Brisbanites are certainly not known for their composure and composition during the 'ever-gruelling' chilly winter months in the Sunshine State (with the mercury still soundly within double-digits).
So the lucky few – some 700 'shivering' punters – are privileged enough to be warmed to their (metal)cores by the omnificent and ever-burning flame set alight on this fine Sunday evening (15 June) at one of Brisbane's premier homes of heavy, The Triffid.In what seems like years since stepping out into the familiar and welcoming Fortitude Valley, a more-appropriate venture seems near impossible to define.
As other die-hard fans of one of the hottest exports to come out of Ontario would agree, once experiencing the controlled-chaos that is Counterparts live and in the flesh, it is an ever-existing itch that can never be scratched.
Joining these superstars of underground post-hardcore and melodic-metalcore are Dying Wish; a band sharing nearly as many similarities and as they do differences with the evening's headliner, in all the right ways; and Naarm locals, Terminal Sleep.
Celebrating (or potentially commiserating, depending on your outlook surrounding the undeniably emotionally-driven themes encapsulating every venture embarked upon by the Canadian quartet) their late-2024 surprise EP, 'Heaven Let Them Die', Counterparts have stretched their legs in a sprint around Australia, attempting to satiate their starving fans.
Wasting no time bringing an energy that truly sets the stage for the oncoming onslaught of heavy, tasty and delightfully jarring musical treats, Terminal Sleep burst forth with the ferocity that has quickly gained the attention of both local and international heavy music fans alike.
Terminal Sleep – a band about being a 'bad bitch' according to their BandCamp bio – have gained an impressive notoriety in their short career and for undeniable reasons. This quintet continue to carve a name for themselves through explosive, aggressive, and heavy-hitting tracks again and again; with full support of a live performance as equally raw and captivating.
With a short and sweet set, frontwoman Bec Thorwesten shares gratitude on behalf of herself and her comrades to the evening's other acts; a theme consistent across the evening.
Touting thick, slamming riffs infused with traditional hardcore elements, Terminal Sleep showcase their talents on all fronts. Through atmospheric soundscapes, incredibly tasty solos, and more than a handful of dive-bombs for good measure, it is easy to see how these young bloods have gained the popularity that they have.
Combining these crushing and soaring elements, the stage is truly set for what we all knew would be on the cards for the night – some real, raw, and incredibly catchy heavy music.
After a short but incredibly sweet set, leaving fans fired up and fully-prepared for the remainder of the evening, Terminal Sleep exit the stage as promptly as they entered, having once again left a memorable mark on their ever-growing slew of fans.
Actively participating on the national touring circuit and international stages alike, this act will surely be in a city near you shortly, and you would truly be remiss to see them before they take their rightful place atop tour and festival posters alike – there's no sweeter feeling than saying 'I saw them before they really blew up'.
Rapidly moving into the second-third of the evening, Dying Wish take to the now near-full Triffid live room with a ferocity indicative and exemplary of why in their sub ten-year career, they have already carved themselves a name recognised to the masses of heavy music fans.
As somewhat of a conduit between the opening act and headliner, Dying Wish have a somewhat more traditional metalcore flavour in their interpretation and representation of the genre in the modern era.
The tightly locked downstrokes of filthy, heavy guitars syncopate phenomenally with the driving and guiding rhythm sections, flourished with a powerful – and incredibly aggressive – vocal track atop. You know, for good measure.
While undeniably punk-influenced, Dying Wish also accompany, and even juxtapose their aggressive soundscapes with more melodic sections through not only clean vocals to diversify the sonic onslaught, but also the inclusion of some very 'traditional'-core riffage.
This addition brings a depth and layering to a genre that can for some become monotonous, mundane or simply 'played out' against the overwhelming pools of talent existing within this semi or pseudo-extreme metal genre.
Setting Dying Wish apart from (some of) the masses are more than a handful of differences and quirks. While rawness and realness are often-touted buzzwords thrown about within this musical realm, a certain je ne sais quoi exists, potentially driven by yet another powerful frontwoman in Emma Boster.
With the support of her bandmates offering some world-class backing vocals creating a full frontal wall of heavy delight, Dying Wish has it all.
To be present at a three-band bill featuring two woman of such calibre front their respective cohorts is somewhat rare, however a fantastic representation of the inclusivity and dynamism present within heavy music communities.
Mirroring the message presented by their predecessors, a huge level of respect and thanks is given to Counterparts for their undeniable support of this band and the opportunities that they have continued to share with their obviously close friends.
With about six years as a band under their belt in total and having only been to Australia once previously, the thanks shared with the evening's headliner is largely due to the support that they've shown, and the opportunities they've shared.
Opting for a minimalist lighting and stage setup – think local youth centre shows with a couple of floodlights – Dying Wish let their music do the talking, while their fans bring the visual excitement.
Of course, there's an aggressive moshpit already well established after the openers, however things kicked up a gear throughout Dying Wish's set with the crowd becoming even more rowdy and rambunctious. We see our first evacuation from the pit – an obvious headblow with a blood nose, and more than a few slips, falls, and sure-to-be bruises.
Beyond their self-inclusive huge set, we have two guest vocal appearances throughout the evening, one from Terminal Sleep's frontwoman no less and, as an ode to this fine country, the band close out their set with a cover of Australia's own Parkway Drive's iconic 'Boneyards' breakdown.
Without exaggeration, the silence before Counterparts entered was easily the longest, slowest, and possibly most 'peaceful' time of the entire evening. While unsurprising given the incredibly well-curated bill harnessing raw, emotive aggression, the reprieve in itself seems out of place.
Fans were champing at the bit for the abrasion set to commence within minutes as Counterparts prepare to take to the stage and boy-howdy do they welcome them in their own unique way (a chaotic mosh).
While no 'The Wedding Singer' (shoutout Counterparts and Stray From the Path show at the Wooly Mammoth in 2018 – IYKYK), the atmosphere from the first note of the piano roll of the headliner's set is captivating, eerie, and downright morbid.
Touted as a continuation of their prior release, 'Heaven Let Them Die' by vocalist Brendan Murphy, Counterparts are here to leave their mark from the drop with 'A Martyr Left Alive'.
With an energy rarely emulated and even less regularly encapsulated to such degree, the most recent chapter of this act's anthology feels more matured, or maybe more emotionally-charged (if that is even possible).
While not an overly elaborate production by the over-the-top and sometimes corny standards of modern music, there are significantly more thematically-aligned elements between the visuals projected throughout the performance, and the obviously personal and gut-wrenching musical content perfectly delivered throughout the course of the set.
Where previously punters had been awash with blue or yellow floodlighting, Counterparts opted for an eerie red glow across their fans, and similar, complementary colour pallets for their own lighting production. There is no denying this is intentional, and quite frankly a natural progression of the quartet.
Heartbreak and heartache are no stranger to us all, however few are as candid and real about their experiences and emotions as Murphy, and with time, age, and experience, the previously somewhat jovial onstage anecdotes have shifted slightly into a more refined and dare I say, professional experience.
There truly is not a single part of this ensemble that does not have their moment of pure star-power throughout the course of their monstrous near-20 track set list. However, as an absolute sucker for busy and flavourful drum work, it is impossible to not be in sheer awe of the prowess demonstrated nearly continually by Kyle Brownlee.
This man is an absolute machine and surely the envy of anyone to pick up two pieces of wood and whack them against something. While no drummer myself, to say not a single missed note escaped Brownlee feels oh so right.
The man has the cardiac endurance of a marathon runner with the fast-twitch muscle of a powerlifter (except, you know, with about 100g of wood and not several hundred kilos of steel). If you're a buster and missed the opportunity to experience one of my personal favourite percussionists of modern metal, do yourself a favour and familiarise yourself with some of the ample number of one-takes Brownlee has available to view – it really is something out of this world.
It also cannot be understated the level of craftsmanship within the string-wielding members of the band. The speed and precision in which the heavy, dissonant and chaotic chord progressions and lead flourishes, these two men may be some of the busiest guitar-slingers in the industry, and endeavour to support the aggression and tone laid down by the man behind the rhythm section.
I will make no attempt to encapsulate every chaotic second of this colossal set vastly capturing songs from the numerous, fantastic pieces of music this band has released. However, as with all live music experiences, there were more than enough moments of personal preference that will be reflected on over the comings days, weeks, months and even years to come.
'Bound To The Burn', 'Choke' (ooft), 'No Lamb Was Lost','No Servant Of Mine' (double-ooft) and 'Heaven Let Them Die' all exceeded all expectations, which in of itself, met my expectations. These songs (along with, well, nearly everything ever penned by this group) simply cannot grow old to me.
This is easily one of the rowdiest sets and nights overall I have experienced in some time. A second would-be beyblade (aka moshpit warrior) is dutifully pulled from the pit with some sort of leg injury, however at least this time there's no 'visible' blood.
I feel for all would-be photographers of the evening who will have to explain why there appears to be no crowd in their shots – they were there, they were just pushed into every recess of the room as they sought safety away from the ever-growing pit that with each new song claimed more metres of the limited square footage of the room.
I've previously expressed to my editor that interviewing artists isn't something that particularly tickles me as I'd much rather spend time enjoying their art than asking them mundane, repetitive questions that have been asked a thousand times before. However given the opportunity, I would love to find out why the group no longer perform an anthem to some of my darkest days, 'Burn'.
Maybe I'll slide in his DMs after this and see if I can get the inside scoop because man, that track deserves even more flower than the bouquets it has already received, and to relive those few minutes from Unify Festival in 2017 would bring me such a melancholy peace that I could possibly drop dead on the spot. However, the above is the closest thing to a negative I have to say about this fantastic band on this fantastic evening.
Closing with the heart-wrenching 'Whispers Of Your Death', a once-ode to Murphy's 'baby boy', rescue cat Kuma, whom Murphy has attributed to as "the sole reason he stuck around".
Since the passing of Kuma, the emotion, heartbreak, and longing has only deepened, as Murphy honours Kuma's legacy nearly-nightly in a way so fitting. How thematically fitting for an act and lyricist so firmly grounded in mourning and suffering.
Without irony, I thank Murphy for baring his soul and displaying such vulnerability to the masses throughout this track and the band's entire catalogue. There may have been a tear or two shed (either in the moment, or after the fact on the follow-up listen to their discography), but you get what you paid for, and this was exactly what I wanted.
