photo by Rui Vasco

One of the most challenging yet rewarding tasks of putting a tour package together is finding a great compatible storyline of bands. On Thursday, May 11, Los Angeles was hit by a wonderful storm of heavy metal with bands from all over the world. Portugal based, goth metal band Moonspell headlined the evening with support from Elenie, Oceans Of Slumber, and Vintersea. This line up was extremely compatible even though there is a vast difference in sound and somewhat in genre as well. One commonality with the exception of Moonspell, was that the other three bands were dominated by powerful female vocalists.

To start the evening around 7 pm was Vintersea, an extreme metal band from Portland. Perhaps, since it has been a while since Moonspell has played in the States, they weren’t on all fans’ radar, or rush hour traffic on Thursday kicked everyone’s ass. Either way, it was a low turnout for such great live metal bands who are underrated. Moonspell had a good crowd, but they should be more popular than they are in the US. Back to the beginning, Vintersea is an excellent extreme metal band with both guttural vocals and clean. They have a black metal vibe and incorporate progressive musical stylings. It was a great opener that, unfortunately, more people should have seen.

Next on the agenda was the progressive metal band Oceans Of Slumber from Texas. Vocalist Cammie Gilbert Beverly has an exceptional voice that can powerfully fill the whole venue. Her key is perfection, and the progressive style of this band, from heavy to a more melodic adventure, suits them well. They stand out for their beautiful fluctuations and the entire band compliments each other musically. It is only natural that the drummer and vocalist are a husband and wife team because they collaborate so well together. The audience remained fully engaged With Cammie Gilbert Beverly introducing each song with peace, passion, and an explanation of the meaning behind her lyrics. The bassist pitches in on the harsh vocals, providing a good duel effect. From their stage outfits to the music, they master-minded their live set, providing an outstanding cover of Type O Negative’s Wolf Moon Towards the end.

With two strong bands setting off the mood, it usually would be hard to top, but Swedish band Eleine was also a force to be reckoned with. On the surface, this band carried a darkened symphonic metal vibe that dove deeper by mixing the extreme black, thrash, and death metal elements into their cauldron. Vocalist Madeleine Liljestam had excellent stage presence and soothing vocals, and when the guitarist chimed in with his harsh vocals, she would be hair whipping along with it in her black corset with Skull chain belt. Drummer Jesper Sunnhagen was an absolute beast with the thrashing, crashing, extremely creative style the whole night. This was a band that most people didn’t know about before the show because it was their first American tour, yet they gained lots of new fans. They also invited new fans to join them and meet them at the merch booth after their set, which at the very least, is good marketing. The unison bow, in the end, is a signature staple for most, if not all, European bands, and they made it a very sweet ending to a badass successful set.

Finally, around ten in the evening, Moonspell glorified the stage with their true goth metal born in Portugal. Vocalist Fernando Ribeiro changed his look a bit since his last tour in the States, but his vocals were just as satisfying as ever. With twelve albums under their belt and a crowded house of faithful fans, Moonspell played an exciting set list mixed with the old and new. They raged through hits such as “Night Eternal,” “Scorpion Flower,” “Alma Mater,” and “Vampira,” and they covered some songs from eight different albums in total. There is something special and binding about Moonspell, which makes the title appropriate since it feels a bit like being under a dark spell lit only by the music flying through the air. This five-piece band includes a keyboardist, which further enhances their live stage presence, and since their strong beginning in 1996, it is very surprising they are still a touch underrated in the States. As one of my favorite bands, it is highly recommended to check them out because goth metal with some touches of death can soothe all that is ailing. What a beautiful show overall, and hopefully, both European bands will return to the US next year.