Special guests: Frankenbok,
8 Foot Sativa, Tensions Arise, Grim Demise, Blackout to Oblivion.
Venue: The
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle (NSW, Australia
Date:
12 April 2014.
It’s been a long time
since I have been to The Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle
Once inside, the fans and
bands member alike all mixed in having some cold beers and chatting, with the
occasional fan / band member photo opportunity. There was even an elderly man wearing
a suit and sombrero hat, who at one point, had a beer in one hand while waving
around the sombrero with the other hand, while head banging at the front of the
stage, which was very cool to see.
By the time the first band,
Blackout to Oblivion, started there were quite a few fans ready for what was
going to be a great night of metal from NSW, Victoria and New Zealand, all of which
I have never seen before and was really looking forward to.
Blackout to Oblivion. (Newcastle ,
NSW, Australia
Genre: Melodic
Death Metal.
Band Members:
Matt Dodd – Vocals
Paul Scarabelli – Guitar /
Vocals
Nic Nancarrow – Guitar
Legion – Bass / vocals
Corey Williams – Drums / Percussion.
Set List: 1. I Witness, 2. Persist Deny, 3. Disarray, 4. The
Dark Messiah, 5. Surgeon of the Cellar, 6. Scars of a Scarecrow.
This was the first time
that I have ever heard or even seen these guys, but by the end of their set I
was hooked and a new fan. I was blown away
by the energy and aggression. The drummer was playing like a machine, the
guitarists were amazing, the vocalist is a character and his vocal range is
brilliant. The bassist is a beast of a man! Out of all the gigs I have been to, I don’t
ever recall seeing a bassist like this guy. While playing he was menacing and brutal and
ended up snapping his bass string in a frenzy. I would definitely recommend
that if you get the chance to see them, then do it. I ended up getting their
Demo CD and listened to it over and over again all the way home. If you get the chance pick it up and have a
listen. You won’t be disappointed. The
guys from BTO are going to start writing a new album soon, which I’m expecting
to be out of the ordinary.
Grim Demise (Newcastle ,
NSW, Australia
Genre: Blackened
Death / Thrash / Australian Metal
Band Members:
RiCho – Vocals
Pendo - Lead Guitars
Mungo – Bass
Dave – Drums
Matt Ohma (formally from War
Faction & Fusaur) is trying out as the new guitarist at the moment. This was his first gig, on a trial basis, with
Grim Demise.
Set List:
1.The Cursed, 2. Farewell, 3. For they bleed, 4.Lords of Decay, 5. Left with
Nothing, 6. Wretched Harvest.
I was excited to finally
see these guys as I have only heard of these guys previously, but I actually got
to see them tonight. The drumming was tight and intense, the bass and guitarist
were heavy and melodic all in one, the vocalist is a huge dude whose stage
presence is something you can’t ignore, with some amazing vocals. I very much
enjoyed their set and so did the crowd, by the sound of the applause. These
guys have so much energy when on stage. Unfortunately the stage didn’t seem big
enough for them but they still managed to pump out some sick Black Death / Thrash
metal. Guitarist Matt Ohma (formally from War Faction & Fusaur) is trying
out as the bands new guitarist. This was
his first gig with GD and he was all class.
Considering it was their first gig together the chemistry between all
members was amazing. I really hope it works out for all involved. Next chance I
get I am definitely going to get their album. If these guys are playing in or
around your area, then I suggest that you don’t miss out.
Tensions
Arise (Sydney , NSW, Australia
Genre: Metal,
Heavy Metal.
Band Members:
K. Kage – Vocals
Kyle (Kent
Daniel Ash – Guitar
James Barnes – Guitar
Buzz Burnsen – Bass.
Set List:
1. Downfall, 2. Dead Letter, 3. Maniac, 4. A Faker's Smile, 5. Innocence?, 6. In
the Eye of Fire, 7. Defiance
These guys are party
animals! They entered the stage like
they own it, and tonight they did. TA like to have fun on stage. They don’t take themselves too serious. I have
heard of these guys, but tonight is the first time I have seen them live and
they didn’t disappoint either. The vocalist is one of the most charismatic
front men I have seen in a while. During their time on stage they started to
remove items of their clothing (which, I thought was a little odd, but hey,
that’s metal!!). By the end of their
set, most of the guys were just playing in their underwear. I later found out
from people in the crowd that this is typical.
Their playing style is a mix of metal / heavy metal all rolled into one,
which sounds brilliant. In all seriousness, if you are having a party then
these guys are for you. Definitely can’t wait to see these guys again. They cracked me up … I haven’t laughed so
hard for a long time!
8 Foot Sativa (Auckland , New Zealand
Genre: Heavy
Metal, Thrash Metal.
Band Members:
Justin 'Jackhammer'
Niessen – Vocals
Gary Smith – Guitar
Nik Davies – Guitar
Corey Friedlander – Drums
Brent Fox – Bass.
Set List:
1. Shadow masters, 2. Season For Assault, 3. Back To Barebone, 4. 8 Foot Sativa,
5. As It Burns, 6. Destined To Be Dead, 7. Fuel Set, 8. Believer.
Finally, after being a fan
of 8FS since they brought out “Hate Made Me”, back in 2002, I get to see the
machine that is 8FS live in the flesh. I missed them when they last toured
around 8 years ago. To say I was looking forward to this day is an
understatement. They hit the stage with full force, and smashed out a set that
was heavy, tight and at times just brutal, which it’s just what I had expected
from 8FS. There was very little chatting between songs so they could belt out
as many songs as possible. The guys smashed out 8 awesome songs, which had the
crowd singing as well. There were heaps of 8FS fans there who had never seen
them live before and they were all buzzing with excitement. 8FS conquered and
destroyed all that laid ahead. Although the
guys played for about 40 minutes, I would have loved for them to have played a bit
longer. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be,
it was over before I knew it. I just hope it doesn’t take another 8 years for
them to come back to the Land of Oz. If
you ever get the chance to see them I highly recommend them as you certainly
get value for money.
Frankenbok
(Melbourne , Victoria , Australia
Genre: Heavy
F@#king Metal.
Band Members:
Dan McDougall – Vocals
Aaron Butler – Guitars
Tim Miedecke – Bass
Nathan ‘Yeti’ Amatnieks –
Guitars
Mik Morley – Drums.
Set List:
1. Monk Discipline, 2.Dig, Walk this Lie (fe), 3. Voodoo, 4. Inc, 5. God's Gift
to No-one, 6. Last Ditch Redemption, 7. Dine in Hell, 8. Backpack & a
Passport, 9. Triumph, 10. Fucken Kuntz...beards!.
Every time these guys have
played, I have always somehow missed them, for some reason or another. But
tonight is the night I get to see the heavy metal machine that is Frankenbok.
What I can say is that if you haven’t seen these guys before, then I suggest
that you do. Their set tonight was absolutely brilliant which was straight up
and heavy, tight and at times just plain brutal. I honestly can’t believe that
this is the first time I have seen Frankenbok. Now I know what I have been missing all these
years. The crowd obviously enjoyed Frankenbok as well, by the sound of their loud
voices which wanted more songs at the end of their set. Guitarist Nathan,
better known as ‘Yeti’, parents made the trip all the way from Dubbo (which is
about a 7 hour drive), which was a really awesome effort, to which the crowd
gave them a round of applause for coming all that way to show their support.
This was truly a brilliant
gig ... so many great bands … I’ve met some awesome people (and some crazy ones
too) … with whom I’ve made friends with, but more importantly some of the band
members have also made some new friends / fans as well. It’s just a shame the
night had to end. They say that “time
flies when you’re having fun”, and this couldn’t be truer, as this night ended
on a high. An absolutely brilliant
combination of bands.
Published by Collin Brophy
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