FORBIDDEN Live in Sydney

This was a tour that was hotly anticipated by metal fans Australia wide, FORBIDDEN is finally in Australia. I know myself; I have been waiting for this gig for over twenty-three years! To be quite honest with you, I really thought that this gig was never going to happen. FORBIDDEN were the epitome of the San Francisco thrash movement in the eighties, and in my opinion, recorded two of the most important albums of the genre – Forbidden Evil and Twist Into Form - so for this gig to finally happen is amazing; even if it did take twenty-two years as put by Craig Locicero during the show. With the reformation of the band and the release of the amazing Omega Wave the timing was brilliant. This was not to be a nostalgia tour but a snap shot of a revitalised band on a mission to spread their message.

The venue, The Bald Faced Stag, was surprisingly good. I had never seen a band here and when a band of this stature has been placed in a pub in Leichhardt I was concerned. However, the live venue is essentially separate from the main pub and bar area and it was a decent size. The turn out was solid, but I would have liked a larger crowd for such a momentous occasion. Having said this, the audience made up for it with their enthusiasm and reaction to FORBIDDEN, a very warm welcome for the band's first visit to Australia.  

Three bands played before the headliner, the first being Maniaxe. This is a three piece from Melbourne who played songs in the vein of early European thrash. The songs really took me back to early Destruction, Kreator, Pestilence, Sodom and even at times Coroner. I really enjoyed this set, the songs were well crafted, the unit tight, but loose in a very positive way, and they interacted with the crowd. They commanded the space well, engaged with the people in the room and are proficient musicians. I am really looking forward to seeing this outfit again and to hear some recorded material. Speaking to the band afterwards they explained that an EP is on its way. Check these guys out if you get a chance.

The next unit to hit the stage was Desecrator. This band came across as being quite seasoned and started in full swing with a lot of conviction and energy. I was really impressed with the drummer, who displayed a lot of skill and held the music together well. However, unfortunately for me I just couldn’t get into their music. The playing was solid, I enjoyed some of the lead work and a times I was captivated by a riff or a section of a track, but overall the songs just didn’t grab me. To be fair I really need to get a copy of the debut album which was on sale on the night and give this a going over because I really wanted to like these guys and I gave them my full attention, but they just didn’t move me.

The last support was Hobb's Angel of Death, an Australian metal institution. The last time I saw Hobb's was about twenty years ago and what I remembered, as I reflected before the gig, was a heavy thrash unit with a hint of Slayer and at times Exodus. They were tight and played well. I really enjoyed the drumming with this outfit as well, even though he didn’t look the part. For me, I am happy to remember the way this band was twenty years ago. The songs really did not stand up tonight, in my opinion, and they were a little pale when compared to the earlier gig I was referring to. However, don’t let me be the only judge because there were a lot of people into their set and would disagree with my opinion. I did enjoy seeing this band again, after all those years, but the performance did not resonate the way it did the first time I saw them.

Now to FORBIDDEN, as stated earlier, it was an anticipated show and the band did not disappoint. From the opening of 'Forsaken at The Gates' to the resounding finale 'Chalice of Blood' they were amazing. The band came to perform and they did! The new material stood up really well and the crowd knew all of the newer songs intertwined amongst classics such as 'Step by Step', 'On The Edge' and 'Twist into Form'.

My only issue with the set list was the fact that there were no songs from Green or Distortion, two of the most underrated metal albums, but I guess you can’t please everyone with a set list! The lead work of Smyth and Locicero really gels, as does their respective sound, and this brought out a lot of melody and colour. To Mark Hernandez, he was amazing, one of the most athletic drummers that I have ever witnessed live! He takes on the Bostaph songs and makes them his own and his work on the newer material is excellent. Russ Anderson, vocally, is one the most proficient of the thrash movement and a brilliant metal singer in his own right. Tonight he sung extremely well, putting his stamp all over the music, placing him at the forefront of this band and its sound.

I still remember the first time I listened to the album Forbidden Evil, and how this new vocalist just blew me away, and he certainly did all over again tonight, [incidentally Russ, Craig and Matt signed that very piece of vinyl for me tonight, thanks guys!]

There were a lot of technical problems during the set, I think Russ changed his microphone about four times and Craig had a few issues with his guitars. But this was not an issue; they pushed on like a freight train, as did the crowd! The band performed extremely well despite all of this and they came across as a band with something to prove. After the show all of the band hung around and met up with the die-hards who either had something to sign or wanted a photo and this is always great to see.

FORBIDDEN really did prove something during this show - that they are an amazingly proficient melodic metal band who know how to please a crowd. They were one band at the forefront of the San Francisco scene that sadly missed out on a post thrash movement career and I just hope that tonight’s performance was an indication of the successful career that they most certainly deserve.