(Photography by James Chen)
The intergalactic power metal band Glyph took temporary refuge at the House of Blues Anaheim while delivering an epic power metal set to serve as a dire warning. Supporting Alestorm’s U.S. tour, Glyph kicked off the October 5th show, the second in Southern California, with a high-energy performance that conveyed a sense of urgency. The lore of the band explains that after the destruction of their homeworld Volaria by ancient malevolent dragons, Glyph have traveled through the galaxies to sound the alarm against the draconic forces.
Glyph formed in 2022 and consist of Darin Wall on bass, Rob Steinway on guitars, Jeff Black on keys, Damien Rainaud on drums, Jeff Potts on guitars, and Barbara Blackthorne on vocals. Six months after her initial recruitment, powerhouse vocalist Barbara Blackthorne leads Glyph’s latest expedition, making her touring debut as the voice of the intergalactic survivors.
Glyph kick off the night with “Eldenfire”, a high-energy anthem about the resilience of the Volarian people. In the band’s lore, the Eldenfire represents a sacred, internal flame that survives even after the dragons razed their world. Musically, it’s a power metal rallying cry, using fast riffs and a soaring chorus to show that while their planet Volaria is gone, their spirit remains unextinguished.
The set continues on with “March of the Northern Clan”, a battle hymn that honors the final soldiers who stayed behind to fight the dragons fills the venue. The crowd learns of the Northern Clan, the warriors who stood their ground against the dragon onslaught to buy time for others to escape into the stars. With its steady, stomping beat and massive chorus, the song serves as a tribute to the bravery and grit of these survivors’ ancestors.
The band proceeds with their latest single “Rune Master”, which shifts focus away from the dragon invasion and instead depicts an ageless celestial puppet master who uses ancient magic and “secret light” to manipulate the rise and fall of civilizations. This celestial entity feasts on the energy of mortal wars for his own cosmic gain, and this sophisticated composition serves as a reminder that in the Glyph universe, forces greater than dragons exist that steer fate in unpredictable ways.
The set changes gears and Glyph lower the tempo with “When the World Was Young”. The song is is a sweeping, nostalgic look back at the beauty of Volaria, during a time of peace before the dragons arrived. Musically, the song is a majestic and melodic anthem that swaps the frantic pace of battle for a grand, expansive sound. Its soaring choruses and emotional guitar harmonies create a sense of longing, reminding the crowd in Anaheim exactly what the survivors are fighting to remember.
The band takes a brief pause while bassist Darin addresses the crowd, giving assurance that if any dragons lurk in Anaheim, the members of Glyph stand ready to slay the draconic villians. A dragon does reveal itself (a small inflatable), and Darin tears it apart to protect the realm of Anaheim before the band continues on with the performance.
On a serious note, while playing with his band Greyhawk in 2021, Darin Wall heroically tackled and disarmed a gunman who was attempting to enter a crowded music venue in Boise, Idaho. Despite sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg during the struggle, Darin’s quick actions were credited with preventing a potential mass shooting incident and saving numerous lives.
The set shifts back into gear with “A Storm of Crimson Fire” which captures the terrifying moment the dragon invasion of Volaria began. The song is a relentless and hard-hitting onslaught, driven by a ferocious, rhythmic intensity that simulates the chaos of planet-wide warfare. The skies of Volaria are described as becoming a blood red crimson as the draconic fleet breaches the atmosphere, turning a peaceful world into a burning graveyard in a single night.
The set comes to its conclusion with “Defy the Night”, a high speed call to arms about the refusal to surrender, even when all seems lost. The song is a powerful surge of metal energy, featuring blistering guitar solos and a defiant chorus. It is a soaring anthem of survival, proving that the spirit of Volaria won’t be extinguished by the darkness of space.
