Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Escaping January blues: Ensiferum live at The Dome, London
Welcome back readers! It’s great to have you back as we dive into an exciting new year! What better way to kick things off than with the incredible Ensiferum making their mark across Europe?
They’re not going on this trip solo, either. They’re bringing in some serious talent with German power metal legends Freedom Call and Austria’s own Dragony. It’s a lineup that really has it all, from folk and death metal to those epic high-fantasy symphonics.
This tour is all about their 2024 album, “Winter Storm,” plus a little extra. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s an incredible cinematic experience that really nails that “epic” feel of their sound, and it’s inspired by an unpublished novel from the band’s bassist, Sami Hinkka. The story centres around a group called the “Winter Storm Vigilantes” and explores themes of struggle, survival, and Viking-inspired mythology over the course of 43 minutes.
In true London style, the name of the tour isn’t just a coincidence. You’ve got all the ‘winter storm’ feels: rain? Check. Cold? Check.
So, how about we step into The Dome, huh?
Dragony
- Twilight of the Gods
- Gods of War
- Lords of the Hunt
- The World Serpent
- The Einherjar (What Dreams May Come)
- If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It
- Burning Skies
- The Untold Story (Albion Online)
- Beyond the Rainbow Bridge
If Ensiferum brings the grit and Freedom Call brings the sunshine, then Dragony is the band that really adds those “epic movie” vibes to the tour. They really got things going by warming up the crowd with their symphonic sound all the way from Austria.
Just in case you didn’t catch it, the band has made a change to a two-singer setup. Siegfried Samer is still leading the way with his classic power metal vocals, and they’ve added Maria Nesh from Red Eye Temple as a full-time member now. Their live shows totally give off this awesome “Valkyrie” vibe. You’ve got those dual vocal harmonies that really pump up their sound, plus some fun crowd games and dynamics that made this opening act stand out in a big way. Their music feels so grand, like something out of a movie, and it’s just a blast to listen to.
Photo: Peterson Marti.
Freedom Call
- Hammer of the Gods
- Tears of Babylon
- Union of the Strong
- Heavy Metal Happycore
- Power & Glory
- Warriors
- Metal Is for Everyone
- Land of Light
So, if you’re curious about those people rocking the silver glittery trousers, let me tell you about Freedom Call. Looks like we really couldn’t have asked for anything less than “Happy Metal” with those trousers, huh? While other bands were focused on the end of the world, Freedom Call was all about glory, light, and just the pure joy of being alive.
The band took the stage at 7:30 PM, delivering their high-energy speed power metal and flashing those cheerful smiles that kept the crowd feeling warm and entertained. Moshpit kicked things off right away with “Hammer of the Gods,” and everyone was singing along to their upbeat tunes. Aside from a couple of audio glitches and delays, the crowd was completely immersed in the moment, jumping and screaming with abandon, especially when their latest “Heavy Metal Happycore” track took the stage.
Photo: Peterson Marti.
Ensiferum
- Winter Storm Vigilantes
- Guardians of Fate
- Heathen Horde
- Fatherland
- One More Magic Potion
- Long Cold Winter of Sorrow and Strife
- Token of Time
- From Afar
- Scars in My Heart (with Maria Nesh)
- Andromeda
- March of War – no
- Axe of Judgement – no
- In My Sword I Trust
- Two of Spades
As soon as Ensiferum stepped onto the stage, the crowd was already buzzing, and it didn’t take long for the energy to kick into high gear. Despite the January blues still lingering, the crowd was really excited to get into the mosh pit, which just kept getting more intense as the setlist progressed.
So, there were a couple of technical hiccups with the sound at the start, which threw the band off a bit, but that didn’t stop our warriors from delivering an amazing show.
Starting off with “Winter Storm Vigilantes” and “Guardians of Fate,” we really get to feel the full power of Pekka’s voice and his dedication to the band over the years. It’s great to see how well Pekka Montin, the vocalist and keyboardist, has really hit his stride with the band now. His clean vocals really add a grand, soaring vibe to the music, making a perfect balance with the band’s harsher, traditional folk-metal roots.
In the cosy vibe of The Dome, tracks like “Heathen Horde” and “Fatherland” really get the floor shaking and create this amazing feeling of being super close to the band. One person even gave crowd surfing a shot, but let’s just say it didn’t go exactly as they hoped!
Sammi and Markus totally light up the stage with their stage dynamics, whilst Petri kept his stand like a warrior.
As we get closer to wrapping up the setlist before the encore songs, Petri invites Maria Nesh from Dragony to join the band on stage for a performance of “Scars in My Heart,” a track that was originally sung by Madeleine Liljestam from Eleine. Maria totally nailed that song! It was such a refreshing change from the intense and fast-paced setlist, giving everyone a chance to take a breather and escape the mosh pit for a bit.
The band had to finish things off with their iconic songs, ending on a high note with that classic disco-rock moshpit with “Two of Spades”.
Photo: Peterson Marti.