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Live Reviews : Ye Gods Of Metal @ New Globe Theatre, Brisbane 04/12/2016

By on December 6, 2016

Images: Rebecca Reid
Words: Jake Patton

If there was ever a time to get out and support local music or bands, now is the time. In the void that Soundwave has left there have been numerous Boutique and smaller festivals or full-day events that have popped up which local fans look forward to all year around. Melbourne has Higgo’s Heavy Cherry, Progfest and Hell on the Bay; Sydney has Steel Assasins, and Brisbane has Wizardsfire and Ye Gods of Metal festival. Its really a true credit to the organisers and promotors for these shows, who not only manage to get the best local talent from their home cities, but also grab interstate acts, and shine light onto lesser known acts that just might be the next big thing? Why is this important? Because it is what is giving Australia one of the most burgeoning metal scenes in the world!

Rise of Avernus

Rise of Avernus

Springing into Ye Gods of Metal on the weekend an hour after doors opened on the weekend, you would be surprised to know that this was just a local show. The place was already packed at 1:30pm in the afternoon, and while I only caught the tail end of Kareulean, I saw enough to know that if this was what was starting the day, then it was going to be a great day. Heading around to the theatre stage next I caught Saralisse, and boy oh boy, these are a band you need to throw on your radar if you like your folk, power or fantasy metal. Soaring riffs, matching stage outfits, humour, and a cover of “Danger Zone’ – these guys had the crowd moving very early in the day, and that’s something that very few bands could boast. Now all they need to do is get their album out! Fragments, Massic, Serene and Pig Mouth all put in pretty solid sets and as each band took to the stage you could see the crowds gradually getting larger and larger.

Awaken Solace played a pretty routine set, and just keep the momentum building ahead of the release of their second album, and Lavidius showed that even though they may have had a recent lineup change that they are still as strong as ever.

Amicable Treason are a band that just simply shreds. The amount of International support slots these guys have snagged recently is a true testament to their musical ability and the intensity that they bring to their shows, and when you see it live there’s little reason not to love it – because it hits you hard in the face like a freight train.

The Black Swamp performed to one of the largest crowds all day, and even though their set was only 7 songs long, they had fans moshing, moving and singing along with them. The southern sludgy style that these guys are renowned for obviously hit the right chords with most of the crowd, and it wouldn’t have taken much from the band for this to be a great performance in many eyes on the night.

Witchgrinder

Witchgrinder

Taking a quick chance to get some food I missed Symbolic Weapon, but the crowd leaving their performance looked to be big enough that it packed out the foyer area after the set.

Sydney’s Rise of Avernus definitely brought the goods with their cathartic aural and visceral onslaught. If the blackened corpse paint wasn’t enough to engage you into their world, their music doesn’t take long to do it either – and that’s something that not many bands can boast. Their set was far too short and had me wanting so much more!

Honestly, if there is anyone in Australia that hasn’t heard of Valhalore yet then you need to. If you are in any way Folk, Pagan or Fantasy metal inclined then these guys will literally make you re-evaluate just how good the Australian music scene is when you pair their tracks against some of the bigger bands in those genres. Playing the Theatre stage with a modest amount of space in front of the first row of chairs, the band still managed to have crowd surfers, two (and possibly three) ‘Shield Walls’ of Death, a circle pit, and about half the room in the Theatre Stage packed singing and chanting along to them – not a bad feat for a band that has only been playing live for a year and one week (to the date), and only has a handful of songs to their name. These guys had one of the largest crowds of the night, and didn’t let one moment that they were on stage go to waste. Valhalore is easily one of my favourite bands around at the moment, and if you get the chance to see them live then you need to.

In Death… returned to the stage after recording their latest album in brutal fashion, proving yet again why they are not only one of Brisbane’s, but one of Australia’s best Death Metal exports – and if their performance wasn’t bold enough, then the merch that they were selling for the first time at the show certainly did.

Witchgrinder absolutely stole the show from the minute the Melbournians hit the stage – I couldn’t see one set of eyes in that room that weren’t transfixed on the stage – and having the festival organiser crowd surf to them was something which just brought smiles to everyone there. These guys were most definitely deserving of the headline timeslot they were given and didn’t hold anything back.

chronolyth06

It was a little sad to see a fair few people leave after Witchgrinder’s set (even though it was midnight) and not stick around for Chronolyth, who announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus following the Ye Gods show. As a band that I have followed since the very beginning it was bittersweet watching what could very well be their final performance, but it was great that the boys didn’t rest on any laurels and brought the intensity that they are renowned for to every facet of their show. Having the crowd join them on stage for closer Bitter Reflection really demonstrated the impact that this group has had on the local scene, as the crowd was flooded with fans and members of other bands alike. It’s been a whirlwind four years for the group, and hopefully some day soon they re-group and attack the music scene with a renewed vigour.

Ye Gods of Metal might not be something that is on everyone’s radar at the moment. But with over 500 tickets sold over the promotion of the festival and, including sales on the day itself, it’s only a matter of time before this festival becomes more than just a date in the calendar of the Brisbane locals, but a date that interstate, and one day hopefully international bands, look forward to fixing in their calendars.

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