After ravaging Perth punters for many years, it appears that a cure for Monday-itis has been found! Devout fans that braved the cold and congregated at Amplifier on Monday night stumbled upon the miracle concoction as if by accident. Who would have thought that a heavy dose of American metalcore band Haste the Day, stellar local supports and fine beer was a sure fire cure for the crippling illness?

Opening proceedings were Perth newcomers We Can Breathe In Space. Having previously only played three shows, stepping up to the big stage was always going to be a challenge to a new band. However to the credit of these young lads they took to the stage with a confidence and presence of a band well beyond their days. They delivered a sound that was laced with synthesiser, double kicks and three way screams. Set closer, Some Sink the 8 Ball on the First Turn seemed to go over well with the metal faithful. Whilst at times their inexperience showed through some technical errors, there is no doubt that with more shows under their belt they are capable of becoming a solid live act.

The venue continued to fill as rain continued to fall outside when Perth veterans Arturo Chaos took to the stage. No strangers to playing in front of larger crowds, the boys looked right at home on the Amplifier stage, storming up and down as if they were letting everyone know it was their territory. Guitarists Nick McLernon and Craig Buckingham complemented each others extremely skilful playing; at times it was beautifully melodic then with the stomp of a distortion pedal, brutally heavy. One thing is for sure, these guys can shred. Their stand-out track Soulless demonstrated the versatility of this ever improving metalcore act, they had no trouble getting the crowd involved with a number of committed punters grabbing the mic and screaming for their lives.

Fresh from recording their debut full length in South Australia, Perth’s Mandalay Victory proved to the now packed-out Amplifier that they are ready to take their dynamic sound to the rest of the nation. With bands such as Parkway Drive and Confession winning over mass audiences around the country, it is highly possible that Mandalay could tap into this ever growing metal market. Aiding their sound (a mix of vicious screams and growls that morph into catchy choruses that hook in the listener) is the world-class stage presence of this five piece, bouncing up and down in unison, constantly moving and getting the crowd heavily involved. Front-man Dane Warren felt the Amplifier stage was nowhere near large enough for him and jumped into the crowd. As P.A.R.T.Y suggests, these guys are here to insight chaos and the audience were more than happy to get involved.

The crowd were well and truly warmed up and showing no signs of normal Monday night tiredness and were more than ready to welcome Indiana’s favourite Christian Metal band Haste The Day to the stage. From the first strum these guys showed that they are in a league of their own when it comes to musicianship. Much of the set consisted of tracks from their two most recent albums Pressure the Hinges and Dreamer. With no security at the front of the stage, fans were free to do as they pleased jumping all over the band and unleashing havoc, which only spurred Haste The Day to play even harder.

New drummer Giuseppe Capolupo quickly showed his worth, putting on a flawless performance and possibly breaking the world record for the most stick spins in one set (undoubtedly helped by years in the school marching band) and leaving everybody in absolute Awe. Songs Minor Prophets and older track American Love saw the entire venue singing along and buzzing with excitement.

Vocalist Stephen Keech called for, and successfully orchestrated, one huge circle pit around the centre pole of the stage room; lets be honest, it isn’t a metal gig at Amps without one! With everybody’s Monday-itis now cured Haste the Day left the stage knowing they’d done Perth a world of good. The side effects of this cure however, appear to be a severe Tuesday morning hangover; a small price to pay for a killer Monday night out.