Firestorm
There was a dramatic build up to the entrance of NSW Broken Hill lads Firestorm taking to the stage at Amplifier on Monday night. Firestorm is made up of four power metal and thrash legends combining forces: Bilyara Bates (guitar and vocals), Tomo Jovanović (guitar), Jake Beavan (bass guitar) and Ash Meadows (drums). The lights were dimmed, and a variety of metal heads filled into the band room, their long luscious locks flowing freely, cascading down their shoulders. The first riffs rang out along with double kick madness, to the cheers of the crowd, who were in early enough to see the power thrash legends kick the night off in high style. The joy on the bands’ faces up on stage as they played through their set was evident throughout the night as they showed us what the sands of time from Broken Hill have brought us.
Special mentions are their song Call To The Beast, about learning to control the beast within, so it doesn’t control you. This had raging wicked guitar solos and showed us what classic power thrash is all about. Another track that was a crowd favourite, Darkness Calls, is about finding light through the darkness, and when darkness calls to stand and fight. This track featured super heavy thrash breakdowns and got the crowd head banging hard. Their track, Bundle Up My Bones is about returning someone back to their country as part of their last dying wish and was heavy with gritty riffs and hard hitting drums. Their final track Savior Of Man was about swords and shields and ancient prophecies, there were lots of fist pumps in the air and raucous applause and cheers from the crowd. One would think they were going to a Viking procession and for Firestorm, I absolutely would.
Follow Firestorm: @firestormbandaustralia |Bandcamp | Facebook | Spotify
Silent Knight
Another grand entry was made when Silent Knight took to the stage with guitarist Stu McGill shouting to the crowd ‘how loud are you gonna get?’ to which the crowd screamed back with cheers, claps and beers in hand. Singer Dan Brittain hit those impeccably high notes as guitarists, Cameron Daw, Cameron Nicholas and Stu pranced across the stage like power metal Vikings behind him, and drummer Dan Grainger hit the drums – hard. There were hair flicks to rival hordes of high school girls in the ‘90s, that could easily have been filmed and turned into a shampoo commercial.
‘Good evening Perth, we are Silent Knight’ brought the crowd to fevered applause as the band launched straight into their next song, Dan with foot up on speaker, the riffs absolutely shredding, as they nailed power metal poses for their next track. The three guitars shredding together was a sight to behold as the sweat poured off the band members throughout as they moved under a sweaty heatwave of stage lights. The strong powerful vocals were carried by stronger powerful riffs, and were thrown into deep oceans by heavy bass lines and hard hitting drums. There was more shred in this gig than a bad of shredded cheese at midnight! The scale of power and ferocity of power metal on a Monday night in Perth was matched only by the showmanship of those on stage.
Silent Knight are a band that gels together nicely, reflected not only in the music that they make together but in the stage presence of the 5 men in the band. There was a melodic heavy metal breakdown before strapping into another insanely fast paced riff. Dan’s vocal range hits the high notes and the deeper gravelly vocals so well that if you looked up soaring vocals in the dictionary there would just be a picture of his face. If Firestorm were classic power metal, then Silent Knight are the kind of power metal that would melt your face off. Fists up, horns out, high notes hit and double kicks blowing the roof off Amplifier.
If you love Dragon Force, Iron Maiden or Unleash The Archers, you will love Silent Knight.
Silent Knight Gallery
Unleash The Archers
If Firestorm and Silent Knight had warmed up Amplifier on a Monday night, then Canadian 5-piece Unleash The Archers absolutely set it on fire! The band is made up of singer Brittany Slayes, Scott Buchanan, Grant Truesdell, Andrew Kingsley and Nick Miller. It was a special night too as lead singer Brittany Slayes celebrated her birthday in Perth, and the fully crowded band room did not let her forget it as the band paused halfway through an intro to sing the singer Happy Birthday, complete with birthday cake and candles.
Slayes, with hair blowing in the fan, hit the high power metal notes with ease. The same ease that saw her hit the deeper notes, her vocal range extraordinary as her vocals soared across the packed out band room. A mistimed leg kick landed in a fall to the floor that saw Slayes jump back up just as fast as she want down, as though it was meant to be done like that and all just part of the set. The only thing that gave it away was the look of relief that washed over her face after.
The heavy simple drum beat and power vocals carried the lyrics through the guitar riffs with such ease like struts supporting a bridge. Their song, Soul Bound started off with a scream that reached into the heavens and saw the crowd clapping along, fists in air. The most awesome thing about Unleash The Archers – besides their music – was seeing what a great fun time the band were having together on stage, loving what they do.
The band went from strength to strength throughout their set as they launched into their next song, with double kick drums that could launch the roof off of Amplifier, and fast paced raging guitars, as Slayes vocals soared higher and higher. ‘We are so happy to be here and hanging out, we made it over the mountains, Canada has mountains that you have to fly over to get here and we are so happy to be here’ Slayes wooed to the crowd.
Their track The Matriarch is the most fast paced, aggressive ear splitting power metal I have ever heard! The crowd thought so too as there was awesome sing along action and crowd participation. A crowd member thought it was so much fun that they took a little dive off the stage, as the crowd cheered them on through explosive shredding riffs as Slayes hit the notes perfectly. Its always so beautiful seeing a crowd singing along with the band, word for word. Unleash The Archers live on shred island, in double kick city, next to the suburb of soaring vocalville, down bass boulevard, and this is a place where I want to live! Slayes has the most luscious metal hair, as she head banged and hair flicked for days.
There are no words for how great Unleash The Archers are, and how lucky the Perth crowds coming out on this Monday night are. The whole band used the stage and filled it well with their presence as Slayes hit the highest power metal notes with such force, with the voice of a god damned angel that’s fallen down to hell and back. They gave a special thank you to Stu and Stormrider Touring as they launched into their next track with jumps and shredding guitars that sounded like medieval fair music, complete with hair flicks and double kicks, never missing a beat. There was so much energy on that stage, that the crowds will still be feeling it in the weeks to come.
If you like Helloween or Amaranthe you will love Unleash The Archers.
With thanks to John Howarth and Hardline Media for the access.
Photos by Shotweiler Photography.
Unleash The Archers Gallery
