OBITUARY w/ Ebolie + Beyond Terror, Beyond Grace

You've seen those underground metal videos where the crowd is so close to the stage that they can smell the breath of the singer? Yeah? That's the Manning Bar with some of the highest quality in sounds that you don't get in many venues that size.

Local quartet BEYOND TERROR BEYOND GRACE definitely provide the much needed heavy support needed for Obituary providing break downs that are so a-typical of death metal or even the cringeworthy new found Deathcore genre. Heard Lamb Of God or Cannibal Corpse? 

You've heard the deep growls and break downs provided here which I'm sure that they're used to playing to captivating many regular punters in local venues but I for one have never been a fan of the obvious deathcore style grunt trademark. Having hit the nail on the head in regards to their mosh and breakdown orientated music it however for me only manages to inspire to headbang rather than to show their strength as entertainers and musicians. Expect no crowd interaction here but admittedly they are on top of their game when delivering this brand of heavy music.

You can kind of forgive EBOLIE for adorning their "wifebeaters" tonight on this hot as hell evening of death metal. Forget image. Wear whatever isn't going to make you sweat out of every orifisce. Chances are the audience will forgive you this evening.

You call EBOLIE grindcore? I call them the Masters of 'Old Dad Comedy' Death Metal. Granted the obvious parallels are there to their melbourne counterparts Blood Duster when it comes to comedy orientated grindcore but they make the stage their own. From the start with Vocalist Bubsy commanding the stage, throwing insult to humor between songs and bringing the audience in closer to enjoy the show.

Some of the jokes and lyrical content may seem a bit over-the-top to some but who cares when you've got one of the tightest outfits in comedy grind? The obviously ridiculous lyrical content aside this EBOLIE shows that you can make heavy music fun when growling along to 'Smackdonalds' or even just headbang to 'Crotch Master'. Raise your glass to EBOLIE for as ridiculous as they may seem they are rock solid entertainers!

Next up ... welcome to the ring the self proclaimed Heaviest Band in the World - OBITUARY. Such a treat when one of the very first heavy bands you ever listened to takes the stage. A pure spectacle to see these absolute monsters of death metal take the stage and if you need any more convincing that they are monsters then take a look to the right corner of the stage at Bassist Frank Watkins. The devil truly does have a name.

They may be getting on in their 30 odd year career as a band when you take a look at them but they are as tight an outfit as ever as they explode on stage opening with the heaviest rendition of 'Face Your God' blasting apart the venue as all the old schoolers charge the front of the stage.

The drumming is solid tonight as Donald Tardy keeps the band in form with his flawless double kicks as the dual assault iffage of guitarists Ralph Santolla and Trevor Peres strikes into the very hearts of the audience. The slowest song you will hear tonight breaks through the amps after a slightly annoyed John Tardy stomps back from the sound desk microphone in hand almost stalking - he crawls and he creeps about like a creature of the night.

How he can see past that mat of hair covering the front of his face is beyond me? His evil guttural growl accompanying the Death Metal band as their music charges through seemingly unstoppable force.

The night was astonishing to say the least to witness a band that after so many years can still rise above its heavy metal peers of today. It's like what I always say - Nothing Beats 80s Heavy Metal!