An enormous line snaked out the door of Melbourne’s Max Watt’s (26 April) in anticipation of the night of post-metal ahead.
With doors set to open at 8, the early turnout for the sold-out show was impressive.
By the time the majority of punters had made their way into the basement venue, Perth instrumental four-piece Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving had already taken to the stage. The group’s sound was immense and had the audience enraptured with their unique fusion of jazz, prog, metal and noise.
The band’s connection onstage was evident as they transitioned from experimental noise jams to structured compositions with ease.
This is particularly impressive in light of the fact that new drummer Gracie Smith only played her first show with the group in March of this year, after replacing original member Ben Greene – her chops and intuitive playing were seriously impressive and a highlight of the set.
Acclaimed Sydney six-piece We Lost The Sea followed as the second act of the night. Evocative of seminal post-rock groups like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai, the band were well-rehearsed and effortlessly filled the venue with their crushing melancholy soundscapes.
True to their influences, most of the songs started on a meandering guitar riff before working up to a triumphant culmination of delay-drenched guitar sounds, tremolo picking and crashing drums.
Shortly afterwards, the stage lights dimmed and a haunting choral backing track swept over the audience as Russian Circles walked onstage.
Launching into the sludgy sounds of ‘Deficit’, the band’s entrance was nothing short of epic as each member was illuminated by roving spotlights, setting the tone for the dark, intoxicating performance to follow.
With over a decade of experience playing together, the group functions like a well-oiled machine and their live sound is truly formidable. Brian Cook’s resonant bass tone thrummed steadily for the duration of the hour-long set while Mike Sullivan’s brutal guitar riffs and stunning, spidery arpeggios sang above the mix.
Dave Turncrantz’s ability to introduce rhythmic complexities in his drum fills without detracting from the melodic lines was remarkable. It was this dynamic that had the crowd entranced for the entirety of the hypnotic performance.
The group played tracks from all but one of their studio LPs and even treated the crowd to a new song, perhaps a taste of their upcoming record.
The show ended on a high as the distinct riff of ‘Youngblood’ rang out from Sullivan’s guitar, leading into a mesmerising and high-energy rendition of the much-loved track.
The band then waved to the crowd – notably, not a single word had been uttered by any of the performers for the duration of the show – before walking offstage, leaving fans blown away.
As one punter in front of me succinctly put it: “That was f…in’ sick.”
