DEATH BY METAL Featuring NORSE w/ Heaven The Axe, Black Horizon and Myraeth

A little while ago I had the opportunity to attend Death By Metal held at Bald Faced Stag – now known as The Wall. Surprisingly, the event held a very diverse line up, including; Myraeth, Black Horizon, Heaven The Axe – filling in for Hell Itself after their pull-out – and headliners Norse.

With Myraeth opening the night, it was fantastic to see that the crowd was steadily building, and especially for an opening band – after witnessing many playing to an almost empty room – this showed to be the start of a very good night.

This event was my first time seeing the down-tempo outfit live, and I was not disappointed to say the least. The five-piece possess fantastic musicianship and atmosphere on stage. Their connection with the crowd was overt, indulging them in progressions of soft vocals from Samantha Kempster to the harsh and powerful output form Ryan Casey – a duality that was incredible to hear. Their ominous motifs were highlighted by the amazing use of violin and the prolonged and almost soothing guitar themes underlined by the undertones of keys, before the crashing chords and drums continually brought forth a sense of melancholy.

Myraeth’s music is indulgent and almost mellow, bringing its audience into their own sense of solitude. The quintet greatly enjoyed them selves on stage and if you have the chance to catch them live, do not pass it up.

After a short interlude, Sydney's Black Horizon was ready to hit the stage. I've previously had the chance to see the five-piece outfit live on a myriad of occasions, and as always, front woman Cat Guirguis stole the show with her prevailing and feminine stage presence. Black Horizon is not a band I am particularly a fan of, but what they do – they do well, and the crowd was undoubtedly excited to see them.

I've always felt that the music of Black Horizon creeps to a climax and yet never reaches that high point. Tonight, however, the five-piece showed a new direction to the band. Playing a new track, under the moniker of 'Pulled From the Wreck', I was blown away. The song started with an almost punk-esque quality, and truly accentuated what the band can do. The guitars, the drums, all created an amazing atmosphere, with Cat's fantastically controlled vocals showing that this band will continue to grow and I for one am excited to see what they come up with.

Hailing from Melbourne, the third band on the night was Heaven The Axe. Before this show I've never heard of the quartet, and after this show I am quite sure I won't be listening to them either. I had no idea what to expect, and perhaps I just didn't get what they were trying to do, but I found that the outfit was repetitive and well, boring. The thrashy vocals of Phoebe Pinnock seemed quite forced and grating, which pretty much matched her stage persona.

After their first song, I didn't really know what I was looking at anymore. I made it through half of their next offering before exiting for a drink.

Finally, the time came for Norse. As always, these headliners pulled the biggest crowd of the night. Hailing from the Southern Highlands, Norse never ceases to impress their audience with the incredible technicality of their music, and the proficient delivery of their death/black metal.

Tonight was not a different story. The quartet does not only manage to underline their musicianship live, but they continually engage their audience and have an amazing time on stage themselves – despite an atypical, nominal glitch. Releasing their debut album Hellstorm earlier this year, Norse is currently in the process of writing for their next record – and after seeing them on innumerable of occasions, I am especially anxious to hear their new material on the live stage.

Norse's powerful compositions create a wall of sound that ceases to fall during their live performance. The brilliant coupling for guitars from Simon Stavrevski and Treelo Herrington creates for fantastic dynamic and motifs, underlined by great undertones of Kendall Drury’s bass work and the powerful delivery of absolutely incredible drumming from Robin Stone. The dominance of this band on stage demands continual attention from their audience, who mirror the atmosphere created. In the reputation that the band has built for themselves through their live performance, it cannot be a surprise to anyone to see a continually growing fan base, and a vivid future for the quartet.

As Norse finished their set, I could not have been the only one leaving with a sore neck - after witnessing a sea of hair before me for the aforementioned metallers. Death By Metal proved to be a notable and successful night, highlighting the talent of the Australian metal scene, by showcasing three bands of diverse genres, each of whom possess talent and ideals which have to be admired.

Thank you to Cat Guirguis of Metal Muse Management for the passes.