Live Reviews : Soundwave Festival (Melbourne) 27/02/2009

SOUNDWAVE 2009

Melbourne Showgrounds – Melbourne, 27th February 2009

Soundwave has become synonymous with big name bands, and this year was no exception. With the likes of Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails and Lamb of God headlining an already amazing line up which bought upon an assault of musical onslaught to the senses. Its no wonder that 2009 has been the biggest, and best year for Soundwave in its 3 years running across Australia.

The day started off well with decent Melbourne weather. It was a nice 30 something degree day which bought out a great sea of people. Showcasing the true fanatics, obscene fans and multicultural diversity which Melbourne had to offer.

My first selection from a banquet of amazing bands on the bill was, All That Remains.

All That Remains hail from the United States and offer a blend of metalcore and melodic death metal; something of which was a big hit at this years Soundwave with many bands implementing the same style of music on the heavy metal bill.

This was the first time I saw All That Remains live and I was impressed with their performance, but am not a massive fan of their musical style. Having said that though, they easily pleased the crowd with their explosive set, and rivaled them up numerous times from outspoken frontman, Philip Labonte who wielded the Midas touch when raising his metal horns in the air.

It didn’t take long before the next band were on stage. A mild 10 – 15 minute wait was all that was needed to bring forth another band to the stage. I was quite taken back at how professional the staff were working and how well they maintained themselves, and their positions all day at the festival. It’s not often that you see someone praising the people behind the scene of the festival, so I’m going to go on record an say that the staff at this years Soundwave were the best yet…but more about that later.

Up next was Unearth. Surprisingly, Unearth come from the same state as ‘All That Remains‘; Massachusetts. It’s no wonder that their music is so similar in taste, yet Unearth go for a more balls to the wall approach with fast attacking riffs and deep vocal thrashings from the bowels of Trevor Phipps.

I was very impressed with Unearth. Not only from the sheer power of their music, but also by frontman,Trevor Phipps who seemed to mimic the stylizing of Nathan Explosion of Dethklok.

His bulky arms and barrel chested look, shocked the foundation of the crowd as his death metal vocals seep into each corner of the giant heavy metal hall.
As Unearth finished up it didn’t take long before the metal hall was emptied for the next act, Evergreen Terrace. Personally, I didn’t like the band so I made a quick getaway after Unearth were finished obliterating the crowd.

This gave me sometime to walk the premises of the Melbourne Showgrounds to discover the other bands on the bill. I was quite taken back at how diverse the festival actual was.

Its not everyday you see a metal crowd getting along so well with emo kids, and of course wannabe hippes getting along with yuppies.

There were some minor tiffs here and there, but all in all the crowd got along pretty well.

While I was walking around in the 30 something degree Melbourne weather, it became apparent that I needed to wet my whistle after the amount of sweat which I lost in the pit of Unearth. I took a trek to the local watering hole with my accomplice , and his lovely maiden. As we approached the watering hole we notice that beer was $6…a can. I thought to myself that this beer must apparently be special, or have been brewed by God himself, or herself.

Alas, when I finally made it into the watering hole tent it was clear that this beer wasn’t special, nor was is made by God himself, or herself. It was run of the mill cheap beer which they sold off as the “official” beer of the festival. I’m not going to name the beer as my manhood would be at stake if I uttered a word, as the company would surely remove my testicles once they find out what I’m talking about.

Still, this major hike in the price of beer made it quite hard to people to get drunk and act like complete dickheads, so I give credit where credit is due. Having said that though, it would have been nice to have a “cheaper” beer to choose from as we are not all made of money, especially in this time of economic uncertainty.

Enough of my bitching, back to the topic at hand.

After my long journey around the Showgrounds I made my way back to the metal hall. Every Time I Die were just about to start. I quickly made my way to the front of the pit to get some good shots. Much like All That Remains, Every Time I Die were a run of the mill metalcore band.

Personally I wasn’t enticed by their performance nor were many of the people in the crowd as many made their way to the main stage to see Dillinger Escape Plan. I personally wanted to see Dillinger’s full set as I have never seen them live before, but by the time I got out from the pit from Every Time I Die it was alittle to late to get too a closer inspection of Dillinger Escape Plan. Regardless, I got to see the tail end of their performance and were one of many bands who out did themselves, and were one of the highlights for many attending the festival.

After a little rest in the afternoon I quickly got my barrings together and made my way to see Lacuna Coil.

Lacuna Coil are a gothic power metal band who hail from Italy  and have played in Australia many times before, including the 2007 Gignatour which was fronted by thrash metal legends, Megadeth.

Their unique blend of melodic and gothic musical influences, along with tag team vocalists Andrea Ferro, and Cristina Scabbia made them a force to be reckoned with.

They played a tight set with many classics including, “Closer” and “Swamped”. They also surprised the crowd with a track from their forthcoming album “Shallow Life”, with their debut single “Spellbound”.

Many were taken back by the new track, while others were merely mesmerized by the stunning Cristina Scabbia and her short skirt which seemed to blow up each time she neared the fans at the front of the stage.

I was very impressed with their performance and could easily sit through another set, as they both rev the crowd with their infectious grooves and duo vocals.

I quickly made my way to stage two which held one of the highlights of the festival, Alice in Chains.

Many who attended the festival weren’t acquainted with new frontman, William Duvall who blew the roof off the Palais Theatre the previous night. Many waited anxiously to see how they would shape up after a near 16 year hiatus from Australia, while others wanted to see if they could top their performance from the night before.

Without a doubt they completely obliterated their performance from the previous night and played with a new level of gratification, as both the sound mixing and level of musicianship was multiplied 10 fold.

The crowd exploded with excitement as “Again” opened their set. Much like the rest of their tour of Australia, their setlist didn’t change. They played all the classics, such as “Man in a Box”, “Dam That River”, “We Die Young” and “Rooster”, which held its new fundamental message, with the band against any form of war.

The bands love for former lead singer, Layne Stanley was still strong as they played homage to him with a dedication of “Nutshell”. I can quite honestly say that was the best I’ve seen Alice in Chains live, not only in Australia…but ever.

Jerry Cantrell seemed so happy to be on stage playing again, while the charismatic William Duvall, who reminded me of Lenny Kravitz at times, attained the somewhat reminiscent vocal stylizing of Layne Stanley, but added a new level of integrity to the band.

Once Alice in Chains finished up I quickly made my way back to the metal hall to get my fill of In Flames and final metal act of the night, Lamb of God.

It didn’t take long before the hall was packed to the rafters with metal fans as they waited patiently to see In Flames.

In Flames were easily one of the highlights of the night with their unique blend of melodic death metal. They played a variety of tracks from their more well known discography, including, “Come Clarity”, “Soundtrack to Your Escape” and their latest release, “A Sense of Purpose”.

There were moment when lead singer, Anders Fridén used his time on stage to rant about his time in Australia, rather then play music. This wasn’t a major concern, as many fans acknowledged his love for the country with over applause and shout outs from all corner of the hall. Their set was cut a little short due to Anders long speeches throughout the night, but without a doubt they put on an amazing performance for the Melbourne crowd.

As In Flames left the stage it was clear that the night would soon be drawing to a close with the final metal act of the night, Lamb of God.

Lamb of God are quite well known in Australia, having toured the country before, for their last album, “Sacrament” while obtaining a high stance on the Australian ARIA charts with their latest releases, “Wrath”.

Their ambitious blend of thrash and groove metal, with a hint of death metal thrown in for good measure made them a fitting band to finish off an already amazing day of great music.

They were welcomed on stage with open arms by the biggest crowd of the night in the metal hall, as they showcased their top releases to the metal masses. Works from “Sacrament”, “As the Palaces Burn” and of course material from their latest album, “Wrath” were all on high alert.

The highlights of the night for me were, “Redneck” and “Walk with Me in Hell” which sounded quite epic coming from the amazing set up the band were given by Soundwave’s sound crew. I could not stay for the entire set as I needed to leave early to get ahead of the crowds, as many had the same idea when I left the metal hall.

Many take these festivals for granted and think they’ll last forever, yet the sad fact is they’ll only keep growing with the support in which its given.

There was no doubt that this years Soundwave was the biggest and best I’ve seen thus far, yet its up to the fans to keep these festivals alive.

Many are hard pressed to find a festival which can easily satisfy their musical tastes. Thankfully though, Soundwave have shown us even though times that its possible, and with further support from bands and their fans, this festival can only get bigger and better every year.

…oh and on a final note, I wish to acknowledge the pit crew at the front of the metal stage. With all that was going on, they treated the fans with respect and helped them obtaining water when needed and really made the festival more enjoyable with their help. So cheers to you guys, well done.

Review and photos by: Anwar Rizk (black_tooth_grin)

***Click here to view more photos***

More photos coming soon!!!

Thanks to Chris O’ Brien and the team at Soundwave for the passes.