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Morbid Angel

w/The Ocularis Infernum and Aphotic Dawn

Billboard The Venue – Melbourne, 1st June, 2009.

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In the words of the comic book guy…best gig ever. Well not ever but this gig was definitely up there with some of the best I have ever been to, I am referring to none other than the triumphant return of Morbid Angel after 13 long years (13, how appropriate). The 1st of June 2009 was to mark the date that Morbid Angel returned to Melbourne to put on an amazing show at Billboards with the help of The Ocularis Infernum and Aphotic Dawn.

My first plan of action when entering Billboards is always to jump straight into the merch line as the line is always huge and anything but fast so for the majority of Aphotic Dawn’s set I stood in line. I have seen this band a few times before and they have never really done anything for me, but I think that is just personal taste. I have never been a huge fan of the vocal style, which to me sometimes sounds like a dying pig but that’s not to say that the music itself is bad or that these guys played a bad set. There is obviously no denying that Dan Presland is a great drummer and props must be given to him for churning out two sets, as he is also a member of The Ocularis Infernum. Overall they played well and got a positive response from the audience.

After waiting a little longer than usual for a support band The Ocularis Infernum took the stage where the lead singer was minus about 90% of his once long hair. To me this is always disappointing when a fellow metal head departs with their locks, there is often a good reason for it like trying to enter the corporate world or more appropriately for metal heads a bad case of nits, but none the less it is always upsetting. Again this is a band I have seen numerous times that has never really done anything for me but that being said they are good at what they do.

I find it hard to enjoy the songs as they are so fucking short that the second I start to enjoy one it ends! They have developed quite a following over the years so they were always going to get a good reaction from the audience but it never seems enough for the lead singer. Most shows I have seen them at he gets extremely agitated that the audience aren’t interacting enough which I guess is understandable as they are there to warm up the crowed but sometimes it gets on my nerves. One song they played that I always enjoy was I Inferior which came towards the end of the set and overall they were really tight and played well. Props also must be given to the lead singer as this was the first Ocularis show I have seen where he didn’t get a nose bleed.

After about half an hour of listening to techno, which to me sounds like a jackhammer in my ear, it was finally time for the headlining act Morbid Angel. I had spent the half hour contemplating which song they would open with and I was pleasantly surprised to hear the tell tale signs of Rapture as this was the first Morbid Angel song I ever heard. In the beginning it was extremely fucking loud and I am not sure if my ears just adjusted to it or maybe they turned it down but it seemed to get better throughout the evening. I am not sure if this next statement constitutes blasphemy in the book of metal but prior to this day I had never played Guitar Hero and once I did and failed miserably I told my friend I would definitely have more appreciation for the art of guitar when I saw Morbid Angel that night.

During solos I made sure to look at the side screens as they zoomed in on Trey Azagthoth or Thor Anders Myhren (are they not two of the coolest fucking names you have ever heard) and was pretty blown away. The mood was definitely set for the evening with burning flames, chains, saws etc projected on the back screen through the windows and it has to be said that David Vincent is an excellent front man! It is not hard to tell that this is a band that has been together (despite their line up changes) for 20 years because the dynamics between them and Vincent’s capability to get the best out of the crowed were extremely obvious. Other offerings on the menu were Pain Divine, Maze of Torment, Sworn to the Black and then the live debut of their latest release to the Melbourne audience, Nevermore. The new track comprised all fundamental elements that make a good Morbid Angel song so I have a good feeling about the upcoming album which will inevitably be titled something beginning with ‘I’.

Next up was my highlight of the evening introduced by Vincent as ‘shut the fuck up and get angry with me’ Dawn of the Angry as this is my favourite track off my favourite album Domination and I was so excited to see it followed by Where the Slime Live which was a great track for audience interaction.

There were a few technical difficulties throughout the evening when, during Nevermore, Trey must have broke a string or something as a roadie took his guitar offstage to replace it with a new one and later during Blasphemy Thor experienced a similar problem but in both instances the band continued to play, supported each other as Vincent continued to hype the crowed and pulled through what could have been a much larger fuck up. Other tracks leading up to the end of the evening were Day of Suffering, Bill Ur Sag, Dominate, Immortal Rites, Fall From Grace, Blasphemy, Lord of All Fevers and Plague, Chapel of Ghouls and Blood on my Hands. Finally for the encore was God of Emptiness which really showcased Vincent’s vocal ability which sounded spot on throughout the entire set.

The band left the stage to a highly significant applause for a job well done as they had most definitely made up for their absence over the years which is something Cradle of Filth failed to do last week.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself at this gig and I am so glad that I got the opportunity to see this band as for a while there I was doubting whether I would ever get the chance. For once I think this was a band that took the time to consider which songs to play and design a set list that would please their fans and it most definitely did! The entire band delivered 110% percent and put on a fantastic show that even those who weren’t die hard Morbid Angel fans could enjoy. The venue was pretty packed so I think the show may have come close to selling out and all I can say to those who thought about going but didn’t, big fucking mistake.

For more information on any of the bands visit the following websites;
Morbid Angel – www.myspace.com/morbidangelofficial OR www.morbidangel.com
The Ocularis Infernum – www.myspace.com/theocularisinfernum
Aphotic Dawn – www.myspace.com/aphoticdawn

Review by Holly McBride
Photos by Anwar Rizk