Live Review: Septicflesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse,Obsidian Aspect

A buzz of excitement surged through the venue as the anticipation for Septicflesh's first show in the city grew. The band's career has spanned over 20 years and they're known in the Greek metal scene for their dark, orchestral power riffs. Obsidian Aspect kicked things off and it quickly became obvious that they are adept at creating a unique mix of death metal and grunge, but they can also throw harmony and melody into the pot. It was interesting to see the stigma associated with death metal shatter, with this raw talent left on stage for both old hands and new fans alike. It was very refreshing to see a polished band that was able to represent SA death metal and show international acts that we can throw down.

The hugely anticipated first Australian tour from Fleshgod Apocalypse did not fail to disappoint. The show began to an almost packed venue and as soon as Tommaso Riccardi took to the mic, the room erupted. The strange connection of orchestral music and death metal pumped out of the main stage room of Fowlers to death metal lovers all around. The live sound became muddled and compressed at times but overall it was a clean sound profile. The most dominant instrument either by design or by pure power was the drums, and while the insanity of the double bass was an incredible sight, it seemed at times that they were shoving too much at the audience instead of having a plan of musical attack.

The excitement grew as the lights dimmed and Septicflesh took the stage. The set began with vocalist Seth Anton unleashing a deep growl and a guitar riff onslaught from Christos Antoniou. Before long, headbanging and metal signs became custom among the band members and their thirsty fans, who unleashed their thrashing movements as if it was a way to keep rhythm for the band. The most anticipated and climatic scene during the show was the wall of death: Anton provided the countdown before a roar of “Go, Motherfuckers!”  kick-started a stampede of around 50 people, with bodies smashing into each other over the course of 40 seconds. As soon as it was over there was an abundance of raised fists and slow moshing, leaving the audience in a sweaty but musically satisfied mess by the end of the set.