Orphaned Land – London, 10/10/2015

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Location:    St. John’s Church – Bethnal Green, London (England)
Date:            15th October 2015
Bands:         Orphaned Land, Molllust, Even Flow

It’s not often that I go to a gig in a church…come to think of it, I never have. But, as I enter the venue while Orphaned Land are doing their soundcheck, I’m awestruck at the ambience of tonight’s event and its suitability for what awaits.

Israelis Orphaned Land is a band I’ve been following since almost their inception, even though this will be the first time I’ll be seeing them live. Molllust I discovered mere days before the tour started and I was intrigued enough to want to check them out. The opening act is totally new to me, though.

Sardinian quartet Even Flow kicked off the evening with an unplugged rendition of a selection of their repertoire. At times they almost sounded like a pub band and although it was an acoustic performance, I felt they lacked vitality and urgency.
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Having said that, the band’s set was pleasant and if this event was a meal, Even Flow would be the perfect appetizer. After the gig I searched online for their ‘plugged’ material…..the band has an album called “Ancient Memories” which is a sort of Prog Rock with Hard Rock characteristics. Check them out and decide for yourself!

Rating: 60/100

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Molllust (www.molllust.com)
German band Molllust call their music ‘Opera Metal’ but tonight it’s Opera rather than Metal that’s in the driver’s seat. Molllust is Janika Groß on vocals and keyboard, Frank Schumacher on guitar and additional vocals, Sandrine B. on violin, Luisa Bauer on 2nd violin and Lisa H. on cello. The ongoing tour does not feature the band’s drummer and bassist. But back to the gig…the quintet wore ornate costumes, which inside the church/venue appeared all the more striking. The music had a similar effect on me…

I was deeply impressed by the quality of the compositions and the musicality of Molllust’s members. ’Paradise On Earth’ was beautifully delivered and ‘Papa’ was heart-rending. All songs seemed to have specific messages, which Janika briefly described when introducing them – they dealt with topics such as the natural environment and mankind’s self-destructive urges. Dramatic lyrics for dramatic music therefore.

While providing some additional vocals and flute melodies, guitarist Frank Schumacher also provided some light-hearted jokes such as when he said he’s touring with the band only to help the girls carry their equipment.  On the other hand, Soprano vocalist  Janika Groß seemed quite nervous when addressing the audience but her voice was absolutely stunning and I admit shedding a tear or two when she sang the band’s own adaptation of Bach’s ‘Ave Maria’.

With the exception of ‘Voices’, a song taken from the Molllust album “In Deep Waters” (released mere days before this gig) all songs were in German. This didn’t seem to prevent non-German audience members from enjoying the whole set.

An eye-opening performance. I’m impressed.

Set-list:
Ouvertüre Nr. 2
Sternennacht
Traumwelt
Papa
Schatten
Voices of the Dead
Paradise on Earth
Spring
Ave

Rating: 92/100

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Listen to Janika Groß, Molllust soprano & pianist, comment on the ongoing tour:

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Orphaned Land (www.orphaned-land.com)
Before Orphaned Land hit the stage (or, should I say, the altar) the Stimmgewalt choir entertained the audience with an a cappella performance. Their set included a vocals-only version of Rammstein’s ‘Engel’, a Van Canto cover and the gulping of a bottle of beer quicker than you can say ‘Praise be Stimmgewalt’! Very entertaining indeed.

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Then, one of the male choirists said he’d like to introduce someone that’s not Jesus Christ but that looks like Him and Kobi Farhi strolled onto the stage. Honestly, Kobi really looked like Jesus, especially with his attire. Backed by the choir he gave a poignant rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ during which the versatility of his vocal skills came to the fore.

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Greeted by a loud applause, the rest of Orphaned Land then joined Kobi to give one hell of a performance (probably not the right expression for this venue….). The set included quite a few numbers from “Mabool…” which happens to be one of my all-time favourite albums. Also in the set was, according to Kobi, the only love song in Orphaned land’s repertoire: ‘The Beloveds Cry’ (from the band’s “Sahara” debut album) and ‘All Is One’ (title-track of the band’s most recent album).

The band’s unique brand of middle-eastern Metal seemed to translate very well to an acoustic setting. Indeed Orphaned Land’s performance was nothing short of amazing and exceeded my already high expectations.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Orphaned Land played the set closer ‘Norra El Norra’ and Kobi came down the church aisle amidst the audience. A party erupted with everyone clapping in rhythm to the song and chanting in a celebratory mood. Band and audience from various walks of life united by music. What a vibe!

The songs of Orphaned Land (a Jewish band tonight performing in a Protestant church) often speak about the divisive elements of religion without ever pointing accusatory fingers. So it was significant when Kobi said of the audience: “This crowd consists of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Metal heads and I’ve been told that the bar tender is the priest of the church. That’s what we call – a house of warriors of light!”

Amen to that.

Set-list:
Hallelujah
All Is One
Let The Truce Be Known
Olat Hatamid
Asalk
Brother
Building the Ark
El Meod Naala
New Jerusalem
Sapari
In The Neverending Way
The Beloveds Cry
Norra El Norra + Orna
Rating: 100/100

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Listen to Kobi Farhi, Orphaned Land vocalist, comment on the present and the future of the band:

 

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