FEATURE: KYS at Soundwave – Melbourne

3 March 2014 | 10:35 am | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

“We’re bumping into old friends that we toured with years ago and there’s rock stars walking around that I wouldn’t get to see otherwise. It’s like a rock summer camp.” The words are apt and the sentiments precise. August Burns Red’s JB Brubaker summarises why the annual travelling circus of bands that is Soundwave is so loved. It was Melbourne’s turn last Friday and following a familiar script the reception was once again positive.

“We’re bumping into old friends that we toured with years ago and there’s rock stars walking around that I wouldn’t get to see otherwise. It’s like a rock summer camp.”

The words are apt and the sentiments precise. August Burns Red’s JB Brubaker summarises why the annual travelling circus of bands that is Soundwave is so well-loved.

It was Melbourne’s turn last Friday and following a familiar script the reception was once again positive.

“I’m a fan of a lot of people playing on this festival. I can be a dude in the crowd instead of [just] a guy on stage. [Sometimes] you kind of forget what’s it like to take in a show,” Brubaker adds.

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August Burns Red are the reflective. The band is perhaps a fitting case study, representing perfectly why Soundwave is so popular.

Fashioning smiles and a neat appearance, ABR don’t rely on stereotypes but focus on playing hard-hitting music devoid of outdated personas.

Songs like ‘White Washed’, ‘Composure’ and the flamenco inspired ‘Internal Cannon‘ all go down a treat.

TesseracT are the best kept secret this time around. It’s all about remaining unassuming – whether consciously or unintentionally – the band plays flawless music with limited fuss. No sidewaves, the group let the festival stage do the talking. While ‘Altered State’ was a fantastic 2013 release, it’s the tunes from the band’s debut that translate best live. While opener ‘Of Matter: Proxy’ is well-received and ‘Nocturne’ solid, the music is gentle and maybe too restrained. It’s ‘Concealing Fate: Part two – Deception’ where the band excels. The double kick is pounding and the riffs complimentary. The crowd headbanging to polyrhythms. Perfection!

“What situation are you going to be in where you’re in the room next to Alkaline Trio and two doors down from Rocket From the Crypt? It’s cool, we like all kinds of bands. I enjoy these mixed festivals,” The Black Dahlia Murder frontman Trevor Strnad says.

The Black Dahlia Murder are metal in pure form personified. It’s music played and performed for all the right reasons. Death metal becomes a fun venture. Tongue-in-cheek lyrics to offend the parents and a nod to death metal veterans all coalescing, TBDM bring a professional and entertaining element to the fest. New drummer Alan Cassidy doesn’t miss a beat and Strnad commands the stage with his shirt off in typically fashion. Very good.

Graveyard – Swedish hard rock. That’s the only selling point you need. It’s more than just Abba and melodic death metal from this Scandinavian country. Long hair, black t-shirts and dark rock riffs, this works a treat in the cavernous tent of stage 7b.

Satyricon finally let black metal get their proper and intended rewards at the festival. There are no pre-show sound issues that plagued Dimmu Borgir back in 2011. Backstage Satyr is almost inconspicuous, onstage he is demanding. The band follows the lead. Malevolent and hard-hitting, f*** they were good! The band shows their respects at the end, joining arms and taking a collective bow.

The duality of metal audiences couldn’t be more stark. To the outsider and the uninitiated, most think metal is one and the same. If it sounds heavy, it must be cut from the same cloth. This couldn’t be more misguided and is evidenced by the band that takes the stage right next to (and straight after) SatyriconBlack Veil Brides. While Satyricon have a sense of individuality, one song from BVB reveals an outfit that prefers to focus on generic metal that plays in the shallow end of the pool. Half a song is enough to confirm this on the day. Moving on…

Thy Art Is Murder are on their best behaviour. The aggression is there but it’s a conscientious band this time around. The most notorious act (GWAR aside) from the previous shows, Thy Art enjoy a solid set from a healthy crowd. No headlines to come out from the Melbourne show.

Clutch are groovy and blues inspired all with a rock ‘n’ roll template. Both accessible and inviting. Shout out to the three girls dancing behind the sound desk and also to GWAR watching from side of stage…still in their outfits – dedication.

Baroness, through no fault of their own, are on a stage that provides true hell for patrons. A five o’clock slot sees the sun shining right into the eyes of all fans. Hands on foreheads, shielding the rays, the performance is fantastic although hard to watch. The opening duo of ‘Take My Bones Away’ and ‘March to the Sea’ go down a treat and ‘Isaac’ is forever welcomed.

Phil Anselmo is in rare company. He is what a metal frontman should be. Dynamic, commanding and unrestrained. Anything can happen. Pounding the mic continuously into his head, blood is quickly drawn. Already beloved, the Down frontman endears by wearing a King Parrot t-shirt and dedicating songs to the late Jeff Hanneman and former band mate Dimebag Darrell. This is one pissed off, magnetic set.

letlive. are assured. The confidence from last year’s Deftones support slot has seen the popularity rise exponentially. Impressive music is matched by an equally impressive stage show. Closer ‘Renegade 86’ is the perfect sign-off.

“I feel like it’s this controlled experiment, every time the results are better and better, so we’re just really flattered. It’s always exciting to comeback,” letlive. vocalist Jason Aalon Butler affirms.

Did Avenged Sevenfold have a sound clause in their contract? Because their performance can be heard on the outskirts of letlive’s tent and even from the back of Mastodon’s area.

King Parrot are currently Australia’s best metal band. Bold call. Grand remark. Deserved statement. While Thy Art have justified their praise, King Parrot, even in spite of early sound issues, show they are the country’s elite. ‘Shit On the Liver’ the ideal ending.

Mastodon are Mastodon – you know what’s coming but it’s still exciting every time. Playing a set list quite close to that of Tuesday’s Melbourne sidewave, the band seamlessly work through a collection of tracks from ‘The Hunter’, ‘Crack the Skye’ and even earlier favourites. The lights and night time slot suit perfectly.

It’s the collective and inclusive atmosphere that makes Soundwave so accessible. Part music ritual, part entertainment, the festival has taken on a life of its own.

Gojira’s Joe Duplantier sums it up in succinct and complete thought.

“I’m with my friends, playing music and meeting people.”

Keep checking the site during the week to read respective features with: letlive., HIM, August Burns Red, Gojira, and The Black Dahlia Murder.