By Brent Michael, Rock At Night Tampa Senior Correspondent
Venue: The Orpheum, Tampa, Florida–December 7th, 2024
Bands/Websites or Facebook/Social Links:
Spiritual Chaos Web Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube
Lutharo Web Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube
Seven Kingdoms Web Facebook Instagram YouTube
It was a dark and chilly night…for Tampa, that is! I know, all of you in the Snow Section of the world are saying, “The 50s? You think the 50s is cold? ROTFLMFAO!”
Okay, you can stop laughing now. I’ll wait. Finished? Good.
I arrived plenty early, and due to another band who ran into issues and had to drop out, there was less setup time, so I spent over half an hour talking with the Seven Kingdoms’ singer’s dad, with whom I discussed computer history – he’s an ISE for FPL, my experience come more from the education and wedding business side of things, but it was fun chatting! But soon enough the first band stormed the stage, and the Spiritual Chaos began!
If I couldn’t see them, I would never have guessed that they are only a three-piece band! Additionally, unlike the classic power trio with drums, bass, and lead guitar – and one or more of those being the singer – in this case, drums and a single guitar handled the music output, allowing the singer to be a frontman as well, and that definitely makes for more entertaining performances! All due respect to musicians that sing, I know it’s harder than doing either alone, but being a frontman is tough to do while holding an instrument and giving it half your attention. That frontman/vocalist is Joshua Frato, drums are whacked by Stevie McDonald II, and the seven-string guitar was being shredded by Anthony DiFiglio. Oh, wait, there’s someone else! That would be Liam Edwards, also plays guitar, but absent – nothing posted concerning why. Wrote the preceding before I knew about him.
This is what the band has to say about itself:
Influenced by the unsettling polarities of life, SPIRITUAL CHAOS aims to explore the concepts of the duality we all experience. The band’s thought-provoking lyrical ideas are paired with powerful sounds that complement the subject at hand. With inspirational roots based primarily in melodic death and metalcore, the band shares a common ambition of blending technical ability, grooves, catchy hooks, and dynamics to craft genuine songs that not only speak true to who they are as musicians, but also add something of meaning to those who listen.
In an effort to help bring unity within a disconnected world full of entropy, SPIRITUAL CHAOS helps remind people that we all share something in common, the human experience. SPIRITUAL CHAOS was formed spring of 2022 in Tampa, Florida, and is set to be a powerhouse worthy of your attention. I’ll say that’s an accurate description.
Next on stage was Lutharo. Interestingly, they are a quartet, but there was an extra guy on stage! Formed in 2014, they strive to sculpt an epic sound that sees aspects of power and death colliding, combining artfully crafted melodies, harmonies and precision with hard-hitting power and force. Members are listed as Krista Shipperbottom (vocals), Victor Bucur (guitar), Chris Pacey (Bass) and Cory Hofing (drums) – but there was another guitarist on the stage! Third from left below:
Mystery Guitarist? So who was he? Well, he certainly had the personality to fit in! It might be Alex Snape!
So in their 10 years they’ve put out 3 EPs, 2 full-length LPs, and a plethora of singles. The band was enjoying the Tampa summer-like temps, coming from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada it was a welcome break from the Great White North! And they certainly did their part to bring the heat with them!
And now, the return – sort of – of Seven Kingdoms! Why sort of? I’ve covered them twice before, first on May 7, 2017, on Evergrey’s tour, then on April 8th, 2022, with Striker (who were on this tour with them but had issues to deal with – sorry I missed you guys!), and both shows were at The Orpheum. But the venue has changed locations since then, it used to be in Ybor City, just outside of downtown Tampa and legendary as Party Central for the Tampa Bay area, to a venue miles north and on the infamous Nebraska Avenue. The new venue is significantly smaller, with no balcony, and I wondered how they would squeeze the crowd in! But thanks to some Tampa-chilly weather, the crowd was manageable.
They did have one lineup change, a new drummer still feeling his way into the SK signature sound, and doing a pretty good job of it! His name is Colton Zietler, formerly of 72 Legions and Dead Earth. Not sure if he’s temporary, he has some big shoes to fill! Kevin Byrd and Camden Cruz were still a solid wall of sound on guitars, and though she had mentioned she was having throat issues, switching to falsetto to hit certain notes, vocalist Sabrina Valentine Cruz had the audience lapping it up and they never noticed!
This tour is ending, but there will be a next one! In the meantime, check out more photos below!
Photo Gallery
VIDEOS
When not in custody, I've been involved with music, photography, and writing my entire life. Ever since I was a young boy and played those silver tunes, I've had the beat, but being a drummer didn't suit me so I became a lead singer, which lasted a few years. Settling down, sort of, I translated my knowledge of audio and glib tongue into mobile emcee work, and my training as a photographer and videographer into a living in the wedding, party, bar/bat mitzvah, and entertainment industry. During this time I also managed to bamboozle my way into a master's degree in writing, worked for a couple of magazines (yes, I took photos for a nudist magazine!), have photographed hotels, done commercial work (shot the cover of Tablet and Capsule magazine), published a few articles, hosted some public access shows (a couple times in drag, but that's another story), and generally made a nuisance of myself until I landed here.
- Orpheum divided into Seven Kingdoms, Lutharo follows Spiritual Chaos! - December 10, 2024
- Chatting with rock band The Lonely Ones - September 11, 2024
- The Hand of Reason Serves The Lonely Ones The Brass Mug! - September 11, 2024
