Amanda Somerville of Trillium. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

It’s a long way from Flushing in Michigan to the delights of one of Liverpool’s major music venues but there is something that the two areas have in common and that is the adoration Amanda Somerville is able to command as part of the Symphonic/Progressive metal group Trillium.

To open for the premier Midlands Rock band Magnum is a huge honour and one that is not given easily but Amanda Somerville and her creatively intelligent band have more than earned that right and proceeded to prove the point over and over again during the early part of the evening.

The sound of crashing metal guitar riffs combined with the flawless vocal expression provided by Ms. Somerville was astonishing and more than a little stunning as the band powered through songs such as Machine Gun, Justifiable Casualty and Purge for their openers and the sound that they made was akin to some of the best metal recorded in quite a while.

Although some metal songs and albums can unfortunately quickly sound dated and lost to future generations, what was witnessed by those assembled inside the 02 Academy might go a long way to rectifying that sad issue. Certainly the music is captivating and Ms. Somerville is an exceptionally good songwriter and a superb front woman who is more than able to hold the attention of a crowded room.

Considering that many in the Academy would not have heard any of the songs from the debut album before TrIllium played in Liverpool, it seems that they made a lot of friends on the night. Their renditions of their songs Set Afire, Utter Descension and the stonewall brilliance of Bow To The Ego were just fantastic and eye-catching.

The members of Trillium finished their extraordinary set with the superb Path of Least Resistance and the lead song of the debut album Alloy, the excellent Coward.  With Amanda Somerville at the helm this is group that has much ability in its musical arrangements as it does in the vocals and stage presence. Judging by the reaction they garnered from the audience patiently awaiting Magnum, this is a group of musicians that will be welcome back to Liverpool any time they like.

Ian D. Hall