Yonkers, New York death metal kings Immolation have finally made it to Australia for the first time ever in 28 years and the first stop on the tour was Perth, here is how it went down. Tonight if I was to try and describe this gig in a couple of words it would go something along the lines of ‘windmilling hair everywhere and sheer unadulterated brutality’.
The first band to kick off tonight were no exception to this tag line, Perth’s own Depravity showed exactly why they shouldn’t be underestimated. Fusing old school Morbid Angel with bludgeoning death metal, each member coming from a fine pedegree of other bands respectively. The track’s “Kretin” and “Crucifire” were stand out tracks of the set with a no holds barred approach, these guys need to be seen to be believed. Well worth your time!
Next up Bunbury’s own Suffer In Rot front man John Ryan reminds me of George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher from the mighty Cannibal Corpse in terms of his overall stage presence and banter with the crowd. Between songs and the other thing to note here is his ferocity, screaming and growling like it is the last thing he will do on earth. These guys are a tight outfit and for anyone that has seen them knows that there is also some slapstick humor involved which make for an interesting contrast. The title track from the bands 2015 album “Ever Tried Kill” was a standout, mowing through a solid set with enough adrenaline to power the entire room and get everyone suitably warmed up.
Next up were long time Perth heavyweights Grotesque, now these guys really need no introduction. To use an old phrase, “they came, they saw, they kicked ass!” Simple as that! Taking tracks from there 2007 album and 2010 EP as well as a new track “Beyond The Reversal” and “Deficiency” which shattered ear drums and minds I’m sure. Dual guitar attacks were the name of the game here, very enjoyable and my ears are still ringing!
Now for the main event. Immolation – 28 years in the making and countless fans in the room have had their dreams or nightmares simultaneously come true. Now the first thing that struck me was with little fanfare, these 4 guys stood in front of us and basically pounded us into obliteration. Front man Ross Dolan took control from the get go with classics like “Father Your Not A Father” and “Into Everlasting Fire”, this set was built for fans and extreme death metal fans with a set list spanning the bands career. The swarming crowd were loving every single moment, new track “Epiphany” from the bands upcoming 2017 album was an evil tune with grinding guitars and bass lines that could rumble for centuries.
The mosh pit now in full effect it was a sight to behold, “Burn With Jesus” had the crowd chanting along the tracks, “What They Bring” and “Swarm Of Terror” were beyond anything I was expecting and I don’t think I’d be far off saying that this was a show I will never ever forget. Immolation still have an absolute passion for what they do and tonight’s set was crystal clear evidence of this so on behalf of the fans in Perth, thank you guys! Let’s not leave it another 28 years before we see you again.
IMMOLATION AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2016:
Thursday, September 22: Perth – The Rosemount Hotel
Friday, September 23: Melbourne: Max Watts
Saturday September 24: Sydney – The Manning Bar
Sunday September 25: Brisbane – Crowbar
Tickets and tour details can be found at Direct Touring.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Tammie Molotov – Molotov Enterprises And Photography
