A visual and emotional awakening – live report of Kamelot’s show in Switzerland

There is a proverb that says “All good things come in threes”. Well, in this case, all good things come in fours, because that is exactly the number of bands that took part in the “Awaken the World Tour 2024”. So if you wonder how many reasons the Chaoszine team had to travel to the Z7 in Switzerland, I’m guessing that you already know how much. A huge thank you to Napalm Records for hosting us! Let’s start at the beginning, though. Doors were supposed to open at 17:30 and the first band was supposed to start at 18:00, but there was a small delay in the opening (just a few minutes), instead, there were about 15 minutes of delay when the first band arrived on stage.

Frozen Crown

We’re talking about the Italian up-and-coming band Frozen Crown, who has recently released their new album “War Hearts” via Napalm Records. They played a very solid, energetic and yet dynamic set. This is the first time I’ve seen them with three guitarists in the band, and the sound couldn’t be more powerful than it is. Mighty Niso on drums was pounding and playing as if his life depended on him, and lead vocalist Jade was leading the charge without skipping a beat. Ikki on bass, while a bit hidden in the mix, was still bearing the rhythm in an excellent way. I still have to learn a bit about the lyrics of the new songs, so I am glad that their setlist included immortal hits like “Call Of The North” and “I Am The Tyrant“. All in all, this is exactly how a show should begin. With power, thunderous music and excellent stage performance!

Setlist:

1. Neverending
2. Call Of The North
3. Kings
4. Steel And Gold
5. Far Beyond
6. I Am The Tyrant

Photo: Dario De Marco.

Blackbriar

19:10 the clock is ticking, and we change completely the mood of the evening with Blackbriar from the Netherlands. We leave the powerful and melodic melodies and we shift into a gothic, melancholic and gloomier universe. Thankfully we’re being guided into this new world by the haunting vocals of lead singer Zora, who enters the stage with a black veil on her head, which she throws away as soon as the whole band begins to play. Despite their sombre music, the band has delivered a spectacular performance both in music and in entertainment. They have left nothing casual, everything is perfectly studied and we have to appreciate this. From hits like “I’d Rather Burn” to wonderful surprises like “Spirit of Forgetfulness“, this setlist is literally perfect. And just like we were having the time of our lives, their set ends with “Until Eternity“, which Zora introduces by asking the audience to sing along. Another great band that has warmed up the Swiss audience in splendour!

Setlist:

1. Mortal Remains
2. Crimson Faces
3. Spirit of Forgetfulness
4. I’d Rather Burn
5. Arms of the Ocean
6. Selkie
7. Deadly Diminuendo
8. Far Distant Land
9. Cicada
10. Until Eternity

Photo: Dario De Marco.

Ad Infinitum

It’s 8 o’clock so we switch once again musical genres: the stage welcomes Ad Infinitum, ready to warm up the audience before the headliner band. Ad Infinitum put on a good performance that displayed their fusion of melodic and symphonic metal elements. The whole band displayed talent, skill and accuracy, resulting in a cohesive, tight sound that the crowd definitely enjoyed. They cheered and applauded the group with growing enthusiasm! The band members’ mostly stationary stances throughout the performance, however, gave the otherwise excellent musical set a bit of constrained visual energy. Known for her strong stage presence and expressive vocal range, lead vocalist Melissa Bonny appeared a little restrained during the performance. Her voice was clear and strong, although it seemed like she was holding back sometimes, perhaps to manage vocal endurance or to save energy. We find out more about this a bit later in the show. In spite of this, the audience was impressed by the band’s polished sound and Melissa’s charisma and vocal control.

Setlist:

1. Follow Me Down
2. Aftermath
3. Upside Down
4. Anthem for the Broken
5. Outer Space
6. Surrender
7. Animals
8. The One You’ll Hold On To
9. My Halo
10. Unstoppable

Photo: Dario De Marco.

Kamelot

How do you start to describe a band that plays its tracks better than they are played on their records? That is a good question, and one I must quite quickly find the answer to. Because this is exactly what Kamelot is, a supergroup of performers that have delivered a magnificent performance on the stage of the Z7. From the charismatic Tommy on vocals to the simply extraordinary Oliver on keyboards, this group has everything you might want from a concert. Thomas on guitars leads the group and engages with the crowd quite often, throwing guitar picks and connecting with the audience like only he knows how; Sean on bass was doing quite the same, inciting the people while still performing flawlessly. Let’s not forget the heart of the band, Alex on drums, which in my opinion, was the only instrument a bit too high in the mix, hiding the others. But except for this minor flaw, their performance was simply remarkable. In the previous paragraph, I mentioned that Melissa was a bit restrained in her vocals, but now I understand why. She also performed in duets with Tommy quite often, so it’s understandable that she was trying to preserve her vocals for the whole show. The setlist was also very comprehensive while still focusing on “The Awakening” album. I honestly love and envy both times Tommy took two smartphones from people in the crowd and filmed himself and the whole band playing. Oh! That is something that you don’t forget easily. I was also surprised to hear him play keyboards before “One More Flag in the Ground“; this shows how talented this artist is! From full power to charming sweet vocals, Tommy can do everything and even more. So despite their tour is about to end, please do not miss a chance to catch them in a city near you. They will definitely make your time (and your money) worth it!

Setlist:

1. Veil of Elysium (with Melissa Bonny)
2. Rule the World
3. Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem) (with Melissa Bonny)
4. Insomnia
5. When the Lights Are Down
6. Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)
7. New Babylon (with Melissa Bonny)
8. Karma
9. Manus Dei
10. Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife) (with Melissa Bonny)
11. Willow
12. The Human Stain
13. Drum Solo
14. March of Mephisto (with Melissa Bonny)
15. Keyboard Solo
16. Forever (With snippet from Queen‘s “We Will Rock You“)
17. One More Flag in the Ground
18. Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy) (with Melissa Bonny) (shortened version)
19. Continuum

Photo: Dario De Marco.