Australian openers Earth Caller are already known to me thanks to their recruitment of the production genius Misstiq. Having done some additional production and guest work for them she joined the crew and adds that different touch to what was already an intriguing metalcore band. There are large similarities to Bury Tomorrow & Heart of Coward in their sound, especially in new single ‘Alone’, and of course with Misstiq onboard there are plenty of orchestral synths. Earlier material reminds me of fellow Australians DVSR with the techy-rap-metal vibe and bouncing feel they bring. But the band have tapped further into the accessible mainstream aspects of their brutal metalcore, and the songs are catchy and anthemic with harsh violent guitar, driving bass, dynamic drums and engaging vocals. We have a brief chat with frontman Josh Collard before their set, and I’ve got to say a nicer guy you couldn’t meet. He also takes that charisma out onto the stage, as do the rest of the band, with the bass player in particular striking defiant poses as he hammers away at his bass, gradually they completely confident and assured in his place on stage. There’s loads of infectious energy and joy both onstage and from the gradually growing crowd, and the new material in particular goes down a treat. This band are very much on the rise, and hopefully things will hopefully explode for these guys next year with a new album and the like.

Bound In Fear are next on, and take to the stage with purpose. They combine oodles of sludge with slam and deliver a heavy as hell metal product. Yes, there’s a heavy doom and sludge vibe with these guys, but it’s mixed with enough hardcore and brutal metal to keep it fresh and modern. Notably, we’re treated to sumptuous guttural bellows and growls from frontman Ben Mason. The band are engaging and clearly believe strongly in their material and art, which in turn makes the crowd buy into their performance. There’s a particularly satisfying churning to the crushing beatdowns and slow tempo riffs, with the drummer providing some deliberate force and power behind the whole thing.

I remember seeing Space of Variations open for Jinjer back in 2019, and was impressed by the Ukrainians back then. Obviously a lot has happened in the world since that tour, and it’s fantastic to see these folks back touring and able to raise awareness for the impact of the war and equally bring some absolutely awesome music to us. They’ve now honed their sound and tonight they set the stage alight. Where there was an obvious hardcore-metalcore hybrid style on display from them previously, they’ve adapted and evolved into a unique and exciting blend so many elements. Think of bands like Northlane, Incubus and The Dali Thundering Concept and you’re getting somewhere close to the right vibe. They are heavy, yes, and catchy, yes, but also give nods to their heritage, artistic flamboyance, technical intricacy and groove-based melodies. There’s an aggressive yet melodic tech-metalcore strand running through the new tracks for sure, with an additional mix of mainstream anthems. They really are a band I’m sure will be massive in a short amount of time following their recent album “Imago”, because it feels like they’ve found their voice and style…and it’s phenomenal. Live they are fantastic as well, with lead vocalist Dmytro Kozhukhar a lively, energetic and engaging character with great vocal delivery, and in lead guitarist Olexil Zatserkovnyi they have not only an axe-wielding star but a mesmerizingly beautiful clean vocalist. Trust me, this band is going to be massive.

Having interviewed Within Destruction guitarist Howard Fang before the gig (see interview HERE), I’m eager to see what the headliners have to offer live. Recent album “Lotus” is a natural evolution of their sound, collecting genres and influences with each of the last couple of records. Starting as deathcore slam, they have added metalcore, nu-metal, trap and dark synth electronic elements to their sound. Understandably that’s not for everyone, but it’s progression that works and opens them up to a new range of audiences. The important thing is that, much like Bound In Fear, the band believe in what they are doing and are doing it for their desire to make music they want. That shines through in their live performance too, and means there’s plenty of infectious energy from all three band members throughout the set. Furiously intense yet catchy death/metalcore heaviness blazes out, and their sound is as vivid and visually striking as their gaming/manga inspired merch. Indeed, that theme of anime and Japanese culture was strongest in previous album “Yokai” and those aspects of Japanese-tech can be found still in their live show and new album. Each member grabs your attention in turn, taking you along on their journey – whether that be Rok Rupnik’s violent deathcore vocals, Howard’s futuristic, processed jagged guitar or Luka Vezzosi’s exhilarating, technical and downright amazing drums blasting away. They seem to combine the electronic deathcore brutality of Alpha Wolf and ten56. with the melodic hook-filled metalcore of Novelists and Betraying the Martyrs. The vocals and guitars in particular are very much in the same ballpark as ten56., with Rok’s vocals having the same sinister brutal, guttural delivery. It’s fair to say this band are very unique, with the additional elements of Japanese-tech, trap and even pop keeping the crowd guessing. I stay down the front for the whole set and can see how much the band are enjoying it, especially Howard who frequently leaps around the stage in between delivering spot-on clean vocals. The entire band’s consistent and professional delivery is one of the standout aspects of the band’s set, and every punter leaves with a massive grin, if not a bag full of merch.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!