Review: Alison Gustavson
Photography: Luke Petty

On Saturday night In Hearts Wake brought their 2024 Australian tour to The Tivoli, alongside Gravemind, King 810, and Paleface Swiss. Marking the end of a chapter as Kyle Erich’s final tour with the band, this was an unmissable show for old and new fans alike and as the band put it, gave the perfect opportunity to “go through some of Kyle’s greatest hits”.

Homegrown and heavy legends Gravemind was first to hit the stage, and boy did they bring their A-Game. Their blend of heavy riffs and chaotic drumming was quick to get the crowd moving and remind us of the great pool of heavy talent we have in Australia. With their energetic live performance, it is no surprise that this band has been on the rise, especially since their release ‘Failstate’ featuring Mick Gordon.

King 810 was next to take the stage, opening their set with a cinematic intro. The moment the guitarist walked on stage in the iconic King mask, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. From ‘Hurry Hurry Ahura Mazda’ to ‘Killem All’, there wasn’t a single moment that saw them slow down.

Donning his blue overalls, David Gunn not only showcased his wide vocal ability but simply owned the stage, constantly moving from side to side to engage the audience. For a band that has not been to Australia in over 10 years, they certainly got a warm welcome back with the crowd moshing to every song.

As the final support band of the night, the venue was brimming with anticipation when Paleface Swiss walked onstage. This tour marks the band’s debut Australian appearance but it’s safe to say there were a lot of pleased fans with the number of people I saw around me screaming every word.

Performing ‘Please End Me’, ‘The Orphan’, and ‘Nail To The Tooth’, we got to see just how tight this band is live and what a great frontman Marc Zellweger is. Inspiring the first wall of death of the evening, which managed to expand across half of the moshpit, the crowd was well and truly ready for In Hearts Wake.

Just after 10pm, it was finally time to welcome the Byron-originating five-piece back to Brisbane. Immediately getting the crowd moving, In Hearts Wake opened with the first track on Incarnation, ‘Spitting Nails (ǝunʇɹoɟ ɟo lǝǝɥʍ)’.

Somehow sounding even better live, this was the perfect lead into ‘The Flood (ǝɔᴉʇsnɾ)’ which saw a sea of headbanging. As the last chug concluded, frontman Jake Taylor took a moment to talk to the crowd and welcome their brother Kyle Erich onstage. Smiling ear to ear as the crowd began to chant his name, many crowdsurfers made their way to the front to say goodbye to the incredible vocalist throughout ‘Traveller (The Fool)’.

Over a decade later, this band still has phenomenal energy onstage and sounds equally fantastic; Taylor’s screams are as brutal as ever while Erich’s cleans sound even more entrancing live. This was especially the case for one of my personal favourites, ‘Earthwalker’, which began with an epic build-up. It’s no surprise the crowd was beyond excited to hear the title track of their second studio album with the entire crowd jumping during the iconic intro riff and a rowdy moshpit moving nonstop.

This song not only had the crowd singing the loudest they’d been all night (and singing the echoed ‘light the way’ line in the chorus), but also gave us the perfect opportunity to witness Eaven Dall’s unparalleled energy.

Dialling the energy down and showcasing a softer side to the evening, ‘Wildflower’ was up next. As one of the most emotional and beautiful tracks this band has written, ‘moving’ does not begin to describe it live, and it serves as a reminder of how we must treasure this fragile life and make the most of it.

The mix of old and new songs from ‘Gaia’ and ‘Skydancer’ to ‘Hellbringer’ and ‘Orphan (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ)’ was done perfectly, and truly meant there was something for everyone. ‘Hellbringer’ got the crowd down on the ground, and the balcony was not excluded from this request from Taylor. When the song kicked in, everyone in the venue was up off their feet and the atmosphere became nothing short of electrifying.

Towards the end of the set, it was time to get the popcorn out and stroll down memory lane. Taylor and the band had put together a video showcasing all the sides of Erich and had brought a projector and a DIY screen to the venue.

While someone in the crowd suggested it was a PowerPoint presentation, it turned out to be far better than that: Celine Dion greeted us all, singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’. Alongside Dion, photos and videos of the vocalist began to appear; photos of Erich on a boat, on the beach, lunging in short shorts, showing off his fantastic dance moves, what he’d look like with a stunning blonde bob, some real wholesome band family photos, and a lot of very specific close-ups. It is safe to say that Kyle ‘Van Damme’ Erich will be truly missed.

For his final song in Brisbane, at least for the foreseeable future, it was time to say goodbye to him with ‘Farewell’. Words do not do his performance justice – his voice was nothing short of perfect throughout, and with the crowd singing back every word, he simply fed off our energy. The blend of Taylor and Erich’s vocals over the course of the set was nothing short of remarkable, but the emotion in this one particularly was something special.

As we bid adieu to a vocalist who means so much to so many people, the band stepped back into a new era once more with ‘Orphan (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ)’. Hats off to the sound tech who managed to make this track sound even meaner and impactful live, and the lighting tech who made the band look fantastic the whole time. Following ‘Worldwide Suicide’, we had reached the end of the 18-track setlist with ‘Hollow Bone’. With a sea of headbanging and a rowdy mosh, In Hearts Wake ended the set on a high with an incredibly powerful chorus demonstrating a promising future for the band.

As an incredibly bittersweet show, this tour is not one to sleep on. Be sure to check out the band’s latest album Incarnation and say farewell to Erich in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

 – GALLERY –