Blood, sweat and tears were shed all over the Princess Theatre on July 8th as Cruel Hand tore it up with their intense brand of US Heavy Metal. From the get go, the audience was pumped up, singing to every word and moving at every possible chance.

Cruel Hand is a Heavy Metal band from Portland, USA. This was their first show in Australia so the crowd was expecting big things from them… and they weren’t disappointed. The music was loud, brutal and fast, which was exactly what the crowd wanted. For an hour, Cruel Hand had the audience in the palm of their hands. This gig was the epitome of brutality, as audience members, myself and the singer took their fare share of bumps and bruises, and in the singer’s case a busted and bloody nose – just one of the effects of such an intense mosh pit; even with this bloodshed, the show went on.

This gig was a fantastic show of real metal, however by the end of the event, just like the movement in the audience, the feel of the music just slowed down. There was not enough variety between their songs, and a lot of them just seemed to drag on forever. It wasn’t so much Cruel Hand’s fault though. If they played with a more versatile array of metal, they would’ve shined that night, but every band that played on Wednesday night just seemed to sound the same. In saying this, the music was enjoyable. It sounded fantastic… in small doses.

The 8th of July 2009. A date to remember for Australian Heavy Metal fans as Cruel Hand tore up Brisbane’s Princess Theatre. It was a long awaited tour for many fans of the US band as it was their first tour down under. Besides from a few minor things, this was a reasonably exciting gig to be at, and many will be looking forward to the next time they’re in Australia.