Live Reviews : Absu, Portal, Ruins and more in Melbourne

Absu, Portal, Ruins, Encircling Sea, A Million Dead Birds Laughing @ The East Brunswick Club, Jan 14th 2012

There had been quite a bit of hype around this tour since the very moment it was announced. It’s rare Australia gets bills of this calibre, with perfectly chosen supports, both nationally and locally. And even if this lineup isn’t to your taste, you have to admit, this is not a sure you saw coming. It’s as surprising as they come, and sold out for a reason.

Needless to say, I arrived at the East Brunswick Club (for one of the final times, sadly) nice and early, to find the bar already full of patched denim vests and black metal shirts. After a quick beer purchase I made my way into the band room, to find quirky local death/grind band A Million Dead Birds Laughing kicking things off to only a small handful of people. Thankfully, it picked up as their set went on, and rightfully so. Anybody who was there by the end of their set was lucky enough to witness their new track “Equilibrium” which clocks in (I’m guessing) around the seven minute mark; an epic in AMBDL terms. They’re also a band that never disappoints live. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen them, and always left satisfied. This short but sweet set was no exception, although I do prefer them in a smaller room. Venues like Pony really intensify their intensely frantic sound.

I’ll say up front that Encircling Sea, the second band up, are quite easily one of my favourite Australian bands at the moment. Their last release, the 37-minute track Ecru, is pure brilliance, and their live shows live up that same level of quality. The performance at this show was, I’m guessing, comprised all of newer material, and absolutely drenched in atmosphere. Moving from hypnotising ambient sections through to massive sludge riffs, and a bit of black metal ferocity, Encircling Sea are a must-witness live band. They’re one that know how to fill a room with their sound, and I’m already looking forward to their next live show (Feb 3^rd at Irene’s Warehouse, Brunswick, VIC).

Tasmania’s Ruins, the first of the national supports, are a bit of a hit-and-miss situation for me. While I enjoy their recorded material, the last few times I’ve seen them have been ruined somewhat by a thin mix. Without that think, punchy sound they have on their albums, the touch of groove that really makes their sound for me is lost and they come off sounding more like your garden-variety black metal band. Thankfully, tonight was a different scenario. They had that big, ballsy power behind them, and it was the first time I’ve really enjoyed a set. The vocals sounded especially monstrous, and the new song they performed really caught my ear with an infectious main riff.

It was obvious though, that one of the bands everyone there to see, was the mighty Portal. I’d even go as far as to say more than half the crowd were there more for them, than for the international headliner. With the stage still drenched in red light and smoke, as it had stayed all night, the band kicked into things to a bit response from an absolutely packed room. As they sped through an impeccable set of their unique brand of dissonant, technical extreme metal, it was clear everybody’s gaze was set on vocalist The Curator, and his new outfit. His masked and veiled face, black cloak and jewelled head-dress were creepy enough, but I will never rid those tentacle fingers from my mind. I don’t think anybody will. The intense atmosphere, and unrivalled stage presence made their set truly something special; a ritual and an experience, more than a gig. Looking past all of that though, it was great to hear tracks such as “13 Globes” without the dense, lo-fi production of their albums. The technicality (and number of strings) was much more present, proving that they truly are a great band and not a gimmick. The one question that still sits in my mind is, did Portal actually finish their set? The sudden end, and somewhat aggressive way the guitarist put his guitar down and left the stage first, seems to suggest that there was a broken string or technical problem that ended their set, but I’m yet to find anybody who’s confident either way.

Now, the problem with having Portal on the lineup, and I’m sure I’m not the only person who was thinking this, is that any band playing after them has a serious challenge ahead of them. How do you follow up something so hypnotic?  US-based three-piece Absu never quite invoked the feeling of holy shit I can die happy now but they did well. Their erratic brand of thrashy black metal translated well to the live setting, while being able to actually witness the two vocalists (guitarist and drummer) trading lines highlighted the quality of their overall song-writing, and the fact that they don’t do anything straightforward. Drummer Proscriptor McGovern took the whole “occult metal” title very seriously, yelling his in-between-song-banter in his odd high-pitched squeal using phrases that only somebody in a black metal band could, completed by sharp, controlling hand and arm movements. It was a hard set to fault, with both new and old material played impeccably and a  powerful stage presence. Occasional moments did drag, which wasn’t helped by my unfortunate exhaustion, but it was a high-energy set that I’m glad I witnessed. The room was packed until the final moments, with every head nodding along. Absu did good, but Portal were the band.

But ignoring all of that, my question is: where the hell are all these black metal fans when local gigs are happening?