Sydonia, RooK, Laws ofTradition @ Excelsior Hotel(07/04/07)

Tue 10th Apr, 2007 in Gig Reviews

Driving through the labyrinth of one-way streets and dead ends that is Surry Hills can be a traumatizing experience for even the most determined punter, so it was a good thing that the Excelsior had billed a solid lineup to support Melbourne art-metallers Sydonia on one of the first shows of their national tour.

First up to the plate were Sydneysiders Laws of Tradition. Boasting a sound that’s two parts metalcore crunch and one part stoner grooviness, these worshippers of the all-mighty chug delivered their set with energy and precision. While their enthusiasm was admirable, I felt like the three-piece were a bit sonically limited and needed an extra element to really make their sound stand out. Big props to drummer Christian Whitelock though, whose inventiveness and sheer power behind the kit was a pleasure to watch.

No such problems plagued Melbourne’s RooK, who totally owned the stage from the moment they set foot on it. Fresh from supporting the legendary Helmet on their recent Australian tour, they treated the crowd to a set of alt-metal done right, with Forbes McKail’s soaring vocals providing an emotional lynchpin in the band’s combination of funk grooves and crunchy riffs. Above all, though, RooK’s set was fun – the guys were clearly having a blast on stage, and the good vibes were infectious. I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear more about them in the future, since they are one of Australia’s best heavy rock bands and hopefully will return to Sydney soon as headliners.

By the time Sydonia took the stage, the Excelsior had become a little cosy – a testament to the ample buzz these guys have been generating. This was my first experience with the band and based on word of mouth I wasn’t sure what to expect (and their stage setup, replete with a vast array of percussion, wasn’t helping my confusion). Although it’s a cliché to say an artist “defies easy classification”, Sydonia are that rare band that is actually extremely difficult to pigeonhole. A Perfect Circle might be a rough starting point, but throughout their set Sydonia traveled far and wide across the rock spectrum, touching upon moody goth ambience, percussive alternative stylings and even some dissonant mathcore (often all within a single song).

Make no mistake, Sydonia are a truly unique and ambitious band, and highlights like the grinding Rubber Bullet and the brilliant rendition of their latest single No Woman’s Land demonstrated these qualities in spades. The only downside is that Sydonia are bit difficult to get your head around on first listen and sometimes even seem like they are writing willfully difficult music. Although the first half of their set was a brilliant metallic mish-mash, the band seemed to lose steam near the end of their set as their similarly expansive and heavy epics began to bleed into one another. Nonetheless, there was copious headbanging and horn-flipping on display when Sydonia were on stage. By the time they finished up for the night, their fans were reverently calling for an encore that never came.