Chevron Festival Gardens on Monday February 24, 2014 – Review by Matthew Tomich. Photos by Jasmine Eales. The Festival Gardens were quarter-full when Usurper of Modern Medicine took the stage in support of Wire last Monday. The trio – featuring […]
Archive for February, 2014
Live Review: Wire at PIAF
Friday, February 28th, 2014Thundamentals showcase ‘Something I Said’ with Flyrite show
Thursday, February 27th, 2014
THUNDAMENTALS are on the back of some serious success. Their first single ‘Smiles Don’t Lie’ revved its way to punters’ hearts through the combined efforts of adoring fans and some serious headlining mojo. Having made some appearances at Sprung Festival, […]
Photos: Wire at PIAF
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
PIAF Chevron Festival Gardens on Monday February 24, 2014. Photos by Jasmine Eales.
Live Review: Pond at PIAF
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
Chevron Festival Gardens, Perth on Saturday February 22, 2014. Review By Chris Gardner. Photos by Karen Lowe. Journalists are already mired with the same distasteful brush as insurance salesmen, so it’s the prerogative of the defenders of the Fourth Estate […]
Anger Management: Behemoth
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014We check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
Nothing can stop Behemoth, the Polish extreme metal icons are seemingly unbreakable. Main man Nergal’s highly publicized battle with leukemia and an ongoing battle with the law (and church) over Nergal’s vehement anti-Christian lyrics along with tearing up a bible making them public enemy number one in their home country. So what better way to say “screw you” to all these setbacks and hassles then to release the best album of their career, title it The Satanist AND have it crack the US top 40 chart?
Behemoth’s transition from obscure black metal band to well oiled “blackened death metal” started in 1999 with the Satanica release. Most of the proceeding albums, up til 2009’s Evangelion, while having some great songs tended to blend in a bit together. “Blackened” death metal (or extreme metal for a blanket term) is a hard genre to master for many bands and as a result a percentage of the bands individual sound is sacrificed a bit. Amon Amarth have similar issues (solid but interchangeable albums for a stretch) and for a few albums Behemoth seemed to be content to “out Nile” Nile.
The Satanist reigns these issues in with a powerful, forceful production. All the instruments shine and the drums and guitar in particular sound amazing, Nergal’s feral roar is vital and full of venom. The band apply the breaks a bit and add some dissonant riffage, a nod to a slightly more black metal sound of their early days here and there (showing they are influenced by Mayhem as much as they are Nile and Morbid Angel). These slower moments make the more breakneck pace tracks (such as Messe Noire and Amen) sound that much better. The album closer “O Father O Satan O Sun!” is pretty much an extreme metal re-write of Led Zeppelins “Kashmir”.
Opening track “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” starts off as a slow burner before exploding into action, sure to be a live favourite.
The Satanist is an early contender for album of the year already.
Critical Mass is 9pm every Wednesday on RTR FM 92.1
The Paper Kites set to embark on all ages national tour
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
THE PAPER KITES are all set to take their much loved folksy sound out on the road for another national tour. The Melbourne five-piece will set out at the end of May for a tour that will take in the […]
Album Review: SpaceManAntics – Puraede’s Parade
Tuesday, February 25th, 2014
Review by Chris Gardner. Riding through space on a purple unicorn in your mind may have gone out of style, but don’t tell that to SPACEMANANTICS. The tie-dyed five piece have unleashed their debut album Puraede’s Parade onto our collective, […]
The Big Splash 2014 open for entries
Tuesday, February 25th, 2014
Entries are now open for the second edition of The Big Splash band competition. This year’s contest will take place over two months, with the first of eight preliminary heats taking place at Mojo’s Bar on Tuesday June 3. Other […]
Magic Mountain Band
Tuesday, February 25th, 2014
Described as “evok[ing] the beauty and the menace of the Australian landscape” Melbourne “cinematic rock group” Magic Mountain Band’s recent release, Wilderman is one of those records that lives up to the promise of the slightly wanky description.
Largely slow moving and ominous post-folk-rock (genre names are stupid, hey?), Wilderman plays with space and tone in a way that swings between the serene and the violent. There’s more than a hint of The Drones and The Dirty Three in MMB, which is never a bad thing. Take a listen to Wilderman, below.
Photos: Pond at PIAF
Tuesday, February 25th, 2014
Pond, Felicity Groom, The Silents and AAA Ardvark Get Down Services at Chevron Festival Gardens on Saturday February 22, 2014. Photos by Karen Lowe.
