Lamb of God

w/ DevilDriver, Shadows Fall, High on Fire

Riverstage, Brisbane – 11th December 2009

High on Fire started the night’s metal proceedings, with the Californian trio bringing an interesting multifaceted take on metal to the table. At first glance (or erm, listen) they appear to be fairly generic, and in dire need of learning a few new riffs. But they soon reveal a bluesy, Southern sludge metal undertone – mildly ironic, as they hail from the land of fake tan and ratty hair extensions.

Having only 3 members, High on Fire’s dynamic is a little different from the other bands we’ll see on stage tonight, as the guitars seem to be played around the drums, rather than in layers or any form of synthesis. Their beat and rhythm are oddly dance-able, as if the cast of True Blood had accidentally stumbled into a metal show.

Brian Fair and his 50,000 feet of hair soon make their way to the stage, along with the rest of the band collectively known as Shadows Fall. Opening with Thoughts Without Words, Fair soon gets the windmill action happening, alternating between swinging his hair, and swinging the mic. The PA isn’t what it could be tonight, as the vocals sometimes dim throughout Still I Rise and King of Nothing.

Regardless of the PA glitches, the band go on to dedicate Destroyer of Senses to the late Dimebag, and the thousands of Pantera shirts in attendance simultaneously wet their pants in glee. Shadows Fall then slide into A Public Execution, opening up the pit and making a call to arms, including ‘the guy taking a shit in the porta-john’ as Mr. Fair so articulately puts it.

The band then whips the crowd into even more of a frenzy, with chants of ‘Shadows Motherfucking Goddamn Fall’, before closing the set with The Light That Blinds. Whether you love Shadows Fall, or you’d rather suffer an enema than see them live, there’s no denying that Brian Fair oozes stage presence, right down to the ends of his abnormally long dreadlocks.*sigh*  If only the other members got half as much attention.

he PA problems continue throughout the night, as DevilDriver make their way to the stage, only to be plagued by shrill feedback. As they work their way through songs such as Pray for Villains, Clouds over California, Fate Stepped In, I Could Care Less, Before the Hangman’s Noose, and Meet the Wretched, Dez Fafara’s screams often produce absolutely horrid high pitched squeals from the sound system, overshadowing what was otherwise a solid performance. He doesn’t seem to let it get to him however, and showcases his sense of humour throughout the set – remarking on the overly pungent aroma of weed in the outdoor venue.

Having seen Lamb of God some 10 months earlier at Soundwave, it was nothing compared to the spectacular they’re putting on tonight. With ramps and raised areas, layered backdrop and an insane light show, Lamb of God are definitely moving up in the world of metal. Next time they visit our shores, don’t be surprised if they bring pyrotechnics and rotating drumkits.

The pretty colours and lights aren’t enough to tide the crowd over, however, and they soon begin chanting ‘BULLSHIT BULLSHIT BULLSHIT’ after a false start from the band. When they eventually do make the stage, all is forgiven, with Randy Blythe poking fun at the chants later in the set. The earlier PA problems seem to dissipate, and the band members are ready and on point for some genuine asskicking.

If ever there were an appropriate time to use the word ‘blistering’, now is that time. Opening up with In Your Words, and sliding into Set to Fail and Walk With Me In Hell, Blythe’s vocals are gloriously harsh and brutal. Guitarists Mark Morton, Willie Adler and John Campbell are nothing but proficient, as is Chris Adler, though hidden by the light up drumkit.

Tonight’s setlist is a nice mix of old and new tracks, though the band seem to heavily favour their last 3 albums: melting faces and granny undies with Now You’ve Got Something to Die For, Ruin, Hourglass, Dead Seeds, Omerta, Grace, Broken Hands, Contractor and Reclamation. In a move of total irony, they dedicate Laid to Rest to the marriage of Devildriver drummer John Boecklin – probably not the best well wishes.

Whenever a band tours Australia, they’re always obliged to spew some bullshit remark about how Down Under is their favourite place to tour, which they would probably regurgitate even when touring Kazakhstan. But when Lamb of God say that, they really fucking mean it, as Randy quips ‘you may be a bunch of filthy fucking bogans, but you’re OUR filthy fucking bogans’. He also muses on how we’re so quick to talk shit, bringing up how the crowd were ‘chanting bullshit before we even got on stage’.

As they move to close the set with Redneck and Black Label, the band do one of the most bizarre things I’ve witnessed at a show, and encourage people to throw their shoes in the air. And to their surprise, people actually do it. A hundred shoes make their way through the air, into the pit, and on stage, and Randy screeches ‘you’re all going home barefoot tonight’ before departing.  Much of the crowd leave shirtless, shoeless and sweaty as hell, but it was totally worth it