Kim Scott stood on the stage of Brisbane's The Tivoli with his legs spread past shoulder-width.
The bassist maintained this stance for the entirety of the closing night set from The Mark Of Cain (16 December), weighed down by the instrument hanging from his neck. While Kim stood firmly in place, chaos erupted in the crowd before him, riding the metallic riffing of his brother, John.Adelaide's The Mark Of Cain have created a small discography since forming in 1984, but the size of the riffs on each release are gargantuan. One of those releases is their third album, 1995's 'Ill At Ease'. Recorded with hardcore legend Henry Rollins in the role of producer, 'Ill At Ease' is a triumph of discordant guitars and pummelling grooves.
After 25th anniversary celebrations for the album were scuppered by COVID, the band are finally celebrating the album with a vinyl reissue and performing it live in all of its muscular glory to a thrashing mass of flesh in Brisbane.
A deafening gunshot snare led to members of the early crowd reaching into their pockets for their earplugs, ready to immerse themselves in the shoegaze of local openers DEAFCULT.
After six years, the five-piece have released their second album, 'Future Of Illusion'. While their debut album was filled with lush guitars and sighing vocals, the dream has curdled into nightmares on their follow-up.
The band's set is a dissonant orchestra of scratched strings, snarling distortion, and discordant chords, overwhelming the despairing howls of Kellie Lloyd and Stevie Scott. As the trio of guitarists tapped at their pedals, harsh noise steamrolled from their speakers and against the crowd.
"We're Britain's best or worst – depending on your opinion – Queen tribute act," declared vocalist Matthew Baty of British band Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs.
Instead of the operatic highs of Queen, the band mesmerised the crowd at their debut Brisbane show with an energetic set of psychedelic riffing. Opening with a low and fuzzy two-note riff from guitarist Sam Grant, the band unleashed a repeating dank groove.
Matthew wrapped the mic lead around his hand like a boxer preparing for a bout and barked into his microphone. The frontman wrestled with the cable, wrapping it around his body and throat, gripping the mic and shadowboxing across the stage.
As Matthew observed from the stage, the crowd showed their approval with vigorous head-banging, which went into overdrive when he twiddled the knobs on his synthesiser, adding twittering to the cosmic jam.
Band member Adam Ian Sykes' long hair hung over his guitar as he shredded a solo, ending it by removing his guitar and shaking it like a neanderthal's club.
"Who made you the interloper," the entire crowd barked as The Mark Of Cain opened their set with 'Interloper'. The song may be nearly 30 years old, but John Scott has gained muscle mass in that time. That power is matched by drummer Eli Green, putting his full weight behind every drum hit; his heavy grooves imitated by fans in the back, too wearied by age to join the frenzy of the mosh.
By the time the bending and squealing riff of 'Hindsight' blasted in, heads from the mosh to the balcony vigorously nodded along to the stop-start groove. It may have only been the second song of the night, but fans became wound up by the tune, climbing on top of each other to crowd surf only to be swiftly thwarted by security.
However, as The Mark Of Cain made their way through their set, security were put to their paces by fans' persistence, unable to resist their urge to glide in front of the stage.
"I could've been a contender," John barked on 'Contender'. But in the eyes of those within The Tivoli, The Mark Of Cain are champions, leaving their mark on Australian music with a clenched fist.
