Live Review: Claim The Throne, Be'Lakor, Eartgh Rot, Natron

The Amplifier was cranking at 11 on Friday night for the final leg of an immense tour that featured two titans of the Australian metal scene. The venue itself is no stranger to insanity and this night would stretch all previous boundaries. The dirt cheap ticket price strategy provided a win/win/win scenario for patrons, bands and the venue itself as Amps packed out early. Natron kicked off proceedings, pumping out their quality dirty, grindcore set at full bore with sludgy guitars and messy drums. Chris Gebauer, better known for his skills on the drum set, fronted the quintet with an unbridled fury. He'd back up the performance on the skins with the next act Earth Rot, a relatively new supergroup formed from members of several high profile Perth bands. A flawless pedigree on paper translated to raw ferocity on stage, the sounds of acid-corroding death metal tearing from the small stage.
Hailing from Melbourne but feeling like an international act, Be'lakor kicked off their set with Venator from their 2009 masterpiece Stones Reach. It was melodic death played at its finest – pure music from pure metal musicians. The brilliant composition of each track translated to epic build-ups/unleashing and just pure riffing. It was nearly impossible not to air guitar. There's a mystical air about the band; along with a few other acts around the country they are poised to ignite the fuse of Australian metal and really move onto the international stage. Countless Skies was the perfect closer to an epic tour and hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of them soon.
There've been a few shows that have stuck out in memory as crazy, but nothing prepared the crowd for the bat-shit insanity of the Claim The Throne show that finished the night. Perhaps it was tour fever, perhaps it was the homecoming or perhaps it was just the craziness that is Claim The Throne but from the opening riff of Zephyrus, madness took over. Chicken sandwiches were stuffed into the faces of the crowd. Funnels flowed freely to the soundtrack of balls-out folk metal. Fans flooded the stage for their chance to fly into the pit with the world's first 'piggy-back stage dive' proving that this night was something that had a little special sauce. Claim The Throne are up there with the best at putting on a show – and coating the audience with mustard.