Sin City Press attended a fabulous metal opera in New England: QUEEN BOUDICCA a Metal Opera. Based on a true tale of an ancient first century Celtic queen from the Iceni tribe, who lead an uprising against the Roman occupation after being flogged and after her daughters were raped. Her efforts led to massive losses (tens of thousands) within the Roman occupation and caused consideration of troop withdrawal from Briton by Nero. The tale is truly one of a Great Celtic Warrior Queen and the Celtic struggle.

The composer, Bob Schlink, of Berklee and his wife the director Carol A. Schlink have been creating this opera for upwards of 6 years. The troop that performed the production was absolutely perfect! Every musician was an asset; this outfit even came complete with all four band members of Seven Spires and singer Haydee Irizarry from Aversed—a winning combination in any show. The percussion and bass playing were especially on point with non-stop drumming courtesy of Chris Dovas and bass player Peter Albert de Reyna, switching back and forth from upright base to base guitar. Jack Kosto, one of the youngest to be accepted to Berklee, hammered away on guitar, and Adrienne Cowan’s voice belted out superbly with her fellow singers.

With an unquestionably impeccable blend of Metal, Celtic, and Folk music, and Operatic singing, the music was an euphonious mixture; the blend of musical genres complemented the story effortlessly. The Metal gave rise to the audiences understanding of the brutality of the battles. If you find yourself in the New England region QUEEN BOUDICCA a Metal Opera is a must see!

Carrie Anne Perez

New England Regional Media Research Coordinator