Melbourne prog-metal quintet Acolyte are heading out on one more tour for their 2016 debut album, 'Shades Of Black', before closing the book on this chapter of their skyrocketing career.
From late September, Acolyte will be on the road for their 'Space & Time' tour named after the third and final single to be taken from the album.
“We are very high energy, we like to connect with everybody in the room when we perform."
Lead singer Morgan-Leigh Brown says it's the most important one of all for the band. “'Space & Time' has been one that was very close to our hearts and we hadn't quite thought about the way we could produce it live to its maximum capacity,” Morgan says.
“How could we give it an edge, as it is quite long and has the extended ending? Because when we chose that song to release we knew we were only going to release it in full if we were going to do it at all. So now that it has been released in that format, we want to be quite edgy and surprise people with the way we deliver it.”
At eight minutes running time, the single is an epic and accompanied by an equally grand video clip set in the dunes of a desert.
Morgan says the tour is a chance to bring the album cycle to its proper close and also show-off the new music they've been working on. “It's an opportunity to close the book on 'Shades Of Black'," she says.
“Three singles have come from it, it's been a great debut journey and this tour is basically going to do that for us. But it's also going to give us the opportunity to preview at least three new songs that's going to show everybody what we're moving into, which I am beyond excited about because it is reloaded, it's Acolyte 2.0.”
Despite the unprecedented success of 'Shades Of Black' as a record, Morgan says it is Acolyte's live shows that has been earning them a reputation as a fierce and meticulous band with a bright future. “Our live show seems to be the thing that's getting the most attention, even though the album did quite well,” she says.
“We are very high energy, we like to connect with everybody in the room when we perform and it's very purposeful.”
Initially recording their debut in 2014 as a three-piece featuring Morgan, current bassist Jason Grondman and former co-writer Frank Perna, Acolyte has transitioned into a tight, five-member unit rounded out by Chris Cameron on drums, David Van Pelt on keys and Piotr Borzeta on guitar.
Morgan herself comes from a musical theatre background and apart from having to retrain her voice to fit a rock style, provides the essential lynchpin that holds the music together and drives the action onstage. “The one edge I have as far as approaching the live set as a vocalist, is that I'm very emotive,” Morgan says.
“I feel everything I do and that's how I pull every word across, so I know exactly what I'm saying and that's how I connect with the audience. I've created my onstage persona and I'm that person until I leave the stage.”
Acolyte Shows
Fri 22 Sep - Club 5082 (Adelaide)Sat 23 Sep - Flanagan's Irish Pub (Mt Gambier)
Fri 20 Oct - The Basement (Canberra)
Sat 21 Oct - The Small Ballroom (Newcastle)
Sun 22 Oct - Frankie's Pizza By The Slice (Sydney)
Sat 4 Nov - The Loft (Warrnambool)
Sat 18 Nov - The Evelyn Hotel (Melbourne)
Sat 9 Dec - Max Watts (Melbourne)
