Life is all about second chances sometimes, and don’t you love it when those are about music you’ve somehow missed in the past but really need in your life without realising it! That’s how I discovered the Tunisian band Myrath this year, when their fantastic ballad ‘Soul of my Soul’ made it regularly on air on Planet Rock. That, I suspect, may have opened a few doors for them, so thank you to the team who chose to play it in the first place.
Myrath were the support act for Symphony X in Islington, London, in February 2016 – a concert I didn’t manage to get on time for, so missed the support bands. Mere ten years later, they are embarking upon a massive headline world tour and are sweeping through Europe triumphantly as we speak, with the second leg underway. An extensive tour like this is an ambitious effort not many small(er) bands can pull off, but whether Myrath are just another smallish band is a highly debatable subject.Though progressive metal is a bit of a niche genre, its fans are a very dedicated crowd, and with their support Myrath has gained impact and strength along the way, growing confidently over the past 25 years. What we saw and heard on stage in Bristol on Sunday was pure mastership and an absolute treat for the soul.
Since they played in the UK last time, their music has evolved enormously. From a fairly standard progressive metal band heavily influenced by Symphony X and Dream Theater, they have transformed into this beautifully original and unique act, melting progressive, melodic and Oriental metal together in this pot of fantastic music, evidence of how far they’ve come and of them finding their true voice. The latest album, Wilderness of Mirrors, came out earlier this year, and in its celebration they are prowling the world spreading the word about Myrath.
To keep things realistic, the tour organisers seem to have carefully selected the venues, going in favour of small and intimate (yet fit for purpose) instead of grand halls with more space and better acoustics. The Bristol Exchange is a particularly tiny venue, but it makes for a warm and close atmosphere. The choice of support act, Roses of Thieves, fitted well with the style of the gig, and their female vocalist was the perfect partner to Zaher Zorgati for the heartfelt duet part of ‘Until The End’.
For such a small club, this was a gig of not simply adequate, but amazingly good quality. The loud decibels did not sound out of proportion and the sound quality was spot on, with a brief wobble in the beginning of ‘Soul of My Soul’ that was quickly sorted out. The light show was professional, too; this type of work could have done justice to a much bigger stage, so fair play to all professionals involved in the production.
Myrath’s stage performances tend to be theatrical and epic when the stage allows it (with back vocalists, dancers, fire jugglers, and the likes), so what we saw at the Exchange was a fraction of what they can do. For such a tiny place, they managed to adjust their show perfectly. The only reminiscence of their theatrical “habits” was the mask worn by drummer Morgan Berthet and the frontman’s sparkly top. Zaher, despite only being a tiny guy, totally dominated the stage with his giant talent, warm presence, mild confidence and enviable impeccable pipes.
One point worth making to fellow fans. The lack of distance between the performer and the crowd works in favour of a close connection and intimacy of the gig, but has its disadvantages, too, like fans waving their phones right in the musicians’ faces. Zaher passed the test for inhumanely strong patience with high colours. Not everyone would tolerate that, particularly with the flashlight on! We all remember the stories of certain frontmen known to snatch phones off pesky fans, and who can blame them? So, pretty please.
In terms of the setlist, the band performed all songs but one from their new album (only leaving out ‘Echoes of the Fallen’). Wilderness of Mirrors was a particularly strong release, with high energy melodic tracks, most of them being superhit material, and power tracks like ‘Breathing Near the Roar’, ‘Les Enfants Du Soleil’, ‘The Clown’, ‘Edge of the Night’ worked exceptionally well on stage. A significant portion of the repertoire was dedicated to their older work, and the fans were delighted to hear some of their previous bangers, like ‘Believer’ and ‘Dance’.
All songs boast impeccable classically designed composition and arrangement, and the oriental motifs add an extra layer of depth but also a dance element which lifts the energy up a notch. Instead of the usual head banging, you could see bodies moving along the rhythm of the music, and most of the audience pretty much danced our way through the gig. You simply can’t help it; the beat of Myrath is contagious, as are their tunes. The concert may have left some fans with not just the usual post-gig buzz, but also singing in their heads the catchy melodies for days.
The Wilderness of Mirrors tour (Second Strike) now continues in France followed by Spain, and the Third Strike will take the band to Latin America in December.
Review by Angelina Pelova
Photos by Vladimir Kehayov
