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THE ETERNAL

‘Kartika’ Album Launch
w/ Worms of the Earth and Arbrynth

The East Brunswick Club – Melbourne, 13th December, 2008.

***View more photos by clicking here***

The sparsely populated room early in the night was a major misrepresentation of the quality of music on offer at The East Brunswick Club this December eve. In the middle of three days of solid Melbourne rain, The Eternal, Worms of the Earth and Arbrynth braved the puddle strewn roadways and chilly weather to drink their sorrows away at the launch party of The Eternal’s latest epic ‘Kartika’.

The night kicked off with the up and coming Melbourne band Arbrynth. With only a handful of shows under their belt, to bard-like quartet are fast gaining a solid following through folk ridden harmonies, soloing moments and crystal clear live sound. Opening with Passage to Dawn, and continuing on with their 30 or so minute repertoire of songs including my favourite, ‘The Raven’. This band has many magical moments in their set, none more so than when they gets a tri-vocal attack going, breathtaking.

Fellow locals Worms of the Earth were up next. My knowledge of them extends to their split EP release with Brisbane band The Surrogate (Read review here). Playing a fusion of grungy stoner doom and progressive death metal. While sometimes falling into mono-tonal repetitions to the new listener, I found myself getting right into the music during a couple of their songs. The only sticking point I had with their set was the vocals were mixed either badly given they were at ear bleedage levels, or that they are simply not as good as on the bands recordings. But anyway, the bass player had a king beard so it was win enough!

After quickly nipping down Lygon Street to grab a dodgy kebab – who would have thought a kebab could taste like citrus – we made it back to the venue just in time to see The Eternal walk on stage.

The title track of the new album, Kartika provided a typically moody intro for the band to hit the stage, following it up with the following track from the album, Self Inflicted. This more up tempo song was just what the crowd needed, and another new track Without Reason continued in this vein to bring some smiles all round.

The Eternal are always a pleasure to see live, and despite the average turnout, this was no exception. In fact, the relaxed atmosphere meant for an overall more entertaining set, with the band happy to spend time chatting to the crowd between songs, at one stage even having a tongue in cheek crack at Teramaze for canceling their appearance. The Melbournians then took a step back into the past with A Cruel Misfortune from their debut album, The Sombre Light of Isolation. The building guitar melody in this track is perfect for the live environment, and had even the most stiff of necks gently rocking back and forth. Everlasting, probably their best song off their second was up next, but there was no doubt what song the crowd really wanted to hear…

When Kartika was released only a few months ago, there was one track which stood out in just about everyones mind – Blood. This epic bastard of a song came across great live, with the rising chant of “blood, Blood BLOOD BLOOOD” sending tingle down a few spines. ‘Lost Our Way’ and the self titled ‘The Eternal’ were next, followed by the oh so melodramatic track Down (that’s a good thing, right?).

Silence, the opening track off the new album finished off the set to general satisfaction. Such satisfaction in fact, that the band were convinced to come back on stage for an encore, which they forewarned against given they hadn’t practiced anything else. But being the troopers that they are, they managed to pull themselves together for a rendition of Soul Undone from the album Sleep of Reason. Giving the crowd one last chance for a head bang, before being sent back out into the cold, wet summer streets of Melbourne.

THE ETERNAL MELBOURNE ALBUM LAUNCH SETLIST: Saturday 13th December, 2008
Kartika
Means for and Ending
Self Inflicted
Without Reason
Everlasting
Blood
Lost Our Way
The Eternal
Down
Silence
————-
A Soul Undone

Reviewed by Brendan Amos and Mathew Boelsen.
Photos by Scott Boelsen.