Photos and Review by David De La Huerta
It was a night to remember at the Garrison In Toronto. WAYFARER made a stop on their first ever headlining tour in North America and brought along with them Sonja and Valdrin.
Valdrin, a Black Metal band from Cincinnati, Ohio, opened the night with a solid performance. It was the band’s first time visiting Toronto and they won the audience over with their heavy sound and super-fast riffs. The band is led by Carter Hicks (vocals/guitars), Colton Deem (backing vocals/guitars), James Lewis (bass) and Ryan Maurmeier (drums). Most of the songs they performed were from their album Throne of the Lunar Soul released last November.
Setlist:
- Golden Walls of Ausadjur
- Seven Swords (in the Arsenal of Steel)
- Tempest Torn Asunder
- Vagrant in the Chamber of Night
- Two Carrion Talismans
The next band up was Sonia from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band is made up of Melissa Moore On guitars and vocals, Ben Brand on bass, and Grzesiek Czapla on drums. Sonjia captivated the audience with a fantastic performance and stage presence. Many might not be aware of Melissa’s struggles throughout her heavy metal career. She was fired from the Texan band Absu for coming out as transgender but that did not deter her and she went on to continue delivering great heavy metal music. Sonia’s setlist was primarily from their album Loud Arriver with songs such as “When the Candle Burns Low,” “Moans from the Chapel,” “Nylon Nights,” and “Ping Fog.”
They closed their set with the cover song “Déjà Vu” that had everyone in the audience singing and raising their hands with metal horns.
Sonja Setlist:
- When the Candle Burns Low…
- Moans from the Chapel
- Fuck, Then Die
- Pink Fog
- Discretion for the Generous
- Nylon Nights
- Deja-Vu
After the fantastic performance by Sonja, the crowd was ready and excited to see the headliner in action, Wayfarer. The band made their entrance dressed all in black. If felt like a recreation of that scene in Tombstone where the Erps and Doc Holiday were getting ready to kick some ass at the OK Corral. The band is promoting their album released in 2023 AMERICAN GOTHIC. They really displayed their abilities while performing to the already excited Canadian crowd. Although the attendance at The Garrison was low, Wayfarer and their talented musicians put on one hell of a show. Joey Truscelli showed off his skills with his incredible guitar riffs, Isaac Faulk didn’t miss a beat behind the drums, James Hansen on bass complimented Shane McCarthy’s vocals perfectly with his deep backing vocals. The Wayfarers will continue their tour throughout the US, so don’t miss your opportunity to see them live.
Setlist
- The Thousand Tombs of Western Promise
- The Cattle Thief
- To Enter My House Justified
- The Crimson Rider (Gallows Frontier, Act I)
- 1934
- Black Plumes Over God’s Country
- The Iron Horse (Gallows Frontier, Act II)
- False Constellation
