Live Reviews : CHAOS ACT IV Festival – 06&07/06/2008

REVIEW: CHAOS ACT IV FESTIVAL – 6th/7th June, 2008
Courtesy of Assidian Records

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Ok here we go metallers, this fest was a new one for myself, I doubled the last Chaos ACT line up by putting on 16 bands this round and took a few gambles with the show too. I think they all paid off, and have learnt even more from doing so for my future show planning. We even scored a few wins with a BMA article, a radio announcement and the local & interstate shop fronts and fans killing it with promo.

The nights leading up to the show were very nervous ones as I didnt know exactly where this fest was going to stand on the weekend, but I always have faith as I gave this 250%. As the Friday came into being – a nice sunny day outside perfect for those whom where travelling – I gained more faith we would pull some numbers at the door even given pre-sales were minimal…

I arrived at The Basement, Belconnen a few hours before the Friday nights show with a couple friends to help set up with Arron from Pagan Lands Media and Benny of Aeon of Horus. We made full use of the venue with its unique layout – multiple rooms and recreation area’s. As we finalised the layout, bands arriving with gear and people started coming through the doors all of a sudden it was CHAOS TIME!! Grab a Jager and run to the pit!

8:33 – Friday 6th of June
I thought would be perfect to start the show off with some brutal death gore grind tunes to get the early crowd swarm in. Rake Sodomy hit the stage, representing the underground of the Canberra family to the early crowd through the doors. A band who I’ve supported for some time and who as always shown improvement with each gig, they are serious about the music they play proving themselves to be amongst the best in this country with song writing and a great live perfomance.

Templestowe proved to be a crowd favourite of the Friday night show. Another representing the Canberra family to a packed out floor – as their set grew so did the support of the fans. Also a big note to the boys and their newly aquired drummer, who nailed their set and didn’t miss a beat. If this band hangs around for the long term and gets a few releases under the belts they’ll definately be a band Australia will be proud of against the overseas market.

Up next was Daemon Foetal Harvest, well what can i say…. i love this band. I had been listening to them for about a year now on a recommendation from a family member. They played tight and fast, keeping groove through out their set whilst grabbing the whole crowds attention and even had most of the bands run off their stalls during the set to get some pit action. The feedback I recieved on the night was amazing, I think I had atleast 15 people come up and say awesome choice. Yeah. Brutal.

Synperium from the Southern Highlands are set to embark on their Children of Bodom tour in June. They have previously played on the last 3 CHAOS ACT shows, and it wouldn’t of been a Chaos show without them. Playing a set of technical death metal with influences including the groove of Decapitated left me with a sore neck the next morning. The guys have been amongst my favourite bands for nearly 2 years now and will always have my support. I think after the Children of Bodom Tour they will finally get the exposure they deserve putting their song writing skills up their with the best in the world. They didnt have to twist my arm to get me up there to bang heads to Sarcoma with them.

MYTILE VEY LORTH! In my opinon the best black metal band in Australia right now, with hints of death metal influence through out their music I loved every second watching the boys perform their art, was a proud moment to see how much they were enjoying themselves. Also representing the Canberra family proved to get a huge crowd at the end of the night proving to be another local favourite and proviong their worthyness of getting the supports for bands like Nile and Decapitated. Mytile prove to have one of the best drummers this country has ever seen and at one stage I looked to the side of the stage to see other drummers standing their watching in awe!

Day 2 – Saturday
I was struggling to wake up, the effects from the night before were intense, my alarm was going off from 7am and I just watched it ring out being annoyed till about 11:30. Pumped some B-B-Beroca’s for some bounce and headed back out to the Basement for Round 2.

1:05pm
Local boys Punishment opened the day, and was great to have support for the guys so early on. It was the first time I had seem the lads with a 2nd guitarist and it proved to give them the missing link they had been searching for giving them one huge sound. Also a big shout out to the boys and their management for being such a big part in the show with awesome promoting!

Epoch of Inexistance from Orange, I had never seen before and grew to some liking of one of their tracks they had online. This band is in the similar genre to bands like Aeon of Horus and Templestowe which both bands also supporting to get on the show. Their first song showing a melodic element in the chorus line blew me away, was unexpected from way down town like Charlie Brown. Given the band is young, they show some very promising signs for their future progression. As when they first asked to play the show one of the answers to myself of what is your band about…. their reply was “sweepies”… straight up i put them on the bill with a bit of a laugh.

Futilty from Canberra played their debut gig at Chaos, I hadnt heard much of the guys material but was confident they would perform well with members of bands such as Infinitum, Machette and Kurt from Metalworx whom also does the sound at The Basement. I think this band grabbed 100% of people attention in the venue and about 200% when they busted out into a Katatonia cover to end the set. A band with influence with melodic death/doom metal and bands such as Opeth and Katatonia proving to fill another lost spot needed to be filled in the Canberra scene. Ive heard a few tracks of the upcomming debut album and would recomend all you metal fans get yourselves a copy!

Leicohtica from Wagga Wagga – holy shit this band blows me away with their stage presence. Hair city, communial windmills, I think there was an assault of hair slashed into the front row knocking bystanders into a mental state where they were. Clearly metalville. I love how this band constructs their music, especially on a technical level and especially with consisting of more members than Slipknot they pulled off a huge set. Theyve gone up 50 notches in my book, and should be getting the bigger slots on any metal festival. Another of the bands whom also got a great support earlier on in the day.

Ironwood, in all honesty were one of my favourite bands to watch of the weekend. Hands down the best show i’ve ever seen them put on. This band has amazing musicianship, very progressive adding a few different styles in their music to give themselves what I believe to be a sound of their own – worldwide. Their music is very technical and has some of the hugest bass lines i’ve ever seen. All 3 front men sharing the vocal duties, catchy beats… I dont think I need to say too much more.. get this band on your line-ups!

Sword Towards Self, one of my personal favourites for some time and also gaining support from the majority of Canberra bands. This band also features 75% of the Ironwood members so big shout out to the guys for doing a double header. Playing some very tight and technical death metal keep their support right through out their set. I cant wait to get these guys back to Canberra!

5:15
We had about a 3 hour break from the gig after STS finished playing… and it was a long break…. I left to pick up the Separatist boys from the airport and come back to a million fireworks being let off in the car park… ha. metal. (Only in Canberra! – MO)

Soon after we put on the free for all BBQ with alot of people saying that it was their favourite part of the weekend.. was perfect timing… soon after the final round of bands hit the stage….

8:36
Red Valley, a band I put on with hopes to pull a few punters from the hardcore scene, with singer ‘Chazz’ noting they felt a little like the black sheep on arrival to the show, played to an army of black, and the crowd absolutely loving them. I had numerous people coming up and saying they were their favourite band of the night. I think this band is proving popular Australia wide and are progressing to be one of the best at what they do, mixing different elements into their metal, making them stand out and giving one huge energetic set.

Aeon of Horus, being the biggest part of this show band wise, with offerings of assistance right through the promo & organising stage and right through out the whole weekend. Proving to be a local favourite at the moment, once again probably pulled the biggest crowd of the whole weekend, and with all members noting it was one of the most enjoyable gigs they’ve played at. Alot of the travelling bands noting to themselves “woah Aeon of Horus”… very niii

Antonamasia, probably the most enjoyable band i’ve worked with over time were also another band I put on which was different to the previous Chaos shows, with also aims of Chaos opening its eyes and adding a variety of metal styles to the bill. Was great to see alot of support for them early and people singing alot to their songs… including myself with a mute button. An awesome live band, with massive guitar riffs, melodies and a great stage presence makes this band standout from what alot of other bands are trying to do, Antonamasia are one of the few that are holding it down right now in the alternative metal scene.

Infinitum, my favourite local band at the moment, was the first band of the Saturday night I got to relax and have a couple of Jager’s before entering pit. These guys have just released their debut album, and once its gets some exposure will be on top of Australian Metal, they’ve all been there and done it before and with Infinitum this is going to go a few steps even beyond that. The bands plays brutal, fast tight technical death metal, adding groove and melodic sections that are huge and catchy. Get Infinitums album and see them at an upcoming show, if your into death metal and don’t… your clearly missing out.

SEPARATIST……. didn’t everyone love these friendly chaps from Tasmania. Everyone was eager the whole night to see them play and coming to me with funny stories from the merch tables. I discovered this band online, and straight away went to find any live footage of the guys online…. seeing that they headbang and mill the whole set i knew they were the band to get over here to headline the show. Their music in itself has still blown me away, a progressive album release up their sleeves combining all elements that i love in metal. Its extreme, fast, they grind out, blast, groove, they do it all. The boys are only young and if this is what their producing now, in a little time these guys will be on top worldwide. One awesome energetic live set, which I still don’t know how they pulled of with the amount of Jager shots in their systems, I could honestly say is the best live show i’ve ever seen. I cant wait to get them back over here and i’m sure they cant wait either…… Noting the guitarist both throwing their shirts into the crowd and a brawl over them was one of the funniest things i’ve seen live in so long… These guys are awesome people, musicians and friends…. and will always have my support…Separatist was hands down the highlight of my weekend. Check them out and get their album through their website or via Assidian Records.

Just to finish off, i remember turning to a close friend, during Mytile Vey Lorth’s set and saying…. I love this… just looking around and seeing how much fun everyone was seeming to be having, bands interacting, merch stalls, Jager shots, pool games, BBQ’s you know the package… it was what I aimed for… and its gonna make me do it all again in 2009 for CHAOS ACT V… BIGGER AND BETTER!… the wait begins… METALZ!