Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: 13th Floor Entertainment (https://www.13thfloorentertainment.com/ )
Venue: The Nile Theater (https://www.theniletheater.com/ )
Date: Friday March 7th, 2025
What a wonderful night of Symphonic metal music with 3 amazing bands with outstanding female lead singers. After a slow start to the year, finally we are getting some of the great metal bands from Europe coming to the valley. For this night we had Delain, Xandria and US band Edge of Paradise.
The night started with Edge of Paradise. Edge of Paradise is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 2011. The band currently consists founding members, vocalist/pianist Margarita Monet and guitarist Dave Bates. They are joined by drummer Jamie Moreno, rhythm guitarist David Ruiz and bassist Kenny Lockwood.
This is the second time I have seen Edge of Paradise and I have enjoyed both shows. Margarita has a powerful voice and the band complements her with a strong rock sound. The majority of their set consisted of songs from their current album, Prophecy. They started their set with “Prophecy Unbound” which I believe showcases their talent the best. They ended the night with my personal favorite song and I believe the best song from Prophecy, “Falling Light”.
Next up is Xandria. This is the third time I have seen them and they just keep getting better with each show. Xandria is a German symphonic metal band founded by Marco Heubaum in 1994. They are fronted by the spectacular singer Ambre Vourvahis. The rest of Xandria consists of lead guitarist Rob Klawonn, – rhythm guitarist Marco Heubaum, bass player Tim Schwarz and drummer Dimitrios Gatsios.
The majority of their set was from their newest album, The Wonders Still Awaiting that Andre first sang on. They opened with “You Will Never Be Our God”. It lost a little without Ralf Scheepers (sang on album) but it was still a strong opening song for the band. I really believe that “Universal” was the strongest song and my personal favorite that really showed off Andre’s vocal range and the band musical talent.
At last, we got to the headliner, Delain. I have seen Delain many times. But in 2021, the band seemed to implode. Everyone left the band except for keyboardist Martijn Westerholt. He had the dubious job of rebuilding the band and finding a lead singer that could replace Charlotte Wessels. Finally, he rebuilt the band with Ronald Landa on guitar, Sander Zoe on drums and Ludovico Cioffi on bass. He also found an astonishing new lead female singer with Diana Leah. Her vocal range is sensational and her voice is strong.
This is the second time I have seen this new line up and I can tell you they are fantastic. Not only do they cover all of the old classic Delain songs, but have produced a new album, Dark Waters that is as good if not better than any of their older albums.
They started the show with their new song, “The Cold” which has call to arms opening. And then Diana starts to sing and takes over the song. They then move into one of the classics, “Suckerpunch”. The rest of the show is a performance of some of the greatest songs from the Delain’s vast catalog. Diana’s voice was perfect when she performed 3 of my favorite songs, “Here Come the Vultures”, “The Gathering” and “We Are the Others”.
I must also recognize the phenomenal performance by the rest of the band. Sander and Ludovico provided the heart pounding rhythm that held together every song. This allowed Ronald and Martijn to create the overall atmosphere that drove the music to even higher levels. I truly believe that this line up might be the best incarnation of Delain. Personally, it is pleasure to listen to this group of musicians perform.
These 3 bands are currently tour together throughout the US. You can see if they are coming to a city near you by checking out their social media pages. If you like Symphonic Metal music or just want to see 3 of the best female voices in metal then I highly recommend see this tour.
Delain
Social Media sites:
Website: https://www.delain.nl/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delainmusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delainofficial/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/delainofficial
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/delain-official
Record Label: https://label.napalmrecords.com/
Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2025, All Rights Reserved
Xandria
Social Media sites:
Website: https://www.xandria.de/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xandriaofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xandria_official/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/officialxandria
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/xandria
Record Label: https://label.napalmrecords.com/
Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2025, All Rights Reserved
Edge Of Paradise
Social Media sites:
Website: https://www.edgeofparadiseband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdgeOfParadiseBand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edgeofparadise
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EdgeOfParadiseBand
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@edgeofparadiseband
Record Label: https://label.napalmrecords.com/
Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2025, All Rights Reserved
Delain Setlist: (Album)
The Cold (Dark Waters)
Suckerpunch (Moonbathers)
The Reaping (Dance With the Devil)
Dance With the Devil (Dance With the Devil)
Burning Bridges (Apocalypse & Chill)
Creatures (Apocalypse & Chill)
Here Come the Vultures (The Human Contradiction)
Stardust (The Human Contradiction)
The Tragedy of the Commons (The Human Contradiction)
Get the Devil Out of Me (We Are the Others)
Queen of Shadow (Dark Waters)
The Gathering (Lucidity)
Don’t Let Go (The Human Contradiction)
Moth to a Flame (Dark Waters)
April Rain (April Rain)
Not Enough (We Are the Others)
We Are the Others (We Are the Others)
Xandria Setlist: (Album)
You Will Never Be Our God (The Wonders Still Awaiting)
Reborn (The Wonders Still Awaiting)
Universal (Universal Tales)
200 Years (Universal Tales)
Two Worlds (The Wonders Still Awaiting)
Live the Tale (Universal Tales)
Nightfall (Sacrificium)
Edge of Paradise Setlist: (Album)
Prophecy Unbound (Prophecy)
The Other Side of Fear (Prophecy)
Hologram (Hologram)
Death Note (Prophecy)
Give it to Me (Mind Assassin) (Prophecy)
Digital Paradise (The Unknown)
Falling Light (Prophecy)
