{"id":13515,"date":"2016-11-08T14:42:15","date_gmt":"2016-11-08T22:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/metalassault.com\/gig_reviews\/?p=13515"},"modified":"2016-11-08T14:52:30","modified_gmt":"2016-11-08T22:52:30","slug":"local-treasures-heaven-below-the-edge-of-paradise-rock-the-viper-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/metalassault.com\/gig_reviews\/2016\/11\/08\/local-treasures-heaven-below-the-edge-of-paradise-rock-the-viper-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Treasures: Heaven Below & The Edge Of Paradise Rock The Viper Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review by Andrew Bansal, live photos by Robert DeAnda<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"20161106_200921\"<\/a><\/p>\n

November 6th 2016, The Viper Room, West Hollywood CA:\u00a0<\/strong>Amidst\u00a0the plethora of live music entertainment in Los Angeles,\u00a0as various parts of the city witness national and international touring bands on a nightly basis and most such shows sell out or reach near capacity, local talent often gets overlooked and undermined. On a Sunday night, instead of going out to see an all-local lineup, most people would rather stay in and save up for the touring bands coming through town the week after. LA’s own hard rock\/metal community has little to no regard for its hometown bands, unless they become a renowned touring act. By their own admission, Heaven Below and The Edge Of Paradise perhaps find themselves somewhere in the middle, Heaven Below having gained greater recognition of late because of vocalist\/guitarist Patrick Kennison joining Lita Ford’s band, and The Edge Of Paradise nearing the end of what’s probably been the most\u00a0active year of their existence so far, as they extensively toured the States. On Sunday November 6th 2016, both bands took the Viper Room stage for the Heaven Below ‘Good Morning Apocalypse’ album release show, and put on a show deeming them well worthy of some richly deserved attention from locals.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
Margarita Monet (The Edge Of Paradise)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At 8:30, The Edge Of Paradise<\/a><\/strong> began proceedings with a highly impressive 7-song, 35-minute set, showcasing singer Margarita Monet’s soaring\u00a0vocal delivery, fittingly competent musicianship by her band mates Dave Bates (guitar), Nick Ericson (bass) and John Chominsky (drums), compelling stage presence of all members individually and as a group, and a well-orchestrated light show to go with the music. All of their recent touring has clearly made them a more cohesive unit as they sounded more in sync with other in comparison to past local gigs. Playing songs off of their latest full-length ‘Immortal Waltz’ (2015) along with two new singles ‘Shade Of Crazy’ and ‘Alive’, and an unconventional M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce cover thrown in for good measure, The Edge Of Paradise pulled off a very diverse and dynamic set and exhibited their progression from old-school melodic metal to incorporate heavier, modern influences on the newer material. The band was formed in 2011 and landed on Metal Assault’s radar immediately as one with great potential, and it’s heartening to note that they’re realizing it now. This was indeed a strong performance that garnered an unusually excellent turnout for being the first band on a Sunday night at the Viper Room. The Edge Of Paradise are by no means your run-of-the-mill local band, and regardless of whether or not LA choses to accept and respect them, they will continue to rise in stature on a global level.<\/p>\n

The Edge Of Paradise photos:<\/strong><\/p>\n