FROZEN CROWN

A FIRST ENCOUNTER THAT MADE AN IMPRESSION

Sometimes the best part of covering a concert is discovering an artist you didn’t know before. For me, Frozen Crown was exactly that experience. Tuesday night at Seattle’s Neptune Theatre was my first time hearing the Italian power metal band, and I had no idea what to expect when they took the stage. Instead, they made an immediate connection. From the beginning, Frozen Crown showed a strong sense of personality. Lead vocalist Giada “Jade” Etro quickly established herself as a charismatic presence on stage, but what stood out just as much was the band’s genuine interaction with the audience. Their warmth and kindness in connecting with the crowd made the performance feel welcoming, even for first-timers.

I was also impressed by the musicianship. Federico Mondelli, who handles guitar, keyboards, and vocals, was a particularly noticeable presence on stage, working alongside Alessia Lanzone and Alexandra Lioness on guitars, with Francesco Zof on bass and Niso Tomasini on drums. The musicians played with confidence and precision, and their combined instruments gave the songs a full, layered sound.

One moment that stayed with me came before ‘Iris’. Mondelli introduced the song with a thought about people who were teenagers when the original song became part of their lives, framing it almost as a reminder of that time. It was a simple and thoughtful way to introduce what came next before Frozen Crown completely changed the song’s perspective. Their version of ‘Iris’, originally recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls, was an unexpected surprise. Hearing such a familiar song transformed into a power-metal performance gave it a completely different personality. The melody was still recognizable, but the heavier arrangement, guitars, and vocals made the song feel like it had been brought into Frozen Crown‘s world. As someone hearing the band for the first time, it was one of the moments that made me stop and think, “I didn’t expect that.”

That surprise helped make Frozen Crown‘s short set so effective. They didn’t need a long performance to make an impression. The musicianship was strong, the band members connected naturally with the audience, and the set had enough variety to make me curious about what else they have to offer. I arrived at the Neptune not knowing Frozen Crown‘s music, but I left wanting to hear more. For a first encounter, that’s a pretty good impression.

SETLIST
‘Kings’, ‘The One’, ‘Neverending’, ‘Who Wants to Burn in Heaven’, ‘Reborn’, ‘Iris’ — (Goo Goo Dolls cover), ‘I Am the Tyrant’

VISION OF ATLANTIS

WHEN THE NEPTUNE BECAME A SHIP

Some concerts feel like the venue was made for the band performing on its stage, and Visions of Atlantis at Seattle’s Neptune Theatre was one of those cases. From the moment I walked in, I couldn’t help noticing how naturally the venue’s nautical character matched the world of Visions of Atlantis. The large boat-shaped bar and vendor area near the entrance, together with the Neptune-themed windows and other maritime details throughout the theater, created an atmosphere connected to the sea. Then I saw the stage backdrop: an old fisherman’s town that seemed to belong to another time, bringing images of sailors, pirates, and stories from the water. It was almost as if the Neptune had been waiting for Visions of Atlantis to arrive.

Before the show, I had a small but memorable encounter. I went to the U-District early because I wanted to know the location and avoid being late. While walking, I crossed paths with Clémentine Delauney, who was arriving with a large yellow suitcase. A fan was nearby, and I briefly considered asking for a photo, but I decided to respect her space since she had just arrived and might have been tired. It was a very brief encounter, but it reminded me that behind the artists we see on stage are people who also need their own time and space. Supporting an artist doesn’t always have to mean asking for something from them—sometimes simply giving them that space is enough.

Once the show began, the combination of the band and the Neptune’s surroundings felt almost theatrical. Michele Guaitoli told the Seattle audience how happy the band was to be back in the city, remembering their previous appearance while supporting DragonForce. It was clear that returning meant something to the band, and the audience welcomed them back.

One of the night’s most memorable moments came when Guaitoli asked everyone to sit down. The audience immediately lowered themselves to the floor, and he began leading the crowd as if we were all aboard a massive Viking ship, using a huge paddle to direct the rowing. With each motion, the audience responded together with a rhythmic vocal sound, creating the impression of hundreds of people pulling oars at the same time. The scene reminded me of the Viking Row celebration associated with the Norwegian national soccer team, but seeing an entire concert audience participate inside the Neptune Theatre was completely unexpected. It was playful, theatrical, and created together with the band. For a few minutes, we weren’t simply watching Visions of Atlantis perform; we were part of the voyage.

The band continued through a set that included ‘Master the Hurricane’, ‘Clocks’, ‘Tonight I’m Alive’, ‘Legion of the Seas’, ‘Hellfire’, ‘Pirates Will Return’, ‘Melancholy Angel’, and ‘Armada’. ‘Clocks’ generated one of the night’s biggest reactions, with the crowd immediately showing how connected they were to the song. As the concert approached its conclusion, another visual moment stood out when the large Visions of Atlantis flag appeared on stage, adding one final image that fit naturally into their maritime identity. Visions of Atlantis didn’t simply bring songs about oceans, pirates, and adventure to Seattle; they created a small world around their performance and invited the audience into it. The Neptune Theatre turned out to be the perfect setting for that experience, and for a while that night, it didn’t feel like we were standing inside a theater in Seattle. It felt like we were all aboard the ship.

SETLIST
‘Master the Hurricane’, ‘Clocks’, ‘Tonight I’m Alive’, ‘Legion of the Seas’, ‘Hellfire’, ‘Pirates Will Return’, ‘Melancholy Angel’, ‘Armada’

KAMELOT

A JOURNEY INTO RAVENHILL AT THE NEPTUNE

There are concerts that mean something to you before you even walk through the doors. Kamelot was definitely one for me. When I received the message from the Allfather Metal team telling me that I had been approved to photograph Kamelot‘s Dark Asylum World Tour in Seattle, I was honestly full of joy. I have been a Kamelot fan since I first heard Dominion, with Roy Khan on vocals. That album made a strong impression on me, and when Tommy Karevik later took over the vocals, my reaction was, “OMG, how cool.” They are different artists, with different voices and personalities, and I have always appreciated that. Around the time I was discovering Tommy’s voice, I had just started lyrical singing classes at a conservatory in Brazil. Tommy Karevik and Fabio Lione became two of the vocalists who inspired me, and I remember thinking that I wanted to learn how to sing with that kind of control and expression. So standing in the photographer’s pit years later, with Kamelot about to take the stage, was a moment I could not take for granted.

The stage immediately transported the audience into RavenHill, transforming into something much darker than the Neptune we had seen earlier in the evening. Hooded figures stood on both sides of the stairs, holding lanterns as if they were guarding the entrance to another world. Ravens, skulls, candles, pillars, and church-like windows surrounded the stage, creating the feeling of an old, abandoned institution. It was theatrical without feeling disconnected from the music, giving the new Dark Asylum material a visual world of its own. Kamelot‘s official concept for Dark Asylum places the listener inside RavenHill Asylum, a former cathedral turned into a place where science, faith, and madness collide. Seeing that idea translated onto the Neptune stage made the album feel much more tangible.

Then the lights went down and ‘Sanctorium’ began, completely changing the room from the first notes. ‘Ashen World’ followed and shook the entire venue. The new Dark Asylum songs have a darker, heavier side, and hearing them live made that even more obvious. As a longtime fan, I found it almost impossible to stand still—headbanging was practically part of the experience. The photographer’s pit was a little narrow, and the lighting sometimes felt brighter than I would have preferred for the production’s atmosphere, but the Neptune staff made the whole process easy and professional. The venue cannot simply create more space where there isn’t any, so I appreciated having access to the pit and being able to work properly. The Neptune is also one of those Seattle venues that is easy to reach by different forms of transportation, which makes a long concert night a little easier.

On stage, every member of Kamelot contributed to the show, but Sean Tibbetts especially caught my attention. His bass presence was energetic, and his interaction with the audience added another layer to the performance. Thomas Youngblood, Oliver Palotai, and Alex Landenburg were equally important to the band’s sound and movement, creating the tight musical foundation that allows Tommy Karevik to move so freely around the stage. And Tommy was everywhere—his connection with the audience was one of the strongest parts of the night. He could move from commanding the stage to making a joke with the crowd without breaking the atmosphere of the show. One of the funnier moments came when he went over toward Oliver Palotai’s keyboard setup, turning himself into a playful “song engineer,” giving the audience instructions and joking around before the next musical moment. It was a small interaction, but it showed another side of him and gave the crowd a chance to laugh with him before the music continued.

When they played ‘Karma’… WOW! For me, that was one of those moments when being a fan and being a photographer completely collided. Hearing that song live, surrounded by hundreds of people reacting to it at the same time, was simply incredible. The guest appearances made the evening even more memorable. Ignacia Fernández, whose voice appears on Dark Asylum and ‘Sanctuary’, wasn’t in Seattle, but Kamelot had another special guest from the night’s lineup. Giada “Jade” Etro of Frozen Crown joined the band on stage, bringing her own character to the performance.

Later, the stage became almost cinematic as Tommy appeared seated in a kind of throne-like chair, dressed in black and hooded, while Jade and Clémentine Delauney joined him for ‘Sanctuary’. The combination of the three voices, the dark staging, and the performers’ movement created one of the most visually beautiful moments of the concert. From a photographer’s perspective, it was one of those sequences where almost every movement felt like another photograph. The lighting, the costumes, the stage positioning, and the interaction between the performers came together naturally; it was theatrical, but it also felt intimate. Alex Landenburg’s drum solo also gave him a moment to take center stage and interact directly with the audience, serving as another opportunity for the crowd and the band to connect rather than just a technical break.

By the closing stretch, Kamelot had taken the audience through almost every side of its world, from the darker new material to songs that longtime fans have carried with them for years. ‘March of Mephisto’ was another highlight for me; hearing that classic live brought back the feeling of why I became a Kamelot fan in the first place. Near the end of the show, Tommy appeared carrying a huge Kamelot flag with the band’s unmistakable “K”—a fitting image to close a night built around the band’s identity, history, and new chapter with Dark Asylum.

What stayed with me most was not simply how well Kamelot played, but the feeling of finally experiencing, from the photographer’s pit, a band whose music has been part of my own story for so many years. I arrived at the Neptune as a longtime Kamelot fan, and I left with photographs, memories, and the feeling that I had witnessed something I had been waiting for without even realizing how much it meant to me. Kamelot didn’t simply bring Dark Asylum to Seattle; for one night, they opened the gates to RavenHill and invited the entire Neptune Theatre inside. And yes, it was definitely an unforgettable night.

SETLIST
‘Sanctorium’, ‘Ashen World’, ‘The Great Pandemonium’, ‘Rule the World’, ‘Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)’, ‘Godlike Alchemy’, ‘Karma’, ‘Revolution’, ‘Dark Asylum’, ‘New Babylon’, ‘Ivy, My Dear’, ‘Drum Solo’, ‘One More Flag in the Ground’, ‘Keyboard Solo’, ‘Sanctuary’, ‘Veil of Elysium’, ‘March of Mephisto’, ‘Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)’, ‘Sanctum Requiem’