SCREAMFEST AUSTRALIA DAY 2

DAY 2

Since the crowd decidedly stayed out late the night before, I don't think anyone who was there was looking forward to the 12pm start for day two. I didn't make it in until the second band, not because of feeling like crap from the night before but from an unrelated phone malfunction. Either way, sorry to the DEFAMER guys for missing your set, but I am sure it would have been on par with what we've seen already yesterday!

It didn't take long for the place to pick up in patronage by the time UNIVERSUM made it to the stage, and with their talent it was easy to see why. Even if the singer did look like he would look more at home on a football field than fronting a metal band, his voice was well fitting. They were modest enough to accept that the crowd were there for the bigger acts but they played on like nothing else, the crowd seemed very appreciative of the effort, though they were still sluggish from either the night before or uncomfortable from being new there.

Unfortunately they did sound a little mashed in the mix but you get that with smaller bands, so you could look right past it, I think many people were distracted by the prospect of breakfast, I was certainly included.

But I stayed because they were really showing their chops on stage, remaining interesting enough to watch with what it took to keep the crowd happy, and a worthy opener for the day and I think we'll be seeing them further up the bill next time.

With the most readable backdrop, KILLRAZER had my interest from sound-check where it was remarked that the bass drum sounded like heavy machine-gun fire. I watched on with no disappointment of their sound or style, this is a band I will pursue further.  Their dual guitar attack and grinding bass forced their classic sound into every corner of the Enmore and the drums made sure everyone felt it in their stomachs.

These guys are veterans, if the beer guts didn't give it away, their old-school sound an experienced performance, which is probably why it is so good, these guys are a fine tuned machine, up there in a higher league of performing bands and musical integrity, but still seem like a bunch of mates playing on a pub stage.

They didn't need zippy lead guitar work through half the songs to be a killer group; their music spoke for itself a commanded attention rather than seeking it. Not to cause offence, but I could say KILLRAZER have a sound that AC/DC might have if they were a death metal band, which is pretty awesome. But Acca never had two singers at once swapping between lead vocal duties mid set or heart attack inducing double kick. These guys are a must see.

The rising humidity is now on my mind and I bet a lot of other people are thinking the same thing, even in some of the more inactive area of the venue it was like a tropical storm was about to hit. My decision to sport a long-sleeve shirt that day was being harshly reconsidered, but it pales in thought of the punters shoulder-to-shoulder on the crowd barrier. I wonder if it will start raining inside soon enough.

VIRGIN BLACK was up next, not the first band to feature a female member, but the first to feature a female guitarist, a nice change in a predominantly male role for metal. The singer took up stance behind a decent sized keyboard ensemble as they opened with some solid drum work and tinkling piano, then into some rather monotone atmospheric black metal.

They didn't seem as loud as previous acts, calling for more of a chill, deathly atmosphere rather than the aural blitzkrieg we have been victims to so-far.

And I think this is the band's undoing, struggling to retain interest in watching their set, their quieter moments didn't come out as memorable as hoped and the heavier moments were more lightweight when stacked up against anything else played here of late.

It's harsh to say that they seemed to be lulling the crowd to an uncomfortable sleep, but it does seem to be what happened, they were a talented band, out of place and paling in comparison. The ingredients were all there, but it seemed like a band of cooks with no chef leading the way.

EYEFEAR brought back the much needed energy to the Enmore, the singer hyping up the crowd with impressive high-end vocal ability and a train of hair down to his boots, looking like he was constantly being followed by auburn wookie. Oddly enough, at some points it almost sounded like the keyboard was out of sync, or like they were playing together for the first time. I think they would do a lot better if they got a tighter sound happening and maybe get a second guitarist rather than the keys, but each to their own.

They are easily forgiven by their on stage energy and host of listen able songs, and I doubt the crowd noticed the bits I picked out, or really cared, they were here for fun and EYEFEAR delivered the catalyst.

The ocular theme continued with EYE OF THE ENEMY who opened to what seemed like an alarmingly smaller crowd then before. While there are plenty seated and cross-legged on the floor, there are few in the main group along the barrier. But the humidity and average numbers didn't stop them from being at the top of their game and by the later end of their set; they had accrued double the crowd they had started with.

The vocals were struggling for dominance over pretty-much everything else in the mix though and I am sure that in some cases, things would be a lot cooler if I could hear the guitar properly, but this is just another picky gripe amongst what is another great set.

They just seemed more than happy to be playing and their enthusiasm was met with equal response from all watching. But the humid atmosphere was starting to get to some and the smell of eucalyptus rub was starting to take over the back of the main room, punters began to filter outside once again.

Many ventured to the pub for a break but the word was about the next act BLACK MAJESTY, meaning the time for drinking reasonably priced pints was limited, it's something we could all live with. Drawing the biggest crowd so far the music spoke for itself, the power metal veterans cranked it out like it was their gig and their gig alone, getting a decent amount of movement out of a previously lethargic crowd.

The singer kept up his role of an entertainer even when not singing, humorously messing with the guitarists attempting solos.

BLACK MAJESTY are a little more straight forward than the music played in the last few days but it works in the favour of these guys, less is more sometimes, they are proof. Their general vibe and entertainment value kept everyone going.

Next thing you know, the gratuitously haired vocalist from EYEFEAR joins them on stage for some sort of power vocal duet and it works like a charm, now both singers are running about the stage pestering the guitarists. Bravo.

There was a down-side; there was the occasional feed-backing hum that would come up for a few seconds in each song, almost as if it was an intentional motif. But what's a bit of feedback in the live circuit, almost irrelevant really.

There was also a lot of talk about ENSIFERUM, known for their complete ruination of the European festival circuit, giving them an almost legendary status as a live band, the came here to prove this to us. It seemed that everyone who paid for a ticket was here to witness the act; it was pretty clear as to why. I think these guys really made the festival, no band was more fun or just plane old 'rockin'.

As far as a group a fellas in war-paint and kilts go playing some awesome folk based battle metal about beer and war and stuff like that, these guys do the genre well, raising the bar of quality for the festival to a new high.

Almost no one inside was still, everywhere there were fists and head-banging, the venue can thank ENSIFERUM for a spike in beer sales, even I swallowed my pride to fork out $8 for a can of bitter, just to swing it haphazardly above my head, their polka styled parts bringing home the drunken comradely of beards and metal alike. Even their quieter parts lost no awesomeness.

The singer commanded there to be a mosh-pit, and that's what he got, regardless of heat, hangovers or exhaustion, they were nothing short of impressive and deserved the praise they received.

We needed another breather after ENSIFERUM, rightly so, that was intense. After a bit of a sit-down, we return for CYNIC.

Now, CYNIC are a little different, contrasting elements fused together into progressive music that had everyone’s attention, at least by not being boring.

The varying time signatures worlds away from blast-beats and war-chants, giving many the opportunity to wind down some and just enjoy the music and what it has to say, the melodies and progression amongst sound-scape's that get forgotten in screaming riffs that break through the mellowness only to disappear again. The sudden switches between light and heavy keep the sound fresh and unpredictable, though I think the singer’s voice sounds more accustomed to a commercial sound. But it all fits together in the big picture, he harmonises well with the music presented here leaving the trust to 'They know what they're doing'. Of course there was the occasional hiccup you get with heavy pedal use.

The singer proposes a crowd based vote (Which came out inconclusive) between what to play next, 'Textures' or 'Integral Birth', it is decided that they would play that latter as they decided that they 'would probably screw up' the former.

It is nice to see a band with a progressive style without the wankery usually attributed to the genre, there was no room for virtuoso noodling from any member and the songs were well planned out and executed.

The singer proceeded to engage with the crowd between songs but doesn't seem terribly comfortable with being the centre of attention but still mentioned that they would be around later to meet with fans and sign anything if needed, which is more than what most international acts are willing to do, I contemplated giving him a high-five for the gesture.

My night ended with the second last band, DARK FUNERAL, a band I just had to experience head on, I gathered some beer, pocketed my notebook and proceeded to the depths of the main crowd. The band staunched the crowd from the start, for over a minute, standing in full leather and corpse-paint clad glory; they stared out across the audience while their opening backing track played out its introduction. Before long their intense and abrasive black metal filled the room and everyone pretty much went nuts, hair thrashing about in frenzied reaction, wind milling elsewhere with enough room.

At one point there was a slam circle happened to find myself in the middle of, but I didn't spill a drop of ale and remained upright through the barrage and we all laughed it off. DARK FUNERAL only seem to have one speed, fucking fast, and the thought of relenting to a slower tempo couldn't have crossed their minds as they charged on with no regard for anyone’s well being, we certainly were not here for the safety of acoustic ballads, we were here for musical blood.

The rest of the world was forgotten as the struggle to remain upright amongst and the visceral attack of the Swedes played on without mercy. Some cabbage-haired twit constantly surfed the crowd, which seemed terribly out of place as no one was watching for surfers but simply trying not to head-butt each other too much, but the selfish activity soon ended once they landed on their head, much to the amusement of others trying to enjoy the show.

But besides that little annoyance, the experience was pretty much unforgettable, bringing the whole festival to an intense head, almost like an acid trip that suddenly turns bad on you during it's strongest hour, the surreal head space and sensory overload makes you wonder if it will ever end and will you ever be the same afterwards but leaves you thinking later on if it actually had happened or whether it was all in your head.

Like a nightmare you could leave at any time but choose not to, DARK FUNERAL won't leave you any time soon.

Overwhelmed, sweaty, slightly drunk and now suffering the tinnitus effects of many loud bands in one day, we reconvened at the Duke.

A few beers later everyone had come to terms of what we had all just experienced, an unforgettable day that just managed to top the previous. While we knew we had to return to see EDGUY, I knew as reviewer I would get in trouble for shunning the responsibility to experience the last band of the night, but I can't explain why no one made an effort, we just sat, it seemed right.

We felt that after acts like ENSIFERUM and DARK FUNERAL, why would we go see anything else? We had peaked.

In an effort to explain the experience, a lot of it had to do with who you were with, the groups I was around helped me understand what this part of the scene was all about, bought together by beer and music of heavy nature, taking two days out to support a spectacle that rarely happens in this country, some worked both days.

We drank into the night until the decision to move was final, some went home, and some went on to other pubs. But I can't deny that that everyone left satisfied with the experience.

At one point during the final day, the festivals organiser had made a few announcements, but thanked everyone for helping make SCREAMFEST AUSTRALIA the success that it was. I think he needs some praise in return, it was a successful day, a phenomenal experience, everything went off with the smallest of hitches that for the most part were unnoticeable or irrelevant, the choice of venue was fine (besides the beer prices, lets not forget) and the sound was excellent, I don't think I have seen so many bands sound so good consistently in a long time if ever.

Also, the tireless effort of the backstage crew keeping everything to schedule. The talent of the sound engineers, hats off. And of course to all the bands who played and thoroughly kicked arse without compromise, thanks for being awesome.

If there is another SCREAMFEST AUSTRALIA, it will be bigger and better than this, which is seriously something to look forward to, for now, the memories remain.