It feels like it has been a very long time coming for me to see Metalite again, but good things definitely come to those who wait.
Five years ago in 2019, I saw them perform a blisteringly good show at Pub Anchor in Stockholm, and eagerly anticipated my next show of theirs. When they were announced for Hammerfest 2020, naturally I had to go – but then that got cancelled because of the impending uncertainty around Coronavirus. The band had some other shows booked around Hammerfest, and I had my time off approved anyway…so I figured I’d go to their upcoming UK dates in Bradford, Burnley and Chesterfield. But then coronavirus became more of an actual threat, and understandably the tour got pulled. Optimistically, I booked flights to Gothenburg to see them play at Trollhättan later in the year, but then that got cancelled too. And then when the world opened up again, their live shows seemed to either be festivals that were logistically impossible for me, or shows that clashed with another pre-planned show.
Nevertheless, I finally managed to get two shows in Birmingham and Manchester locked in – and I swiftly began to count down the days to their first shows in the UK.
Asylum, Birmingham – 14/03
The first of the two shows saw me wind up at the Asylum venue in Birmingham (ironically a venue I’ve been to once in the past to see another band in a support slot that I’ve flown overseas for!) and although the show was delayed and their set got cut short, it was still a mighty set.
I have to admit, I went into this show completely blind. Whilst I’m familiar with all of the band’s songs, the last time I saw them, they had only released their Heroes In Time album, so their setlist had only consisted of solely songs from that release – indeed, they played every song from it barring one! So I had no idea what songs from their now-extensive back catalogue were the set-staples, and which songs were the deep cuts, so I was eager to see how they constructed their set.
Opening with Disciples Of The Stars, I have to admit it was not necessarily a song I expected as an opener (I was anticipating their new album’s opener Expedition One or potentially Peacekeepers) but it really worked. Immediately the band were working at hyping up the crowd, and the good vibes and energy of Disciples Of The Stars really set the mood well for what was to come. One of the things I loved about their show in Stockholm was how much fun the five-piece was clearly having onstage, and it was great to see them with the exact same warm vibe five years later. Paired with such a high octane song, it was a recipe for success and it really helped them to leave a strong impression on the crowd after just one song.
A highlight for myself from this set was the inclusion of their track Apocalypse. Their Biomechanicals album was in heavy rotation for me during my difficult slog working as a manager in retail during covid, and this song in particular resonated with me, so it was great to finally see it in a live environment. Another great inclusion was the mighty Blazing Skies, a previously-released single from Expedition One.
All too swiftly, their set came to an all-too-quick end with We Bring You The Stars (I was actually told after the show that they’d had to cut three songs due to the late-running of the performance due to earlier delays). There was just something about this song that worked perfectly as a set closer, really helping to end the performance on a most memorable high.
As they left the stage, I couldn’t help but want more – but thankfully I only had to wait a few days for their Manchester show, and I was even assured I’d get to see a longer set (although, to be perfectly honest, I was just happy I got to see them to begin with).
Academy 3, Manchester – 17/03
Three painful shifts in work later, and it was finally time for round two! I was pleased to see that the show was going to be taking place at Academy 3, which is my favourite out of the four venues at Manchester University, and I once again eagerly anticipated the mighty Metalite to take the stage.
The setup as a whole felt better than the Birmingham one and although the Birmingham show was also great, it was this Manchester show that ended up as my favourite performance out of the two I got to see. What was cool was that they switched up the set a little, swapping out Apocalypse for Cloud Connected – and of course they benefited from a longer set at this show, with the set featuring eight songs rather than the six we had in Birmingham.
After firmly cementing the fact that Disciples Of The Stars is truly the perfect way to get their set underway, Metalite progressed well from there. The band really worked the crowd well, getting everyone to clap, cheer and pump their fists in the air – and it seemed like the whole room was having a great time, both the people familiar with the band and those hearing them for the first time. There’s something about Metalite’s music and bold stage presence that is infectiously fun, and you can’t help but have a good time as you bear witness to their intense live performances.
As well as the aforementioned Cloud Connected, the set also included New Generation this time around, which slotted in nicely into the set, but an unexpected highlight of the performance for me actually turned out to be Afterlife. It’s not my favourite song of theirs, nor is it from my favourite album – but I think because it’s the first ever song I heard by Metalite (courtesy of our writer Dave telling me I had to listen to Heroes In Time after he reviewed it in 2017) it’s special to me. It felt pretty fun to see them play it again five years later, and there’s just something about the song that brings me back to the excitement I felt after first discovering them.
Winding up the show once again with We Bring You The Stars, the energy onstage was intense as they powered through their closer, and I couldn’t help but sing along at the top of my voice!
All in all, Metalite truly delivered two fantastic shows – and it was definitely worth the five-year wait between shows! But needless to say, it had better not be another five years before I get to witness show number four…!
