It rarely happens that a band, one that usually plays in front of huge crowds, performs an intimate gig in an unexpected venue. Coldrain, formed over a decade ago in Japan, gained their worldwide recognition in 2013, when they signed a deal with British company Raw Power Management; the act opened up many new doors for Coldrain, including a tour with Bullet For My Valentine, and since then, the band has been consistently pushing forward.

With five studio albums under their belt and another one set for release in August this year, Coldrain and their high-quality music are clearly eyeing world domination within their selected music genre.

Coldrain at The Black Heart – Photo © Dajo Eberlei 

Before heading to Download Festival, one of the UK’s biggest rock festivals, Coldrain came to London on June 14th, to play a sold-out show at The Black Heart. With 250 dedicated fans at the venue, the gig started with a 30 min set by Tropic Gold, the support act. The rock group struck with their impressive live performance and strong vocals from J Parris; the band swiftly put the audience in the right kind of (and almost euphoric) mood. After Tropic Gold, Coldrain appeared and fired off hits like a machine gun, sparing no set of ears with their powerful performance. Envy and Feed the Fire, from the band’s 2017 album Fateless, opened the show with such enthusiasm and energy that after just two songs, everyone in the audience was swimming in sweat, but also hungered for more. During Final Destination, 24/7, one of Coldrain’s oldies, and R.I.P, the audience demonstrated the strength of their throats by shouting out the chorus to each of the songs.

With a diverse fan base, and with a crowd that consisted of faces both old and new, everyone seemed to enjoy not only the gig itself, but also the company of the like-minded. Up on the stage, Masato gave the impression of being relaxed and having fun in almost a childlike way; he was in a great mood, he joked with the audience, but also didn’t bore the crowd with pep-talk; he made sure that everyone had fun throughout the concert.

Coldrain at The Black Heart – Photo © Dajo Eberlei 

The gig’s setlist didn’t lack in great songs; Coldrain performed songs from their 2015 album Vena: Runaway and Gone, as well as F.T.T.T from Fateless, while 2018’s Revolution slammed the crowd into the mosh pit for the 5th time or so that night.

It comes as no surprise that at the gig, Masato and his “soaring medium-high pitch vocals” delivered. Masato is a man full of charisma, commitment, and expressiveness. It seems that for him, music is not an end in itself; it is but a tool that can bring out the human ability to know ourselves and the reality that surrounds us. Those who know the lead singer’s musical creativity and skills certainly did not leave the concert disappointed, because the artist gave it his one hundred percent – which really added to the one-of-a-kind atmosphere at the show.

Coldrain at The Black Heart – Photo © Dajo Eberlei 

Truth be told, every Coldrain show feels a bit like being inside of an erupting volcano. No matter if there are 250 people in the audience or 60,000; the power of the band brings flames to whatever crowd they gather, and this time was no exception; Coldrain set The Black Heart in London on fire with their energetic performance.

The concert lasted an hour and a half, with 18 songs performed in total. For many audience members, it was an evening that would remain in memory for a long time. Coldrain is one of the most authentic bands that are currently out there on the rock scene, and seeing them live makes for an amazing experience.

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Written by Maggie Gogler

Edited by Sanja Struna