[LIVE REVIEW] PARASYTES + DISPOSSESSED + CRÊAM SÖDA + EXPOSURE

at Freda’s, Sydney

Wednesday 8^th November 2017

Review by Derek J. Huckel

The crowd was pretty good for a Wednesday night in this relatively unknown hidden gem. Usually an art cafe / restaurant, this venue has been seconded for some punk rawk, like tonight...

First up was Exposure were a great slice of 80’s post punk, ala Joy Division stirred with some slices of Siouxsie and the Banshees and a teaspoon of Gang of Four thrown in. One could see this crew were new and maybe their first gig, but things looked to be gelling, and with another gig or two, I’m sure they will start to hit their stride.

Three-piece Nippon stylee noise terrorists Crêam Söda were a raging slab of metallic tinged hardcore, with Danny Deathcage (ex-Deathcage, Redstain etc) crunching it on the flying V bass, Ben (ex-Stanley Knife etc) smashing guitar, and Jase Spoonfed pounding the drums like… like a man not from here! Their eight tunes jammed into their set included ‘Lost, My Pride’, ‘Meaning’, ‘War Is Hell’, ‘Game of Life’, and ‘Destiny’. Crêam Söda will kick your ass!

This reviewer had been wanting to catch Dispossessed and I wasn't let down. Singer and messenger Harry began the Dispossessed set reading their ethos. More than a welcome to country, this is a statement of warning, and of intent of their actions and pain that’s been caused by Europeans. What they say is initially understood by some of those hooting and hollering but not fully it would seem. Intense growls emit the pain and convey the message Dispossessed want to get across, most apt with the initial spacious doom laden dirge. The sizable crowd, great for a Wednesday night, were fully engaged during their whole set. The latter tunes gathered speed and squally guitars, at the deft hand guitar of Serwah, these soon turn into, not quite but close, ala ‘Justice For All’ type era Metallica sounds, to hardcore, and the master drum strokes of Jarrod. This group are most musically deft - know their stuff - need to be heard to be believed, and listened to... Intense.

Their setlist included ‘PC Terrorist’, Thronebreaker’, ‘Black Gaze’, ‘Warpath’, and ‘FTP’, a punishing cover of the ‘Cop Killer’ by Body Count!

Soon on stage were the full of energy Parasytes. The Canadian punker contingent kicked into their set in a blitz! The 80's styled ala` GBH and Exploited band are energy all the way. They were playing Sydney tonight as a part of a seven-day east coast tour after a month of gigs in Asia. Front woman Janick is an energised box of nonstop power, ripping through their set off their E.P. ‘Straight Jacket Nation’, cover of Chaos UK’s ‘No Security’, and others. These included ‘Straight Jacket’, ‘Paranoid Visions’, ‘Boxed In’, ‘Winter Depression’, ‘Reckless’, and ‘Burning Down the City’. They wielded force energy and presence like a mob possessed. Not in your face would be out of place!

If you missed this gig, be sure to catch another show in this cool whole in the wall bar Freda's. It’s a shame you missed the Parasytes tonight but be sure to catch soon the local bands – you won’t be disappointed!


More on The bands....

Parasytes 
Here's their website to check them out... Check out their music here on Bandcamp

Parasytes - 'Paranoid Visions', Live at Katakombes, Montreal, Canada, 22 March, 2017

Dispossessed 

Here's their website to check them out... & some vision...


Dispossessed - 'Thronebreaker', Live at Black Wire, Sydney Australia, 2016 

Crêam Söda 
Here's their website to check them out... & some vision...

Crêam Söda at Small Show, Sydney Australia, 25 August 2017 

Epilogue...
**Some photos etc of the bands will be published at a later date. These have been impounded and are to be released soon.

[LIVE REVIEW] MENTAL CAVITY + SUMMONUS + LORD SWORD + BURDEN MAN

at Frankie’s Pizza By The Slice, Sydney, Sunday, 15^th October 2017

Review by Derek J. Huckel
Photos by Rod Hunt Photography, and Restricted Photography

Frankie’s is a great live venue though unusual but maybe that gives it that certain something, its ‘jena se quois’ - appealing quality. You have the serious gig goers – there to see the music, then the blow in tourists staying nearby at a hotel, or in the city for the day. The mix of people makes it fun but odd. And ya’ gotta love velvet curtain that is opened and closed at the start and end of each band on the small stage.

Burden Man describe themselves as ‘existential doom folk’ and that nails them quite well. I unfortunately missed some of their set but what I saw was quite riveting.The three-piece played ‘Shadows of the Dying’, ‘Trenches’, and ‘Burden Man’. Their tunes are like a dream state, very thoughtful slow doom, each note seems well thought out and precise. Vocalist and guitarist Justin has a voice that is quite sonorous with a most striking timbre. The bands imploded into wall of feedback, just as guitar strings were breaking, so it ended on a pretty good note (no pun intended).

Lord Sword are heavy duty riffage! If you’d like your face grinded and smoked, then these are your band! It’s a heady mix of heavy stoner rock that grooves a cool sludgy jam.

Lord Sword - www.rodhunt.com.au

Lord Sword - www.rodhunt.com.au

Jimmy Fatal wields the monster guitar, Mr Stooks stool was taken tonight by Andres (from Sumeru) on drums, and Luke is their master on bass, and vocalist Cory has a throat that growls somewhere between Ian Astbury, Danzig, and Chris Cornell to loosely coin a few popular bods for an idea of his sound. Their set comprised of ‘Wings of the Devil’ ‘Earth OD’, ‘Destroy Mankind’, ‘Tombstones’ and ‘Blood Moon Tide’. ‘Blood Moon Tide’ is a slower number but most atmospheric while still heavy as! ‘Dopethrower’ was the penultimate tune but ‘Rats’ closed the show, epic in its span of stoner groove within this tune.

One heckler (tourist? It’s that kinda place) yells ‘play some Sabbath’ and was flatly told with a wry smile by Cory ‘no covers’ before diving into their last tune. They play no covers – and took no prisoners.

Lord Sword - Restricted Photography

Mental Cavity were to headline tonight but due to a drive back to hometown Canberra for some band members, they got Summonus to headline. It didn’t matter, they still did what was needed, blow the punters minds, and left. ‘Suffer’ off the new album was the opener and is a mad serve of thrash metal in yer’ face with a double serve of vocals it was! (thankfully very unlike post hardcore vocals). Three of the four Cavity members were from I Exist.

Mental Cavity - www.rodhunt.com.au

Their mix of sludge and doom sounds stirred with some crust and hardcore is quite unreal, monstrous! This reviewer is a big fan of I Exist and this new morphed band of theirs didn’t disappoint!!

The set was a mix of material from their self-titled album (‘Subservient’, ‘Frailty Incarnate’, ‘Deconstruct Fools’, and ‘Abuse’), released in January this year, and others from the new album Aneurysm out later this month, such as ‘Closing In’, and ‘I Am Death’.

‘Bleak Outlook’ was particularly a mammoth sounding tune that was totally crushing! Like someone said in a promo – Mental Cavity are as heavy as fuck!

Mental Cavity - www.rodhunt.com.au

Summonus were up next and a great end to the night that’s been on show. Once the curtain was rolled back they dived into 'Burning Times'. The fuzzed-out tone and riff was unmistakable. Tonight, both tunes from their album Zeichen Der Hexe, and some new ones being road tested were on show. Mostly were the latter, newbies, and they didn’t disappoint! They carried their stoner sludge signature sound but sounded fresh simultaneously. The gratuitous throaty growls of Rod’s lyrics over the bands thick pummeling sound that envelopes one in soundscapes.

Summonus - by Restricted Photography

Summonus - by Restricted Photography

Summonus - by Restricted Photography

The new tracks included ‘The Game’, ‘Deep Red’, and ‘Before The Fall’. The large audience were lapping them up. The title tune from ‘Zechen Der Hexe’ closed the intense set, and a great night!

  

Summonus - by Restricted Photography

Bands Music and Websites:
MENTAL CAVITY - music & merch at their bandcamp site, and here for gigs'n'stuff 

Mental Cavity 'Bleak Outlook'

SUMMONUS - music & merch at their bandcamp site, and here for gigs'n'stuff

LORD SWORD - music & merch at their bandcamp site, and here for gigs'n'stuff

BURDEN MAN - music at their Soundcloud and here for gigs'n'stuff

Burden Man 'Shadows of the Dying'

Thanks to:

• Both Rod Hunt of www.rodhunt.com.au & Mel Meek of Restricted Photography for use of their great photos.
• The bands for their music, and setlists!

Review of Roundtable, Hawkmoth, Summonus, DAWN, & Netherhell - Sydney, 29 October 2016

Roundtable, Hawkmoth, Summonus, DAWN, Netherhell

The Factory Floor, @Marrickville, Sydney

Saturday, 29^th October 2016

Review by Derek J. Huckel

Photos By Rod Hunt

Roundtable were hitting Sydney for the first time, on their second date up from Melbourne. They were planning to get Medieval on our asses, literally, with their Medieval brand of stoner doom. Their concept album Dread Marches Under Bloodied Regalia, reviewed is said to be visceral in its use of mythology. They caught my interest only a weeks back and I was looking forward to seeing what they were like live as I like similar bands like Boltthrower, who create worlds, fact or fictional, landscapes and emotion.

First up were Netherhell. This was two guys, drummer and guitarist, dooming out. They sounded great and if more people were here, I’m sure a pit might have started to go off. Plenty of the present people here loved it, dutifully nodding heads.

DAWN

DAWN were great as a support act, they seemed to have some sound technicality problems but creating a hypnotic wall of sound was their aim and were doing well. The space sound effect background in the first song was super cool. The Halloween theatrics were very good and welcomed, with the corpse bride guitarist, candy striped drummer, and other gothic gals. In their genesis, with some more volume, I'm sure DAWN will rule more.

The Game kicked off the Summonus set. The Journey was third with its brooding slow burn intro, its sludgy bass and guitars. They kick in with the opposite of a breakdown, the tight riffs building up with the stage prowling vocalists’ menacing growl vocals, and drums, all building – until a grind madness ensues! A killer rendition of Burning Times closed their set ‘Strike a match, burn it down, burn it downnn...’ Sublime.

Hawkmoth were up next - a band I'd been wanting to see as I’d seen their name on gigs happenning in Melbourne for some time. They took those present on a ride, from periods of ambience to big heavy riffs that were effect-laden. There was lots of craft here, but I was left not engaged while many loved their tunes. 

Meaty and visceral is Roundtable. The drumming initially wasn’t heavy, folk-like but it provides atmosphere, an earth for the guitars & bass to build and layer, to create the kingdom of olde on. Corpulent Warlord did harken back, the modern take was made to sound well and tales of Arthurian time regaling. The bands were running late so sadly Roundtable’s time was to be cut severely, only having time for three tales. But they played on. Their last two tunes, including Abarath Pass, were more meaty and heavy. Vocalist Rhys Walmsley’s voice is suited for their tunes, sounding like a throaty bearded knight but isn’t, not in person

The encore Encircling Demons was mesmerising, unusual for a closing number but it was a winner!

Roundtable manage to take several styles and merge them into stoner/doom, folk and prog rock, just in the right portions and make it sound brutally honest and somehow proper.

DAWN

DAWN

DAWN

DAWN

Summonus

DAWN

Hawkmoth

Hawkmoth

    

Hawkmoth

 Hawkmoth

Roundtable

Roundtable

Roundtable

 

Roundtable

Their music and profile:

Roundtable

Hawkmoth

Summonus

DAWN

Netherhell

Review: Acid King (USA) - 2016 Doomsday Festival

Acid King (USA), Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless) with Seedy Jeezus, Los Hombres Del Diablo - 2016 Doomsday Festival

Newtown Social Club

Friday 30 September 2016

Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless) with Seedy Jeezus, and Los Hombres Del Diablo had gone down well with the punters by all reports – details are coming so stay tuned.

The band room was comfortably full and the crowd was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Acid King… As soon as the hit they stage, the crowd was in tune and swaying with their music. Like a Jodorowsky movie, Acid King are a stoned experience you can have while straight. Their music takes you away to a new world, an experience. The aural world Acid King create envelopes you like Alice in Wonderland, or the Matrix. Take the blue pill, or red one (perhaps both??) and you’ll be transported. Each tune was nearly ten minutes so you had time to experience their world.

The backdrop of the images and film footage of outer space, burning buildings, blurred landscapes, and burning planets further takes the sub bass sounds deeper into your psyche to fuck you up.

These scene veterans were fresh off a bunch of US gigs and the three day Psycho Las Vegas before coming to Australia, you could see and feel that the their tunes are well honed and crafted, played and lived in. Singer Lori’s vocal is a wailful call, like a gently mournful but ominous sounding wind which you might hear coming through the trees in the wilderness. She simultaneously makes her guitar gently mournfully weep, and espouse other evocative sounds. Bassist Mark Lamb looks like he’s seeking redemption, or enlightenment, as he wrings his instrument, sweating and plays a sonic sound as though it’s a torture rack, one’s stretched out on, and the screws are tightened and wound tauter as their opus' progress. Joey Osbourne pounds his drum in a hypnotic measured heavy rhythm, beating them strategically, to create these aural dreams (or nightmares to some). Mind expansion was in full effect!

Amongst the five or six tracks they played tonight were 'Red River' off Middle of Nowhere… LP, and their encore was ‘Sunshine and Sorrow’ from III

I was new to the band, and upon witnessing their mostly instrumental faire proves a dose worthy taking, for the mind and body. The near tribal pounding, drawn out and thought out tunes giving one time to sup them up and savour them fully. It’s worth taking the trip.

*********

They are playing tonight, Saturday 1st October, in the Northcote Social Club and the last show of this tour in Australia is tomorrow night, Sunday 2nd October, in Melbourne at the Cherry Bar. Catch them if you

Acid King 'Red River'

Doomsday Festival, Sydney - Windhand + Beastwars + more, Friday 3rd October

Doomsday Festival – Windhand + Beastwars + Summonus + Witchskull

3 October 2014

Hermann’s Bar, Sydney
Review by Derek J. Huckel

Originally on the SF Media website...

With bands such as CHURCH OF MISERY and THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX being some of the past headliners of the Doomsday Festival, I was looking forward immensely to tonights leg of this annual tour.

WITCHSKULL, a Canberran three piece, opened the proceedings tonight and a mind blowing opener they were indeed. They were as if KADAVAR, MONSTER MAGNET and BLACK SABBATH had been blended together, then baked with a pinch or two of doom and feedback. These guys were only playing their second gig! Hailing from bands such as ARMOURED ANGEL and LOOKING GLASS and their time in them explains some of their agility on these chords and constructing such awesome tunes heard tonight. They closed with ‘The Vast Electric Dark’.

SUMMONUS kicked off with three killer new epic tracks, one called ‘The Journey’ clocked in at six minutes and lost no vitality throughout. Their gig hiatus hasn’t made them slouches at all, as evidenced on the Hermann’s Bar stage tonight.

Another newie was tried out tonight, four in total, and it was really good! These guys seem to have a stoner groove recipe they rework or build around which is always a winner. The mighty SUMMONUS, the only Sydney band playing tonight, played a few oldies too including a favourite called ‘Black Sun Dying’. They announced they are recording a new album and that they have a few shows before years end.

One of the two headliners BEASTWARS kicked off a little while later and the response from the sizeable throng now present was instant. The New Zealand bands near hypnotic sound along with the bearded Messianic-like singer Matt Hyde had the crowd in a whirling dervish state, nodding and swaying, for their entire set. Their brand of heavy stoner rock grooves just held you and wouldn’t let go, but you wanted to be in its grip. Some described them once as a marriage of KYUSS and THE CULT but I think they are much more than that now. Check out their album ‘Blood Becomes Fire’, in my top 2013 albums, which several slabs came from tonight. I think that if tonight was a battle, these guys might’ve won.

WINDHAND delivered their doom laden rock to an appreciative audience. The music’s intensity was crushing and the band a sight to witness! It was just head down hair out and the low tempo music was the prime objective with no banter. This Virginian (USA) five piece built layer upon layer of guitars and drums into this brick wall sound of rock/psychedelic/metal which became a sludge doom sound. Tunes here served up were largely off their 2013 LP ‘Soma’, they were ‘Orchard’, ‘Woodbine’, ‘Feral Bones’, ‘Forest Clouds’, ‘Winter Sun’, and ‘Cassock’ ended the great night.