FIREWIND, Leaves Eyes @Queens Hall, Nuneaton 19/9/12

Female fronted Symphonic metal is a genre of music that has largely passed RTM by over the years.

As a consequence of this we had never come across Leaves Eyes before. The Norwegian’s sound is largely built round the soaring operatic style vocals of Liv Kristine, who is periodically joined by Alexander Krull to growl his way through his bits. Giving a similar effect to effect to Epica

As far as RTM is concerned it is the Krull songs that work best with “Oceans Way” and “Take The Devil In Me” sounding particularly impressive. Their set is a long one for a support act, clocking up around an hour, and not being keen students of the style it does begin to grate after that length of time. Leaves Eyes were good in small doses, though.

Firewind by contrast are just good full stop. As everyone knows by now they are the band of one Gus G, the current sideman to the Prince of Darkness himself. Gus is the new guitarist in the Ozzy Osbourne band. He is the new Randy Rhodes, the latest Zakk Wylde and he is very special indeed.

Tonight he is doing his day job. Firewind are a Greek Heavy Power metal band that Gus formed and over a decade ago and they have been putting out fine records throughout that time.

Album number seven, “Few Against Many” came out this year and maintains the standards. It is with the opening track from that “Wall of Sound” that Firewind begin tonight, built around a stunning riff (as you might expect) and a catchy chorus, it is one of the albums many high points.

Thankfully, though, this is no album show. Instead the band – for this is very much a group rather than a Gus G solo spot – stretch out and play songs from all their albums. So we get the Maiden-esque melody of “Mercenary Man” – one of four songs from 2008’s “The Premonition” opus mixing with “…Many” songs like “Losing My Mind,” perhaps the most overtly “Ozzy” sounding track on show.

And if you thought that this would be an excuse for Gus to play solo after solo like Black Label’s shows with Zakk sometimes become, then think again. Yes there is a solo freak out together with the instrumental “The Fire And The Fury,” but here is a gig where the song very much is King.  The band are pro’s too, Drummer, Johan Nunez, has a problem with his kit causing a delay, so ebullient frontman Apollo Papathanasio is soon turning into Freddie Mercury and leading a crowd sing-a-long before normal service is resumed.

Liv Kristine is back during the encore, duetting with Papathanasio on “Breaking The Silence” and if that all got a bit Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, “Falling To Pieces ands things on a more metallic note.

This was a brilliant gig. And all too often people would rather focus on Gus G’s “other” job, rather than the one you suspect gives him the most the pleasure.

Superb.