Amassed outside The Pearl on Sunday night was a crowd of black-clad and bejeweled metalheads of all ages. Heels clicked impatiently against the sidewalk; the air hummed with an unusual nervousness for a metal concert. This was no average show; this was the first performance of the formerly Tehran-based band Aemia, fronted by Kimia "Mia" Ravangar.
For a debut, it was an unusually star-studded show - both the Vancouver-based hard rock band In Pieces and metal-inspired FKA Rayne were opening for the group - and this novelty was reflected in the boisterous energy of the fans entering the concert hall. When "Aerials" by System of a Down came on over the speakers, the crowd sang along enthusiastically, and when In Pieces walked on stage, a similar unified joy filled the room. In Pieces delivered a brutal yet intimate performance characterized by deep, driving rock guitar and vocals akin to Creed's Scott Stapp. The lead singer of Trip Switch also graced the stage for a brief period, belting out two songs and leaving the audience stunned.
The reverberations of In Pieces had barely faded when FKA Rayne graced the stage. Adorned in a blood-splattered dress and leather gloves, she unleashed an hour-long performance that effortlessly navigated the sounds of nu-metal and pop. "Shut the fuck up!" she and the audience sang in unison. During "Can't Take Me", the singer knelt on the floor in a prayer-like position, her voice blending into the rapturous instrumental as she condemned herself through song. Rayne, born Madison Bell, had a vicious presence that far exceeded the stage.
Two hours deep into the night, the main act arrived; Aemia walked across the stage to a crowd thoroughly saturated with good music and raring for more. It would be irresponsible to not mention the band's fascinating origin story; Aemia began in Iran, where Ravangar and her husband, Kourosh Zarandooz, would perform frequently despite laws at the time banning women from singing publicly. After being raided by police, the two chose to leave Tehran and began anew in Canada. Considering this dramatic backstory, the show felt like a homecoming.
The mood shifted from head-thrashing to widened eyes. The band ran through their setlist like a bird through blackened skies, cruising between angelic vocals and ruthless metal instrumentals. After playing their rock ballad "From", Mia spoke softly of "returning to where we are all from" and waved to friends in the audience. She even handed a teddy bear to a fan. Then, on a dime, they launched into their new single "Nowhere to Hide", powered by the drive and distortion of Kourosh's guitar riffs. The room was simultaneously violent and deeply loving - something that all metal shows aspire to be, but few can achieve.
The night ended triumphantly. The audience shouted words of love in Farsi and the band left in the same manner in which a close friend leaves one's home. If this performance is anything to go off of, Aemia has an audience in Vancouver that won't be letting go anytime soon. Here's to new beginnings, and ear-shattering bass lines.