The energetic cellists brought down the house in Edmonton this past Saturday.
The weather patterns in Edmonton on Saturday mimicked some of the range of emotions fans would experience later that night when Apocalyptica appeared at Midway. Sunny and beautiful in the afternoon, which changed to overcast, then it rained and snowed a bit. Apocalyptica’s live show will guide you through an entire range of emotions – from upbeat rock and metal pieces, to somber, reflective pieces; and everything in between.
Italy’s Lacuna Coil started off at 6:30pm sharp – as Friday/Saturday shows at Midway end early, so the venue can revert to a nightclub on those nights. Cristina Scabbia & Company laid out a solid 45-minute set of bangers, beginning with Blood, Tears, Dust from their 2016 offering “Delirium”.
Lacuna Coil is grateful to be back out doing what they love, and they made it very clear to fans. An enthusiastic performance, and easily the best I’ve seen them. Guitarist Diego “Didi” Cavalotti has this massive guitar sound that drills their signature dark, gothic riffs into your head, leaving them there for days.
The dual vocal melodies of Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia is a pleasant contrast to the typical single singer most bands have. Andrea brings a ferocious growl and edge; while Scabbia’s operatic highs absolutely soar.
Rounding out the rhythm section are drummer Richard Meiz and Marco “Coti” Zelati, two incredibly talented musicians who bring together the core foundation, and make this lineup a force to be reckoned with. It’s nice to see a band with such history still steamrolling ahead, and making even better music as time passes. Hats off to a great set, and I can’t wait to catch these guys on a headlining tour.
Highlights: “Blood, Tears, Dust“, “Our Truth“, “Nothing Stands In Our Way”
Having done the stage setup earlier in the day, i knew Apocalyptica wasn’t packing a ton of gear. Nothing super elaborate, just a dozen or so well placed lights, actually made for one of the best looking shows I’ve seen in quite some time. This show was sold out well in advance of it’s original planned date, and had been postponed twice. The boys were ready to play!
Apocalyptica pushed through 16 songs totaling 1 hour, 45 minutes. Mostly originals, with a handful of covers thrown in. Bright lights, incredible energy, and a band that just looked like they were having SO MUCH FUN! Members traded places around the stage often, giving each other looks, smiles, and pointing into the crowd – hyping up the audience.
Singer Franky Perez joined the band onstage after the third song for a soaring performance of “I’m Not Jesus” – a song originally recorded by Corey Taylor of Slipknot/Stone Sour for their 2007 album “Worlds Collide”. Perez is a semi-permanent member, having recorded 2015’s “Shadowmaker” with the band, and also acting as touring vocalist from 2014-2016, and again in 2022.
Drummer Mikko Siren has been with them since 2003. While we were setting up the stage, one local crew member – unfamiliar with the band – remarked “They play cellos, how hard can he possibly be hitting the drums?” Well, let me answer that for you – Dude is a BEAST, and he shows no mercy to that drum kit.
Apocalyptica offer quite a different dynamic than you would find at most rock shows, due to them having no traditional bass or electric guitars – just three fellas rocking the f**k out on their cellos. They went to extremes with their Metallica selections for the evening, covering both “Seek & Destroy”, and “Nothing Else Matters”.
40 minutes after they left the stage, we had them completely packed up and the club was open for the rest of the night – All in all, it was a fantastic evening, and their crew were top notch to work with. Looking forward to the next one!
If you’d like to see even more stunning photos from this fantastic event, feel free to check out Rich’s facebook page here
Highlights: “I Don’t Care“, “Seek and Destroy” “I’m Not Jesus“
