LIVE REVIEW: Eleine @ The Asylum, Birmingham
Birmingham has always been a tricky city to play. Yes, it’s been coined the ‘birthplace of heavy metal’ and does host many shows across the city. However, crowds are always hit or miss, with events either selling out or nearly empty. We head to The Asylum to catch ELEINE, who are on their first-ever headline tour in the UK in the support of last year’s We Shall Remain. As we arrive, we find a nice crowd waiting to enter. Considering there is another show happening in The Asylum 2, it’s good to see people who have shown up for doors and are eager to see ELEINE tonight.
First up, and the only support act, is IGNEA. Hailing from Ukraine, their melodic death metal sound is a great start to the night. The band members come on stage one by one, ending with a big cheer for vocalist Helle Bohdanova. They dive straight into the set, delivering heavy riffs and vocals that make you bang your head.
They give us a mix of old and new tracks, tantalising those who have never heard them before with a taste of both their past and present work. The band receives plenty of cheers and horns in the air, warming up the crowd. Helpful, given the chilly weather outside.
One nice touch is the presence of keytarist Yevhenii Zhytniuk. Amid the heavy riffs, we get a cool, 80s-inspired synth sound, and having Zhytniuk move around and perform at the front adds a dynamic element to the stage show. There is some playful banter, with the keytarist pretending to be too shy to go to the centre stage until the band encourages him, leading to a delightful keytar solo. A welcome change from the standard guitar solos we usually hear at shows.
It’s always good to see a support act get a solid 45-minute set, giving them a chance to not just play the hits but also throw in some older tracks or hidden gems that are usually reserved for a headline slot. Nearing the end of the set, we get the traditional “Are you ready for ELEINE?” chant. After a few tries, the audience seems truly ready for the headliner. With their job done, IGNEA finishes with a bang and head off, leaving the crowd to rest up for ELEINE.
Rating: 8/10
ELEINE takes the stage to massive applause. The crowd is clearly made up of dedicated fans, not just for tonight’s headliners but also showing enthusiasm for the support act. It’s heart warming to see a crowd supporting all the bands on the line up, not just turning up for the one they know.
Madeleine Liljestam‘s vocals are powerful, and she has a great presence on stage, constantly interacting with the crowd, encouraging them with calls for “hey, hey, hey,” and cheers. The added bite of Rikard Ekberg‘s growls is a welcome dynamic change, and he puts on a show while playing guitar.
Each band member gets their time in the spotlight, with Madeleine stepping aside or even leaving the stage so others can shine. It’s refreshing to see this approach, as many shows tend to focus primarily on the lead singer. This adds to the performance, and it’s clear the band is enjoying not just playing the music but playing it together as a group.
The whole set hits the symphonic metal beats, with chugging riffs and angelic vocals. The genre itself is well established with acts like NIGHTWISH, WITHIN TEMPTATION, and EPICA, so it’s hard to add anything new. For someone not already a fan of the genre, ELEINE might just blend in and get a bit lost among similar bands. This could partly explain why the crowd barely fills half the venue, beyond Birmingham’s tendency to be hit or miss.
It’s a shame there aren’t more people in attendance, because even though ELEINE may sound similar to many other symphonic metal acts, they deliver a superb show that far surpasses the venue they are playing. That said, the crowd is so loud and engaged with the band that they make up for the lack of attendees. It must be nice for the band to perform for such a dedicated fanbase rather than a passive crowd that only knows two big hits.
Symphonic metal is definitely an underrated genre. The mix of powerful, typically female vocals, orchestration and choir, and heavy, distorted chugs creates a big sound that delivers an epic show, whether it’s for sixty or sixty thousand people. Tonight’s performance demonstrates this perfectly, and we hope ELEINE will be back in the UK soon, whether for a headline show or as a support act, because it’s a show you won’t want to miss.
Rating: 8/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Birmingham from Serena Hill Photography here:
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