The night started with a few local acts to entice the crowd. And the taste of emerging talent certainly had punters’ hair swinging. First off was Royal Artillery. The act boasted a blend of solid stoner-blues riffs and echoing vocals, laying down song after song without so much as a minute’s break. There’s a lot to admire in their tight style, like their ability to move from one song to the next via feedback. Drums and bass packed a punch, featuring members of Chassm filling out the rhythm and further cementing their ties to Brisbane’s eclectic stoner doom scene.
Death by Carrot followed with psychedelic guitar and riffs aplenty. The only thing that had strayed me was the vocals, which at times seemed a bit out of tune with the rest of the band. The energy that Royal Artillery had built in the crowd seemed to dissipate. Perhaps the progressive songs fell on ears which wanted something heavier and more aggressive? Sometimes the songs meandered too much, with the drums lacking the smack and sizzle needed to fill out the room and wash over the people talking. The band still held my interest, but they might be best to listen to recorded, or alongside a different lineup.
Despite the reluctant crowd, when Corrosion of Conformity took to the stage, the venue packed out, and the screams of passionate fans filled the room. With the first song, the guitars pierced through the whole venue. Even though seeing the band was difficult, the distinct sounds of the different guitars meant the listener could still very much discern who was soloing at any given moment. One of the strongest displays of restraint and efficiency came with the drums, the snare filling the room between each hit.
The newer songs lacked as much audience engagement, compared to Corrosion’s older work, which was faster and seemed rawer. Still, every few songs they had the whole audience singing with them. The hooky lyrics meant that if there were songs listeners didn’t know, they’d be able to take part by the second chorus. They're a band everyone should see at least once, to understand how catchy heavy music can be.
- Coby Healey