Moonspell’s “American Full Moon – 30 Years of Moonspell” Tour Casted Its First Spell At The Brooklyn Monarch

Ryan Murray | Co-Owner | Chief Editor | Contributor | Photographer

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After a little more than three years stuck in a global pandemic, and a music industry that grinded to a screeching halt, plans were all set in place for Moonspell to return to North America in August of 2022 with “Swallow The Sun” and “Witherfall”. Due to what the band cited as “unsolvable logistic and transportation problems”, the band was forced to cancel this tour. And while we didn’t get to see the band perform live in person, we were treated with their new live album “From Down Below: Live 80 Meters Deep” on September 30th of 2022.

Finally in 2023, gothic/dark metal icons Moonspell have finally returned to North America for the American Full Moon: 30 Years of Moonspell tour kicking off on Saturday, April 29th at The Brooklyn Monarch in Brooklyn, NY. Touring in direct support is Sweden’s very own Eleine, which sees the band’s first time in the US, Texas’s Oceans of Slumber (4/29-5/17) and Oregon’s Vintersea (5/5-5/14).

The evening kicked off a bit late, but still a really early start time, having started a little after 5:30pm.

Opening the show was NY’s Afterus, and while I hadn’t heard of them prior to prepping for this show, I did check them out on Facebook/Instagram ahead of time. Described as a dark, symphonic, and even progressive death metal band, Afterus performed a 4-track set, and while that may seem short, the band has a way of pulling you in to their performance. Opening their set with “The Offering”, which included a sword balancing act from Obsidian Absurd, the energy the band had on stage quickly filled the room, and had the entire crowd transfixed. Next up comes a more solemn track called “The Giver”, with an amazing sword swallowing routine by Alaska! Their third track was probably one of my favorites. “Obsidian Moon” brings in a more folk metal feel throughout. I’m a sucker for time changes, so I also love how the track switches time signatures between 6/8 and 4/4. Closing out their setlist was a track called “Moments”. Lyrically and thematically, the band uses gothic, witchcraft, poetry and post-apocalyptic stories. The lyrical content really makes you think – what does come after us? With all of the hatred, killing and destruction going on around us all the time, and only getting worse and worse, it begs the question – what is after us after we’ve destroyed everything? I highly recommend giving this band a listen!

Taking the stage next was the incredible, and for me, one of the most underrated bands in metal – Oceans of Slumber. I first began listening to them in 2020 when I had the opportunity to review their self-titled release, and have had the privilege of seeing them now three times in the last 7 months, the first of which was their headlining “The Lighthouse East” tour on Friday, September 2nd 2022 at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ. The second time was during Soen’s first headlining US tour on Wednesday, November 30th 2022 at The Gramercy Theatre in NYC, which saw the band play a more stripped back, intimate and soulful acoustic set, which was really quite beautiful. Cammie and I also had a chat prior to the show to discuss their latest album “Starlight & Ash” among other things. Then for this current show, we saw the debut of the band’s new guitar player. Chris Jones, having studied music at Tufts University, as well as Berklee College of Music also teaches guitar for the International School of Music. Chris’s debut couldn’t have been better. Not only does he blend really well with the existing chemistry on stage, but he brings a new interpretation to the guitar parts which I really enjoyed! Coming off the heels of an announcement from the band that they have parted ways with their label Century Media, there seems to be a renewed energy within the band, and you could feel it from the very second they took the stage. The energy this band gives off is incredible. Cammie’s vocals are absolutely stunning; a blend of incredible power, soul, emotion and longing. When you think metal, this isn’t the vocal you’d come to expect to hear, but I think that is one of the defining things this band has to offer, and it’s for the better. Her vocals add such an incredible depth to the already emotive music the band has been known for. Dobber’s drumming is some of the best and underrated drumming out there. Whether more laid back, straight up metal blast beats or insanely tight, crisp and fast fills, Dobber sits right in that pocket and it’s a beautiful thing to hear. Semir, their bass player and back up vocalist also started adding some more harsh vocals as well, which sound absolutely incredible in addition to his clean vocals as well. The band’s setlist this night was probably my favorite yet, and even included “I Mourn These Yellowed Leaves” off of their 2020 self-titled release for the first time, a great track about shifting relationships which couldn’t have been more perfectly added to the setlist now. This is a must-see band live, that should be playing at much larger venues, so be sure to get out and see them before they come off of the tour package on May 17th!

Setlist:

The Waters Rising

Hearts of Stone

Red Forest Roads

I Mourn These Yellowed Leaves

Pray For Fire

Wolf Moon

A Return To Earth Below

Coming a long way from Sweden, Eleine has finally made it to the US! Having just discovered Eleine in 2020, I can’t say I had waited as long as other fans have waited, but regardless, I was still excited to see them! From the moment they took the stage, the room was engulfed with even more energy. Opening with the incredible track “Enemies” from their 2020 release “Dancing In Hell”, the band successfully shows why they belong on stage here in the US! With an incredible live sound that’s even stronger than on their albums, the band’s growth musically is beyond apparent. With their 2020 release “Dancing In Hell” most certainly being a break out album for the band, the band puts out a sonic assault and a maturity that’s beyond the sound of a band that has only been around nine years! Madeleine and Rikard’s vocals go extremely well together, with Rikard’s harsh vocals creating perfect juxtaposition, and the ferocity of the band only adds to the incredible environment. The band also paid special note to a fan that came directly from Sweden for the opening show in Brooklyn and said that that shows the strength of the fans (the Legion!). This band is about to explode, so get out and see them while you can!

Setlist:

Enemies

As I Breathe

We Are Legion

Never Forget

All Shall Burn

Ava of Death

Where Your Rotting Corpse Lies

Death Incarnate

Having first discovered Moonspell in 2001, I’ve unfortunately never had the chance to see them live until now, but man was it worth the 22-year wait! From the moment just before the lights dimmed, you could feel the excitement and anticipation, which was thick enough that it could’ve been sliced wide open just seconds before the lights actually dimmed. Once the band began taking the stage to the intro of “The Greater Good”, the intensity and excitement grew exponentially with each member taking the stage, just in time for Fernando to take the stage. A band that requires no introduction, the band performed with the poise and incredible execution you’d expect from a band that has had a bit more than 30 years in the business, and exceeded any expectations I had of how they’d perform live. Everything from the setlist choice, the sound mix, the live vocals as well as the instrumentation and synth-layering all completely blew me away. The energy from the crowd never wavered, in fact, only grew stronger with each passing song. While I of course expected tracks like “Mephisto” & “Alma Mater” to be on the setlist, I was pleasantly surprised to see “Nocturna” had also made the setlist. With “Darkness and Hope” being the first album that had introduced me to Moonspell, and Nocturna being one of my favorite tracks from the album, it was kind of a bitter sweet moment hearing this live! One thing was made crystal clear – Moonspell shows absolutely no sign of slowing down, and this show has me really excited to see what the future holds for their next, so far unannounced album!

There’s still time to catch this tour, so don’t miss out! Remaining shows are listed HERE!

Setlist:

The Greater Good

Extinct

Opium

Night

Finisterra

In and Above

Skies

Scorpion

Nocturna

Breathe