Calgary metal heavyweights join a rising Edmonton quartet as they prepare for a new album launch and a spring tour, all at a premier underground venue.
No matter how you feel about metal, you can’t deny that it fosters some of the most talented musicians you’ll ever see. From guitarists ripping solos at lightspeed (while headbanging the whole time) to drummers blurring blast beats into one continuous hum, a Friday night metal show – any size, any venue – is a great place to get your fix of fast and furious tunes. Even better if it’s a legendary local underground spot, with a max capacity of only a few hundred people. It’s the kind of place where you’ll viscerally feel every drop of sweat and screamed word.
Such was the setting for Edmonton’s Famous Strangers joining forces with Calgary’s Syryn to hit the stage at Dickens, a local Calgary staple venue for breakthrough western Canadian acts. Crossing the prairies throughout August in support of their forthcoming self-titled debut album, Famous Strangers recruited Syryn and two others – Lumivöre and Cabrakaän – for a night of noise.
Kicking things off, Lumivöre lays down energetic djent riffs and thundering polyrhythm drums, interspersed with quiet moments that contrast and emphasize their louder ones. Both guitarist Charles Scott and bassist Allan Abbey wield headless versions of their instruments with total confidence, while frontman and singer Craig Carswell roams the stage, making the most out of the space.
After a quick gear swap, Cabrakaän – with all seven members – locks in to launch the second set of the evening. They’re symphonic folk metal, rich in mythology inspired by their home of Mexico City. Featuring two sometimes-dueling, sometimes-doubling guitars, an aggressive folk-metal fiddle, two ladies on lead vocals, and an absolute locomotive of low-end rumble, it all comes together and fits the vibe just right.
A common occurrence in the scene for bands building a following is to give the final slot to the local band. This is the plan here – so next up was Famous Strangers, who set up as the crowd refilled their pints and settled back in front of the stage.
The band wasted no time tearing into the tracks from the new album, which is set to be released everywhere on August 21. Blasting through an intro that sets a clear tone for the next 45 minutes, they blaze into “Fire Inside” and their latest single, “As Your Leader.” This track has been getting buzz in the metal scene since its release in July, a heavy wall of sound decorated with an undeniable vocal performance. It’s earned the group recent airplay around Europe and North America, and big recent gigs like Decimate Metalfest near their hometown.
Next up is “Please Her” and “L.S.C.,” the only older song in their set. Though the instrumentation is complicated and intense, the band doesn’t miss a beat – literally or otherwise. Guitarist Jeff Kittlitz struts the stage, appearing in turn next to bassist Braden Sustrik, singer Amanda Kiernan, or drummer Brian Jolly, showing off with an effortless ease that can only come from years of dedicated practice. Kiernan herself is no slouch, either – she’s often doubling over to deliver a powerful belt or leaning back to scream at the unseen sky. Through it all, you can hear every blistering solo, strum, and drum fill that defines the performance for the cheering crowd.
The latter half of the set is a four-pack of new tunes that show off the band’s varied influences: classic rock, prog, ‘80s metal, and more. “Rain,” “Far Away From Home,” and “Desires” land like sonic artillery, paving the way for the finale to bring it all home, “Ghosts of Men.” It’s their first single from the new album, and neither Kittlitz nor Kiernan hold anything back: by the end of the song, she is fully spent and sprawled on the stage, watched over by the others as they wail up and down their fretboards and foot pedals for one last monster finish.
Wrapping up the evening is Calgary-based power-thrash-blues metal five-piece, Syryn. It’s a rare hometown appearance – most recently, they’ve been at places like Armstrong Metalfest further west – but it’s a welcome one, based on the crowd reaction.
Lead singer Sloan Voxx prowls the stage and stokes the pit into a frenzy, and, at one point, someone from the side stage throws handfuls of pretend swords into the audience. It somehow fits perfectly with the swagger and style of the show, with a playful nod to the pirate and nautical themes that often surface in their songs (what else would you expect from a lovely-voiced “siren”?).
Toward the end of the set, Voxx brings Kiernan back for one last shared send-off during their song “Succubus Queen,” with both vocalists lobbing lines around one another and between tight drum lines and shredding guitars.
The verdict? Even someone who claims not to be a fan of metal could enjoy a show like this. These are performances that aren’t about genre – they’re all about appreciating the talent, showmanship, camaraderie, and loud music that bring life to the scene and keep people coming back for more.
FAMOUS STRANGERS
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