Brand new sentence: Jazz Metal Opera is going strong. I first saw La Suspendida on its opening night in January 2023. Although fantastic in its own right then, the ensemble has eclipsed the sum of its parts and reached new heights. An added year of practice and performance (including stints in France and Germany) has served them well, resulting in an even tighter delivery.
The opera opens with low, ominous frequencies from the bass and baritone sax. Then drums join in to jazz things up a bit. This three-piece is the band Kilter who artfully combine metal elements with jazz sensibility. The string quartet seven)suns joins in to amplify the anxiety before soprano Andromeda Anarchia takes the stage to tell the life-and-death tale of Maria Elena, a tuberculosis patient whose body was preserved by an obsessed and lovelorn doctor. If the true crime story alone doesn’t make your skin crawl, seeing La Suspendida should do the trick. From the cleverly crafted libretto by NYC’s own opera and metal scene aficionado, William Berger, to the synergy between the musical instrumentation and haunting vocals by Anarchia and The Growlers Choir, this show guarantees a brand-new experience.
Buy and stream La Suspendida here:
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European orders https://linktr.ee/
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY REBECCA PAGE