I was actually introduced to Metalite by way of my writer Dave, who picked up their Heroes Of Time album for review and basically implored me to check it out as well. I did as he said, and was duly hooked! It’s rare that you come across an album that’s all killer and no filler, because there always seems to be a few weaker tracks, but Heroes In Time features nothing but bangers that WILL get stuck in your head.
Keeping an eye on their live schedule, eventually the stars aligned for me to be able to attend their show in Stockholm in Pub Anchor, so after an afternoon of exploring the city (and getting very excited when I discovered Pub Anchor had lonkero on tap!) I was ready to have a good old sing-along to all their earworms of tracks.
Opening with the title track Heroes In Time, which in my opinion is one of the strongest tracks of the album, it helped the set to start with a bang and I was instantly drawn in, especially when they powered into Purpose Of Life afterwards! The set as a whole was great; it featured every song from Heroes In Time aside from The Great Force Within Us (indeed, my only real complaint about the set is that song’s lack of inclusion!) and subsequently we were treated to hit after hit song.
The highlight for me was Nightmare. Performed in a different key, it had a darker vibe and it fit the track’s mood absolutely perfectly. The song was already my favourite track of the album, but hearing it in a new light made it feel even more special. Additionally In The Middle Of The Night was another great moment – the stripped-back beginning really showed just how stunning Erica’s voice was as she effortlessly carried the song.
The show was also Metalite’s first with Erica as their vocalist, who is standing in for Emma for the band’s upcoming gigs, and they couldn’t have chosen anyone better. Her voice is very rich and colourful, with a lot of body, and fits seamlessly with the music. Additionally, when watching her onstage with her four bandmates, it looked like she’d always been a part of Metalite because there was a strong connection between musicians and singer alike, and her presence onstage was so confident and powerful.
The performance as a whole was simply fantastic. You could tell that everyone onstage was having an absolute blast, and it was a pleasure to be a part of it all. I will definitely be back as soon as I can for another show of theirs – Metalite is such a fun band and their live performance backs up their recorded material fantastically.
