Live Reviews : Cradle of Filth, Advent Sorrow, Claim The Throne @ Metropolis, Perth 12/05/2013

For a Sunday evening, Metropolis in Fremantle was alive. The bloodstock of youthful and mature metal heads lined up on the side pavements like junior scholars waiting for the recess bell except these folks were anticipating a show. Not just any show but a demonstration of the macabre and grotesque beauty of headliners Cradle of Filth, their handpicked supporting band Advent Sorrow and the crowd aficionado Claim The Throne.

Inside the venue, the merchandise stands are at full promotional force while the bar takes advantage of its beer thirsty customers. Men in collared white shirts and black trousers guard the side stage with chrome gates protecting the front stage.

Within minutes, Perth band Advent Sorrow took to the platform. Their primitive clothes, corpse paint and skeletal props set the tones of an ominous atmosphere. Lead vocalist, Rhys King bellows into the microphone rousing the crowd. With no immediate crowd reaction, Advent Sorrow began oozing riffs and working their way into an absolute tight set list with tracks from their debut release Before The Dimming Light. Having recently performed at Hammersonic Jakarta International Metal Festival, being featured on a Terrorizer magazine compilation and getting chosen by Cradle Of Filth as a supporting act, Advent Sorrow has gained an intense reputation for being seasoned musicians. Remaining true to that ideal, the band put a lot of lusting blood into their performance at Metropolis but the audience reacted scantily to the axes being wielded on stage. Nonetheless the crowd was watching and waiting for the British headliner.

Before the headliner, Claim The Throne got up on the platform to facilitate the crowd. They might not be as black metal as Advent Sorrow or as symphonic as Cradle Of Filth but the Perth based band is a definite powerhouse of entertainment.  Vocalist Brendon Capriotti and Bass player Jim Parker sparked enough humour, inside jokes and sporadic activity to keep the crowds spirits afloat. Despite their jovial characters; Claim The Throne had a serious neck breaking set that consisted of shuddering deep vocals entwined with folk elements and concentrated skittering on the guitars. The band went through a few tracks off their release Triumph And Beyond spinning the crowd into their web of mead and metal.

Finally, the grand entrance of Cradle Of Filth as the band members made their way to the stage.  Opening their set list with “Tragic Kingdom”, lead vocalist Dani Filth instantaneously fed off the crowd’s energy. Metropolis began to buzz and the diehard fans pushed their way to the front of the venue to bask in the darkness of Cradle Of Filth. The set list comprised of the favoured and highest ranked tracks throughout Cradle Of Filth’s discography so far, like “For Your Vulgar Delectation” to “Nymphetamine”.  With a bestial tight performance being given on the platform, the crowd gradually spilled into a mosh. The vigorous Dani Filth hurdled around the stage arousing the crowd with a simple wave of the hand. His performance was immaculate with his incredible vocal range except for the outrageously intense pig squealing that was heard on every track at every opportunity. Guitarists, Paul Allender and James Mcllroy kept the spinal chords in check with their lashing guitar hooks.  Bass player, Daniel Firth got lost in the background between the bevvy of corpse paint and skin bashing although jetlag is to blame. Martin Škaroupa’s thunderous drumming complimented the ethereal sounds from Lovecraft’s keys. It was at the end of “The Forest Whispers My Name” that Metropolis began chanting “Cradle! Cradle!” when Dani Filth re-appeared on stage to begin an encore where he just mentioned that he had forgotten where he was. Even when the house lights turned on and a 2013 tour with Cradle Of Filth was complete – the crowd in Metropolis refused to move because they were left wanting more of that teeth-gnashing brutality.  Let’s hope that WA, Australia gets to catch the grotesque beautiful Cradle Of Filth in the near future for more ferocious appearances.

Photos courtesy of Gavin Maclean.

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