The city is covered in smoke, colouring the moon a vivid orange, and with the humidity coating everything like a wet blanket, New Orleans’ heavyweight champions of sludge should be in their element tonight… not to mention that they’re playing a venue that shares their name.
Mental Cavity kick things off tonight at full throttle. The Canberra punk / metal crossover merchants barrel through their set like the last one off stage has to buy the first shout.
With their gear set up in front & everybody getting a mic stand it’s a fairly crowded stage, but this doesn’t cramp their style, Guitarist Aaron Osborne and bassist Alex Young swapping lead vocals seamlessly. All of a sudden, Mental Cavity are done, like a mugging, Short, Sharp & Violent!
Arrowhead are on next, a little less frantic, but by no means lacking in intensity.
The Huge doomy riffs have a slippery feel, which fit right in with the ‘Coven of the snake’ motif (new album released in July). Drummer Matt Cramp seems to be the driving force, full of energy & interesting fills, he’s an engaging focal point. Singer / guitarist Brett Pearl & Guitarist Raff have a fantastic interplay, their solos & riffs recalling the bands that they obviously love without robbing them blind, just like the songs! Sure you get flavours of Sabbath, Zeppelin, Purple, Lizzy & Floyd, but these bands are just fuel for the “Frank Frazetta-airbrushed panel van”! Arrowhead are on their own trip. Catch them next time they burn through town.
Kirk Windstein has some good news, and some bad news! The good news “We’re Crowbar from New Orleans!”, the Bad “We’re gonna kick you’re Ass!”.
‘The Beard of Doom’ is not exaggerating either. Crowbar are like a force of nature tonight, Brutal & utterly relentless. Despite a fairly rapturous welcome from the CrowBar, the singer is hollering for Sydney to wake up!
This wasn’t just the Kirk Windstein show by any means. Matt Brunson on Guitar, Shane Wesley (Bass) and Tommy Buckley are all completely on point!
Highlights included ‘To Build a Mountain’, ’The Cemetery Angels’ Walk With Knowledge Wisely’, ‘All I Had (I Gave)’, and ‘Planets Collide’.
Despite the venue being less full than I expected it to be, Crowbar absolutely smashed it! It’s really gratifying to see a band with such a reputation not only live up to it, but reinforce just why they’re held in such high esteem in the first place.
Biggs
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Adam Sivewright
Crowbar
Arrowhead, Mental Cavity
