On Wednesday night (10 July), I made my way to The Triffid to feast upon a mix of bare bones and meaty metal chunks of live music for my dinner.
I've held a fondness for thrash since the age of 12, and the thing I love best about all metal music is the melding of carefree fun with a pathway for emancipation and induced chemical high of serotonin and dopamine. I hope to get some of that tonight.The four talented band members of Western Pleasure are the first out of the shoot to throw us some frantic punk-style hardcore killers! This frontman does not stay still and can bend his body like a contortionist – all while traversing from side to side of the stage. I wonder if their opener 'Gymnast' was written for him?!
Mixing it up for fans and potentials, Fingers, Ben, Cuffy and Muller are giving us an explosive set that is sealing the deal for us 'potentials' tonight, as they send us out with a banger that has the frontman swinging his mic cord around his neck and anywhere else he can throw it.
Western Pleasure are the auditory diversion (from the outside world) we needed to kick off the night and has made this potential fan an absolute fan tonight. Live often seals the deal with me and indeed they are a band to witness in the flesh.
Western Pleasure - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Next steeds out of the shoot are Cryptivore. My punter mate is familiar with the band and predicts I will dig their 'live vibe'. 'Vibe' would be an understatement.
When they start with 'Solemn Desolation'and 'Dripping With Skin', I realise what my friend meant to say was I would dig their live intensity! Indeed I am. Gutsy grindcore is coming at me by the truckload with trailers of death metal overlaying my first experience.
I notice Cryptivore has shifted the state of pit moshers to a place of sweat-drenched insanity – all on a winter's evening and so soon into the set. Frontman Burnett Taylor gives us a shout-out for coming out on a school night – heck why wouldn't we?
Fantastic instrumentation has not been missing by another of the supports tonight, not to mention Burnett's demonic wails and throaty guttural growls being the gravy to this meaty metal treat.
Cryptivore - image © Clea-marie Thorne
We get more of this barrage, including 'Clandestine Ruination' and 'Vault Of Obscurity' before ending in their colossal crusher, 'Ethereal Deceased'. Damn! Well, they leave the crowd standing in a steam pit that is slowly dissipating during the interval while brews are brought and drunk – and then some more for some, ha!
Excitement is bubbling in the room and headliners Municipal Waste set their flesh and man-made instruments to slay us straight out of the shoot with 'The Executioner'. Bucking out thrash like it's their only business, and it is, we're all in for the ride. This is the home of the Broncos, is it not?
Destroying us some more and ensuring the floor of The Triffid is wet with drink and sweat, Municipal Waste are pulling out all the metal moves and supercharged thrash anthems old and new! I mean 'Beer Pressure', 'Headbanger Face Rip' and 'Waste 'Em All' kinda says it all.
Municipal Waste - image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Substitute Creature' is dedicated to Brandon Ferrell, the band's former drummer who died eight years ago and shouts erupt from the crowd in his memory.
Municipal Waste are hell bent on delivering us non-stop aural insanity chock-a-block with head-banging riffs played as tight as, well anything. . . like a 'Wave Of Death'.
Frontman Tony Foresta can't help himself keeping us entertained with a bit of banter, throwing a bin into the crowd and inciting crowd surfers and a random stage diver who not one but twice made it. Third time, not so lucky. Needless to say, the fans are going off like a pack of wild bulls, thrashing and moshing with reckless abandon.
Municipal Waste - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Foresta keeps the energy high and our smiles wide, as he cracked half-smarts with us. Closing with encore 'Demoralizer' after taking some fan requests, the crowd surprises me that they still have anything left in the tank and go absolutely rank. The band also are relentless and I'm in my element and in total awe.
Municipal Waste have been tearing it up for the whole set tonight. Dave Witte is pounding the skins with relentless power that teams up with the infectious rhythm of the bass of Land Phil. While Ryan Waste and Nick Poulos have shredded it up like monsters in a frenzy.
They have absolutely wasted their fans to the point of almost complete exhaustion – what a purge! Do not ever think there is an excuse to miss their next show – and Municipal Waste, do not think you have to wait another decade to tour; this punter is already frothing for the next welcomed annihilation!
Municipal Waste - image © Clea-marie Thorne
From the looks on the faces around me, I am not alone. Municipal Waste are American thrash legends. Full stop! Chaotic energy and mayhem at its finest. From the moment they hit the stage, it was pure mayhem. Brisbane has been well and truly thrash trashed.
More photos from the concert.
