As it drew closer to doors, an enthused group of eager fans lined up outside 170 Russell (7 September).
With the bill packed with local and national bands on support duties, we knew we were in for a heavy night of music. Up first were Brisbane four-piece Disentomb. With heavy bellows and fast-blast beats they didn't slow the pace at all. The group's singer, Jord, puts everything into what he does as he bounces from stage to the barrier front, getting right up in the faces of the barrier onlookers.
Similar to a caveman stomping around a campfire, Jord woke the 170 Russell crowd from the minute he and his band Disentomb started.
Earlier in the day, Graves lost a fair amount of band equipment en route to Melbourne from Newcastle. Thankfully for them, a loyal fan base started donating to help them financially. That can be found on their Facebook page if anyone wants to help.
The lost equipment didn't set them back as they graced the stage with deep bass and ear-splitting screams. It felt like we should have been marching during the opening song as they had complete control over the crowd. Heavy breakdowns, sharp riffs and stage presence through the roof, they also played a new song off their latest release, 'Monster,' bringing melodic metalcore out in all its glory.
Graves' singer Rhys reminded me how high Suicide Silence's original singer, Mitch Lucker (who tragically passed away a couple of years ago), got when screaming. With another new song, 'Fear', added to the setlist, Graves showed us that even with the loss of some of their gear they can still own it on stage from start to finish. Having never seen them before, I was excited to hear how amazing they were live.
Boris The Blade brought the thunder and bounce to the venue with an enormous pop. Frontman Sharpy prowled the stage like a hungry wolf, he held the crowd in the palms of his hands. Circle pits were demanded midway through the set, sparking an energetic crowd to get off their feet and run around. Never a dull moment watching them live and tonight was no different.
When it came time for Suicide Silence to grace the stage, they came out to the roar of the crowd. What everyone came to see they were given by the band. Explosive drums announced the second song 'Inherit The Crown' and spiked the energy levels within the crowd. Suicide Silence kept the ball rolling and kept the crowd smiling.
Commanding his '”pit pets”, Eddie Hermida brought upon a wall of death for the crowd as utter chaos in the pit commences. What resembles a group of people fighting each other is the crowd here for the Suicide Silence show. 'Slaves To Substance' was performed and the crowd burst into life, again. You could see the enjoyment in everyone's eyes and how much seeing Suicide Silence meant to them.
It came time for the last song, 'Y.O.L.O', and the pit went berserk, proving that metalcore was alive and kicking and nowhere near stopping anytime soon. 170 Russell yet again got torn a new one, this one in the shape of Suicide Silence. How they keep this intensity up on stage is beyond me, but I don't believe there would be any punters complaining after the killer set they performed.
