Less operatic, she proved that her voice is versatile and rich. I had heard it said beforehand that Mariangela isn’t as good as her predecessor. After the melody and energy of “Year of the Rat”, Mr Johansen started to create beautiful Darkwave emotions, enhanced by Mariangela’s melancholic tones. To add to the three guitarists and the drummer, Kjetil introduced violinist Pete Johnansen for “The Passing”. The technique and timing were immaculate. The female guitarist from Octavia Sperati was the only one to look understandably worn out. The professionalism was all the more remarkable for the fact that the band had set out from Bergen at 4am. A carefully considered performance was laid on, except for the fact that Kjetil couldn’t remember whether tracks were new or old, but who cares about that anyway? As it happened, much of the set came from the latest album “Rubicon”. It was clear that the band was well-prepared. But Tristania are about much more than personalities and vocalists.
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In spite of looking scary alongside demure and goth-clad Mariangela and his more conventionally attired colleagues, as our presenter this evening, he was always gracious, full of good humour and charm. When not counterbalancing Mariangela’s angelic strains, Kjetil gestured in the gloom. In the clean vocal department, the pint-sized singer Mariangela Demurtas formed a partnership with the mountainous Kjetil Nordhus of the mothballed Green Carnation. Most of the band members had changed since the last time I saw them play live. Darkness descended to the background of gibberish and the faint but increasing tones of “Year of the Rat”. The Underworld was about two-thirds full. “Shadows” capped off a thoroughly dynamic performance from Asrai. The keys rang out, the dream beat solidly and the guitars struck a punitive rhythm. This afforded Ms Mol a final chance to impress us with her lungs.
I sensed that Ms Mol was pleased with the way it went. An electro beat worthy of fellow Dutch Gothsters Clan of Xymox whistled through the catchy and dark heaviness. This song provided plenty to move to as well as the trademark Darkwave atmospherics. For me, the stand-out song was “Hollow”, presented to us as a new one. The guitarist’s face was mysteriously hidden behind a mop of red and black hair. The steady beat of the drum and the dark anger of the guitar work set the sullen tone. Her voice reverberated across the room in accompaniment to a dark and heavy electro-beat, but she equally proved her ability to deliver dark sadness and emotion. With make-up for the occasion, her expression and eyes suggested that she meant everything she was singing and more. Dark and shadowy musical images accompanied Ms Mol’s forceful singing. If a skeleton had emerged from the back of the stage, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Where Unsun had been catchy, Asrai’s performance was about mood and power. This busty woman’s ghoulish screams could strip the paint off walls. “Delilah’s Lie” was straight from the crypt. This was the same lady whose photos I had seen on the merch stand with a rose in her hair and bats flying around in the background. Driving and moving, this song was a catchy crowd-pleaser and reflected what the band can do, as well as being just what was needed to leave a good impression.Ī full-bodied Margriet Mol appeared on stage, accompanied by her Gothic colleagues. “Whispers” was announced as the final number, which went down particularly well with the Polish contingent supporting their fellow countrymen. The singer, striking with her blonde hair and frilly black dress, could hold a note but seemed to be having trouble when switching up or down the range. The instrumental work was impressive and the songs were good but the vocals were variable. The music induced headbanging, but of the lighter variety. It was punchy, dark and above all catchy. The driving riff and the strong vocals made for a good song and reminded me why I like this style and this band. We were promised the presence of love and a good headbanging song. This highly charged track was much better. At the end of it, the singer breathlessly mumbled the next song, which I recognized as “Clinic for Dolls”. I walked into a crashing beat and an out of tune female vocalist.
The show had just started when I joined the 60 or so spectators. Plenty to look forward to.įirst to play was Unsun. Three bands, three different interpretations of the style. This was an evening of outfits, jewellery and Goth Metal. Review by Andew Doherty from MetalZine UK: