When gates opened at Claremont Showgrounds to let Perth’s metal contingent in for the first Australian date of the Black Crusade tour, it was already well over an hour past the posted starting time. With security making a solid effort to confiscate any potential weapons and getting rather picky about steel-cap boots, it was even later by the time the assembled masses actually got into the venue.
Although it was early in the day and punters were still filing in, those already assembled in Robinson Pavilion threw their full support behind the opening act, Perth’s Dyscord. The band played a tight set, feeding off the crowd’s energy, and a spontaneous circle pit even formed during their last song. With a debut album on the horizon, Dyscord are certainly an outfit to watch.
In contrast, Adelaide six-piece The Rivalry drew a less enthusiastic response. With a chaotic sound fronted by two dedicated vocalists, their style seemed somewhat more of an acquired taste than that of the previous act, and while some punters got into it, most seemed mildly disinterested at best. Perhaps The Rivalry would have been better received in a different lineup.
Swedish death metallers Arch Enemy were the first of the headline acts. Opening with Blood On Your Hands, the first track from the recently-released Rise of the Tyrant, guitarists Michael Amott and Christopher Amott, bassist Sharlee D’Angelo, and drummer Daniel Erlandsson laid a heavy foundation for tiny frontwoman Angela Gossow ’s frighteningly massive growl. Greeting the crowd with a warning that with only 45 minutes for the set, there was no time for idle chat, Arch Enemy got down to business with some older material – Dead Eyes See No Future and My Apocalypse – before the second of the new songs, Revolution Begins.
Two largely instrumental songs gave the Amott brothers opportunity to display the guitar-god skills they are famous for, before the all-too-short set ended with Nemesis, from Doomsday Machine, and the breakthrough We Will Rise, from 2003’s Anthems of Rebellion.
Judging by the t-shirts on display around the venue, many of those had come specifically to see Trivium, who were up next. Having played Perth merely months beforehand, vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu, bassist Paolo Gregoletto and drummer Travis Smith were given a warm welcome. To the Rats, from latest album The Crusade, was followed by Tread the Floods from the same release, before Fugue, the only song played from 2003’s Ember to Inferno.
Crowd participation was what it was all about – with the fans encouraged to jump, to sing along for Anthem (We Are the Fire), a definite highlight, and “do whatever the fuck you want” for the final song, Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr. Then, with the promise of a new album in 2008, Trivium were gone, and jostling for position for the final band started.
The legendary Machine Head started their set with Clenching the Fists of Dissent from their new and most successful album to-date, The Blackening. Clocking in at over 10 minutes, the song is angry old-school thrash metal at its best and was the perfect start to the set for frontman Rob Flynn, bassist Adam Duce, guitarist Phil Demmel and drummer Dave McClain.
Imperium followed, from 2004’s Through the Ashes of Empires, then another new song with Aesthetics of Hate, an outpouring of rage written in response to an inflammatory article about slain Pantera/Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott. The new material continued with Halo (for the
‘weed-smokers’ in the audience) then it was back to 1997 with Take My Scars from The More Things Change.
Flynn dedicated the slower Descend the Shades of Night from Ashes to those who had been touched by suicide, then started building towards a big finish with older favourite Davidian from Burn My Eyes. Disappointingly and despite the chanting efforts of the crowd, an encore was not forthcoming, notably, no Ten Ton Hammer – more than likely because of a bottle thrown by an idiot in the pit that hit Flynn in the head just as the band said their first lot of farewells.
It was an unfortunate finish to what had been thus far an outstanding shred-fest with three great international bands. Hopefully the incident won’t mar the reputation of Australian metal audiences as The Black Crusade moves across the country.
