May
12
3.57pm

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER // Metal Warriors of the World United

The Black Dahlia Murder

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER with Putrid Pile, Whoretopsy & Unravel – Max Watt’s, Brisbane – 11 May, 2017

The Black Dahlia Murder return to Australia bringing Putrid Pile, Whoretopsy and Unravel with them as they brutalise venues around the country. Max Watts in Brisbane is copping it’s share of the pounding tonight and even after the recent drama following The Faceless being AWOL from the lineup, punters are pouring into the venue, ready for their dose of death metal.

Despite the drama surrounding this tour and some very disappointed fans of The Faceless, there are a lot of people here tonight ready and waiting for the show to start.

unravel band

Unravel // Photo: Vincent Shaw

Unravel from Perth, get the party started and from the outset you can see that this band is full of potential. They have an old school death metal and grindcore sound going on and as more people fill up the floor all heads are turned to the stage as the death metal foursome smash through each song in their set.

The whole band are super tight and certainly don’t look like they are on their third night of continual shows and travel. Look out for them Sydney and Melbourne.

whoretopsy

Whoretopsy // Photo: Vincent Shaw

 

Next up are Melbourne slam metallers Whoretopsy. These guys are rising stars and it’s easy to see, and hear, why. They are technically on point with all their instruments and fill in vocalist Zac Bergholtz’s vocals only get better with each gig. There has to be a special mention as well to drummer Jake Sproule who finished the last two songs minus his toms, as they fell completely off the kit. This didn’t seem to faze him in the least however, as he powered through without missing a beat, literally.

Putrid Pile

Putrid Pile // Photo: Vincent Shaw

By the time Whoretopsy have finished pummelling the crowd, the venue is definitely packed and there’s a lot of interest towards centre stage as Shaun LaCanne, aka Putrid Pile, sets up his gear. For the uninitiated, eyes widen and jaws drop as LaCanne doesn’t muck around and launches into his solo show with blistering speed on his Jackson Flying V. Letting his brutal vocals loose, he really makes being a one man show look easy.

The Black Dahlia Murder really are an incredibly tight live act, and tonight is no exception.

LaCanne tears through his set, clearly having an absolute ball and getting roars from the crowd, especially when he brings hometown hero Jawd James from Distentomb on to the stage to help out with vocals. There is nothing to not love about Putrid Pile; do not miss him for the remaining shows on this tour.

Strnad on point // Photo: Vincent Shaw

The crowd is definitely warmed up for the headliners now and when The Black Dahlia Murder take the stage they are greeted with a tonne of enthusiasm.

They kick off with a classic in What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Nocturnal, before moving into their latest albums. It’s clear even with the drama surrounding the start of this tour, vocalist Trevor Strnad and his crew don’t care. They seem relaxed and are enjoying their time on stage.

Strnad in particular is full of energy as he bounces all over the stage bantering with the crowd and even making a few puns regarding The Faceless no-show.

The Black Dahlia Murder

The Black Dahlia Murder // Photo: Vincent Shaw

It’s easy to see why this band have such a loyal and strong fan base around the world. Their tracks are heavy and technical, with the right amount of devastating breakdowns and riffs. That, and Alan Cassidy is a machine behind the kit.

The set list is absolutely littered with gems, such as Miasma, Vlad, Son of the Dragon, Everything Went Black and I Will Return, as the Michigan natives have a long back catalogue to work with and all the fan favourites are played with Strnad even responding to one punter who kept screaming out for his favourite with ‘Calm down! It’s coming!’.

The Black Dahlia Murder // Photo: Vincent Shaw

The Black Dahlia Murder really are an incredibly tight live act, and tonight is no exception.

There’s no signs that any of the bands on the bill tonight are even remotely tired after three back to back gigs. In fact, they seem to be getting ready to ramp up the energy even more in preparation for the final two shows of the tour. If you haven’t picked up a ticket to Sydney and Melbourne, you better do so quickly. This is one show you don’t want to miss.

The Black Dahlia Murder // Photo: Vincent Shaw


REMAINING THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER TOUR DATES

12 May – Manning Bar, Sydney

13 May – Corner Hotel, Melbourne



Latest News

MORE MUST READS >