“Please say something before I’m lost at the bottom.”
Boolin Tunes live specialist Angelina Emmanuel caught four fresh modern metal acts at The Dome, London in February, in a show that was at once intimate, electrifying, and inspiring.
Ashen
This 5 piece metal and rock infused French band graced the stage to begin the evening. Chanting and screaming began as the lights dimmed and they appeared. A robotic vocal intro with the strobes hammering in time set the tone for the evening. Immediately what stood out was their outfits – the singer was adorned in a red wine cropped suit-blazer matching set, adorned with spikes and other artefacts, with a mother of pearl gracing his neck. During a short interview at the merch booth, I later discovered that the whole band crafted the spikes and adornments by hand. Their androgynous and futuristic style intertwined with the music. They boasted into a hypnotic version of “Smells like Teen Spirit” to keep the night alive, the whole room jumping and screaming the lyrics. All members thrashed and spun, their energy seeping into us. The vocalist made an important remark to remember to keep supporting smaller live music venues to keep the scene going, as these venues are where it all began. As their set continued they played their most popular track “Outlier” which has very clear Bring Me vibes and an addictive chorus melody – the audience were enthralled and holding onto every word. To say the least we were all left feeling breathless and ready for more, which led us onto the Elwood Stray.
Elwood Stray
This mighty post hardcore band from Essen know how to tear it up, having supported bands of the likes of Bad Omens, The Plot In You and Attila. Their second time in London did not disappoint. To be so bold, they were one of my favourite bands of the evening. They really have an enigmatic stage presence, alluring cleans from the stage left guitarist, and downright disgusting breakdowns. They evidently built a strong connection to The Dome as lyrics from the audience echoed, having us in the palm of their hand. Those old school metalcore breakdowns beckoned to crowd surfing and stage dives… All the above? Yes. A band not to miss.
The Word Alive
Jetting in from from Phoenix, Arizona for main support came The Word Alive. When I think of them, I’m reminded of the heart-creaking, soaring vocals, which were absolutely flawless. The looked the part as the vocalist flaunted his smokey dirty blonde hair, the stage right guitarist rocked a leather get up with Docs, whilst other members leaned into more tech wear or streetwear. Their raucous stage presence of kicks and spins infected everyone on the floor, including the guitarist (captured above) – as you observe his exhale, you know they are giving it all they have. As the breakdown summits everyone jumps collectively, gleaming ear to ear, and reminded to not care and just have fun in the moment. Addictive pop melodies and catchy licks intertwined with visceral, elongated fry screams, turning heads and truly making jaws drop. For the first time seeing them live, I was smiling the entire time and already miss performance. “London, we are Alive.”
Novelists
The band we’ve been longing to see, especially with the newest addition of Camille as their new vocalist. It was their first time in the UK with this line up on tour. Their latest single “Mourning the Dawn” came out late last year with three very individual tracks “Turn It Up” being their most popular, and rightly so. To begin their set, a blackened stage was strobed, emulating the kick drum through an electronic intro similar to Ashen’s walk on. They pierced straight into “Prisoner”, the second track from the latest single. An addictive, bouncy, and all round fun track, it was the perfect combination of heavy attitude and feel-good motion to getting you jumping. Camille’s clean singing was truly gorgeous and beamed through her bright smile. You could feel all the members having the best time striking poses, two stepping around the stage, kicks galore, transporting the audience exactly where they wanted us. I’ve never seen a performance where all members are non-stop smiling and so locked into the groove. Camille stated this was certainly her sweatiest gig. To cool off, they transitioned into “C’est La Vie” from back in 2020 as a collaboration with Camille’s previous band Bliss Sigh. Afterwards, “Turn It Up” had its time to shine, and shine it did. The entire room belting the lyrics, including me (sorry Camille – I was yelling in your face whilst taking photos). Stage diving and pits occurred during the storming breakdown as if the audience didn’t want the song to end. The performance did sadly have to come to an end, like all good things, but not without the title track to their single “Mourning the Dawn”. When I first heard this song I knew there was a deeper, darker story within, and after discovering it is about parental loss and coping with grief, I saw it in a completely different light. It was such a touching song to end the night, bringing everyone together – who knows how many of us out there in the audience were going through the same scenario? Those silky licks from Pierre left us salivating and astounded. At the end of the night, I had an amazing experience talking to Camille and grabbing some merch: a handmade candle by herself, and the last cap. She expressed how important it is for women in the industry to have their voice heard, and how inspiring it was for me to see her perform. I’m still gleaming about this evening and no doubt I’ll remember it forever.
