During my ten day holiday I was fortunate enough to catch the almighty Smoulder in the midst of their European tour. The night was September the 7th and I had been strolling along the embankment of the Danube in Bratislava searching for a very unusual venue known as The Pink Whale.

This venue wasn’t any old venue but a venue in the bowels of a boat. Moored at the side of the river I could see a small number of people relaxing on the roof, some dressed in metal shirts waiting for the band to grace the stage at 9.30pm. Sadly I missed the first band and only caught a little bit of the second but what u did catch was a ballsy dose of good old heavy metal.

The ambiance exuded a sense of ease, allowing me the privilege of encountering the band while perusing their splendid merchandise. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to engage in a great conversation with Collin, the guitarist, on the boat’s deck. We had a bit of a general chit chat and discussed the band’s inaugural European tour, during which they were acquiring new experiences along the way. Its crazy to think that the band are from different parts of the world including Finland, the USA, and Canada. Yet this has not stopped the band (with the addition of a session drummer) take on Europe!

As I chatted with the band members, their enthusiasm for this grand adventure was palpable. It was evident how genuinely excited they were to traverse Europe, connecting with both their long-standing supporters and new fans, while wholeheartedly savouring life’s moments. Embarking on a European journey in a van, particularly for the first time, is undoubtedly challenging, but their passion and joy for the experience shone through.

When it was finally time for Smoulder to come onstage, the room soon found some extra additions to the small but humble crowd. Backs to the audience to build tension, the band soon broke into the first song with each member coming alive! They kicked off their set with the mighty Victims of Fate from their newest album “Violent Creed of Vengeance.” Considering this was my first time seeing them I was blown away by their electric performance! Vocalist Sarah instantly captured everyone with her powerful vocal lines and artistic movements that reflected the mesmerising music.

Warrior Witch of Hell from “Dream Quest Ends” was up next and once again the band delivered a powerful performance with this moody and gritty track. I love how I could feel the bass tones and reverb heavy vocals rip through the venue like it was a colossal church. Its dark and eerie feeling gives the song mystery and when performed live feels like a big old ritual! Imagine the skies opening up and an evilness descending from the black clouds!

Next up was one of my favourite tracks of the night known as “The Talisman and the Blade” again from their newest album! This fast and aggressive number soon changed the mood in the whole room and the band summoned a storm with each member giving it their all! The fact they chose to put a faster number midway through was a great shout as it really kept their explosive set moving! I love how Adam the bassist simply couldn’t stay locked to the stage and was walking between the audience members while delivering is thunder!

Black Gods Kiss from “Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring” is the 4th song of their set and this doomy, slow pounding beast of a song will crawl down your spine. Totally crushing, this is a perfect number to sway too. By now I have already come to the conclusion that Sarah really brings something unique to the band with her epic and soaring vocals. A true driving point for the music as a whole.

The Sword Woman is another slow but epic song. And in my opinion the music really does reflect the fantasy artwork that all their releases feature. I can easily imagine a woman warrior on horseback travelling through valleys and across mountain ranges under the glimmer of the moon and stars. Or coming into contact with a woman fighter wielding a steel sword!

It came as no surprise when the band chose to conclude their set with the fan-favourite track, “llian of Garathorm.” From the stomping tempo of the song to the sinister, commanding guitar work delivered by Collin and Shawn, “llian of Garathorm” exudes the aura of a battle anthem. Personally, I have a deep affection for this song, and it had me enthusiastically raising my fist in the air during the choruses! The inclusion of expansive group vocals and the well-coordinated, powerful kick in the performance added that extra touch of excitement. If you’re in the mood for some head banging and a song that truly grabs your attention, this is the one to listen to. Check out the video above to experience it for yourself!

Even though the band had a long drive ahead of them to the next city, the loving crowd managed to squeeze out an encore from Smoulder in the form of what i believe was the track Bastard Steel! This fast and ferocious firestorm set light to venue almost quite literally and like all the songs before delivered on energy, flair and madness!

Conclusion

Well what can I say! Smoulder definitely known how to deliver the goods and turn any venue into their sacred temple! And while their set was relatively short, it certainly had no fillers, just all killer songs! They packed a punch with the tracks they chose and had a few die hard fans singing along to the lyrics giving it there all. I loved how their gigantic sound filled the room, providing even more atmosphere and magic. If you ever get a chance to, go and see these guys on stage as i guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Check out our full interview with Smoulder which was conducted earlier this year!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: SMOULDER (FINDLAND/USA/CANADA)