Review – Nev Pearce
Photography – Dan Maynard
It’s been a long time coming, but the Monolith Festival has finally returned, featuring an incredible lineup of progressive rock/metal and alt-core bands from around the globe, ready to showcase their genre-defining sounds and mind-bending abilities.
Being held at the impressive Fortitude Music Hall, this year’s installment is headlined by American prog rockers Coheed and Cambria, alongside djent favorites Periphery, Norwegian prog metal master’s Leprous, Canadian instrumentalists Intervals, French prog-core band Novelists, and Melbourne’s Silver Fang. This lineup arguably represents the best the festival has put together to date.
The festival also boasts a single stage with no clashes, with workshops and Q&As being held in the outpost bar between changeovers, giving fans more bang for their buck and a chance to experience something different from the usual back-to-back band bill—an innovative approach that other shows could take note of.
Kicking off the festivities was the Periphery Q&A in the upstairs outpost bar, hosted by Australian guitarist prodigy Keyan, offering an insightful and sometimes hilarious look at the band’s songwriting and production processes.
After a short break, we returned to the outpost for “The Past, Present and Future” Q&A with Coheed mastermind Claudio Sanchez, who was in great spirits and dove deep into the band’s history from its inception in Paris to now, even teasing that he was listening to the new record on the treadmill but wouldn’t divulge any further details. It was a great conversation with the man himself, leaving fans who managed to get in early excited for the Neverender set later that night.
After wrapping up Claudio’s panel, everyone shuffled into the main room for Australian alt-core band Silver Fang. I hadn’t heard them before and deliberately chose not to listen to their music in advance, wanting the rare experience of discovering a band through their live performance rather than through streaming, and I’m glad I did.
Led by Stephanie Jessica Rose’s brutal and haunting vocals, the band fuses modern metalcore with electronica, crafting an atmospheric heavy sound that sets the perfect tone for “Monolith.” Drenched in blue light, their electrifying performance warms up the early punters and leaves a memorable impression for those who were early enough to catch them—definitely a group to keep an eye on.
After a quick changeover, we were treated to French quintet Novelists, who have been building a solid following on a global scale and are a powerful force live.
Fronted by new vocalist Camille Contreras, who is not only a vocal powerhouse but also a charismatic and engaging performer, the band sounded absolutely monstrous. Despite experiencing a technical issue with their samples, they powered through their set to a packed room of new and old fans who welcomed them with open arms for their first-ever show in Brisbane.
As the main stage was being reset for Intervals, I Built the Sky/touring Periphery drummer David Parkes began his workshop in the outpost. It was cool to see him behind the kit, discussing his experience and techniques while showcasing some of his skills before the big show that night.
I may be late to the party but after recently discovered Intervals after seeing a picture of Wolfgang Van Halen wearing one of their shirts onstage, I was excited to see the instrumental prog masters live. The band offers a weaving journey of triumphant riffs, atmospheric samples, and otherworldly, face-melting solos, with an uplifting vibe that feels like something out of a time-traveling adventure with Bill and Ted.
Main man Aaron Marshall is one of the best in the genre, and he and his band kept the show high-energy and entertaining for not only the prog heads but also the average listener who might not typically enjoy instrumental music. Playing tracks off their latest epic Memory Palace and older cuts, Intervals are a damn good time, and it’s easy to see why the son of the great EVH would be a fan!
Up next was the much-loved Norwegian prog metal band Leprous, who were nothing short of incredible. With their droning, apocalyptic keyboards, crushing riffs, and frontman Einar Solberg’s haunting vocals, their sound painted a beautiful and sometimes unsettling abstract picture that captivated the audience.
They played cuts from their latest album, Melodies of Atonement, and other favorites from their back catalog, such as “The Price” and “From the Flame.” The warm welcome they received made it clear they were missed, and hopefully, it won’t be long before we see them on our shores again.
After Leprous, it was back upstairs to catch guitar sensation Keyan Houshmand’s workshop. Keyan has gained quite a following due to his online presence, incredible skills as a player, and his tours supporting Animals as Leaders. Hearing him talk about his journey and how the bands on the festival’s lineup have influenced him over the years, along with his respect for his friend Plini, was inspiring. I hope we can see him on the big stage in a future installment of the festival, as he certainly deserves it.
With a giant jar of Vegemite as their backdrop, Periphery hit the ground running with “Wildfire” from their latest album, Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre, following it up with “Atropos” and the classic track “Reptile,” which ignited the pit in a big way!
I’ve seen Periphery a few times over the years, and they are always a blast, but their set tonight was next level—the crowd was absolutely loving it.
They have always known how to write pit smashers with massive grooves, and tracks like “Marigold” were pulled from their bag of tricks to give the fans exactly what they came for.
Wrapping up their set with “Blood Eagle” and a massive split mosh pit frenzy, Periphery proved once again why they are legends of the genre they helped propel into the future. Many bands wouldn’t exist without them and celebrating that here at Monolith with them and thousands of other fans was quite something. Come back soon, lads!
It’s been quite a while since I last saw Coheed and Cambria, and their return is long overdue. I’ve said it many times before, but this is the band that my family bonds over; they are my wife’s favorite, and my eldest daughter loves them too. I was overjoyed to finally see them again with both of them and my son-in-law by my side.
The band returned to Australia to play their iconic album Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness, arguably their best record and one of the greatest of all time in many people’s eyes.
As the lights dimmed, the familiar sound of the intro track “Keeping the Blade” was heard over the PA, quickly drowned out as the band entered the stage to play the acoustic first song of the album, “Always & Never.” This tender moment led into their massive hit “Welcome Home,” usually the big finale of their set and their most renowned song.
The band has done these Neverender full album sets in the past, but never here in Australia. Getting to hear not only Good Apollo’s big tracks like “10 Speed,” “Wake Up,” and “The Suffering” live again was fantastic, but the deep cuts like “Once Upon Your Dead Body” and “The Willing Well” chapters were a real treat for the long-time diehard fans.
Despite the jet lag, Coheed were in top form, with Claudio especially being a burst of energy. His signature dance moves during the heavier moments ramped up as the set progressed. He dragged his amp to the front of the stage, manipulated it to get the feedback and sounds he wanted, picked it up and threw it around the stage, and then triumphantly stood on it to rip a massive solo—the kind of rockstar behavior you rarely see these days but is incredibly cool to witness.
After the Good Apollo set, the band returned for an encore of the classics “A Favor House Atlantic” and “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3,” giving fans a truly memorable experience and a connection to when many of them first discovered the band two decades ago—magical stuff.
From the organization and changeovers between the bands’ sets to the artist panels, many other festivals could take note from Monolith. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish, and I look forward to coming back for next year’s installment.
May the prog be with you!
MONOLITH FESTIVAL 2024
Saturday 9 November PICA MELBOURNE
Monolith Festival Full Lineup
Sunday 10 November Hordern Pavilion SYDNEY
Monolith Festival Full Lineup
– GALLERY –
