Gabriel And Thee Apocalypse

I'm not aware of the origins of this 4 piece band, but I was excited to see them. The band started their set well after the planned time, but showed the crowd that it was well worth the wait. The lead singer was female and the other 3 members were guys. Her voice wasn't anything to get overly excited about but it certainly wasn't bad and it did blend well into the music. For the most part I found the band to be pretty good. There were times when the songs seemed to lack substance but they kept reviving themselves with this dark music.

The lead singer did a good job at trying to keep a stage presence but the rest of the band didn't back her much in that. The bassist seemed the whole time to have this "I'm super goth so I'm just gonna look down" appearance, but I soon felt bad for thinking that as he passed out on stage. That was the scary moment of the night, but by the time he left the venue he seemed okay.

Overall, I would probably go see this band again if I got the chance.

Aesma Daeva

I wanted to see this band ever since I heard the description that is part of their web site www.symphonicmetalband.com. The term "symphonic metal" told me that I HAD to go see this band, and I didn't regret my decision at all. This 6 piece band lived up to that term. There was an even gender split on stage, as three of the members were guys and three were ladies. One of the ladies was the lead singer, one the bassist, and one playing violin. On guitars were two of the men and one on drums. This band put together one of the most impressive performances that I have seen in a long time. For the most part the music had a heavy and dark sound to it, which the violin complimented perfectly.

During one of the songs, one of the guitarists got out a Chinese flute, adding a somewhat primitive sound to the music. Then there was the voice of the lead singer. From the moment I heard her doing sound checks, I knew that I would love it. Her voice sounded almost like that of a stereotypical opera voice. I was in awe for most of the show, and felt privileged afterwards to talk to the one with such a wonderful voice. The voice seemed nothing short of perfect for the music that it was accompanying and at the times when it was alone, it was still a taste of perfection.

If I ever get the chance to see them play again I will certainly do so and they have my highest recommendation. If you like Lacuna Coil, you'll like this band.

Review by: Ben