LIVE REVIEW: The Ocean - Perth, January 24th 2019

In their first show of their Australian tour, Berliners The Ocean wowed Perth with their progressive majesty. Dodging past a small army of people wielding pamphlets for Fringe shows, I made my way to Badlands Bar to get my prog rock on.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Badlands, I’d forgotten how awesome it is. Such a shame that I don’t get to go there as often. Due to traffic I got there a little late, just as happy hour finished, which made my wallet a little sad. Probably for the best considering I was driving, but still, definitely my own fault for not leaving earlier. By sheer good luck (for me), the bands were also running behind schedule. Something to do with a few guitar cabs that had blown up. In any case I got myself a good seat overlooking the stage and settled in for the evening.

My melancholy over happy hour was short lived as Toehider took to the stage. When I say took, I really mean exploded all over it. They immediately turned the intensity to full force, like being hit in the face by a brick thrown by Geddy Lee. It really was like Rush on steroids. The technically on display was staggering. There was one point where their guitarist/vocalist Mike Mills was drinking water with one hand while shredding a guitar solo in the other. Just casually shredding away while having a sippy sip. Later on he was fingerpicking the slow songs, something I rarely see at metal gigs. I’ve followed them on Facebook because of the show and will be following their career with interest.

Next up were Perth legends Chaos Divine. They’ve been playing their style of prog metal since 2006 and their experience shows. They were simply amazing. Frontman David Anderton’s soaring vocals mesmerised and excited with excellent clarity and tonality. This is good as the last time I saw them, his vocals sounded a bit strained, as if he was recovering from a cold. It made me feel good to see it was just a temporary situation as he brought his best this night.

Toehider - Perth 2018 | Photo Credit: Linda Dunjey

Chaos Divine - Perth 2018 | Photo Credit: Linda Dunjey

Along with the live band, they had a projector showing a kaleidoscope of colours and images synchronised to the music. It looked like someone had spent a pretty penny on the videos as they were seriously impressive. Around the mid-point of their set, the screen was used to introduce their cover of Toto’s “Africa” via the display of some David Attenborough footage, which was super cool. As a package, Chaos Divine really are destined for great things. If you haven’t seen them yet, get to it.

Last of all, it was finally time for the Germans to come out. The lights went a nice mood setting red and The Ocean (aka The Ocean Collective) picked up their instruments and began in earnest. What unfolded was jawdropping. They were flawless. It’s a bit cliché for reviewers to say they played with passion, but they really did. Every note was infused with so much feeling it was a pleasure to witness. The audio mix was spot on too; in fact it really made me regret not investing in a pair of those $300 specialist hearing protection plugs, as opposed to my usual 25c foam specials from Bunnings. The bass thundered around the venue, making my very soul vibrate. Those were positively some tasty bass licks! No syncopated Morse code here.

If there was one thing I wasn’t expecting, it was the sheer amount of energy they had. Unlike many bands in the genre I’ve seen live who just stand in one place being complicated, they moved about and really got into the spirit of things. It’s also got to be the first time I’ve ever seen a prog vocalist do a stage dive. Certainly a band as fun to watch as listen to. They blew my socks off at this Perth show and I’ll be looking forward to the next time they come to Perth.

It was definitely a fantastic way to spend a Thursday night. The bands are touring Australia as part of Progfest, which is making its way around the country over the next few days. Check them out and you’ll have a great time! Please don’t be like me, remember to get your high-end hearing protection fitted so you can catch them in all their full dynamic splendour.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Linda Dunjey Photography