HARD NOISE: AVERSIONS CROWN + BORIS THE BLADE // Brutality Incarnate

Aversions Crown and Boris The Blade with Alpha Wolf, I Shall Devour + Vaela @ Crowbar Brisbane, 10 June 2017.

It’s pouring rain in Brisbane tonight, but this doesn’t deter the huge crowd packing into Crowbar that have gathered for a night of deathcore and dissonant breakdowns as the joint headlining Xenocidal Warpath Tour from Aversions Crown and Boris The Blade continues battering venues across the East Coast.

Local lads Vaela have secured the honour of opening up the night (and the pit) and it seems like a good initiation for their two newest members, Jake Battle and Jarrod Singh. This band seems to be picking up a few decent shows lately, having played alongside She Cries Wolf and Deadlights, so they are no strangers when it comes to loosening up the crowd, in preparation for the main event. A few people get into their post-hardcore sounds, and the band are well rehearsed, even with the addition of two new people. There is certainly potential here but Vaela shouldn’t be afraid to shake things up and experiment when it comes to their music, especially if they want to see a raise from opener status in the near future.

Vaela by Alex Nisiriou

Vaela by Alex Nisiriou

Crowbar is definitely close to capacity now and all eyes are on the stage awaiting deathcore band I Shall Devour. A few false starts plague the Gold Coast five piece but they recover nicely. A backing track eventually kicks in and they launch into a tight set with the crowd going wild. The band have been around for some time and as such, have a massive following and this is evident from the crowd’s response as they blister through tracks from their debut LP The Misanthropist, which was released last October as well as their previous EPs. Vocalist Jarrod Eagleton encourages all the mic grabs he can, asking if the crowd knows the lyrics. This whips the pit into a frenzy of flailing limbs and headbanging. I Shall Devour were here, and they conquered.

I Shall Devour bu Alex Nisiriou

Alpha Wolf have gone through a lot in their time as a band, but it’s only recently that they have had people sitting up and paying attention as they have finally got a solid lineup and started to really define their take on nu-metal and metalcore. The five do put on a tight live show, there’s no doubt about that, and it’s clear their grasp and seamless fusion of the two genres have picked up a lot of fans here in Brisbane. Busting out recent singles #104 and Golden Fate; Gut Ache definitely got the crowd into gear and the pit was brutal. Too brutal for some; one punter emerged with a suspected broken arm. Another dude was carted away in an ambulance holding his dislocated shoulder somewhere around his rib cage. It was testament to just how crazy it got.

Alpha Wolf by Alex Nisiriou

Alpha Wolf by Alex Nisiriou

It will be interesting to check out their debut album Mono when it comes out in July, to see if these boys have what it takes to level up.

Described as one of the most brutal acts Australia has produced, Melbourne deathcore legends Boris The Blade live up to that reputation with each and every show and tonight is no exception. After recently releasing their latest record Warpath, Boris The Blade appear to be on a mission to decimate venues and mosh pits with their violently heavy breakdowns and blast beats. Vocalist Daniel Sharp is all kinds of insane as he leaps about the stage and indeed, the whole band’s energy is super high and extremely contagious and the pit intensifies, something that didn’t seem possible given the fever pitch it had already been raised to this evening.

Boris The Blade by Alex Nisiriou

Boris The Blade by Alex Nisiriou

Last, but certainly not least, we have Aversions Crown, taking the stage amidst a huge roar from their local crowd. The hometown heroes have just returned from a huge American tour, and while this is something like their fifty-third show in a row, you couldn’t tell it as they performed with the skill, vigour and explosiveness that they are known for. Tearing through new tracks off Xenocidal they hold the crowd in the palm of their hand throughout. Vocalist Mark Poida’s brutal growls are beautifully matched by the quick hands of guitarists Mick Jeffery and Chris Cougan. The technicality and speed of drummer Jayden Mason is really beyond belief. They certainly have their live set locked down, and no single element is trying to out do another. Rather, each musician compliments the others with precision and perfection and the wall of sound blasting punters back pummels you with every note.

Aversions Crown are at the pinnacle of their genre, there’s no doubt about that. They’ll only work themselves into a lather as they head off to Europe almost immediately following this run of shows.