Priestess Give Fiery Preview Performance

It took a little longer than I'm sure the band would've preferred, but Priestess are finally set to drop their sophomore record, Prior To The Fire. The band held a private release party in Toronto on Wednesday night to celebrate.

Record industry politics may have slowed Priestess down in terms of studio output, but the live stage remains the band's bread and butter. On that front, they killed yet again, even though it was a short gig in a small room that was pitch black except for a projector that lit the band up with different patterns and images. Not that lighting mattered because Priestess could probably play in the dark and still put on a great rock show.

Priestess are a hot ticket whenever they come to town, as was evident by the long lineup during their Canadian Music Week show earlier this year, so it was cool to see the band play an intimate gig, which they used to preview the upcoming record.

In contrast to the band's debut album, Hello Master, which had a more polished studio sound, Prior To The Fire has more of a live feel. That made the transition to the sage effortless on opening combo of "Lady Killer" and "Raccoon Eyes," which made it sound as if you were listening to the record only with the volume cranked up to 11. The only two Hello Master songs they played — "Two Kids" and "Lay Down" — also noticeably packed more punch than the studio versions.

One of the main reasons it took so long for Prior To The Fire to be released was because the band's old record label didn't think the band produced a song that could be a radio-friendly hit along the lines of Hello Master's "Talk To Her." And yeah, maybe there isn't a song that's as immediately catchy as some of the Hello Master numbers, but new songs like "We Ride Tonight" and "The Firebird" grow on you after a couple of spins and definitely have the potential for a live singalong.

The band didn't play any extended jams probably because this wasn't a "real" gig, but "The Gem" is long and epic enough on it's own to satisfy the need for progressive instrumentals on this night.

Although this show didn't have the same energy as seeing the band in a better venue and in front of a packed audience, it was a nice little sneak peak at what Priestess fans have been waiting a long time for. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.