The first sideshow of the week as part of the Soundwave festivities kicked off with a lineup of some of the more heavier bands on the bill with headliners Fear Factory.
Opening the night was Terror Universal, a super group featuring members and ex-members from Soulfly, Machine Head and Ill Nino and known for their monster like masks which hide their identity. A small crowd hit the floor as the band launched into a short set which was filled with a lot of groove and despite the costume gimmick, the band showed they were more than just eye candy for the senses.
Bay area thrashers Exodus hit the stage next and tore into their set quickly. The crowd were a bit more rowdy by this time but still quite tamer than expected as “Black 13” and the title track from their latest album “Blood In, Blood Out” started their set. From there it was classic filled as “Bonded By Blood” and “Fabulous Disaster” received strong attention as well as tracks from “Tempo Of The Damned” including “Blacklist” which we did not see at Soundwave. A special guest appearance by Max Cavalera during “Bonded By Blood” received a big roar from the crowd as the band sped through the thrasher like a bullet train. Frontman Zetro really got personal with the crowd as he eyeballed individuals in the moshpit and got the Melbourne fans riled up while drummer Tom Hunting bashed away relentlessly at the back. The set ended with “Strike Of The Beast” and concluded a great performance by the veteran band.
Headliners of the night Fear Factory are no strangers to Australia being here numerous times, guitarist Dino Cazares pointing out during the night that they have probably been here at least 20 times. Always great to see, the band’s set was filled with mostly older material, opening with “Shock” off the “Obsolete” album and having extra focus on “Digimortal” and “Archetype” which haven’t been played much in recent years. It wasn’t as tight as the Soundwave performance in Melbourne but the intimacy of the show more than made up for it. The first 2 albums made their appearance at the end of the night with classics like “Martyr” and “Demanufacture” getting big responses from the crowd and as “Replica” ended the night, we are reminded of the relevance and power of Fear Factory who over the years have really made Australia part of their home.
