts from strong, gritty tones to softer, more delicate singing. Yet, it never feels disconnected! Instead, it all flows together as part of the same emotion.
Unfortunately during their set we experienced technical issues with Moyles vocals not always coming through the speakers but what we did hear left us craving to hear what was missed. And what’s more important is that the crowd continued supporting and getting involved, including a moment of tranquillity when the room was filled with light of peoples torches as a response to one of the more emotional songs in the set.
And just before Phoenix Lake, the wonderful Aethoria was up on stage and bringing the bouncy kind of energy that got everyone moving. Having only released their first songs last year this new five piece rock band from Suffolk absolutely dominated the stage, and no, not because there were so many of them. The friendship between the band could be felt from miles away as they interacted with each other on stage like it was practice and as a result setting a light atmosphere in the building. Even though their music is thought provoking and emotional, it sets great balance rather than leaving you questioning all of your life choices after they finish their set.
With support of roaring riffs and thundering drums, vocalist Mecia made us fall in love with their music in seconds. Even whilst not feeling 100% and warning the crowd of not being able to perform to the fullest she absolutely smashed the set with gritty vocals, energy and audience involvement. All the energy made it a beautiful set to photograph and will definitely be on my radar of bands to keep an eye out for, especially as they release new music.
I left the venue with a lasting smile on my face! The energy was nothing but electric! It felt less like a crowd and more like a long awaited reunion of old friends. We danced, laughed and became one with the music of the amazing line up of female led bands. In a world that can feel so heavy, this line-up reminded me of why live music is just so important.
Phoenix Lake UK tour continues with the following dates left: – 19th April – Swansea – 30th April – Bristol – 01 May – Ipswich – 03 May – Colchester
For more info follow the bands on socials | Phoenix Lake | Torppsbride | Night Thieves | Aethoria