Rockhal, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg23rd February 2025
Bullet for my Valentine & Trivium - “The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour” - Support: Orbit Culture
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and TRIVIUM are currently touring Europe and the UK with their “The Poisoned Ascendancy” tour. The focus is on the two legendary albums ‘The Poison’ and ‘Ascendancy’, which celebrate their 20th anniversaries this year. For many metal fans it’s a nostalgic trip back to the early days - for others it’s a return to a time when they simply felt younger.
Around 5,000 Metal fans went on a musical journey back in time on Sunday evening and were able to reminisce undisturbed. But before the show started, it was time to wait patiently in the long queue in front of the hall. Due to the large crowd, the schedule was pushed back a bit and ORBIT CULTURE didn’t start at 6.30pm as planned, but at 6.45pm. There were exclusive tour souvenirs for collectors: drinks were served in cups printed with the tour poster or artwork of the two albums. Those who wanted to dig a little deeper could buy tour merchandise for 45 to 60 euros or a vinyl record for 50 euros.
Orbit Culture
ORBIT CULTURE is a Swedish Melodic Death Metal band from Eksjö, formed in 2013. The band consists of vocalist / guitarist Niklas Karlsson, guitarist Richard Hansson, bassist Fredrik Lennartsson and drummer Christopher Wallerstedt. Former members of the band are lead guitarist Maximilian Zinsmeister, bassist Christoffer Olsson and drummer Markus Bladh. The band has released four studio albums and four EPs.
Music & Performance
At around 6.45pm, Swedish band ORBIT CULTURE took to the stage and got the evening off to a brilliant start with their powerful melodic death metal. The evening began with ‘Descent’, an energetic opener that set the tone for the rest of the show. Vocalist and guitarist Niklas Karlsson dominated the stage with his impressive vocal range and intensity, immediately captivating the audience. ‘Descent’ was followed by ‘North Star of Nija’, in which guitarist Richard Hansson shone with soaring riffs that perfectly complemented Christopher Wallerstedt’s driving drumming.
The interplay between the guitars demonstrated the band’s ability to incorporate melody into their heavy sound. Bassist Fredrik Lennartsson provided the low notes and laid the rhythmic foundation for headbanging with his powerful bass playing. Playing songs such as ‘While We Serve’ and ‘Vultures of the North’ the band displayed a raw, unpolished energy and, despite their role as openers, an impressive stage presence. After a rousing 35 minutes, ORBIT CULTURE cleared the stage for the next band of the evening: TRIVIUM.
Setlist
01. Descent
02. North Star of Nija
03. From the Inside
04. While We Serve
05. Vultures of North
Trivium
TRIVIUM is an American Heavy Metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu, bassist Paolo Gregoletto and drummer Alex Bent. The band’s debut album, ‘Ember to Inferno’, was their only album released on Lifeforce Records in 2003. In 2004, they were signed to Roadrunner Records, where they have remained ever since. The band has released ten studio albums and over twenty singles to date. Their tenth studio album, ‘In the Court of the Dragon’, was released in 2021. The band has sold over one million albums worldwide, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019 for the song ‘Betrayer’.
Music & Performance
After the changeover, TRIVIUM picked up where ORBIT CULTURE had left off. This evening they played songs exclusively from their second album ‘Ascendancy’, which laid the foundation for their success 20 years ago. With the first note of ‘Rain’ the hall was immediately back at operating temperature. Vocalist and guitarist Matthew Heafy led the show with his usual stage presence, while bandmates Alex Bent (drums), Paolo Gregoletto (bass) and Corey Beaulieu (guitar) underpinned the sound with precision and energy. Classics such as ‘Drowned and Torn Asunder’ and ‘Ascendancy’ mixed nostalgia with intense live power. A particular highlight was Alex Bent’s drum solo, which not only demonstrated his technical prowess, but also flowed seamlessly into the song ‘A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation’.
Meanwhile, an oversized demon was inflated, towering over the stage and providing an impressive visual backdrop. The tempo of the setlist was skilfully chosen and increased until the final song ‘Declaration’. This provided a cathartic finale before the band disappeared backstage for a short break to bring the evening to a spectacular close with ‘In Waves’.
Setlist
01. Rain
02. Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
03. Drowned and Torn Asunder
04. Ascendancy
05. A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation
06. Like Light to the Flies
07. Dying in Your Arms
08. The Deceived
09. Suffocating Sight
10. Departure
11. Declaration
12. In Waves
Bullet For My Valentine
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, often abbreviated as BFMV, are a Welsh Heavy Metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Matthew Tuck (vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar), Jason Bowld (drums) and Jamie Mathias (bass). BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE’s debut album, ‘The Poison’, was released in the UK in October 2005 and in the US on 14 February 2006 to coincide with Valentine’s Day, a reference to the band’s name. The album entered the US Billboard 200 at number 128. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Music & Performance
“20 years have gone by in the blink of an eye", singer Matthew Tuck described the success of ‘The Poison’ during the show. And he’s right: it’s hard to believe that two decades have passed since its release. The last time BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE were in Luxembourg was two years ago, with ATREYU and JINJER. This time it was the band’s album anniversary - and they had invited a lot of guests to celebrate. A worthy occasion for a big party! Their set began with ‘Her Voice Resides’ and immediately set the bar high for the following songs. Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew Tuck immediately connected with the audience, who already knew what to expect. Hits such as ‘4 Words (To Choke Upon)’ and the adrenaline-fueled ‘Tears Don’t Fall’ raised the spirits even higher. Especially ‘Tears Don’t Fall’ was given a fresh touch with an acoustic sing-along version before the heavier album version followed.
Naturally the audience sang along loudly. Songs like ‘All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)’ and ‘Hand Of Blood’ were also well received. BFMV also relied on an impressive visual backdrop: film scenes, animations and a spectacular light show added to the intensity of the show. The main part of the set ended thoughtfully with ‘The End’, with heavy themes and sonic intensity. But of course the evening wasn’t over yet: after a short break the band returned for an encore.’ Knives’ and ‘Waking the Demon’ were the crowning glory of an already energetic evening, leaving the audience euphoric. After 70 minutes it was over. Too bad, because one or two bangers wouldn’t have gone amiss, but the point was to celebrate the band’s debut album. We will probably get to hear the other songs live in the future.
After this intense show, the bands released their audience into the present - in the hope of a similar anniversary tour in 2045 or 2046.
Setlist
01. Her Voice Resides
02. 4 Words (to Choke Upon)
03. Tears Don’t Fall (Acoustic Intro)
04. Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
05. Hit the Floor
06. All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
07. Hand of Blood
08. Room 409
09. The Poison
10 Years Today
11. Cries in Vain
12. The End
13. Knives
14. Waking the Demon
All Pictures by Elena Arens
