Review: Luke Hodges
Photography: Natalie Lorenz
The rain had just begun to fall as punters feverishly stepped through the Brightside doors, eager to escape the humid, sweltering madness outside. For they yearned for a particular “sweltering madness” within said doors, manifesting from the blistering Arizonan deserts.
Gatecreeper, who only graced our shores with their presence merely a year ago, have made their return to Brisbane, joined by Japan’s Kruelty, as well as our resident hardcore heavyweights World Of Joy, with blackened death titans Descent commencing proceedings. Despite the looming presence of death metal, especially on an audible level, the building was emanating with an indescribable hardcore punk energy.
A massing crowd beset the front of the stage; the perfect blend of familiar faces as well as new and curious listeners, including myself. Descent’s reputation was not lost on me by any means, and their outright weaponisation of blast beats, tremolo riffs and sinister harmonies immediately seized the attention of the room. The five-piece wear their influences on their sleeve as we were treated to the influential workings of iconic bands like Cannibal Corpse and Nails, much to my personal delight.
The ironically named World Of Joy were next to take the stage, shattering any illusions of safety in a relentless, frenzied panic. With crushing riffs, pounding drums and deep, aggressive vocals reminiscent of Weekend Nachos and The Rival Mob, the fervent crowd was hellbent in its response to exemplify that it’s called “hardcore” for a reason. We were given glimpses of powerviolence and crossover thrash between raw hardcore punk stylings, sending the audience into an absolute fever pitch for the bands to follow.
Japan’s Kruelty were merely setting up and the room was already completely full, save for the giant horseshoe-shaped gap at the front of the stage. The crowd was borderline maniacal, so much so that their line check was mistaken for their first song, with some punters instigating the mosh instantaneously; this was well received by the “Tokyo Death Punk” juggernauts. Kruelty are one of a handful of bands that merge hardcore crossover with the tonal qualities of Swedish death metal seamlessly (see also Dethroned and Year of The Knife), only with a stronger focus on the death metal aspect. Their energetic stage presence encouraged the entirety of the large and diverse crowd to take part, further reinforcing the influence of hardcore on tonight’s event.
The stage was then left empty and dark, as each member of headline act Gatecreeper made their way in front of the tireless mass. Frontman Chase Mason wasted little time, instructing all headbangers to report to the front of the stage as opening track “Sweltering Madness” is abruptly unleashed upon the room. The influence of Swedish death metal at this moment was simply undeniable; the distortion and sustain of the guitars, almost overwhelming.
The crowd responded with headbanging and push pitting, in almost glaring contrast to the heavy, flailing limbs being thrown only minutes prior – yet despite this, crowd enthusiasm and engagement remained at an all-time high for the night. Gatecreeper’s set went from strength to strength, playing a number of stand out tracks across two full-length albums and a studio EP, as well as three NEW tracks that will feature on their upcoming album “Dark Superstition”. This colossal setlist was bookended by fan favourites “Flamethrower” and swiftly encored with “Boiled Over”, to unanimous applause.
Within minutes of the show’s ending, the floor was completely deserted, with most fans flocking to the merch desks to grab a shirt and support the bands. This is yet another testament to the ethos of hardcore and its positive impact on the night, despite being a predominant death metal lineup. It simply proves that Gatecreeper are quickly garnering attention across multiple facets of heavy music upon their return, with no sign of slowing down as they tear across the rest of Australia.
DESTROY ALL LINES PRESENTS:
GATECREEPER (USA)
With special guests
KRUELY (JPN) and WORLD OF JOY
Sunday April 7 – Crowbar, Sydney
Tuesday April 9 – Dicey Riley’s, Wollongong
Wednesday April 10 – The Basement, Canberra
Thursday April 11 – Prince Bandroom, Melbourne
Friday April 12 – Singing Bird Studios, Frankston AA
Saturday April 13 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
Sunday April 14 – Lynott’s Lounge, Perth
– GALLERY –
