Live Reviews : Trivium, Orpheus Omega & Polaris @ Roundhouse, Sydney 16/04/2016

Words: Douglas Skene

Images: Harry Vincent

(Click here to view the full gallery)

There’s no doubt that Trivium is a divisive band in terms of a following with many people dismissing them for their “Boat Rudder, Strange Mountain” vocals or their shifting aesthetic over the years. I have tried to accept them as young guys trying to find their identity and just enjoying being along for the ride if where they take me is a place I enjoy and it’s been 9 years since I last saw them live – I was ready to be re-Triviumed.

The first opener, Polaris, must have slipped under my radar (or perhaps my head has been buried under a rock since 2012) as a bit of pre-show research showed they have a sizeable fanbase and a manifold of releases under their belt. Their sound was typical Rise Records fare refined to an expert level. There was high energy on stage from the start of the show as the band crushed the audience with a breakdown laden, slightly djenty sound that featured exchanging brutal vocals from the band’s lead vocalist and melodic soaring vocals from the band’s bassist (who had that clear, thin high tone synonymous with this subgenre’s sound – really strong voice reminding me of ‘I See Stars’). The riffs were girthy and the leads melodic yet technical. Didn’t feel like anything overtly original but quite a surprise for me actually, great band!

Orpheus Omega, the second opener, and the band that had been sharing the stage with Trivium the whole tour, are Australia’s answer to Dark Tranquillity and the melodic melodeath bands that seemed typical of late 90’s and early 00’s. This band executes the style with pure conviction and put on a bloody great show. The frontman Chris Themelco has a unique stage presence in that he is rather whimsical and lighthearted without falling into the full-blown silly category. The keytar would be sure to get people talking, and while it does provide a rightful place of adding some sheen and extra melodic reinforcement, it was occasionally a bit weedy and thin sounding as was the whole mix especially for OO with the sub-bass from the bass and kick drum sound eating up all the clarity in the mix. The crowd certainly ate up their show and I am pretty sure there are some new Sydney fans for the guys.

The big dogs setting up the vibe from the very start, it’s clear with Iron Maiden opening the proceedings, the boys want to show that they are a ‘metal’ band with a capital Halford. Any gestures like this are unnecessary for me as their music speaks volumes for itself. As the Ihsahn composed ‘Snøfall’ filled the room, I had goosebumps in preparation for hearing some ‘Silence in the Snow’ material which for me was one of the very top albums of 2015. Huge, epic sing-along ensued – as did a very eager pit of sweaty pumped Sydney-siders. Heafy et al were here to kick our skulls in.

It seems no two Trivium fans are the same, some having been fans since the early ‘Ember to Inferno’ days and some just hearing about the band from ‘Vengeance Falls’ onwards. This setlist was a superb cross section from the full discography that would have had everyone happy. Hit after hit from the band’s back catalogue decimated our faces and necks; encouraged periodically by Matt’s hype talk to make us motivated to be the #1 crowd of the Australian tour. We were in battle to scream the loudest, whip our hair the craziest, and to pump our firsts and horns like in Matt’s own words: “crazy motherfuckers up in this bitch.” The songs were just monolithic.

I seemed to notice a bit of a pattern for the live performance though that despite the songs from album #4 ‘Shogun’ being some of my favourite tunes as a prog metal fan, some of the technicality gets a bit lost in the live echo and ambience leaving the simpler fast songs on ‘Ascendancy’ and the more controlled anthems of ‘Silence in the Snow’ to reign supreme.

I can’t imagine a disappointed soul in the house. This was a phenomenal metal show, and I will be sure to have my ticket lined up for the next time they hit our shores. I urge anyone to see Trivium next time they’re in town for a seasoned band filled with youthful energy traversing the many metal landscapes that make up their identity, which is as clear as ever now.

Highlights for me were ‘Rain’, ‘Blind Leading the Blind’, ‘Kirisute Gomen’, ‘Until the World Goes Cold’, and ‘In Waves’.

Trivium’s Setlist:

From tape:

Run to the Hills (Iron Maiden)

Main Set:

Snøfall

1. Silence in the Snow

2. Into the Mouth of Hell We March

3. Strife

4. Rain

5. Blind Leading the Blind

6. Anthem (We Are the Fire)

7. Built to Fall

8. Like Light to the Flies

(Stopped briefly to assist injured fan)

9. Dying in Your Arms

10. Requiem

11. Throes of Perdition

12. Kirisute Gomen

13. Down from the Sky

14. Until the World Goes Cold

15. Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr

16. Drum Solo

Encore:

From tape:

Capsizing the Sea

17. In Waves

From tape:

Ace of Spades (Motörhead)

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