In 2021, Martijn Westerholt, the sole founding member of Delain, proposed a motion to continue the band with a blend of new and former members, which brought a fresh and invigorating energy to Toronto on their most recent North American tour. Rounding out the tour are a powerful symphonic metal band and a hard rock band, making this a truly special offering that we may not see again.

EDGE OF PARADISE

Quite possibly, the largest vocal range of the night belongs to Margarita Monet from Edge Of Paradise. There is something supremely special about the energy, flair, and presentation that she brings to a live show, complete with a signature smile that would brighten anyone’s day. With a powerhouse of a band backing her, this talented group brings all sorts of melodies, literally blending the genres of both the harder and the softer sides of music. Touring off the brand new album Prophecy, they dominated the short and sweet setlist with songs from that album and two other songs from two other albums to round it out. Ben V of Ludovico Technique (industrial gothic metal band from NYC) came out to assist for one of the songs from the new album (which Ben is featured on), as if this performance wasn’t talented enough. Thirty minutes didn’t provide enough time for this performance, as choice audience members were screaming for an encore, which I really hope they heard, because a headlining tour should be in the cards if and when Edge Of Paradise returns to Toronto.

Setlist

‘Prophecy Unbound’, ‘The Other Side Of Fear’, ‘Hologram’, ‘Death Note’, ‘Give it to Me (Mind Assassin)’, ‘Digital Paradise’, ‘Falling Light’

XANDRIA

With just over thirty years of making music, Xandria graced Toronto once again with a red hot full symphonic force. Marco, the founding and only original member, has really been putting in the work with his newest band members (Ambre Vourvahis – vocals, Rob Klawonn – lead guitar, Tim Schwarz – bass, Dimitrios Gatsios – drums) who all joined the band back in 2022. The fresh blood on display helped to make this one of the best performances from the band I have seen to date. With just over two years of touring on the most recent album The Wonders Still Awaiting and the Universal Tales EP, these two offerings dominated the setlist, which included the emphatic start of their set with the song ‘You Will Never Be Our God’. There was minimal banter between songs, and forty minutes passed quickly with no errors in the performance. Curiously, Tim Schwarz, the bassist, was missing without explanation, both in person and through the speakers. Xandria hasn’t headlined on this side of the world in a bit; with the drastic improvement in performances, hopefully the next time they visit North America they will come armed with a longer and more in-depth performance (with a symphony perhaps?!).

Setlist

‘You Will Never Be Our God’, ‘Reborn’, ‘Universal’, ‘200 Years’, ‘Two Worlds’, ‘Live The Tale’, ‘Nightfall’

DELAIN

This band was one of the handful of photographic opportunities I had before my “big break” back in 2021. At that time, keyboardist Martijn Westerholt decided to continue with the band, which features a mix of former and new members. Since then, Martin and his crew have achieved considerable success, which paved the way for their second visit to North America on the touring cycle for the album Dark Waters and the newly released EP, Dance With The Devil. Though Martjin wasn’t the first one to hit the stage tonight, his entrance was certainly the most dramatic; putting his hands together in a folded position, absolutely showing thanks to the already warmed-up and eager Toronto crowd. Once the intro was over, it was time to get on with what turned out to be an almost ninety-minute set. Straight out of the gate, vocalist Diana Leah brought the crowd to a new level of movement, with her unique voice winning over new fans and even challenging the most diehard fans in attendance. This lineup blends together exceptionally well on stage, with lots of movement, frequent position changes, and, most refreshing, a lot of smiles. Delain put on a performance for the ages. I missed them previously in 2023, but this show makes me want to avoid missing them when they come to town in the future. Lesson learned. Phenomenal headlining performance from the first note until the last.

Setlist 

‘The Cold’, ‘Suckerpunch’, ‘The Reaping’, ‘Dance With The Devil’, ‘Burning Bridges’, ‘Creatures’, ‘Sleepwalkers Dream’, ‘Stardust’, ‘Get The Devil Out Of Me’, ‘Your Body Is A Battleground’, ‘Queen Of Shadow’, ‘The Gathering’, ‘Don’t Let Go’, ‘Moth To A Flame’, ‘April Rain’, ‘Not Enough’, ‘We Are The Others’

In the end, it was a night filled with smiles, awesome music, and lots of movement and energy that left the Axis Club crowd feeling energized by the triumvirate of vocally charged bands. It was indeed a magical lineup that just makes sense on paper and also played out live. I will definitely keep an eye out for all three bands in the future, should they return to the area. Special shout out to Inertia Entertainment for bringing this diverse lineup to Toronto.