Stone Sour, Coheed andCambria, Sevendust, 36Crazyfists @ Big Top, LunaPark, Sydney (28/2/11)

Fri 4th Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The irony of 36 Crazyfists vocalist Brock Lindow screaming “put your fists in the air!” and the 36 (give or take) people there responding wasn’t lost on anyone. For all the poor turnout, however, the Alaskan metalcore quartet certainly had their fair share of fans amongst the slowly gathering crowd. It was easy to see why, too – the band are one of the few of their contemporaries that can find the proper balance of metal and hardcore sensibilities and present it with such endearing confidence. The band occasionally lost their placing amidst some of the faster songs, as well as being assigned the unfortunate role of guinea pigs to the mixing desk (everything cut out at least once). And let’s not even start the embarrassingly feeble wall of death. In spite of it all, 36 Crazyfists were a solid opener that not enough people properly appreciated – namely, by not being there.

Sevendust are one of the few surviving bands who rose to prominence during the nu-metal wave of the early 2000s, and have impressively managed to hold onto a strong foundation of melody and downtuned riffage for over a decade. Instead of being stuck on fads and trends from years prior, the five-piece instead have shifted their focus to honing their live act – and, now with a larger audience paying attention, displayed exactly why guys have kept coming back to see them long after taking down their Papa Roach and Mudvayne posters off the wall. For starters, Lajon Witherspoon (definitely no relation to Reese) is a born entertainer. Not only is he a powerful vocalist, nailing both the rougher shouts and the soaring clean sections; but he also does everything within his power to get the audience riled up and engaged with the music. Which brings us to the songs themselves – aggressive in nature and tone, yet tamed slightly by big, bold choruses. In other words, perfect to bounce about to, as well as sing along to as loudly as possible. It was exactly what the crowd needed to get the juices flowing, and certainly entertaining throughout.

With their high-pitched vocals, odd conceptual lyrics and tendency towards the more bombastic side of heavy music, Coheed & Cambria were somewhat of an anomaly amidst tonight’s lineup. It was this notion that worked both for and against the band’s set. From one perspective, it helped them stand out from those they shared the bill with; powering through their metal-tinged rock opera like nobody’s business. Conversely, it was difficult to build up a rapport with an audience in which only a quarter or so had a genuine interest. Thus, a bittersweet cocktail was brewed. The performance itself was a faultless display of musicianship, with not a note out of place as they tore through material old and new. The atmosphere surrounding the band, however, was notably dead, save for an inspired finale of single Welcome Home. The band barely looked beyond their instruments, and not one of them said a word apart from bass player Michael Todd. Perhaps they might have been suited to their own show – Coheed delivered a good, but sadly not great, performance.

From the second he walked on stage and leapt up onto his heightened platform, Corey Taylor had a now reasonably packed Big Top at his beck and call. Leading his “other” band, Stone Sour, the rugged frontman couldn’t wipe the grin from his face as he got the place jumping on queue. Let it be clear that if you’d never had more than a passing interest in the band, this certainly wasn’t a show for you – from an outsider’s perspective, it was probably ridiculous to see these mammoth gym junkies standing next to mall-goth wimps in the moshpit as they sang wholeheartedly along to songs of pain, anguish and despair like it was 2006 again. For what it was worth, however, those who came to be entertained were certainly given their money’s worth. Even when they grow samey and similar on record, it’s in the live environment in which Stone Sour thrives.

Tracks from all three albums were given strong reception, although it’s safe to say the crowd held a bit more of a favouritism towards the band’s second album, 2006’s Come What(ever) May. Made of Scars saw the crowd sing out every last extended syllable of “yeah-ahhh-ahhh,” while Hell and Consequences was given a blistering workout, especially from guitarist (and fellow Slipknot alumni) Jim Root. The biggest cheer, of course, was reserved for the band’s biggest hit, Through Glass. Building up from Taylor’s simple guitar and the hi-hat clasps of Roy Mayorga, the whole band kicked in with sound precision to lead through one of the finer examples of crossover heavy-rock in the late 2000s.

The band encored on three songs, including Inhale from the 2002 self-titled record and Come What(ever)’s aggressive opener, 30/30/150. With this, the band signed off on an evening of great, heavy music that, while with some flaws, was a worthy and particularly fun evening out.