Liliac
The Rockpile, Toronto, ON
August 16, 2019
Chain of Thorns Tour
When a young band takes on songs made famous by some of heavy metal’s biggest names, the music has to speak for itself. For Liliac, a five-piece band made up of siblings Melody, Samuel, Abigail, Ethan and Justin Cristea, classic metal covers were an important part of their early identity. Their August 16, 2019, appearance at Toronto’s Rockpile on the Chain of Thorns Tour featured music from Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Dio, alongside original material from the band.
Liliac, whose name means “bat” in Romanian, have described their sound as vamp metal. The band’s connection to classic heavy metal was clear in a setlist that included some of the genre’s best-known songs, while their own material offered a chance to hear what they were developing beyond the music that helped introduce them to audiences.
A Setlist Built on Metal Classics
The band’s selection of covers covered several generations of rock and metal. Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper,” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” were among the familiar titles featured during the show.
Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” added another well-known pairing, while “Piece of My Heart” and “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” widened the musical range. The set also included “Wild Thing,” showing that the band’s choices extended beyond heavy metal alone.
The inclusion of these songs gave the set a strong connection to the artists and records that shaped generations of rock fans. Taking on material with such established identities is a challenge for any band, particularly when the original performances remain so familiar to listeners. The songs also gave Liliac an opportunity to put their own stamp on music that has been played and covered countless times.
“Rainbow in the Dark,” originally recorded by Dio, closed the encore. Dio has been a significant influence on Liliac, particularly on vocalist Melody Cristea, making the song a fitting choice to finish the night.
Original Songs Take Their Place
While the covers were a major part of the set, Liliac also included original songs such as “Mystery,” “Not Afraid,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Mythical Creature,” “Mars,” “Redo” and “Chain of Thorns.”
That balance matters for a band building its own identity. Familiar songs can introduce listeners to a group, but original material gives audiences something of the band’s own to take away. With several original tracks included throughout the set, Liliac had room to present their songwriting alongside the classic songs that helped establish their reputation.
The title track, “Chain of Thorns,” was also included in the set, connecting the performance to the tour’s name and the band’s early recorded work.
Five Siblings, One Band
One of Liliac’s defining characteristics is that all five members are siblings. Melody handles lead vocals, Samuel plays lead guitar, Abigail is on drums, Ethan plays bass and Justin handles keyboards.
The band’s musical background was built through years of playing together and performing covers, including music by some of their own influences. That experience gave them a foundation in the material represented throughout the Toronto setlist, from the heavy riffs of Black Sabbath and Metallica to the melodic, theatrical side of Dio and Iron Maiden.
Their family connection is part of the band’s story, but the long-term test for Liliac is the same one faced by any group: developing original songs that can stand alongside the music that first attracted listeners. The inclusion of multiple original tracks in Toronto’s set showed that their own material had a place in the band’s live repertoire.
Looking Beyond the Covers
Liliac’s August 16 appearance at The Rockpile brought together classic rock and metal favourites with original songs from a band working to establish its own sound. The setlist drew from a wide range of artists, including Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne and Dio, while the original material gave the band space to step beyond those influences.
For a group whose early following grew in part through performances of familiar rock and metal songs, the challenge is not simply playing the classics. It is using that foundation to build a catalogue of their own. With “Mystery,” “Not Afraid,” “Mythical Creature” and “Chain of Thorns” among the original songs performed in Toronto, Liliac had a substantial part of the set devoted to that next step.
The night’s closing choice, Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark,” brought the set back to one of the artists closely associated with the band’s musical roots.
Setlist
Rainbow in the Dark (Dio cover, encore)
Mystery
Paranoid (Black Sabbath cover)
The Trooper (Iron Maiden cover)
Enter Sandman (Metallica cover)
Not Afraid
Dancing in the Dark
Mythical Creature
Hit the Lights
Mars
Redo
Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
We Will Rock You (Queen cover)
We Are the Champions (Queen cover)
Piece of My Heart (Erma Franklin cover)
Chain of Thorns
Hit Me with Your Best Shot
Wild Thing
I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.
