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Live Reviews : Disturbed & Twelve Foot Ninja @ Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne 12/11/2016

By on November 14, 2016

Words: Bailey Graham

Photos: Cameron Stewart

(Click here to view the full gallery)

In what was set to be an attendance record-breaking night, American heavy metal titans Disturbed were to set to make their eager return to Australian shores after a sorely missed five-year absence. A sold-out Melbourne crowd gathered en mass outside Margaret Court Arena to witness what could be considered a gateway band for many young metalheads. Along for the ride were Australia’s own fusion-metal heroes Twelve Foot Ninja, whose unstoppable work ethic and dedication to their craft have now presented them with the opportunity of a lifetime. Lights and pyrotechnics surround the stage as the ten thousand plus crowd are ready to give their blood, sweat, and tears.

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Twelve Foot Ninja

Twelve Foot Ninja took to the stage with an incredible amount of confidence and professionalism, wasting no time in delivering their unique take on heavy music to the masses below. It was clear that very few of the relatively young crowd knew who these guys were, but after such a performance, no one will be leaving the venue without their name firmly imprinted in their minds. Although only two albums into their career, Twelve Foot Ninja’s incredibly catchy discography provided enough material for the crowd to lose their mind to. For the few hardcore Ninja fans in the pit, fan-favourites “Shuriken”, “Invincible” & “Coming For You” saw the first mosh pit of the night open as unsuspecting Disturbed fans were enveloped in the chaos and carnage of Twelve Foot Ninja’s addictive grooves and crushing riffs.

As the lights dimmed and the stage’s area opened, the majestic drum kit of Mike Wengren stood before a plethora of pyrotechnic blasters and stages lights, ready to amaze the audience around them. Guitarist Dan Donegan made his way onto the stage as his sublime guitar tones echoed through the arena in “Eye of The Storm”, moments before the remaining members made their way onto the stage for “Immortalized”. Disturbed’s setlist itself was an incredibly diverse mix of fan-favourites, new material and even a couple of B-sides. There was not a single person I met that night that was unsatisfied with the night’s setlist. From the impactful “The Vengeful One” and “Stricken” to the softer additions of “The Light” and “Darkness”, fans were witnessing something truly incredible that night. For many, their hopes had been achieved when the band’s performance of their hugely popular cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” hit their ears. An encore performance of “Voices”, “Ten Thousand Fists” & “Down with The Sickness” ensured that no one was left with energy by the end of the night, as pits engulfed the floor and crowd surfers flooded the front barrier.

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Disturbed

In terms of overall sound quality, Disturbed were as on top of their game as ever, with hardly a single fault to state. The low-end brilliance of Jon Moyer was complimented beautifully by Wengren’s impeccably timed drumming. Donegan’s guitar playing soared across the arena, as his crisp tone struck a chord with all punter’s hearts. In the end, the vocal delivery of David Draiman was one that has been most criticised and praised during live shows, but his delivery could only be met with praise from the Melbourne crowd.

Not much could be said about the night’s proceeding except for this – Disturbed and Twelve Foot Ninja had a lot to prove when being presented with the record-breaking crowd before them, and they delivered without fault. No strangers to supporting some of the biggest names in the scene, Twelve Foot Ninja gave the crowd forty-five minutes of pure excitement and catchy hooks, and there is no doubt in my mind that they have left Margaret Court Arena with many new fans in tow. For the headliners of the night, Disturbed may have just put on one of the most exciting and entertaining live shows of the year, and when comparing it to some of the massive acts that have visited our shores in recent months, is certainly saying a lot. I think I speak for all Disturbed fans who were in attendance when I say that after a performance like that, they better not take another five years to visit our shores, as once more, we have been inflicted with ‘The Sickness’, and we want more.

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Disturbed