AWAKEN FROM THE DARK SLUMBER: WINTERSUN PLAYS THE MAYAN IN LOS ANGELES AFTER FIVE YEAR ABSENCE

14 years ago, Jari Maenpaa formerly of Ensiferum, created one of the most profound Symphonic Melodic Death Metal albums of all time. The tranquil waves of guitar wonder, blissfully dark atmosphere, astonishing vocal work ranging from growls to epic singing passion, all wrapped into something quite joyful and monumental. The name of the album, also the name of the band Jari created from that point on: Wintersun. Their fan following is simply on another level, and that eagerness turned to true excitement, when Wintersun announced their first North American tour in over five years. Joining them on this spectacular package, guitar extraordinaire Sarah Longfield, and the Extreme Progressive Metal veterans from Melbourne, Australia, in Ne Obliviscaris, not to outdo anyone certainly. The only Southern California stop on the North American Forest Tour, this was a truly elated night for all the fans, and the venue's long line outside the door before they opened, let everyone what time it was going to be.

Literally next door to The Belasco Theater where I saw Iced Earth a few months prior, The Mayan was a larger venue, although quite similar in the venue layout inside. While The Belasco is a quality place, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and tribal walls layered throughout the stage. The lighting and view were lovely, and created a relaxing atmosphere for this already packed venue waiting for the first act to arrive.

And right at 7 PM sharp, Sarah Longfield provided a sizzling display of guitar ability, dexterity and some jaw-dropping technique for every fan witnessing. I've heard her name mentioned on a few tours in the past year, but never got a chance to listen. Her technical display of, as she describes, "Shred Prog Melodic Tech Death Synth Core", was quite the surprise. With no strain or difficulty, Sarah Longfield displayed fantastic tapping, a whirlwind of arpeggios, blistering speed, but most importantly for me honestly, was the various clean and distorted tones she and her fellow guitar player Derek Sampson, colorfully displayed. I wasn't bored or disinterested at all. From clean palm muted picking Jazz style, to intense Metal speeds, there were a number of unique layers within the musicianship. The crowd was wowed for sure, as Progressive Metal was deep within every band tonight in some particular way. Sarah Longfield only played for 20 minutes or so, but the crowd loved her set, and I absolutely enjoyed the technical prowess of Instrumental Progressive Metal through her vision and unbelievable ability. Great opener to this show, and I hope she continues to be on this larger tours in the future.

Although Wintersun was headlining and the main reason for the majority of the packed Mayan this fine evening, Ne Obliviscaris had a larger number of Metalheads with their T-Shirts and chants of "NeO!" before, during and after their set. "Devour Me, Colossus (Part I): Blackholes" opened their 50 minute set to a raging roar of happiness and constant headbanging. Their eclectic style of Extreme Progressive Metal, along with their amazing proficiency and soothing melody, creates a remarkable sound rarely heard in any genre. Clean Vocalist/Violinist Tim Charles carried the show with his positive energy and stage presence, along with his superb vocal work that adds such a dimension to the music being played. The constant display of excellent ability and musicianship was a sight to behold, never leaving you a moment to breathe. Xenoyr's harsh vocals were outstanding tonight, allowing the extreme aspect of the band to be on full display, blending beautifully with the harmonies mapped out. However, this was my 4th time seeing Ne Obliviscaris, but the first time as a support band, and 50 minutes is not enough time to fully enjoy their tremendous set, and sound. The impact wasn't quite as powerful as the previous times, and certainly with their songs averaging 10 minutes and longer, it's no fault of their own, just seeing the band play 90 minutes and longer the previous times, the strength of their set is weakened a bit. Nevertheless, ending the song from their magnum opus, Portal of I, "And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope", was a special treat that had the moshpit electrified and enjoying every moment. Ne Obliviscaris put on a stellar performance as always, despite playing a much shorter set. I'm truly happy for their success on this massive tour, and hoping a full headlining set will be near, as it will completely do justice for enjoying them to the fullest.

Ne Obliviscaris setlist

----------------------------------------------------------

1. Devour Me, Colossus (Part I): Blackholes

2. Intra Venus

3. Libera (Part I): Saturine Spheres

4. Urn (Part II): As Embers Dance in Our Eyes

5. And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope

"Wintersun!" "Wintersun!" "Wintersun!" The chants became constantly more vocal and louder in volume as the sound checks were completed. Exactly at 9 PM, the intro played for "Awaken From the Dark Slumber (Spring)", to a deafening crowd of Wintersun worshipers and admirers, longing for five years since their last Southern California appearance. The band jumped right to the stage without wasting anytime during the end of the intro, but as soon as Jari burst onto the stage, the entire crowd gasped in awe and responded with the first intense moshpit of the night, with claps, cheers, Metal horns in the air, and the entire kitchen sink. It's breathtaking to see such a Metal genius still in his prime and ever evolving his unique craft. This was the first time the fans had seen him do full vocal duties, with Asim Searah taking over Jari's guitar duties, and initially it was rather confusing and unusual to see, but after a song or so, the captivating level of his vocal work and stage presence was truly on full display, and no one else in the crowd complained or noticed differently. One of the highlights of the set, three songs in a row from the self-titled album, in which Jari asked, "Want to hear some old Wintersun?!" To which the crowd gladly exclaimed and yelled in pure joy, "Winter Madness", "Sleeping Stars" to which I've never seen played before, and thus, invoked joyful tears streaming down my face, and "Starchild", this unworldly three song assault was absolutely the highlight of their two hour set. Crowd surfing, moshpits forming on all levels of The Mayan, no one was left without a bruise or knowing how scathing that particular group of a song punch felt. I will also say, the new song, "Storm", was reminiscent of Wintersun's self titled and the faster moments in Time I. The audience loved it, and were in awe of Teemu Mamtysaari's intro to the song. Almost as much as Jari, Teemu is loved for his unbelievable guitar ability, kindness and depth in which his guitar lessons take place with fans through Skype and in person. Starting in the band at 17 years old, Teemu's truly taken on the role as the main lead guitar player, and it's been such a treasure to witness.

One of countless reasons Wintersun is so highly regarded, is the vastness and depths within their sound, ability, and invoking atmosphere. The amount of time changes, seducing melodies, soaring guitar solos, and the vocal approach from all of the members, takes you away into a wonderland of ice and snow, with the air breezy upon your skin, embracing you to take the furthest step in your journey of life. Jari's vision for Wintersun has been nothing short of excellent. Now on full vocal duties live, the energy and power in his voice even exceeded my expectations, as his vocals on all the albums have been the same elite quality since Day 1. You can tell he loved this new decision, as Jari constantly ran all across the stage, having the fans sing throughout the night, even dancing on stage too. Jukka Koskinen, been about as long in the band as Teemu, sang the backing vocal parts beautifully, and was extremely happy on stage to see such a packed show enjoy every second of this epic event. Credit to Asim Searah, for nailing all of Jari's guitar parts, and bringing in a flashy and energetic style onstage. The night went by so quick, and Wintersun's stellar two hour show brought tears to many fans, and a frenetic aura of happiness and spirit.

Through three albums thus far, and 14 years and counting, Wintersun has made an unbelievable impact across the globe, especially here in North America. Hopefully we won't have to wait five years for their next show, but this impeccable event, with Ne Obliviscaris and Sarah Longfield providing substantial support, the crowd will never forget this performance at The Mayan, in Los Angeles, California. And all the stars’ of Wintersun were left to be proud and unforgettable.

Wintersun Setlist

----------------------------------------------------------

1. Awaken From the Dark Slumber (Spring)

2. Winter Madness

3. Sleeping Stars

4. Starchild

5. Loneliness (Winter)

6. Sons of Winter and Stars

7. The Forest that Weeps (Summer)

8. Storm

9. Battle Against Time

10. Time