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Live Reviews : Anna Murphy, Stormtide & Horizons Edge @ The Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne 27/08/2016

By on August 30, 2016

Heavy metal – a genre synonymous with loud electric guitars, blisteringly harsh vocals and…the hurdy-gurdy?

That statement alone can only mean one person, the legendary Anna Murphy: former female vocalist and hurdy-gurdy player of Swiss folk metal titans Eluveitie. Upon issuing her departure from her long-time bandmates, Anna’s recently reinvigorated solo project has sparked a number of intimate Australian shows, to which Melbourne’s folk metal fanatics gathered in full force to the Evelyn Hotel to witness. Out to make a statement, Anna Murphy, alongside fellow former Eluveitie members and best friends Merlin Sutter, Ivo Henzi and Rafi Kirder, were determined to prove to the long-time fans that wherever they go, whatever they do, they will continue to create musical wonders and execute performances of a world-class calibre. Providing support for the night were Melbourne’s own power metal extraordinaires Horizons Edge and Geelong’s epic adventure metal heroes Stormtide.

anna murphy australia august 2016

 

Horizons Edge took to the stage like a bat out of hell, wasting no time in unleashing their uplifting, fantasy-inspired sound to the crowd below. Fresh off their latest release Heavenly Realms, Horizons Edge have truly found their comfort zone within the somewhat stereotypical realm of keyboard-guitar lead harmonies and major key rhythmic phrasing. To say that this is a bad thing would be horribly incorrect, as select moments of their set unleashed utter bliss into the crowd, most often than not in the form of the mesmerizing and entrancing solos of lead guitarist Eddy Grosso. If there’s one thing that kept me from enjoying Horizon’s Edge as much as I wanted to, it was the vocal delivery of Kat Sproule. To say Sproule’s vocal ability is anything short of incredible would be false beyond comprehension, and it’s this exact statement that left me somewhat disappointed in her choice of staying within a specific, almost soprano-like vocal range. Whilst Horizon’s Edge delivered their set with utter perfect execution, I felt as though it was missing those select few elements which would’ve made jaws drop across the venue.

If there were any word I could use to describe this next band, ‘epic’ would only just begin to describe Stormtide. Donned in capes and battle armour, the Geelong natives delivered their unique blend of folk and symphonic tunes with great reception from the crowd. Being the first show of their tour cycle in support for their full-length release, Wrath of an Empire, Stormtide unleashed thirty minutes of non-stop vocal aggression and folk-inspired riffs so jolly that you could river dance to and still fit in. The standout track for me was their fan-favourite “Conquer The Straits”. It was here we begun to see what made Stormtide a household name in the local Melbourne metal scene. It was also here that vocalist Taylor Stirrat begun to refrain from what looked like an acute case of stage fright and proceeding to gather the confidence of a thousand warriors, which only translated into his vicious vocal delivery being that much more sublime. My hopes for Stormtide is that they continue to do what they do, because I think I speak on behalf of every punter of night when I say that Melbourne needs more Stormtide.

Excitement was almost a visible entity by the time the lights dimmed and the stage was set for Anna Murphy to embrace the Melbourne crowd. Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi issued a serene walk onto the stage with an entrancing performance of “Johnny Guitar”. As drummer Merlin Sutter and bassists Rafi Kirder made their way onto the stage, the crowd erupted into a sea of bodies lost in the incredible serenity of Anna Murphy’s voice and the sublime instrumentation of Henzi, Sutter and Kirder. As “Soundwaves” began to fade, I knew that what I was in for what is perhaps the furthest thing from the battle-crying aggression that was Eluveitie-era Anna Murphy, and in that moment, I couldn’t have been happier. “Cellar Darling”, the title track from Murphy’s solo album of the same name, hit a perfect chord with the crowd, with a surprising number of punters knowing almost every lyric of the song and those that followed. Quick to bust out the crowd favourites, every person in the venue felt utter amazement as “Harley Quinn” and “Red Lights” felt almost transcendent to my ears.

Whilst it was obvious in Anna’s display as a frontwoman that she was slightly weary of how Australia’s metal heads would react to her very different style of music to that most metalheads know her for, those worries were quickly vanquished as every individual within the Evelyn Hotel gave Anna everything they had, so much so that a mosh pit began to form in front of the stage. Her use of emotional, almost tear-jerking tracks “Woebegone”, “Island” and “Sick” gave me a sense of wonder of how perfectly each member on stage harmonised with one another, which gave Murphy the moments she needed to turn us all into emotional messes; but I can’t help but smile from it.

The crowd felt a sense of suspense build as Murphy brought us back to old-school with a select few acoustic performances of some of the band’s favourite Eluveitie tracks. “A Rose for Epona”, “Ne Regv Na” and “Voveso in Mori” was not only performed beautifully, but made me — a long-time Eluveitie fan — incredibly happy that each member put so much passion into the music of their past. The crowd was also treated to one of the first ever performances of Anna Murphy’s newest single “Mayday”, to which the chorus echoed through the venue as every voice was turned on for those few beautiful minutes. “Pale” closed the main set to thunderous applause from the crowd, which triggered a reaction of almost surprise from Murphy and the rest of the band, as though they didn’t expect to receive such a warm reception from Melbourne’s own. Returning to the stage to give Melbourne one last song, “Twin Flames” was a perfect set closer and a perfect conclusion to an hour of utter serenity and bliss.

In the end, as I began to funnel myself outside towards a car for a long drive home, all I could think is the sheer brilliance of what I just watched. Horizon’s Edge, whilst slightly lacking in select areas, shined through with a traditional power metal attack that only made me wish I had just a few more tracks to really appreciate this band. Stormtide not only embraced, but dominated the stage; a trait seen very rarely in a support band, and all I can think of now is “When the hell is the next Stormtide show!?”. As for Anna Murphy and company, I’m left completely amazed at the level in which all four members performed. Despite slight vocal strain, Murphy brushed it off like a true professional and gave every punter their money’s worth. Kirder’s innovative and enthralling low end brilliance, Henzi’s incredibly tight rhythmic phrasing, Sutter’s almost metronome-like precision and execution harmonised and complemented Anna and her hurdy-gurdy excellence superbly. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to witness such a rare moment in the form of an Anna Murphy solo show, and all I can hope for now is that after a performance of such quality that Anna Murphy and company return to Australia soon for another beautiful sonic assault.