The band room at Adelaide’s infamous Enigma Bar (2 December) was packed to capacity for the second consecutive week as a part of The Mark of Cain’s Australian ‘Tour of Duty’.
Despite having only played the venue the week prior, there appeared to be no drop in attendance, nor in the intensity of their live show.
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Fellow Adelaide trio Inwoods proved themselves worthy, capturing the audience’s attention with their sludgy, down-tuned riffs and winding instrumental sections.
Vocalist/ guitarist Tyson Mahoney’s voice wavered out from behind his veil of hair, providing an interesting, almost grunge-like quality to their songs. While not technically proficient, Mahoney successfully incorporated a variety of vocal techniques – from emotional, Alice In Chains-style wails to deep growls and even Jonathan Davis-style scatting.
Inwoods - Image © Jordan BirdTheir songs – while deeply rooted in slow, heavy, stoner-metal grooves – always managed to retain some semblance of catchiness, giving even the most jaded metalheads among the audience something to nod along to.
The one drawback to Inwoods’ dense sludginess is that Mahoney’s soloing during their extended instrumental jams seemed to be lost among the band's low-end, which is a shame, as Mahoney’s guitar-work sounded quite impressive and surprisingly soulful from what I could actually hear.
‘Tour Of Duty’ is a rather apt descriptor for The Mark of Cain’s live shows; at this point in their 30-plus-year existence it is clear they have honed their craft to the point where they now operate about as efficiently as any military unit.
Appearing onstage ten minutes early, The Mark Of Cain clearly caught the sound engineer off-guard, with vocalist/ guitarist John Scott needing to tell him to simply turn off the intermission music before launching headlong into opener ‘Interloper’.
The Mark Of Cain - Image © Jordan BirdWith no frills and an attitude of absolutely zero bullshit, The Mark Of Cain mercilessly pummelled the audience into submission with a wall of sound so dense it was truly hard to believe it was emanating from a three-piece band.
The intensity of their live show breathed new life into the older songs in their setlist, with tracks dating as far back as their 1989 release ‘Battlesick’ given a much needed sense of immediacy.
There is an intensely bitter anger that permeates many of The Mark Of Cain’s tracks, and however pervasive it may be in their recordings, it is doubly noticeable when witnessed live, giving the Scott brothers a truly imposing stage presence.
The Mark Of Cain - Image © Jordan BirdJohn Scott’s unique half-spoken, half-barked vocal technique gives the impression of a drill sergeant shouting his recruits into obedience. While bassist Kim Scott stares contemptuously into the eyes of the audience, bass guitar slung around his shins. They effortlessly exude an anger twice that of most bands half their age.
The only refuge from their inescapable wrath came in the form of ‘Ill At Ease’s closing track ‘LMA’, possibly the closest The Mark Of Cain has come to writing a melancholic semi-love song.
The audience revelled in The Mark Of Cain’s mercilessly heavy riffs and furiously pained vocals, moshing and shouting along to choice cuts such as ‘The Contender’ and ‘Point Man’. Rather disappointing however was the conspicuous absence of ‘Barkhammer’ from their latest release ‘Songs Of The Third And Fifth’, despite being the lead single from the album.
The Mark Of Cain - Image © Jordan BirdBeer was spilled, heads were banged and puffs of sickly sweet weed smoke rose above the audience – this is the kind of environment The Mark of Cain cut their teeth so many years ago. This type of cramped, dingy venue is where they were born and raised, and it’s clear this is where they are most comfortable.
Adelaide’s home-grown heroes still have what it takes and then some.
All proceeds from their two Adelaide shows were donated to Cancer Council SA. cancersa.org.au.
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