Cavalera Conspiracy,Lynchmada, Shifting TheParadigm @ The Hifi, Brisbane(06/12/2012)

Thu 9th Feb, 2012 in Gig Reviews

For the old guard of metal fans the reunification of Max and Igor Cavalera is something akin to the second coming. With Sepultura, the duo created some of the most influential thrash metal of the last 25 years and now all they need is the Cavalera name to fill venues from front to back. So with that in mind, it isn’t surprising that the line stretching down the road outside The Hifi is full of black-shirted 30-something metal fans who ordinarily wouldn’t be caught dead in Brisbane’s trendy west end. But this is no ordinary night. Metal royalty is about to make an appearance and the loyal aren’t going to miss it as they flood into the cavernous room early to catch two of the Gold Coast’s hardest hitting local acts before the Brazilians take the stage.

First cab off the rank is tech-death outfit Shifting The Paradigm who hit the room with a furore that hardly relents for the following half hour. Filled with flawless tech-metal riffage, flying solos and a drummer haemorrhaging arrhythmia, it’s clear from the opening few bars of current single Left To Burn that here is a band who hates convention almost as much as it hates 4/4 time signatures. From the get go the assault of musical virtuosity and calculated rhythmic mind-bending metal hit full force with tracks like Paradigm, Synthetic Architect and a furious version of Metallica’s Damage Inc. Judging by the crowd’s reaction as the five-piece walk off stage, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Shifting The Paradigm in 2012.

With The Hifi still filling and the gathered crowd sufficiently warmed up, Lynchmada take the stage with a cacophony of dazzling and energetic metalcore riffs. The pit fills with their substantial following and with guitars blazing, drums furiously thumping and the vocals a squall of growls and roars, Lynchmada proceed to stir the masses into a frenzy. Playing their hometown on the final show of the tour, the five-piece leave nothing in the tank as they deliver metal for the crowd to move to. Crushing riffs and brutal breakdowns are the order of the day but most impressive was vocalist Joel Harris who stalks the stage seamlessly moving between deep growls, hoarse screams and melodic clean vocals all while trying to keep the peace in an increasingly aggressive pit.

Heralding the reunification of the two founding members of one of the most visceral and influential bands of all time, you might say that Cavalera Conspiracy have a lot to live up to. Certainly the crowd gathered at the foot of the stage think they do, but from the get go it was clear they don’t have a thing to worry about because in these fans’ eyes, the brothers can’t do a thing wrong.

The chants of “Igor” filled the room as the drummer took up his station behind the kit but that was nothing compared to the hero’s welcome reserved for Max as the most unkempt man in metal strolled on and immediately started playing the opening riff of Blunt Force Trauma album opener, Warlord. What follows is less a concert and more an event as bone-smashing riffs of bona fide thrash metal rip through The Hifi, circles open in the pit, shirts are shed, horns raised and hundreds of heads are banged in unison.

For the most part, Max concentrated on vocals and strumming open chords leaving much of the heavy lifting to lead guitarist Marc Rizzo. Endlessly entertaining, Rizzo didn’t miss a note and never stopped moving and along with Igor and Johnny Chow on bass, Cavalera Conspiracy is a solid line-up backing up the main man with the appalling dreads.

The first signs of a Sepultura cover-fest come after seven songs with Refuse/Resist garnering the biggest roar and most aggressive response by the metal-heads up front. But the Conspiracy follows that with Arise, The Doom Of All Fires, Inner Self, Troops Of Doom, a choice selection of newer tracks and closing the show with Attitude before returning for the obligatory Roots Bloody Roots encore.

Critics will say that Max has gotten fat, he’s not into it and he’s going through the motions but don’t mention that to the sweaty guys in the street spilling out of The Hifi. To them tonight represents a moment in metal that will live long in their memories and will probably inspire more than a few axemen to pick up the guitars and start thrashing again.