Live Reviews : Napalm Death & Carcass @ HiFi Bar, Brisbane 19/04/2015
Words: Jake Patton
Images: Laine Allen
With an abundance of touring acts coming out this year, I have heard from a lot of my friends that they are unsure about which shows to go to and support. However I did not have this discussion once the Carcass and Napalm Death “Deathcrusher” tour was announced with most of them scrambling to get tickets as soon as possible for what could quite possibly be the double headliner of the year for Australia.
Upon arriving at the Hi-Fi bar before doors opened, I got an idea of what the crowd for the rest of the night was going to be like. I was no longer surprised that this show sold out Melbourne and Sydney before tonight and also exhausted tickets for the Wellington show on the upcoming New Zealand leg. Fans varied from veterans of the scene, to the young and relative newcomers who just wanted to come and have a good night, all queued in a sprawling line that led towards the front doors of the Hi-Fi Bar.
Perth’s Extortion were first cab off the rank for the night. Without mincing words they came out like a bullet and played a brutal type of extreme metal that was very in your face. Their entire set played like it was a complete album back to front, with no banter from band members to the crowd, and this worked well for them. The musicianship was tight, however the drumming throughout the entire set was phenomenal and at times carried the rest of the band. During their final song we were treated to a surprise, with none other but the man himself, Napalm Death’s Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway helping out on split vocal duties. It was a fitting way to close out the Australian run of dates of the tour for the Western Australian locals.
Now, having seen Carcass three times since their tour of Australia in last June, I was really excited to be seeing them for a fourth time in under 12 months. I know that might seem overboard, but there has not been any other band that I have seen that every time gives me the same chills live every time, whether that be on a local stage like the Hi-Fi, or in front of thousands performing at Wacken, they always manage to do it for me.
As the lights dropped and the introduction “1985” started, the crowd lit up. Their set opened with monster tracks “For Human Consumption Unfit” and “Buried Dreams” that managed to get the crowd moving along quickly. Following the opening onslaught the crowd is treated to some comedic words from frontman and bassist Jeff Walker commenting on how well behaved the crowd has been for not taking photos on their phones and for leaving that to the photographers, at which point he invited the photographers to stay in the front for their entire set. It is these back and forth jibes between the band and the crowd which adds to the appeal of seeing Carcass live for me. Each and every time you go, you are never certain of what you are going to hear or see. Jeff can go from smiling comedian with his cheshire cat grin in-between songs, to a scowling monster in seconds when the music starts in a truly brilliant Jekyll-Hyde fashion.
There is no other guitarist that I have seen play that plays with more flair, composure and style than Bill Steer. There is something so very classy and perfect, yet refreshingly simple to what he does and tonight is no different. I could watch him and counterpart Ben Ash play for days with their back and forth leads. Dan Wilding does a great job setting the tempo from behind the drum kit too, but he largely stays hidden for most of the night.
While playing most of the songs that were played last June, the band has done a good job restructuring the set so that those that had come out to both shows were treated to something which sounded different from the last time. Closing with the ever classic “Heartwork” is simply the icing on the cake on this set.
Having never seen Napalm Death live before, I always wondered how their recorded sound would translate into a live performance, especially considering that these guys have songs that only last for a minute, seconds, or even one second. I wasn’t disappointed. Barney Greenway is incredible as the frontman and puts in probably the most effort I have seen from a performer in this genre. I’ve never seen a vocalist exert themselves so much singing that they essentially turned purple in the face, but he almost got there a few times over the course of the night.
In the intervals of most songs the fans got some insight into the meanings of the next track from Barney, whether it be an anti-political statement or a motivational speech about your right to be who you want to be, it brought another layer to the show and brought the crowd further into the music. Not that they needed to be brought further in with crowdsurfers continually going over the one to two rows of heads at the barrier the entire set.
Like their music, the set was short and fast, with what I could only guess to be between 18-20 songs crammed into an hour long set and before you knew it the band had left the stage and the night had come to an end.
When all was said and finally done, Deathcrusher was an apt name for this tour, considering I spent most of the night being crushed against the metal barricade at the front. But it was worth it to see two of the most influential bands of the more extreme genres of metal. For many this will be tour of the year, and it currently is for me, but we have been served up so much already this year that who knows what else might wash up on our shores this year.
About Jake Patton
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