This past Sunday, I managed to drive all the way to Cleveland to catch one of my favorite bands of all time–VNV Nation. They are on tour supporting their latest effort titled “Of Faith, Power and Glory.” I personally like this album, but it does have a different tone then past albums and at the same time does not seem to be quite up to par. With that said, I still enjoy listening to it and I think it will grow on me, it just seems I like a couple songs way more than the rest of the album. Regardless of my thoughts of the latest album, I have seen VNV Nation once before and was in no way going to miss this tour. Due to some prior arrangements, I had to drive a bit further than I probably would have had to for a closer city, but the trip was fun and worth every moment.

If you have never seen VNV Nation live before, and even remotely enjoy their music, you will be nothing less than pleased by their performance. Watching the jolly Ronan Harris perform the music for which he is every bit as passionate about as his fans is simply unforgettable. He exclaimed, during their set, that they will be touring again late this year and you should make a concerted effort to attend. The shows are small (not stadium filling), but are intimate.

With that said, on to my review! The event was held at Peabody’s Downunder, a venue I have never been at before, but it was an above average place to hold a show. It had a large open bar, a couple stages, two levels, and I would estimate enough room to hold maybe a thousand people. Much better than Club Zoo in Pittsburgh for comparison.  The only things that could have made the place better in my opinion were higher ceilings and a lot more AC. Now that the what and where have been answered, how about the who?

Three bands were to play this night and I will have to admit, I got a little lazy and did not even bother trying to look up who was opening for VNV Nation. The supporting acts were Ayria and War Tapes. I actually am sort of happy I did not though, because they turned out to be surprisingly good. Ayria was of a similar genre/style of music as VNV Nation and was first up. The singer, Jennifer Parkin, is quite beautiful and played into my like of female fronted bands. I thought her voice was stunning and the music easy to get into. It took me next to no time to enjoy their performance and by the end I was sold, I ended up buying Ayria’s limited edition box of their latest album “Hearts for Bullets.” Since, then I have listened to it several times and am planning on buying some of their back catalog.

Next, up was War Tapes, a actual band with no everyone playing traditional instruments. It was clear from the get got they were of a different style and did not completely fit the mold of the other two bands they were on tour with. Even so, I enjoyed their music and certainly appreciated the singers passion. War Tapes reminded me of Evaline and AFI; my friend accompanying me said his voice reminded him of the singer of the Cult. I was not completely sold on them, but will deffinetly check them out some more. Also, after the show we got to talk to the singer for a bit and could not believe the tyraid he was going on. Lets just say, you either will love or hate War Tapes and they will without a doubt become a success.

Lastly, VNV Nation came on and they did not disappoint. They played about two hours of glorious music. Last time I seen them, I was a bit dissapointed they did not play “Joy,” but to my surprise they opened with this song. From the moment I heard the beginning of this song I knew the crowd was going to get a good show. It was at this moment, that a fan handed off his giant inflatable sword to Ronan and got things going. They played many of my favorites including: “Illusion,” “Chrome,” “The Farthest Star,” “Fearless,” “The Great Divide,” “Lastlight,” “Legion,” “Perpetual,” “Sentinel,” and “Standing.” Due to height limitations in the venue, they played a longer show, played a much different set than from the previous shows on the tour, including older songs, and ended the night with a blast from the past. I was simply exhausted and a sweaty mess by the end of this show and would have it no different if done again. I was pleased to meet the bands and will have to say this show ranks up there with the best ones out of the hundred plus I have seen.

I decided to spend my night off, while in Denver, to check out the music scene. I wanted to go see the Soilwork show, but apparently Grand Junction is about four hours away from Denver. So, I decided to search for a show downtown that was at least alternative music. Far from what State College has to offer, it appears Denver has at least a show a night.

I ended up picking out the Evaline show with guests Hearts Like Lions and Spoke Shiver. I found this show to be different from the normal concert I would see, I am still not sure what genre of music these bands fall into. All three bands utilized keyboards, which was unique. The first two bands were local bands and were ok at best, playing half hour sets.

Evaline proved to be a refreshing band to watch, with an energetic performance and a different sound than I would typically listen to. I love drums and I believe knowing how to play the drums was a requirement for getting in the band. I believe five of the six members had wailed on the drums before the night was over, excluding the bassist. Their sound was complex, filling, and eventful. When they said they were playing their last song for the night, I was a bit dissapointed; however, I was pleased to see them honor the crowds demand for one last song.

On my way out, I had to get Evaline’s EP for $5 and have listened to it several times already. I think I will try to get some more music from them in the future. I am going to try to catch a metal show before I head back east.

Here is another song I have heard, but didn’t realize I didn’t have it in my personal collection, despite owning two different copies of Comalies. It apparently was a limited release for a digipak in Germany and on the re-release of Unleashed Memories, which I own the original copy. This is a fairly decent song and has since been added to my library. See emptyspiral.net for more information. Also, here is a youtube video again:

I recently was looking up some lyrics for some of the songs from my favorite band on DarkLyrics and was looking at the last two single released and was surprised to see a couple songs that I have never heard of before. They were “Virtual Environment” from the 2006 “Enjoy The Silence Vol. I” EP and Without a Reason” from the 2006 “Our Truth” Single. Apparently, American fans got shorted on these two gems on Karmacode. I was expecting them to be decent songs, but am pleasantly surprised to discover that they are even better than I imagined. I am disappointed to have discovered them so late, but pleased to hear them none the less. I now hope to hear both of these songs live when I go to see Lacuna Coil on Music as a Weapon IV for the sixth time live. For your convenience, I have the video linked below:

The following are the lyrics for the newest Inkubus Sukkubus album. I find this album to be very passionate and unique for its story element carried throughout. I was unable to find the lyrics for this anywhere and since have submitted to a few locations. They belong to Inkubus Sukkubus and I am in no way claiming authorship.

 

 

Inkubus Sukkubus Viva La Muerte

Love Eternal

Love, fire of love
Burn ever higher
Love, fire of love
Feed my desire
Love, fire of love
Born of my sighing
You are my daylight
You my endless night
You are my firelight
You the stars so bright
You are what’s yet to be
You are my memory
In war and raging sea
You will defend me

Love, fire of love
Stay close beside me
Burning inside me
Love, fire of love
Give and take freely
Love, fire of love
Never deceive me

Love ascending
Love eternal
Love transcending
Life (it can never die)
Love and laughter
Pain and sorrow
Love lives after
Life… and death

Take me with you
We have forever
In love, we two
We’ll be together
Wrapped in your arms
I am much braver
With strength and charm
You are my savior

Fiesta de Amor

You are the colour of sky in the morning
You are the light of the sun as it’s dawning
You are the dew on my feet
As I first step into a brand new day
Dance by my side, I will hold you gladly
Sign for me now, I will love you madly
You are my sun and my moon,
And the stars are our children yet to be
You are the passion
That stirs deep inside me
You are the life
Flowing through my veins
Strong as an oak,
You are standing beside me
Without your love I could never remain

Brighter than sun on a brave new morning
Fresher than rain on my face as it’s falling
Darker and deeper and richer than night
As I sink in your warm embrace
Lift me to you, I will dance with you always
My life it is yours, I will follow your ways
In life and in death, we are one, we are
Whole, we are joined for eternity
We’ll dance with the living in joyous fiesta
Tequila will flow, we will drink of our fill
We’ll dance with the dead,
We will dance with the best
And nothing will stop us when it is our will

Laughter and love, I remember it clearly
Head spinning wildly, my lover here near me
Into the night full of magic and madness, he
Slipped from my view suddenly…

You are the passion
That stirs deep inside me
You are the life
Flowing through my veins
Strong as an oak,
You were standing beside me
Without your love
I could never remain

Death Comes (The Wedding Night)

Cold in my arms, so cold in my bed
As life slips away from you
Reason has fled
I hold you closer
Give my warmth to your skin
My eyes close tighter,
Fight the tears I’m crying

Stay with me, love
Stay with me here
Life has no purpose if you can’t be near
We made a promise for eternity

You are my love
You are my life
I watch you leave
And extinguish my light
Your skin against my lips feels alien to me
A stone with softness yielding unnaturally

I love you more now
You’ve gone from my life
I’ll never leave you
On the cold, endless night

Lying as one, lying, we two
Warmth leaves my body
And flows into you
I don’t know where you end
Or where I begin
Falling to you falling apart
Red colours sheets
As it flows from your heart
Such sweet surrender
Slipping far from this room
My dearest friend,
I know I’ll be with you soon

Rest now, my love
Feel pain no more
Sleep with the angels
And wake when I call

Living Death

You left my senses calling, I’m empty without you
You left my soul, mourning,
There’s nothing I can do
My life was offered as a sacrifice,
You took the blade
Cut out the heart, removed my soul,
So nothing could be saved

Life with all its madness is like a carnival
You ride the horses, play the games,
Release the inner child
But when it comes to games of chance,
You lose before you begin
When others make the rules of life,
You’ll find you never win

A gambling man enjoys the thrill
Of losing everything
I’ve lost much more than gold alone
Could ever buy again

Sweet thief of reason,
I thought you were my destiny
The future looked much brighter
When you were near to me
How quickly dreams can crumble
Beneath the cold of light
I wish that I could slumber
All through the endless night
I lie awake, the pain of light
Destroys my reverie
My skin grows colder day by day
‘til you come back to me
A gambling man enjoys the thrill
Of losing everything
I’ve lost much more than gold alone
Could ever buy again

You left my senses calling
I’m empty without you
You left my soul mourning,
There’s nothing I can do

Emergence

I lie in peace in the womb
The earth, my mother, my tomb…

So much life here,
How could I ever sleep?
Roots stretch like veins
Pumping life here beneath
I feel the worms on my flesh
They speak of life, not of death

My ears awake now
To songs so brand new
My sleeping limbs
Stir to dance of the truth
I hear the call now
To stretch toward the sun
I’ll crawl through soil and stone
Until we two are one

I find a strength in my bones
The earth is not yet my home
Now, higher ever I climb
Cold fingers stretch for the sky

I stand alone on the earth
The sun has witnessed my birth
I feel you stir ‘neath my feet
I call you now back to me…

(He stirs)

Now, by my side we are one
My love, my brother, my son
Death cannot take from me
Our souls are one, we are free

We Walk Again

Newborn limbs, carry us back home
Take us with hope where we need to go
Each creaking step feels like it’s the first
Now we are born again
We walk again on this earth
Love has its own sacred birth

We share our strength
Walk the empty street
Cruel sun above, stones beneath our feet
Your hand in mine, nothing will defeat us
Now we’re born again

We walk again on this earth
Love has its own sacred birth
We fly like doves in the sky
My love and I, we will fly

Love has life of its own
Stronger than blood, flesh and bone
Love has the power to endure
Love that is strong, bright and pure

We walk again on this earth
Love has its own sacred birth
We fly like doves in the sky
My love and I, we will fly

(Our) Love Will Endure

You, you were there in my sorrow
You, you were there in my pain
You, you’ll be there come tomorrow
You, you’ll be there sun or rain
I, I was here in the daytime
I, I was here ‘neath the moon
I, I’ll be here when buds fall
I, I’ll be here when they bloom
We, we are made of the same clay
We, we are moulded as one
Come, come the day when our bones fall
We know our love will endure

All must change
As the day turns to nighttime
But our love will endure

You held my hand in my grieving
You held my hand when we need
You are the air of my breathing
You are the warmth in my bed

Come what may
It is our time to shine bright
For our love will endure

Live To Hate (The Living Fear the Dead)

You knew me when I was
Young and lovely
You knew him when he was
Strong and healthy
Walked in your world
And you loved us freely
We’re just the same,
Why can’t you see that

You live to hate

Don’t fear our love
And the power to endure
Don’t fear our hearts,
Though they’re still, they are pure
Don’t fear the night,
She will love you dearly
Never fear death,
And please never fear me

You live to hate
You hate to love
You live to hate

Look to the sky
And the flight of two doves
Look to the sky, how they carry our love
Don’t look to the earth
She released us gladly
Remember our lives,
But please never sadly

Let us walk again among you
Leave us free to be together
Let us walk again among you

Free to be with him forever
Let us walk again among you
Being here’s not your concern
Let us walk again among you
You have life, we’ve love eternal
Let us walk again among you
He and I are lovers always
Let us walk again among you
You think we’ve forsaken your ways
Let us walk again among you
He’s my lungs, my air, my last breath
Let us walk again among you
Don’t fear us, and don’t fear death

Decaying beauty

Flesh of my flesh,
Bone of my bone
A body is merely
A shell for the soul

Colours changing, body fading
Flesh and blood and bone decaying
Stumbling, falling, limbs now failing
Not much more from life remaining
Weaker now, I feel us slipping
Youth and beauty fade from view
Steady me, my fingers gripping
Hold me while I fall to you

Hold me closer
What is happening to us?
Hold me closer
Can’t lose you again

See your flesh, it’s growing thinner
See your bones, they’re shining through
See your teeth in lipless grin
And see the fear I feel for you

Hold me closer
How I love you dearly
Hold me closer
Love will never die
Hold me closer
You must never fear me
Hold me closer
We’re one, you and I

Flesh to flesh, I need you near me
Bodies fail, but love remains
Bone to bone, I see so clearly
With our love we’re still the same

The Endless Night

Spread on wings of soaring dove
Our love carried higher
Lifted high in silent flight
Never, ever tire

Love never ending
Love never fading
True love ascending
Promises made in
Truth, dedication
Hope and devotion
Now we are slipping
Into the endless night

Love like ours will find a way
To live on forever
Time will test,
But come what may
We will be together

You had always been my love
We were childhood sweethearts
Life had blessed us from the start
Then it tore us apart

Love never ending
Love never fading
True love ascending
Promises made in
Truth, dedication
Hope and devotion
Now we are slipping
Into the endless night