Over Unity @ Rocket Room,Perth (26/02/11)

Tue 1st Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Fans of local Perth band Over Unity have been waiting years for the release of an EP. Tonight their patience has been rewarded. Finally Over Unity release their debut EP Collide in space, which contains a solid thirty-seven minutes of music over five tracks.

It is such a relief to enter an air-conditioned room, escaping the intense heat of a Perth summer. Punters head straight to the seats to regain their energy, or to the bar to cool down with a drink. Opening the night were one Perth’s favourite contemporary alternative rock bands, Chasing the Ninth. “Don’t rock out too hard” vocalist Mike Carrivick says jokingly to the small crowd of lazy people, unwilling to move. While the heat seems to have drained the energy of the punters, the same cannot be said about the band. Every member of the band moved as much as they possibly could on the tiny stage. Their energy, combined with the tight execution of the music encouraged people to respond. Further into the set as gig goers began to recover from the heat, heads were nodding along to the beat, flailing arms air drumming and one enthusiastic fan professing his love for the band.

Next on the bill were OPIA, a three piece that play heavy, guitar dominated rock. Mike Bok’s tortured vocals fit nicely with the grinding riffs and steady rhythm. It is obvious that they enjoy playing music, but unfortunately for the crowd it felt as though they were playing for themselves. Bassist Mike Williams spent a good portion of the set playing to the drummer, his back facing the audience and Bok held his eyes firmly shut for nearly the entire set. A little eye contact wouldn’t go astray, to engage the audience. Although OPIA have a solid sound, after the first few songs they all began to sound the same. This is not such a terrible thing if you are a fan of their sound, but for some it was more entertaining to watch the drunk, middle-aged man, dancing down the front clasping his beer for dear life.

Mercurial were a breath of fresh air, bringing their dark, electronic infused alternative rock to the stage. Songs such as Intramural sounded as they though they could get crowds dancing in clubs. Other, heavier tracks were better suited for moshing. Whether dancing or moshing, Mercurial kept the audience moving. Singer Brent Tunbridge and lead guitarist/synths player Aaron Bridgeman were the stars of the show, using commanding gestures and practically throwing themselves in the crowd, to keep onlookers entertained. It is evident that musical ability runs in the Bridgeman family. Brent’s brother Jared Bridgeman was invited up on stage to add some impressive guttural growls during the final song concecrate.

It was now time for tonight’s head-liners to take to the stage. At this point everyone who had been hiding at the back all night migrated to the front. Over Unity previewed all five tracks from their debut EP Collide the Space plus threw in two older tracks to satisfy their long time fans. Opening with the longest track from the EP Near (which because of it’s length they only played a portion of), it was clear to see that Over Unity have moved from a heavy, angry sound that older tracks Ataxi and Storm displayed, for a melodic approach.

Lead singer, Joe Dignon has a very unique voice. Showcasing his incredible range he flowed between haunting low notes to soaring, beautiful falsetto seamlessly. Lead guitarist, Ben Caracciolo, at times was reminiscent of Rob Maric of Dead Letter Circus, who appears to enter a completely different world whilst playing.
Most musicians tend to write songs about everyday experiences. Instead Over Unity explore philosophical arguments, which is impressive and surprising given that the mean age of the band is twenty. Closing with the second longest track on the EP, the eight and a half minute track Lucid dream took the listeners on a epic journey of highs and lows, which progressed in such a way as not to lose the attention of their listeners.

It was well worth braving the heat to catch some of Perth finest up and comers.