Pop Break Live: Dragonforce North American Tour 2022 with Visions of Atlants, Firewind, and Seven Spires at The Baltimore Sound Stage in Baltimore, Maryland — April 7, 2022
Words + Photos by David Weaver
Though it may have been a cold and rainy spring evening outside, within the walls of Baltimore Soundstage, Dragonforce was bringing the heat with a night of face melting metal. As part of their North America 2022 tour, Dragonforce was touring with Seven Spires, Visions of Atlantis, and Firewind.
Opening the night was Seven Spires, whose vocalist began the night with the kind of crowd-pumping precision I’ve rarely seen. There’s a kind of stillness, a tension in the air as the musicians take to the stage, before a concert starts, and take their position. How a band transitions from that stillness to their set can enhance a performance. Seven Spires transitioned masterfully. No sooner had Adrienne Cowan, the vocalist of Seven Spires, walked onto the stage, and taken her mic in hand, that she eased away the tension with the melancholically mesmerizing—”Wanderer’s Prayer,” before shattering any semblance of stillness by launching into the thrash-tastic “Gods of Debauchery.”
Adrienne’s ability to seamlessly shift from deep guttural growls to higher pitch, almost unearthly howls was exceptionally unique in its creative delivery. The two voices, along with her rapid, though not rushed, pitch changes increased the weight of the lyrical stories she spun. I was especially impressed with the darkly poetic imagery from their song “Gods of Debauchery,” off of their latest album, likewise entitled, “Gods of Debauchery.” An especially epic treat was seeing “Lightbringer” performed live– a duet they performed with Herbie Langhans, vocalist of Firewind.
Next to take the stage was Visions of Atlantis—an Austrian metal band from Styria. For their performance, they played selections from their latest album “Pirates,” which was a treat, especially since it’s going to be released on 12 May. While the album isn’t due out until next month, I was able to give their single “Legion of the Seas” a listen on Spotify and, if you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend it. The two vocalists—Clementine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli– complement one another well, creating an engaging dynamic; the guitar riffs are beautifully boosted by some masterful drumming; and the song itself perfectly sets the mood of pirates proudly sailing the open seas.
I’ve always loved bands that set a mood and theme for their shows and incorporate costumes and props, and while I’ve seen my own fair share over the years, Visions of Atlantis, by far, has done it the best. Their pirate costumes were incredibly detailed, and their stage presence was dramatic yet engaging—not only with one another, but with the audience as well. During one of the breaks between the songs, Clementine—whose soprano voice was as sonorous as the sweetest siren’s song—demanded, “Are there any pirates in Baltimore?!” earning a thunderous cheer from the packed house. Overall, I was very impressed with their performance and look forward to seeing them live, again, someday soon.
Firewind was, in a word, fantastic. Firewind, a Greek power metal band formed in Thessaloniki in 1998, took to the stage with the confidence and purpose of the most valiant of metal veterans. The blending of the daringly driving instrumentals paired with Herbie Langhans vocals creates the kind of metal anthem you’d hear echoing in your heart and strengthening your soul while you climb the tallest mountain, venture into the darkest cave, and slay the monsters that dwell within. Their songs inspire some truly epic imagery. Their latest single, “New Found Power,” brings that feeling of fearless determination and more, telling the tale of personal growth—a story that I’m sure many can relate to, including myself. I especially resonated with the lyrics, “No fear, I walk on a solid ground, still unbound.”
As for their performance, Firewind’s energy was just as relentless, with their set beginning as suddenly as a spark and bursting to burn as intensely as an all-engulfing inferno. As if to show their shredding prowess, during one of their electrifying guitar solos, the strings of Gus G’s guitar erupted into an orange glow surrounded by smoke—as though he had summoned the very spirit of fire by his metal rhapsody of rocking riffs. Prior to performing their song “Break Away,” Gus G, took a moment to salute the brave service men and women who go to war, and return home suffering from PTSD—a truly respectful and kind gesture. Overall, Firewind has honed and refined their craft and they wield it with the precision and ease of metal masters. While this may have been my first time photographing Firewind, it will most definitely not be my last.
Then, to a cheering crowd, it was time for the main event–Dragonforce. Dragonforce is a band whose very name readily conjures images and sounds of soaring vocals, roaring guitar solos, and driving drums. There are very few who don’t know their name, and even those who may not be metal fans know of their iconic song “Through the Fire and the Flames”—a power metal song with an incredibly complex and ferociously fast two-minute-long guitar solo. Dragonforce is a British power metal band from London, England. Since the beginning of their formation in 1999, they’ve had a love for fantastically fast guitar solos and video game influenced sound.
Tonight, this was made all the more apparent as giant, seven-foot-tall arcade cabinets stood on either side of the stage like massive shrines to a beloved era of gaming. Dragonforce is epic–not only in their sound, but also in their presence as they greeted the packed house by setting off canons of confetti before blasting into their song “Highway to Oblivion.” Going along with the videogame theme, they performed their song “The Last Dragonborn”—a reference to the popular and much beloved fantasy RPG Skyrim–which guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman rocked from THE TOP OF THE GIANT ARCADE CABINETS!!! Adding to the awesome, jets of sparks erupted from across the stage during their cabinet topped guitar solos.
Closing out the night, they performed “Through the Fire and the Flames,” during which confetti, streamers, sparks, and smoke erupted from the stage. Baltimore Soundstage was packed with not only people, but with the electrifying wonder that only Dragonforce can bring. Overall, seeing Dragonforce live wasn’t so much witnessing a performance as it was living the most metal of experiences. Their tour continues through the 23rd of April and, if you haven’t seen them already, I highly recommend doing so.
