Live Review: Iron Mind, Vigilante, Controlled, Running Thin

Running Thin kicked off an impressive bill with a freewheeling set of no-nonsense hardcore with a decidedly raw edge. The Sydney locals have a demo doing the rounds – do yourself a favour and grab it.

Controlled, featuring members of Vigilante, have impressed of late with their unhinged Self Suffice 7”. Live, their short bursts of righteous fury were as confronting as they were unrelenting – for the 20 minutes they graced the stage that is. The boys even handed out free drinks for solid moshing efforts; nice.

Vigilante’s One Voice worship is great on wax, but even better live in an intimate venue. The quintet ripped through a Quality Of Life-heavy set that included standouts such as One Warning, Fear Of Change and a massive rendition of Victim Of Society. Here’s hoping we get some new material soon.

Iron Mind’s self-titled LP was one of this year’s best slabs of heavy music. But like Vigilante, live the boys took things to a whole different level. Fresh off an exhaustive US tour it was clear the Melbourne wrecking unit were at the top of their game. An initial one-two punch of T.I.M.E. and Divide caused the first real mayhem of the night and the likes of Guilt sealed the deal, causing the previously subdued crowd to find their collective voice. Iron Mind’s sound was nothing short of huge with the twin axe attack bludgeoning all present into utter submission while frontman Sam Octigan prowled the stage begging for further carnage in the pit. This line-up cost punters a grand total of $10 – considering the quality on display it was worth a hell of a lot more. I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating: the Australian hardcore scene may be relatively low profile but it’s definitely one of the world’s healthiest – and the depth of talent it contains should ensure that this remains the case.