Live Review: Seraphic, Weightless In Orbit, Tai Sui, Raven's Lair

Metal's faithful congregated at the New Globe Theatre on Saturday night to celebrate the hot-off-the-press debut album of Brisbane's own keyboard-led, melodic-symphonic metal band, Seraphic.

Raven's Lair waste no time in ripping the crowd a new one with authoritative and well-articulated lyrics, and the powerhouse voice of lead singer, Lizzie Alexander, to match! During the set, the audience are blown back by the wall of sound resounding from the guitars, and quaked to the core by the drum beat's command. Drawing from the strength and conviction we've all come to know and love of Halestorm, this melodic-hard rock outfit add an irresistible, grittier edge to deliver a highly entertaining performance.

Tai Sui take the intensity levels up a notch with unclean vocals produced by not one, but three of the four band members. With a waist-long mane of white-blond dreadlocks, leading-lady Alexis playfully chastises bass player Nathan for flirting with the other bands, as well as drummer Jordan from their own band, teasing "We talked about this!". This inter-song banter is met with laughs and provides a quick breather from the energy and eccentricity of the set. The final song concludes with what probably amounts to a 30-40 second sustained, unclean note from Alexis. The audience looks on wide-eyed and open-mouthed as she proves beyond any doubt her superior ability to growl and produce a guttural scream.

By some divine gifting, Weightless In Orbit have found the perfect marriage between heavy metal and jazz. They are all over the genre coupling and half the time, you aren't even sure where the songs begin and end, and that's the best kind of set! The jazz sections are showcased by Benjamin van Jole on keys using vintage vibe effects, as well as improvisatory passages laced with asymmetrical rhythms and crushed notes. This is complemented by muted drum beats and a light brushing on the high hats. Once the audience is lulled into a relaxed state, they're grabbed by the scruff of the neck with the clear shift to heavy metal by the frenzied stage antics of vocalist and lead guitarist, Brandon Mamata. This performance is the musical embodiment of Jekyll and Hyde, and god, it is good!

Seraphic are welcomed on stage by an onslaught of cheers from an enthusiastic and supportive crowd. With confidence and grace, vocalist and keyboardist Sam Wolstenholme announces that this evening's set is to be a cover-to-cover performance of their new album Journey To Illumination. The song highlights of the night include The Reckoning and The Tide Of Life. The first track on the album and of the evening, The Reckoning takes off like a bull at a gate. The deceivingly melancholy piano intro takes on a life of its own as, layer by layer, it is joined by the drums and guitars to create a blaze of instrumental fury. Sam's vocals soar above the incessant rhythmic riffs and shredding on guitar, like a valkyrie readying herself to descend from up high. While the album is tilted to be a 'journey', the song itself is a saga, shifting between verse, chorus and extended bridge, chocked full of chromaticism and dissonance. Prior to The Silent Apocalypse, Wolstenholme pauses a moment to introduce the other members of the band, Erwin Febrianto and Raouf Al-Araji on lead/rhythm guitars, Michael Bates on bass and Daniel Langdon on drums.

Fan favourite, Tide Of Life presents itself as a masterful, nightmarish metal interpretation of Phantom Of The Opera and the Tudor folk song Greensleeves, blended together with a clear Hans Zimmer influence. The descending, sustained passage prior to the chorus sets the image of a giant descending a staircase before unleashing his wrath on his victims during the chorus. The energy of the audience continues to build, with devoted metalheads in the front creating a synchronised windmill of swirling luscious locks. Child Of The Water delivers a more subdued ambience and a prime opportunity for Wolstenholme to more clearly showcase her vocal ability. Her vocals carry a resonance and accuracy which can only be produced from years of training. At around the five-minute mark, Erwin steals the spotlight and lifts the song to new heights with a spellbinding guitar solo.

There is a brief, poignant instrumental titled The Road Less Travelled, which offers a moment for sombre reflection. In keeping with the Robert Frost theme, the speakers thunder with the opening riff of first-released single, Fire And Ice. Each band member is visibly enjoying themselves, smiling at each other and walking around the stage to interact. Oozing with charisma, at one point Al-Araji jumps off stage guitar-in-hand to continue his performance from among the audience. As the final notes ring out, the thrilled crowd chants "Seraphic, Seraphic, Seraphic". The evening concludes with The Final Act and is accompanied by clapping and chants of "Hey, hey, hey' from the audience. The camaraderie among the audience is truly infectious. During the rhythmically-charged instrumental, a circle pit forms at the front of the stage, complete with fight-dancing. The guitars let loose with every ounce of remaining energy and the drums are beaten like timpani.

Seraphic bring advanced-level classical training and years of industry experience to the table to produce evocative, passionate and finely-crafted music. While I generally abstain from using the word 'epic', epic is one of the most apt descriptors to define the night's performance. The energy and calibre of musical skill and creativity is beyond what one would expect of a relatively new, up-and-coming band performing in a small venue. If this first album is anything to go by, we can expect to see impressive things from Seraphic in the future. Watch this space!