Written: 25th March 2024
Having released their new album - Time (review here) earlier this year, Moldovan metal quartet Infected Rain have been weaving their way around Europe as special guests to Amaranthe and DragonForce. Judging by the response on social media during the weeks they have been on tour, the band have been causing a storm of interest from old and new fans alike. The Roundhouse in London is the final night of the tour and by the time Infected Rain take to the stage, the venue is filling up. From the t-shirts in the crowd, the band already have many fans in attendance. As the house lights extinguish leaving the stage bathed in crimson lights, a roar of anticipation goes up from the audience.
Instrumental A Second Or A Thousand Years drifts through the air, across an audience obviously keen to take in every moment. Silhouettes of the band materialise on stage and the opening notes of The Realm of Chaos (from 2022’s Ecdysis) reach eagerly awaiting ears. As Lena Scissorhands joins the rest of the band on stage and viciously growls the first words of the track, there are more than a few surprised faces in the crowd from those clearly unfamiliar with the band and her varied vocal style. In the reality obscure / Are we the fisherman / Are we the lure? From the first moments of The Realm of Chaos, Infected Rain put every ounce of energy they have into their performance.
The synth-laden but nevertheless pounding Pandemonium follows as Infected Rain play the first of five songs from their new album. Throughout the show, Lena encourages the audience to jump, sing, punch the air and enjoy every moment. It is the last night of the tour and band and audience alike are clearly in the mood for a party. The Roundhouse sometimes has a reputation for poor sound quality but from the vantage point Hotel Hobbies enjoyed the show (on the barrier immediately behind the mixing desk), there was no such problem: each instrument was clearly audible, the vocals bright and the Eugeniu Voluta’s drums thunderous without being too dominating.
Before Vivarium begins, Lena Scissorhands, whose interactions with the crowd are consistently genuine and heartfelt, demands separation between those in front of the stage. Dividing the crowd into two, a vast expanse opens in the centre of the venue, a single fan remaining in the middle arms outstretched. As the quiet introduction begins, the crowd wait patiently for the next command. When the main riff begins and with a word from Scissorhands, an impassioned audience charge to form a swirling circle pit. Vivarium is one of several tracks that allows Alice Lane to show just what a capable player she is. Several times during the set, she takes centre stage as her punctuated bass lines rain down.
With every track that passes (a particularly belligerent performance of Fighter draws an ecstatic response), more heads are banging, more hands are raised, more crowd surfers arise and more fans are made. In the middle of Dying Light, during which the crowd have already been bouncing under Lena’s vehement guidance, she asks everyone to sit down. At least eighty percent of those in front of the mixing desk oblige as the band build towards the inevitable crunching chord that will follow. When it hits, the entire venue jump up as one. Infected Rain’s wish for a final night party is granted and as the quartet bring the song to a conclusion amidst truly fervent cheering and applause, they truly have cast a spell over those gathered in a now almost full Roundhouse.
Interviewing Lena Scissorhands last month before the tour started, she told Hotel Hobbies that the band would be working with a new lighting designer. Standing just behind where he was operating, it was evident that he completely succeeded in bringing the band’s visual aspirations to life. Wonderfully illustrating different elements of the various tracks, the stage is beautifully awash with deep reds, vibrant blues punctuated by stark, stroboscopic white lights that highlighted the band’s animated stage presence.
Following the simultaneously eerie and pummelling Never To Return, the exquisitely beautiful but heartbreaking Because I Let You (watch the video if you have not seen it!) sees Lena, whose control of both growling and clean vocals is wondrous and powerful, at her most emotionally exposed, a feature of many of the band’s songs. Trapped in a cycle of pain profound / You are so deaf to my moanful sound / I had a feeling, I just knew / This is my doing, I just let you. It is a highlight amongst a set that cements the band’s reputation for incendiary life performances.
As final song Sweet, Sweet Lies and with it, Infected Rain’s Spring European Tour, there can be no doubt that the band will have attracted many new followers during the past month. Although much focus remains on the band’s incredibly gifted singer, guitarist Vidick plays the whole set like a man possessed and new bassist Alice Lane consistently proves why she has been such a valuable addition to the band. Infected Rain command the stage with a magnetic presence and every song they perform tonight has been played with precision, passion, technical prowess and tight musicianship. Their genre blending music is compelling, entertaining and emotionally impactful. Another European headlining tour of their own must surely beckon for the impressive quartet.
With thanks to Artur Tarczewski for permission for use of his photographs.