As I approach the Princess Theatre (11 September), I see punters are already lining up for a good part of the block to get into Thy Art Is Murder's (TAIM) much anticipated rescheduled show.
TAIM fans are chomping for dose of TAIM and the stacked support line-up they have touring with them.'I Am' is a powerful mantra and from what I am (no pun intended) hearing, I AM is a bloody powerful death-thrash metal band. From their opener to the end there is no holding back.
We are told this is their first time in Australia and punters are getting a big smack in the chops from the frenetic drive of I AM that has got the pit in a frenzy so damn fast. Honestly, you can't help but react with your whole body to this band – what an introduction.
I AM - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Shirts or no shirts (wink), I am definitely going to get familiarised with their discography. Have I been living under a rock or what?
Andrew Hileman is an energetic frontman with ferocious vocals; and the band are relentlessly tearing through their set from the get-go to the end that came way too quickly for my liking. When these Texan fellas return to our shores, you will want to join me.
Seeing Malevolence on tonight's line-up put a smile on my dial. I love to mix up my music with a broad range of genres, so I get a bit excited when a band does this themselves.
Malevolence are masters at crossing and blending metal genres – some even with punk or gritty blues flavour. Variety is the spice, right?
Opening with the self-titled track from their latest album we are being destroyed with 'Malicious Intent' followed by 'Life Sentence' and fan favourite, ball-banging tribute to their musical journey 'Still Waters Run Deep'.
Malevolence - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Taylor (lead vocals) and Hall (co-lead vocals) vocalise so well together and the rest of the band play it hard tight and fast. This reeks of old-school metal nostalgia and I am in banger bliss
Malevolence follow this up with 'Self Supremacy' and punters amass with another circle pit. Next is something we do not want them to do – 'Keep Your Distance'. I am not the only one in the room who would love to see them back for another lashing and much longer set, including some of those killer guitar solos.
Ending this short set with 'On Broken Glass', another release from their latest album, leaves us high and dry and wanting more. The band thanks the crowd and gives out drum sticks and set lists to punters.
It's been 11 long years since California's Carnifex trembled stages on Australian shores. As they kick off their set with 'World War X' with a whiff of "napalm in the morning", punter mayhem ensues and the band backs it up with 'Drown Me In Blood', 'Pray For Peace' and 'In Coalesce With Filth And Faith'.
Carnifex - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Telling us we are "the f...ing best" we get 'Slit Wrist Saviour' from their 'Dead In My Arms' album, and it sends punters off the rails in the pit. 'Graveside Confessions' is next before we are asked to keep the energy up for 'Die Without Hope'; there is no effort to keep the momentum going.
Crowd pleaser, 'Lie To My Face' takes it up a notch. Leaving us breathless with the killer closer we are told there are "three f...ing words" – we screamed "hell chose me!" and of course we got 'Hell Chose Me' – with such malevolent sounding vocals I can tell why Satan would; delicious!
I am so hyped I don't want a break between sets, but of course it is necessary for the bands. C'mon just show me the headliners!
Finally! Last and in no way least, are our deathcore legends and Human Target Tour headliners – TAIM are before us.
TAIM - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Taking the stage in darkness in front of a huge sigil-style black and red branded backdrop, there are three digital display panels on either side of the drum kit on a riser that is set way back on the stage. Despite the fact I spied additional lighting rigs earlier on, TAIM is opening on a darkened stage.
'Death Squad Anthem' has the crowd getting nuts and with welcoming screams. I feel the bass resounding in my chest and the unpretentious and pummelling riffage and catchy chorus has fans joining in the mosh.
Fans are screaming along with CJ McMahon whose face is draped by the hood of his signature cloak as he impales the lyrics on the microphone held very closely to the front of his face.
TAIM - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The light rigs I noticed earlier are hectically strobing between dark red lights. My imagination takes flight as I romanticise the stage has arisen from the pits of hell and a band of demons is playing before me. McMahon's brutal and guttural vocals adds to the fantasy as I bathe in the blood red lights and get punished with intermittent blinding strobes that disorient me from my surroundings, but this somehow makes me focus on the audio more acutely.
This is backed up by 'Make America Hate Again', another from the 'Human Target' album. Punters are clearly worshipping the peppering of breakdowns in this one and continue to eat up more metal music tucker served with 'The Purest Strain Of Hate' from the 'Hate' album that followed – the barrage of guitars and drums is immense.
TAIM - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Now crushing in with the title track of their now, three-year-old album, 'Human Target'. This is being aggressively delivered by McMahon and the band behind him is giving us thick and brutal riffing among the breakdowns – oh yeah, there is some modern deathcore magic happening live. Right here, right now!
'Eternal Suffering' chuggs in before three older tracks: 'Fur And Claw', 'Dear Desolation' and 'Holy War', which is escalating the chaos in the pit – punters are cutting loose with a steady flow of crowd surfers and many banging heads and flailing arms.
I must say I was relieved when a wall of death was declined – not sure I want to see that carnage inside the Princess. Circle pits however – show me more you mad moshers!
TAIM - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Time for another delicious offering from 'Human Target' – 'New Gods'; then two fan favourites from their 'Dear Desolation' album: 'The Son Of Misery' and 'Puppet Master' that is generating more energy and I fear we may just combust.
'Chemical Christ' is relentless in its ability to keep the energy peaking on high before they blow us away one last time with 'Reign Of Darkness'. The soaring solo is mad, but it is the berserk drumming that takes me to head-banger heaven. The fills are frantic, heavy and hard – it's just lush deathcore!
TAIM solidly deliver goods in a way that incites relentless mayhem and fan worshipping with horns raised as they roar out the lyrics. The support bands made for a high quality, magic mini metal fest. Totally brutal bang for your buck!
TAIM - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Many exhausted moshers leave the venue very sweaty and no doubt a little battered and bruised, yet with smiles a mile wide. I reckon the dopamine and serotonin hits created by tonight's headliners and bad-ass supports will keep our moods elevated and necks loosened up for at least another week.
It's just what the good music doctor ordered for this chic.
More photos from the show.
