KALMAH and UADA Tours Merge into One Unforgettable Extreme Metal Night at Mesa, AZ’s Club Red [Photos & Show Review]

April 19, 2019, was a momentous occasion for extreme metal fans in Arizona when two separate tours joined forces for one great show. Finnish melodic death metal band, Kalmah is currently on tour with Vreid and Empyrean Throne. Oregon’s black metal specters, Uada, is on tour with Wormwitch and Cloak. Club Red in Mesa, AZ has two stages and, on that fateful night, were able to merge the two tours into one absolutely amazing night of METAL!

Starting the night on the “West Stage” was Cloak, a black ‘n’ Roll band from Georgia. Bathed in blue light and clad in leather, they have a look and a sound reminiscent of the early days of metal, but darker. Up next on the “East Stage” was Empyrean Throne, a pack of California-based symphonic black metal crusaders. They have an intense sound and put on a show that was a bit theatrical without being cheesy.

“Take Me Away” to a place where Kalmah is playing all the time!

Back to the west stage for Wormwitch, black metal from British Columbia. They delivered an energetic performance and played some awesome music. They just released a new album this month, Heaven That Dwells Within. Next up on the east stage was Vreid, a traditional Norwegian black metal band that evolved from Windir after the death of founding member, Valfar. Vreid shows are never disappointing and this was no exception. Much to long-time fans’ delight, they even played a Windir song.

Uada headlined the west stage. Materializing like apparitions in the smoke and light, their haunting music and shadowy appearance set an ominous mood. They are definitely a band worth watching. To Finnish off the night (ha!) was Kalmah on the east stage. They had some technical difficulties early in their set, but were able to get all of that resolved quickly and didn’t let it ruin the mood. They played a great show and are a fun band to see.

Be sure to check out Kalmah’s latest album, Palo, on Spinefarm Records. Also, check out Uada’s latest, Cult of a Dying Sun, on Eisenwald.

The album Palo (the band’s eighth) dropped on April 6, 2018, via Spinefarm Records.