No fluffy bullsh.t this time; we've got too much to cover.
Void Of Vision bring a huge line-up consisting of Gideon, UnityTX, and Knosis to a sold out Tivoli in Brisbane for their final voyage, the What I'll Leave Behind tour.Kicking the evening off with an immediate bang (14 February), Japan's Knosis burst out of the gates, exploding onto the stage with the vigour and energy that has come to be expected from their performances.
Led by frontman (and multi-instrumentalist off stage) Ryo Kinoshita (ex-Crystal Lake), known for his powerful vocals telling of personal pain and endurance brimming with explosive power, delivered immediately.
Kinoshita takes to the floor several times throughout Knosis' set, delighting those who turned up early for the first act of the evening. Smiles from ear to ear can be seen throughout the room at this interaction as fans run from the furthest corners of the venue to get up close and personal with Kinoshita, to which he happily obliges.
Knosis - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The metalcore quartet have caused a huge splash in their short time together, having released only 11 songs to date, already supporting some huge names back at home. Now, with their first performance in lucky old Brisbane, the Japanese core-kids have officially commenced their climb to international acclaim.
As we've seen with some other iconic Japanese exports within the heavy scene over the decades, Knosis bring an enthusiasm and syncopation that leaves punters' eyes bouncing across the stage as they attempt to capture the ever-changing landscape.
Beyond crushing, frantic, and melodic musicality, there is jumping, spinning, kicking and flailing – often unified in delivery, and polished in execution. The unmatched energy – a word I'm certain to overuse before the end of this review – delivered throughout the brief yet impactful set left punters wanting more.
If Knosis follows suit of those who have treaded a similar path in the past, it will only be a matter of time until their return. If you were unable to witness this display, I implore you to not miss the next one.
In any other line-up, UnityTX – an act I've been looking forward to seeing for quite some time – would be a clear standout. However, with the sheer magnitude of this evening's showcase, such confident statements cannot be made in good faith.
That being said, my anticipation was not in vain with a stellar performance delivered. UnityTX caught my – and I would assume a lot of present fans – attention during their 'Madboy' release run, with bangers like 'Ruckus' and 'Cross Me'.
We have even been lucky enough for the band to acknowledge they haven't performed tracks from these earlier releases, and took to social media to ask the fans what tracks they'd like to hear during this run; and the fans have come through in the clutch.
UnityTX - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The rap-metal-hardcore act have an extensive catalogue of EPs and have carefully curated the crème de le crème to fill their set from top to bottom (or side to side). Their aggressive riffs and energetic drum beats create a phenomenal backdrop for the spat and punched vocal delivery of vocalist, Shaolin G.
The only thing missing was the sea of stage divers, but given tonight's venue, I think that may be for the best. Fighting through jet-lag and/ or illness, the Texas rockers put on a hell of a show, showcasing their diverse sounds ranging from the hardcore to rap and hip hop. A memorable highlight of their set was when half the band left the stage, while the others remained and performed an exclusively hip hop song; a real treat for fans of both genres.
Not seeing Gideon perform personally since their 2018 run supporting Polaris and The Devil Wears Prada, I've been chomping at the bit to experience the Alabama metalcore quartet again. These southern gents' style of breakdown-heavy metalcore has always tickled both mine and thousands of Australian fans' brains, as they continue to stand tall and impress when on Australian soil.
Since 2017's release of 'Cold', Gideon have truly found their rhythm, continuing to release delectable songs without feeling the need to reinvent the wheel. The thick, southern born and bred tones in each and every track of Gideon's set are crushing, exciting and incredibly consistent.
With a set list heavily showcasing their 2023 release, 'More Power. More Pain.', Gideon still manageed to incorporate older tracks to the pleasure of longer-term fans. However, given the quality of MPMP, it shouldn't come as a shock the band pushes these newer tracks to the front of fans minds, as it's likely this era of Gideon will be closing with a new release in the near future.
Tracks such as 'No Love/No One', 'Cursed', and 'Bite Down' not only satiated the crowd's desire for some of their back catalogue, but also served as highlights to the evening. These tracks age like fine wine, and seem to be better each and every time they're experienced live.
Gideon - image © Clea-marie Thorne
With mixed emotions and a heavy heart, the climax of the evening had been reached with the farewell show of Melbourne's own metalcore staples, Void of Vision.
The industrial-influenced riff & rollers have become a mainstay in the Australian heavy music scene over the last decade, and to consider this talented quartet will no longer be popping up on festivals, supporting Goliaths of the genre, and headlining their own shows brings a tear to the eye.
However, the tears can wait as the Victorian boys pull out all the stops in their finale. With a performance of well over a dozen tracks during this colossal set, the band heavily focused on playing new tracks from their latest release, 'What I'll Leave Behind', which should come as no surprise when considering the circumstances in which this tour has been put together.
Interestingly though, VoV managed to include tracks from seven different releases, something that I don't know if I've ever experienced (or definitely not noticed if I have).
Void of Vision - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Launching into the live debut of 'Beautiful Things' after a charming Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris' introduction, the black-clad breakdown kings demonstrated what a decade-plus of grinding and refining your craft can result in; a sonic onslaught of crushing guitar-driven metalcore, laced with electronica vibes both haunting and energised.
'Oblivion', 'Blood For Blood' and 'Berghain' kept the early set moving along at a phenomenal pace, as the band endeavoured to get through as many of their hits as possible, to truly see themselves off.
Later in the evening, vocalist Jack Bergin took a moment to thank the crowd and share a heartfelt moment of closure, and the love that they've experienced from their devoted and diehard fans (you should have seen the line for merch at the beginning of the night – sheesh).
Void of Vision - image © Clea-marie Thorne
While VoV is calling it a day, there's no chance we won't be seeing (or more so, hearing) from Bergin as he takes his position as host of triple j's newest heavy music segment, 'CORE'; a spiritual successor to local legend Lachlan Watt's 'The Racket'.
Guitarist James McKendrick has also updated fans on his intention to continue to write, create, and produce his (and VoV's) signature sound of heavy-hitting electro-core that I personally, am exceptionally excited to hear.
With throwbacks such as (the breakdown only of) 'Kill All My Friends' and 'Sunrise' (which has not been performed live since 2017), the band is truly reliving their highlights as a group, and sharing this moment genuinely with the hundreds of screaming, cheering, and dancing fans.
With 'Angel Of Darkness', 'Dominatrix', and 'The Lonely People' rounding out their set, the only thing missing was the cherry on top – encore track 'Empty'.
Void of Vision - image © Clea-marie Thorne
To witness a fantastic act of this calibre call it a day after putting on another intense and enthralling performance really highlights that change is inevitable within this life, regardless of whether or not you want it to happen.
While these four gentlemen performing as this collective will be dearly missed, they will remain in the annals of Australia's ever-growing heavy music scene history. While I may be holding my breath and crossing my fingers for a surprise reunion show, tour, or straight-up reformation, knowing that I have had the pleasure of witnessing the talent that VoV exudes more times than I can count in my life is a consolation to their farewell.
To the Void of Vision team, on behalf of the Australian heavy music community, we would like to say thank you for your contributions, and while you will be missed, we're excited to see what the future has in store for you. Vale VoV.
More photos from the concert.
