I did not want to miss a metal show at Finnegan’s Pub and Grill featuring Scythia, Aug. 24. There was an all right sized crowd banging their heads in front of the stage.
Nelson B.C. instrumental metal band Datura opened the set with a loud, thunderous and well played set of original metal featuring a lot of riffs a few solos and a lot of time tempo changes.
I only caught the last song from local metal band Enceladus, but was glad I stuck around for Scythia, because they played one of the most unique shows, if not one
of the best shows of the year. If only because it was so unexpected.
The Vancouver based folk metal or celtic metal band was dressed in medieval costumes of warriors, archers and yeomen. They had a lot of big riffs and singer/ lead guitarist Khan carried vocal melodies which were reminiscent of Judas Priest and Megadeth. The influence of the former came to the fore on one outstanding number “Red Wizard.”
But what made them stand out in addition to the medieval garb, was Morgan Zentner’s “oboe of death.”
The oboe is a woodwind instrument usually seen in symphonies rather than metal bands, but Zentner made it sing. She played a Quebecois reel in one of her solo spots. In other places like “Voice of the Sword,” her oboe added an exotic, mid-Eastern/ snake charming feel to a variety of songs.
She played a couple amazing solos and played in harmony with Khan’s guitar. The mohawked bassist wore a kilt and dug in, while the keyboardist, dressed like an archer, filled in the few empty spaces with a variety of sounds.
The crowd stood on the stage watching in fascination, not really knowing what to do with the band, then decided to start a mosh pit for one song, then stood back to watch things unfold further.
