Live Reviews : Metal Obsession’s 6th Birthday @ The Reverence Hotel, Melbourne 05/04/2014

I’ve been with Metal Obsession for a little over a year now. Since my time here, I’ve seen firsthand how much this webzine does for its local scene and just how much work and effort goes into promotion, PR, and the like. As such, when I was given the opportunity to write the live review of Metal Obsession’s prestigious 6th birthday event, it was an honour for me. It was fantastic just to see the sheer amount of support and appreciation all the bands gave Metal Obsession. Throughout the whole night, pretty much every band wished Metal Obsession a happy birthday, and it felt great for me to be a part of, as well.

Located in Footscray, having never been to the Reverence Hotel before, there was a nice, warm atmosphere immediately prevalent to the Rev as soon as you walked in. Decorated in the vein of a traditional pub, its rather humble facade masked a beautiful interior. For the event tonight, both stages in the hotel were used — the Front stage and the Back; the latter of which was hidden away by a small corridor that led to an outside area which then connected to another room. Again, like the front of the Hotel, this small doorway (which included a neat door handle made using a discarded neck segment of a guitar) led to a wide room that was larger than the Front room.

Metal Obsession Turns 6

Opening the night were Orchestrating the Damned, who emerged on stage at 5 o’clock to an already impressive turnout. While the Front room was indeed rather small, I think this worked to its benefit. It got you closer to the bands, and in the case of bands like Septerrus, Jack the Stripper, and Lo!, the space was used to its full extent.  While I’ll probably cop a bit of flak for this one, I did feel however that the sound in the Front room was a bit too loud in my opinion. Where the sound in the Back came through perfect, the small enclosed space that made up the Front, coupled with the overly massive speakers adjacent either side the stage, made the listening experience at times a bit unpleasant; and I was forced to buy earplugs where usually it isn’t an issue for me. That gripe aside though, Orchestrating the Damned served as an excellent opener for the day. With distortion pumping through their set, the good response the band received was heightened by the crimson lighting that saturated the band. With a great rhythm section, the expert technical riffing of the twin guitarists was quite a thing to see. There was good contrast between the two of them. While both technically inclined, Sam felt more ‘freeflow’ as he’d windmill and play around with his frets, while Ayden “Pez” Perry was all business and craft; he’d stare hard at his picking technique and ensured he never once missed a note. It was awesome to watch. Ending on a high note, their breakdowns got a fair few people going and they were used in the set in a way that felt refreshing.

With consecutive 30 minute bills across both stages, taking up front-and-centre at the Back stage at 5.30 were Melbourne death/grindcore band, Stoning. With hoarse vocals and a driving rhythm, Stoning played very well. The band were all work and no play for the most part, with the drummer Brian O’Dwyer jokingly making the comment, ‘We’re one of those bands that are really entertaining between songs; as you can see’, sarcastically referencing how they’d jump from track to track with little filler in between. The guys put on a good set, and considering how short each bands set had to be for time’s sake, they made the most of it, still cracking jokes every now and then like when O’Dwyer said, ‘buy a tee for your mum and dad for ten bucks!’ And having briefly spoken to vocalist Nathan Roberts afterwards, enthusiastically telling him ‘ good set’, they were nice blokes and appreciated the feedback from fans.

Septerrus. I remember when I first reviewed these guys debut album Tacit late last year. It was a solid and consistent record, but seeing them live was even better than listening to the studio recordings. Septerrus put on one of the more memorable sets of the evening, with vocalist Ben “Nuben” O’Brien like a rabid animal driving the magnetic and energetic force of his band behind him. Septerrus was downright entertaining. Nuben would continually leap off stage to run around the space next to the front row, screaming lyrics at the patrons assembled there. It was quite hysterical. While the stage was small, Septerrus made the most of it. One of the highlights had to be when Nuben announced this ‘next song’s a drinking song!’ before he and the other guys proceeded to simultaneously folk dance. Nuben and the boys would continually crack jokes and give each other crap, with Nuben saying he ‘can’t sing’, followed by guitarist James “Jimbo” Munro’s joking remark, ‘He really can’t! There’s a lot of anger in this man!’ Closing on a great note, Septerrus performed awesome covers of both Pantera‘s “I’m Broken” and At the Gates‘ “Blinded By Fear”.

In Malice’s Wake were fucking amazing. That’s the first thing I have to say. Thrash metal at its absolute finest, these guys just killed it. With a good three rows of solid headbanging and windmilling, this statement was clearly shared by not only me. Shaun Farrugia is both commanding and fearsome, and with their gorgeously metallic solo’s, In Malice’s Wake‘s enthralling stage presence blew you away before continually drawing you back in. With smoke machines going, their solid melodies and riffs, coupled by the vocals and drumming made them a formidable force on stage, and they play with a level of expertise that sets them above many currently in the scene.

Next up on the roster was Watchtower. While at first attracting a smaller crowd, it quickly filled out once these guys’ groove really kicked off. This is sludge at its most distinct and interesting. Having never seen Watchtower before this, they were a lovely surprise and were one of the highlights of the day for me. With fuzz to the max, their droning beat was both melodic and understated; further overlaid by raspy, harsh vocals courtesy of Nico Guijt that pulled you in. There was a brilliance to the simplicity of their sound, and that brilliance translated well to their live set, with Watchtower as taken by the music as the crowd.

This was my second time seeing Myridian live (I caught them the first time at Feast of Metal II), and it must be said that they never cease to amaze me. Their sound is just incredible, and while five guys on stage can quickly become crowded, I think the closeness of the members of the band to one another worked in their favour. It made the experience all the more personal and engaging, with their melodic doom undeniably capturing the imagination. Felix Lane is such a powerful vocalist, and the band’s melancholic gem “Veil of Sorrow” was mesmerising. Myridian excel at atmospheric doom and their sound was both sorrowful and magnificent.

Agonhymn were a really interesting addition to the day. Consisting of only two members — Dav Byrne and Liam Brewer — Agonhymn were for the most part an instrumental act; only very occasionally using vocals. It was a unique approach, but one I enjoyed. With slow doom-riffic drum lines and guitar licks, Agonhymn were very different from any other band I saw on the day. It did, however, at times feel a tad repetitive with the sound not deviating all that much between notes. I do wish they’d experimented a bit more with it. Still their unusual method was a cool way of doing things, with the main singer’s vocals heavily distorted and echoing through the use of various foot pedals. And when Agonhymn were heavy, they were heavy.

A Million Dead Birds Laughing. The name alone intrigued me. The band themselves were just as intriguing. Like a mix of genres thrown into a blender, the unusual time signatures in their music, added by the hefty weight of Darren Leslie’s insanely deep growls made for a really neat sound. Leslie was an unassuming beast. Sounding like just a regular friendly guy when he was talking with the crowd and looking relatively unintimidating up on stage, the last thing I expected were the monstrous growls that followed. The man was an absolute monster behind the mic, serving to drive the mighty engine that was the band.

With a punk mentality, there was an almost hardcore sound to Jack the Stripper‘s music. Sporting a mini mullet, vocalist Luke Frizon charged around the venue like a lunatic; at a couple stages, getting up on the speaker to the left before leaping into the crowd, and at another hilariously bringing a box out to the floor only to stand on it and scream into a guy’s face. Under the flickering blue strobe lights, Jack the Stripper were every bit as over-the-top and crazy as you’d expect. Frizon would constantly coax people closer and encouraged a great amount of crowd chanting; later getting everyone to welcome Adam, the band’s newest guitarist and his first show as we were told. Everyone happily obliged. Jack the Stripper easily stole the award for craziest act of the night, and it was brilliant.

With a Muppet soft toy hanging off the drum kit of crazed-puppet drummer Animal, Rise of Avernus were set to take the Back stage by storm next. Like Myridian, this was the second time catching this band live (having also seen them at Feast), and I was just as amazed and blown away by them as the first time I saw them. Perhaps the best way I could describe this band is that they’re hauntingly beautiful. One of the best things about Rise of Avernus is that they work as an ensemble piece; each member musically and vocally complementing the next, all-in-all producing just a gorgeous, melodic, and of course doom-y experience. With the interesting addition of saxophonist Wayne Rigby on the night, not only did he perform excellently on track “Embrace the Mayhem” (of where he is featured on their debut album, L’appel Du Vide), but he also performed alongside the band on many of their other tracks as well — helping forge a really awesome and unique listening experience. The contrast of symphonic doom metal and jazz-blues undertones. I don’t think there’s any band quite like Rise of Avernus in the scene today, and the twin vocal assault of Daniel Warrington and Ben van Vollenhoven is some of the best I’ve seen or heard. Rise of Avernus are incredibly talented, and having had the pleasure of meeting keyboardist and vocalist Catherine Guirguis after the show, they’re also lovely, friendly people as well with a genuine appreciation for their fans.

Lo! were the second last act of the night. And man, let me tell you, these guys were good! Bathed in blue light, Lo! possessed an infectious and youthful energy that translated perfectly to their set; with catatonic-inducing riffs and a relentless fury to match. Complemented by an excellent melody, soaring over the pounding and brutal rhythms were vocalists Sam Dillon’s pained screams. The crowd response was excellent with people everywhere cheering and whistling. Lo! were perhaps the perfect band for those who had been drinking all day long and had been waiting for a moment to let go and tear shit up. With strong breakdowns that got the whole pit headbanging, their raw and unbridled assault carried throughout their whole set, with Dillon knowing how to perfectly rouse a crowd. ‘Thanks very much guys,’ Dillon went on to say, ‘We’ve been Lo! You’ve been fucking amazing all day!’

And here we are, the closing act of the night, Melbourne’s one and only melodic death metallers, Be’lakor! Hilariously all donning party hats at the start, vocalist George Kosmas announced the lucky winners of the raffle draw, which included tickets to both Morbid Angel‘s and Carcass‘ upcoming Australian gigs, as well as some good ol’ merch. Noting he had a soar throat, Kosmas went on to say afterwards, ‘…but hey this metal, so we’ll make it through alright’. And honestly, if you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t be able to tell. Considered melodeath royalty in Australia, it wasn’t hard to see why after tonight. Be’lakor sounded incredible, with the Rev pulling out all the stops for the final gig of the night: smoke machines, various lighting and effects, and so forth. And it completely paid off. Be’lakor‘s set was one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve been to. The band looked like they were having a blast, and there was such an energy exuding from the crowd — no doubt in part due to excitement building up over the past several hours.

As the band wished Metal Obsession a happy birthday, it was followed by the crowd all singing ‘happy birthday’. Be’lakor owned the stage and the crowd adored it, with people everywhere you looked cheering, headbanging, and all with smiles firmly on their lips. The pit erupted with this manic, rapturous presence. This was only helped by the power, menace, and malign melodies that make up Be’lakor‘s sound; all of which translated perfectly to the crowd. Continually throwing up the horns, Be’lakor made what I like to call a ‘horn-pump’ (basically a fist pump with horns); the whole pit would be full of people throwing up the horns in time with the band.

Coated in hues of green, blue, and red, Be’lakor sounded as good live as their albums, and by the end of the night it wasn’t hard to see why they’re one of Australia’s metal gems. As Kosmas once more coaxed the pit into a state of ecstasy, the flashing white lights gave the band an almost larger than life feeling which only added to their stage presence. Likely being the bands last tour in 2014 before they hide themselves away to work on the next record, Be’lakor gave Melbourne a special treat. We were the first people to hear the band play the track “Absit Omen” off their latest album, Of Breath and Bone, live. And it was rad! As the hour-long set came to a close, Kosmas cried out to the crowd, ‘Thanks guys. You’ve been fucking amazing!’ as the venue was filled with the Stonecutters song “We Do” from The Simpsons which everyone joyously performed.

I had an absolute blast at Metal Obsession’s 6th birthday gig, and I can’t wait now for next years to roll around! I’d like to thank all the bands who were a part of the day for putting on amazing sets and giving it your all. You guys killed it!

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