TABERAH Live Sydney 7th Octoberr & Newcastle 8th October

The Australian Metal scene has produced some amazing Metal bands, some of which have gone on to international success and recognition, and others, who unfortunately, didn’t or are not, getting the relevant breaks or support they deserve.

TABERAH are a young outfit from Tasmania. The first time I saw these guys, or even heard of them, was when they supported MOTORHEAD earlier this year in Sydney at The Big Top. They quite literally blew me away! The band had a developed sound, great songs and were really tight. The band, essentially, is a metal band. They have power metal overtones and I think this is largely due to the fact that they have extremely proficient harmonies – both vocal and guitar – and an ever present double kick driving the songs, but to me they are a Metal band.

So when the opportunity came up to see the band again- as they promote their debut album The Light of Which I Dream- I jumped at the chance! METAL EVILUTION, a promotion company in Sydney, have released TABERAH’s debut album and are representing the band. The company is owned by Dave Balfour and my hat goes off to him, as his work keeps Metal alive in this country at the ground roots level. He is creating opportunities for Australian metal bands, where other more established companies are not. I would urge all Australian metal fans to support Metal Evilution and try and attend gigs that he is putting together; access up and coming Metal Evilution events at their website.

Before I talk about TABERAH I would like to spend some time looking at the other bands on the bill. Crimzon Lake opened proceedings in Sydney and closed them in Newcastle; they actually hail from Newcastle. They are an extremely experienced outfit, who never fail to impress with their musical proficiency and songs. This was their debut Sydney gig and they went down really well. Some of the punters recognised, or were aware, that their lead vocalist(Paul Mario Day) was the original lead singer of Iron Maiden and so there was a lot of banter after their show. Their set was only forty minutes but they crammed a lot into their set. They were very tight and showed their debut Sydney audience what they were made of! It will be interesting to see their next Sydney gig as there was a lot of buzz about this band after the set.

The next band I want to talk about is SABRETUNG. They are another Newcastle outfit and they impressed me. The first time I saw them was supporting Paul Dianno in Newcastle in 2009, and it wasn’t that I didn’t like them, but they just didn’t impress me. However, this time was very different; they have turned in to a tight band with great Thrash songs. I was very impressed with the drumming and the guitar work, I would urge people to check these guys out. I look forward to seeing them in the future.

METAL (the band) who played in Sydney before TABERAH, lost me I think. It’s not that these guys can’t play, but as a unit and the songs that they played, just didn’t do anything for me and they were extremely loud, loud to the point of losing clarity in their sound. After seeing both CRIMZON LAKE and SABRETUNG this just didn’t work. Maybe I need to see them on a different bill. Now to TABERAH, and as I said earlier, I first saw these guys with MOTORHEAD. At the MOTORHEAD gig they had a bigger stage, a bigger room and therefore a different sound. At the Valve Bar, in many respects they had the opposite with regard to production. However, they had a great sound and they commanded the space. They are obviously a seasoned live band as they gel as musicians and obviously know each other’s craft very well. Listening to their songs live it is very clear that they have a real sense of melody, both vocally and guitar, as each song is dynamic and flows in delivery. Jonathon has a great voice and he performs with confidence but without arrogance. The thing that really struck me was also the fact that they are really enjoying themselves! It was like, “this is a gig,” “yeah we are a metal band”, but this is fun! The rhythm section was extremely tight with a lot of class. Tom drums with a nice easy and, at times, loose feel, but this isn’t a criticism, as he didn’t stray from the mark. He just guides songs in a relaxed way and this reflects within the performance, because as I said earlier, the band is really enjoying what they are doing. They went down extremely well, as Sydney Metal heads were banging into the night. I really did get a sense that there are big things in store for TABERAH. In terms of Metal ingredients they have all of the essentials - musicianship, songs and presence. I just hope that they get the appropriate breaks, at the appropriate times, and are able to take their brand of Metal to the next level. In my opinion, the next move for these guys would be to get either some more major support slots of international bands coming to Australia, as well as some live exposure overseas. I would like to see than play before say, CHILDREN OF BODOM, who are in Australia in November, as this would be an interesting cross over audience. I recommend that you check these guys out the next time that they are in town or get a hold of their debut album The Light of Which I Dream. TABERAH is a band that will not disappoint!