Monday, July 23, 2012

Goatwhore, Impiety, Ruins & Mongrels Cross @ Beetle Bar, Brisbane – July 5, 2012

Heading out to Goatwhore last night I was full of anticipation. The last time I saw these guys they were supporting Job For a Cowboy and Behemoth with The Amenta at the Hi-Fi bar, and I head in expecting the same kind of brutality that they offered Brisbane back then. This time round they were headlining The Beetle Bar – A much more intimate venue than Hi-Fi, with local support acts Mongrels Cross, Ruins (Tasmania) and Impiety (Singapore).
The advantage of the smaller venue for me is that you are right up in the action with your shins banging against the stage and horns raised high. It’s a very different feel to the larger venues where you get cattled in against a fence, and I appreciate venues that still allow you to get close and personal with the band you have come to support. Being able to see the whites in their eyes and occasionally get the flying spit and sweat from the band working hard under the heat of the stage lights really can make a show that much more exciting and memorable, which is exactly what this show was...

For my full review, head to http://www.thisisnotascene.com/2012/goatwhore-impiety-ruins-mongrels-cross-beetle-bar-brisbane-july-5-2012/

Sunday, July 1, 2012

CD Review - Periphery - Periphery II

My first listen to Periphery and my instinct is to head to track 3, Froggin’ Bullfish, first. I’ll always head to the best named track to kick off, & this track built up high expectations for the rest of the album for me. I’m a fan of progressive & technical metal, and having listened to Periphery II, I came away knowing this band is full of musicians who are well at home in either of these areas. They aren’t afraid of showing it to the listener either, throwing a great deal of technical diversity into every track. While the vocals aren’t distinctive enough to identify Periphery from the next band, vocalist Spencer Sotelo certainly has an impressive range and vocal quality, jumping from some very clean vocal lines to some deliciously guttural roars. What really stood out for me on this album though, was some fantastic guitar work by Jake Bowen and Mark Holcomb. I mean, these boys have skills. Clearly they’ve spent a great deal of time working together to ensure the technical precision on this album is spot on, and it shows. Head to http://www.thisisnotascene.com/ to read the full review