Rexoria live review: ready for bigger stages
For anyone unfamiliar with Rexoria, the name might initially sound suspiciously close to a certain deodorant brand. There is, however, considerably more royalty involved here. The name Rexoria is connected to the Latin rex, meaning king, and the band themselves have embraced the term “Royal Metal” to describe their particular take on melodic heavy and power metal.
Formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 2016, Rexoria have steadily developed from a traditional, guitar-driven melodic metal band into something considerably broader. Their music combines the muscular riffs and melodic instincts of classic heavy metal and power metal with increasingly prominent keyboards, atmospheric textures and grand arrangements.
The current line-up consists of Frida Ohlin on vocals and keyboards, Jonas Gustavsson and Cristofer Svensson on guitars, Adam Nordquist on bass, and Martin Gustavsson on drums.
There is also a distinctly familial element to the band. Brothers Jonas and Martin Gustavsson have played together in several bands over the years, eventually helping to form Rexoria alongside Frida Ohlin in 2016. Ohlin and drummer Martin Gustavsson are also a couple, giving the band a rather unusually close-knit foundation.
That family connection does not appear to have dampened the band’s appetite for taking their music out into the wider world. Rexoria have shared stages with acts including Battle Beast, Bloodbound, Dynazty and Thobbe Englund, while their touring history includes appearances at Sweden Rock Festival and numerous European dates.
Evolution to a more expansive sound
Rexoria’s debut album, Queen of Light, arrived in 2018 after the earlier EPs Moments of Insanity and The World Unknown. At that stage, the band’s sound leaned more heavily towards traditional heavy and melodic metal.
The 2019 album Ice Breaker pushed further into power metal territory, while 2023’s Imperial Dawn introduced a more noticeable keyboard presence. The band’s fourth full-length, Fallen Dimension, released on 8 May 2026 through Black Lodge Records and Sound Pollution, brings these elements together in a more polished and expansive form.
In a 2018 interview with Rocknytt, Ohlin was keen to distance Rexoria from comparisons with symphonic metal acts such as Nightwish and Within Temptation. At the time, she pointed instead to Iron Maiden, power metal and melodic hard rock bands such as H.E.A.T. and Europe as important influences.
There is a certain irony in that distinction today. Rexoria are still fundamentally a heavy and power metal band rather than a conventional symphonic metal act, but keyboards and atmospheric arrangements have become increasingly important to their sound. And interestingly enough, it is Ohlin herself who provides those synth and keyboard elements, both live and on the studio recordings.
The comparisons with Nightwish and Within Temptation therefore make a little more sense today, although perhaps not for the reasons one might initially assume. When those comparisons were made, the main common denominator was arguably that all three were female-fronted metal bands, rather than any direct similarity in musical style. Rexoria's roots have always been closer to traditional heavy metal, power metal and melodic hard rock, but the additional layers of keyboards and atmosphere have gradually given their sound a more expansive and contemporary character.
My own first encounter with the band came through the video for “Break the Wave”, the first single from Fallen Dimension. The immediate comparison that sprang to mind was Finland’s Battle Beast. Not because Rexoria sound identical, but because the combination of energetic power metal, a strong female vocalist at the centre of the mix and highly melodic songwriting occupies similar territory.
Rexoria and Liv Sin bring the metal to Borås
For their show at Wiser’s Pub and its adjoining Viva Nightclub, Rexoria shared the bill with Liv Sin for a co-headlining gig.
It is an interesting pairing. Liv Sin brought the more aggressive side of the evening, while Rexoria supplied the melodies. Where Liv Jagrell’s band leans into a heavier modern metal attack, Rexoria’s strength lies in big choruses, memorable melodies and a more classic power metal sensibility.
The setting at Viva Nightclub could hardly be described as an arena-sized production. This was a small, intimate stage, and there was not even a backstage entrance behind it. Instead, the musicians simply made their way through the audience before stepping onto the stage.
That made the beginning of the set feel almost disarmingly casual.
Once the music started, however, there was nothing particularly casual about Rexoria.
Small stage, big sound
The audience was relatively small, but the people who had turned up were thoroughly committed. There was plenty of movement in front of the stage, including one particularly enthusiastic fan whose long hair was in near-permanent motion.
At one point, a random cap suddenly flew onto the stage. Bassist Adam Nordquist picked it up with a large, slightly bewildered smile and began scanning the crowd in an attempt to identify its owner. It was a small moment, but it captured something important about the evening. This was a close-up metal show where the distance between band and audience was almost non-existent.
At the centre stood Frida Ohlin, while Jonas Gustavsson and Cristofer Svensson formed the twin-guitar attack on either side. Gustavsson, who has a visual style that reminded me slightly of Zakk Wylde, also writes songs together with Ohlin. Behind them, Martin Gustavsson attacked the drums with considerable energy.
It was at the front of the stage, however, that Rexoria’s identity became most apparent.
Frida Ohlin has the voice to match the riffs
On record, Frida Ohlin’s voice is obviously central to Rexoria’s identity. Live, the sheer power of it becomes even more apparent.
Growled vocals are not necessarily what one would associate with Ohlin, but she demonstrated during the Borås show that she can add considerably more grit and aggression when the songs demand it. There is plenty of authority, rasp and raw energy in her delivery, allowing her vocals to stand up against the band’s heavy guitar sound.
Returning to my earlier Battle Beast comparison, there are moments when Ohlin isn’t far removed from their former vocalist Noora Louhimo in terms of vocal power and delivery.
While Ohlin may not have Motherbeast Louhimo’s impressive horns, she certainly has the hair to compensate. Her striking orange mane was impossible to miss, giving her a visual presence that few frontwomen could match. The sheer volume of it would probably give Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez a run for his money.
A set focused on more recent albums
The setlist understandably placed considerable emphasis on Rexoria’s two latest albums, Fallen Dimension and Imperial Dawn.
“Paradigm” opened the show, followed by “Fading Rose” and “Set Me on Fire”. “Break the Wave” was one of the obvious highlights, with its driving rhythm and instantly accessible chorus demonstrating exactly why it works so well as a gateway into the band’s current sound.
The older Ice Breaker was represented by just two songs, “Roaring” and the set’s closing number, “Reach for the Heavens in Time”. The latter in particular brought to mind the classic heavy metal heritage that has always been part of Rexoria’s musical DNA, with a melodic approach that made me think of Iron Maiden.
Most of the time, though, Rexoria were not interested in slowing things down.
There were no extended stretches of gentle balladry. Instead, the band delivered a fast and powerful wall of melodic metal from the opening notes to the final chord.
The sheer power of their music feels ready for bigger stages and larger productions, with the kind of songs that could easily fill a much larger venue. Add some well-placed pyro to the mix, and the songs would have plenty of room to grow visually as well.
In Borås, the lack of such excess simply meant that the music had to do the heavy lifting itself. And it did.
Rexoria take a darker turn on “Malleus Maleficarum”
The one notable dip in tempo came with “Malleus Maleficarum”, one of the more atmospheric songs from Fallen Dimension.
The song tells the story of a woman accused of witchcraft and condemned by the Church, taking the listener through her final, painful journey towards the pyre. The lyrics describe her peaceful life, the accusations of the priest and the hatred of the surrounding crowd before her eventual death.
Rexoria gave the song an appropriately theatrical treatment.
During the ominous introduction, Ohlin appeared on stage wearing a long black cloak with the hood pulled low over her face. The visual transformation added another layer of mystery to the song, while the comparatively restrained pace gave both her vocals and the atmospheric keyboards room to breathe.
It was a welcome change of pace in an otherwise relentlessly energetic set.
Royal Metal ready for bigger stages
There is an interesting tension at the heart of Rexoria’s live performance.
The band clearly works in the intimate setting of a small club. The members can interact directly with the audience, the crowd is close enough to catch every gesture, and moments such as the flying cap become part of the show.
At the same time, the music itself seems to be reaching for something much larger.
Rexoria’s combination of power metal, melodic heavy metal, prominent vocals, keyboards and increasingly cinematic arrangements feels built for bigger stages. The songs have the hooks, the riffs and the choruses to fill a much larger room, while Ohlin has the vocal presence to occupy the space.
That contrast was particularly noticeable in Borås. Viva Nightclub made for a wonderfully personal show, but the music frequently suggested an altogether more substantial production waiting further down the road.
Heading for Europe with Eleine and Liv Sin
The Borås show was part of Rexoria and Liv Sin’s Swedish co-headline dates, but it was also a warm-up of sorts for a much larger autumn campaign.
Rexoria are heading out across Europe and the UK as main support to Eleine, with Liv Sin and Serapis Project joining the tour. The tour includes dates across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark and Sweden.
For fans in western Sweden, there is another opportunity to catch the band on 12 November 2026 at Valand in Gothenburg, when the European tour reaches Sweden.
Having seen Rexoria in a small Borås club, it will be interesting to see how their “Royal Metal” translates to the larger rooms on this tour. The ingredients are certainly there.
If melodic heavy metal, power metal and big, hook-driven choruses are your thing, Rexoria are well worth catching on the European tour with Eleine and Liv Sin.
Setlist
- Paradigm
- Fading Rose
- Set Me on Fire
- Break the Wave
- Malleus Maleficarum
- Rage and Madness
- Metallic Rain
- Running With the Stars
- Roaring
- Virtual Pain
- Dancing on the Ruins
- Light Up the Sky
- Enchanted Island
- Reach for the Heavens in Time
This show was shot with
Camera bodies
- Sony a7 IIIGeneral shots and close-ups
- Sony a7R IIWide-angle shots
Camera lenses
- Samyang 35-150mm f2–2.8General shots and close-ups
- Tamron 16-30mm f2.8Wide-angle shots
Concert photo gallery
