On my recent European trip, I scheduled a couple stops outside my main destination of Switzerland to take the opportunity to see some bands that seem unlikely for me to see in the US. I am thankful for my local scene in Seattle and the international bands that do tour the US and Canada despite the expense and high effort. But when I travel internationally, I take advantage of any chance I can to see bands I love, and there is nothing like going to shows in Europe!

Austrian symphonic metal band Edenbridge was in the midst of their Set the Dark on Fire Tour 2026, supporting their latest album, “Set the Dark on Fire,” which I reviewed as part of my slate of January releases. Supporting them was German heavy symphonic metal band Flowerleaf, who recently released “Dreamerie,” one of my favorite albums released in February. The opening band was Swiss metal band Miracle Flair, who I admittedly was unfamiliar with and hence went in completely blind for. I was excited for the show and also loved that it featured three fantastic frontwomen.

First up was Swiss quartet Miracle Flair. Based on what I heard, I would best describe them as melodic metal with a modern edge and some symphonic and power elements. The guitars and bass were chunky, big riffs complementing the thunderous drums. The guitarist was super talented and a ton of fun to watch, particularly when he was playing one of his many extended guitar solos and providing the audience plenty of facial expressiveness. The bass did a great job carrying the rhythm, allowing the lead guitar to shine. The drummer was phenomenal, and if anything I would love to see him let loose even more. Lead vocalist Nicole Hartmann has a fabulous voice with great range, and I enjoyed watching her as she engaged with the crowd. I also got to talk with her after the show, and she was super nice and such a pleasure to speak with. My only true critique for the band would be to continue improving their overall stage presence. I appreciated their energy and engagement, but there was a significant difference between them and the other two bands. This did not impact my enjoyment for their set, but it was a noticeable difference. I quite enjoyed the set and am curious to see where Miracle Flair goes next, particularly since I believe they are working on a new album to be released later this year (their last album was released in 2020). 

Miracle Flair played an 8-song set, including the title track from their 2016 album “Angels Cast Shadows” and the remaining 7 from their 2020 release “Synchronism.” There were no new songs, so I am definitely curious what direction they are headed in!

The setlist was:

1. Torn Inside
2. Angels Cast Shadows
3. Torture Myself
4. What Remains
5. The Untold
6. Presence of Death
7. Echo of Fears
8. Dying Existence

German heavy symphonic / power metal band Flowerleaf played second. Even though I haven’t released my top 5 from February yet, the early sneak preview is that their latest release, “Dreamerie,” is in my top 5 February releases while also being one of my favorite symphonic metal albums in quite some time. When I saw that they were playing in a city relatively convenient to travel to during my trip, there was no way I could miss this show!

One of my favorite aspects of this site and my Instagram account is getting to know the bands, many times beyond just surface level. I had been engaging with Flowerleaf for a bit, and I had let them know I was coming to this show. It was cool seeing Florian, the drummer, recognize me from stage, and after the band finished their set, he found me and gave me a drumstick he broke during their set. I got to talk to the entire band after the show, and they were all super nice and also very appreciative of the review I had written.

So how about the show itself? How about wow, or holy schnikes Batman what amazingness was I just privileged to be a part of? Flowerleaf was utterly phenomenal and completely exceeded expectations. Florian was a ton of fun to watch, owning his set with plenty of pounding, blazing speed, and technical fills. Guitarist Luca was right in front of me during the set, and he was just amazing to watch, displaying plenty of prowess as his fingers flew over the frets. Bassist Marcelo was also fantastic, and much like I mentioned for Miracle Flair, his ability to drive the rhythm empowered Luca to let loose. And then there is vocalist Vivs, emanating charisma and power as she absolutely mesmerized the crowd with her incredible vocals and powerful stage presence. Whether punchy or silky, alto or soprano, or unleashing a sinister snarl, her versatility was amazing to experience live. I loved her recorded, and there was zero drop off live, as she pulled it off effortlessly. The band played off each well and were an absolute joy to witness. The only thing that could have improved the set would have been playing even more songs, as I could have listened to them all night long!

Flowerleaf must have known my favorites from “Dreamerie,” as they covered all of them, which also meant I was crazily bouncing and singing along with them while giving my trademark video treatment. In addition to the 5 songs (plus one additonal outro) from their latest, they played 2 from their 2018 debut, “Stronger,” including a song in Vivs’ native tongue of Portuguese (she is originally from Brazil) which was incredible.

The setlist was:

1. Sandman
2. No Brakes
3. Not My Fault
4. The Wake
5. Tupana
6. Dreamerie 
7. Silksong
8. Outro – Falling to the Sky

Austrian symphonic metal band Edenbridge headlined the night. I loved their latest album from January and wrote quite an in depth review, and I practically have it memorized front to back. I was admittedly curious what these songs, and the band itself, would be like in a live setting. Edenbridge’s over the top theatrical approach to symphonic metal earned many bolded “bombastics” in my review, but I know it can be difficult for that to translate live.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about. I have seen 100’s of bands the past 2-3 years, and Edenbridge would rank near the top as far as on stage presence and energy goes. I already knew frontwoman Sabine had a phenomenal voice, but live it was effortless while adding theatrical flair as demanded by the bombast of their musical compositions. The guitars and bass were all amazing, demonstrating technical prowess and command of their instruments while simultaneously engaging with each other and the crowd, with incredible facial expressions and more! Just look at my pics below to see what I mean. I loved seeing the tradeoff guitar solos live as well, and they were just fabulous to watch. The drummer was amazing, a thunderous might adding heft and power. Combined they were an incredible musical force, entrancing the crowd while delivering an amazing performance that truly did capture the energy and bombast of their recording. I would love to see them on a larger stage with even more props and effects.

After the show, they also took the time to meet with people, something I always appreciate. I enjoyed talking and taking pictures with each of them and thanked them for taking the extra time. It really punctuated what was already an amazing show.

Setlist

Edenbridge played a massive 16 song set (though the last song pre-encore nearly counts as 4…more on that in a bit), featuring 7 from their latest and me singing along like a goofy fan boy, garnering plenty of attention and engagement from the band. Edenbridge has a massive catalog, and they played a selection, including the intro track, spanning albums beginning with their 2008 release “My Earth Dream.” Right before the encore, they played a super cool medley featuring the first 2 parts of “Spark of the Everflame,” the epic closer from their 2026 album, followed by the last verse from the massive closing title track from their 2013 album “The Bonding,” and then wrapping with Part 5 of “The Bonding (Part 2)” from their 2019 album “Shangri-La.” Edenbridge likes to end their albums in magnanimous bombastic fashion, and it was cool seeing them do something similar live but connect different pieces from their ending opuses across 13 years of material. It was also cool just how well it still all flowed together despite the various release timelines for each component.

The setlist was:

1. The Force Within [intro] / Cosmic Embrace
2. Where the Wild Things Are
3. Hall of Shame 
4. The Visitor
5. Live and Let Go
6. The Call of Eden
7. At First Light
8. Set the Dark on Fire
9. Bonded by the Light
10. Alight a New Tomorrow 
11. Lighthouse
12. Tauerngold
13. Paramount
14. Medley: Spark of the Everflame (Parts 1 & 2), The Bonding (last verse), The Bonding Part 2 (Part 5)
15. [encore] On the Other Side
16. Higher

People who know me well aren’t surprised that I will put extra effort into seeing a show I wouldn’t get to otherwise. Still, it is always so cool to hear a band’s appreciation when they discover I did this, and all 3 bands expressed their appreciation and gratitude. It was especially fun seeing the expressions on faces or hearing verbal responses when I told them I traveled from Seattle and made a special stop just for this show. The Edenbridge bassist’s response in particular was priceless (I have it on video!). The Edenbridge drummer found me after he found out and gave me a signed used stick from the set, telling me “you didn’t ask for it, but you earned it!”. When I spoke with Miracle Flair vocalist Nicole, she addressed me as “The American” (word had spread around the venue) and was so curious what I thought and thanked me for being there. I already mentioned that Flowerleaf expressed appreciation, including Florian also giving me a drumstick. I don’t share any of this to brag, but rather to demonstrate just how much these bands appreciate their fans and efforts that are made to come see them. This is honestly what I enjoy most about connecting with bands and being a part of the scene the way that I have chosen to be. They are real people just like the fans, and getting to know them helps make the music even more personal and rewarding to experience while making it clear what they do matters and has far reaching effects.

The tour itself just ended, but I highly recommend going to see any of these bands if you get the chance! It was such a great show, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to go. I became an even bigger fan of both Edenbridge and Flowerleaf, and Miracle Flair made a new fan. Hopefully I get to see them all live again in the near future, and I look forward to what is next!