Tonight’s gig has been shoehorned into The Craufurd Arms calendar at the last moment, yet it’s testament to the pulling power of both bands that it’s almost sold out. In fact, it’s standing room only as we await the arrival of opening band Catalyst Crime. It is an appearance that’s delayed by a few technical glitches which hinder their intro tape and creates a stuttering start to the band’s set. However, if it phases the band at all then it doesn’t show because when opening track ‘Projection Of My Mind’ blasts from the speakers it evidences a band at the peak of their powers. An international band with members from different continents, Catalyst Crime form a tight unit nonetheless, and attack the stage like birds of prey. Unlike many bassists who are content to exist within the band, Matt Federoff adopts the persona of a lead guitarist, living every note he plays and with drummer Gerit Lamm creates a formidable rhythm section that renders itself an unstoppable force. A pair of six-stringers who could rival Glen Tipton and K.K. Downing at their most vivacious, alongside a keyboardist who adds all sorts of ethereal adornments makes for a full and lustrous sound, and one that fills every cubic inch of the venue. In vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff the band have a singer who looks (and sounds) like a princess who has just been rescued from a tower and it all conspires to make songs like ‘Chasing The Ghost’ three-dimensional, living and breathing entities. And that makes Catalyst Crime an unforgettable experience.

For many bands a high turnover of personnel can be a death knell, for others it can have a rejuvenating effect and give them fresh impetus (not unlike Countess Bathory). Germany’s Leaves’ Eyes definitely fall into the latter camp, new members being absorbed into the whole which means their discography has remained at a consistently high level, despite the constant flux. Tonight’s set finds our symphonic/gothic headliners deeply excavating their back catalogue to throw more than a few surprises in the mix with which to please the hardcore fan (of which there are many present), alongside more obvious cuts to sate the casual acquaintance. After a brief introduction that sets the scene nicely, filling our heads with images from the distant past, Leaves’ Eyes appear like a longboat on the horizon with ‘Chain Of The Golden Horn’, instilling within the crowd both joy and trepidation in equal measure. The twin vocal attack makes a good combination with Alexander Krull’s gruff, marauding-Viking growl being the perfect foil for the sweetest siren call of Elina Siirala. The two operate in tandem very well and much of their power derives from the space they give each other; they don’t impinge on each other’s space; on certain songs Alexander will come to the fore when it suits his voice, then recede on others. Elina operates in a similar fashion, equating to a push and pull between the pair that ensures this set has an easy equilibrium, meaning that songs such as ‘Serpents & Dragons’ and ‘Edge Of Steel’ connect with maximum force.

It feels as if having a support band the calibre of Catalyst Crime has made Leaves’ Eyes raise their game and they are on point from the very first note (and despite a gruelling fourteen hour drive to be here), delivering a hard-edged sound that draws every pair of eyes (and ears) towards the stage. As someone who grew up on a diet of Krokus, Manowar and Saxon, there’s something refreshingly heavy metal about this bunch; you know that they’re not going to go all soft and throw a soppy ballad into the mix, and as such their set is a 70-minute horns-held-high, foot-on-the-monitor celebration of metal. Aside from a few medieval shields on stage, Leaves’ Eyes don’t rely too much on fancy productions, but when the tracks are as good as ‘Song Of Darkness’, why would they? However, the band hand out a few shots of alcohol before ‘Swords Of Rock’, increasing the party atmosphere exponentially, before ‘Hell To The Heavens’ brings their set to an apocalyptic conclusion. Of course, the band return for well-earned encores; ‘Realm Of Dark Waves’ and ‘Forged By Fire’ hurl us towards curfew and outro ‘Galeids Of The Vaeringjar gets us there in style.

Leaves’ Eyes Set List:

1. Intro

2. Chain Of The Golden Horn

3. Hammer Of The Gods

4. Serpents & Dragons

5. Across The Sea

6. Edge Of Steel

7. Hall Of The Brave

8. Who Wants To Live Forever

9. Sign Of The Dragonhead

10. Song Of Darkness

11. My Destiny

12. Swords In Rock

13. Hell To The Heavens

Encores:

14. Realm Of Dark Waves

15. Forged By Fire

16. Outro: Galeids Of The Vaeringjar

Catalyst Crime Set List:

1. Intro

2. Projection Of My Mind

3. Cognitive Dissonance

4. Condemn Me To Chaos

5. Acquired Immunity

6. Chasing The Ghost

7. Break Even

8. Not Even Once

9. Cursebreaker

10. Outro