Boasting a dimly lit gig room, with skulls and skeletons adorning the bar and cheap beer on tap, The Bendigo Hotel has often been a meeting place for shred enthusiasts, and tonight was no exception. Melbourne’s Encircling Sea headed a five-band bill of furious black metal crossover acts, which included Adelaide trio Funeral Moon, launching their new album Sans Succubus.
As soon as Thrall took the stage, show-goers were treated to a thick wall of black metal thrashing, noise chords and drum build-ups. The drum hits carried a militant feel, whilst high-pitched guitar wailing floated over the vocalist’s savage bark. Their music seemed like it would be an adequate backdrop to a zombie army marching across barren land.
Funeral Moon followed, and for a band consisting of only guitarist, vocalist and drummer, they filled the room with a level of dischord as full as it was furious. Fusing crust-punk sensibilities, black metal build-ups and grindcore fury, each member played relentlessly. Hordes Of The Black Cross were next, and while their set combined old-sounding, stop-start metal with distant shrieking, it was all getting a little samey.
But never mind, as Encircling Sea took the stage shortly after and threw the entire show on its head. Starting with some droning, climactic riffs, the headliners shook off the fury that the other bands had instilled in the venue. Though, only for a fleeting second, as the atmospheric overture soon gave way to a cyclone of ethereal destruction. While the chord progressions were as light and sharp as a butterfly knife, the drumming was so furious it felt like a hundred drills were perforating the ankles of everyone in the room. The howling vocals cut through the sound perfectly; separated from the music whilst still integral to its form.
Encircling Sea captured the feeling of being stuck aboard a sinking ship in the middle of a storm. It was chaotic, lost, and devoid of hope – providing everything a good progressive metal band should. The set ended on a near-orchestral note, with drums tapping slowly to distant bass lines and haunting guitar riffs saying a solemn goodbye to a night of fury, chaos and despair.
BY THOMAS BRAND
Loved: Going to The Bendy for a metal show. It’s been too long.
Hated: Again, forgot earplugs. Whooooops.
Drank: Skull beer. It’s got a skull on it, what’s not to like?
