The Gov was host to some quality music on Wednesday night: Sepultura, Death Angel and Truth Corroded. For a weeknight, the turnout was impressive—as were the band shirts and the years’ worth of beards. There were baby boomers decked out in battle vests among younger faces, looking around 20-something in age. For a band that formed in 1984, the crowd was impressively diverse.
Kicking off the night was Adelaide band Truth Corroded, and they were strikingly good. Their set was riff driven with a constant double bass that really hit home with their thrash/death metal sound. They had strong vocals with some killer shred sessions, which enamoured the crowd and drew them in close.
Californian thrashers Death Angel were something else—they felt like the headlining band, their performance was that energetic. The first thing you notice about these old school metal dudes is that vocalist Mark Osegueda can sing damn well. His vocal range when he wasn’t screaming, and even when he was, slid up and down the octaves. That and his stage presence made for a ridiculously good show.
“We came a long way to play some in-your-face thrash metal! Adelaide, are you ready to celebrate fucking metal?” Mark shouted in anticipation. They played ‘Claws In So Deep,’ ‘Voracious Souls,’ ‘Lost’ and closed on ‘The Moth,’ and the way Rob Cavestany, Damien Sisson and Ted Aguilar moved on stage, into the limelight for their shredding and then back to let Mark lead again, spoke of great cohesion.
Sepultura entered the stage to the sound of a gothic choir with blaring organs. They ripped into ‘I Am The Enemy’—and what a brutal band. They’re very playful with melodies, and they incorporate Brazilian influences into their thrash, but those vocals are what pound into your body. Derrick Green is one powerfully built man, and the voice that comes out of his mouth can sound deep and warm one second, and then scarily distorted the next. He was built for this band.
Sepultura powered through ‘Territory,’ ‘Sworn Oath,’ and then introduced ‘Against’ with guitarist Andreas Kisser highlighting the 20 year milestone of Derrick’s time with the band. It was clear from each member that they loved being on stage and performing. Crowd interaction was so easy for them, and horns were in the air during and after every song. They walked off stage after ‘Arise’ and, after letting the crowd chant for them, returned for a three-song encore: ‘Resistant Parasites,’ ‘Ratamahata’ and of course, ‘Roots.’
The abundance of sweat and flailing hair was a true testament to Sepultura’s high-energy performance and ability to command a crowd. Older fans had their hit of nostalgia while newbies were treated to an overwhelmingly impressive introduction. The band was grateful for us too, thanking the returning fans and welcoming the new. 34 years in the game; still touring and releasing new music—Sepultura is an unstoppable force.
TOUR DATES
Thursday, 17 May 2018 – BYRON BAY, The Northern
Friday, 18 May 2018 – BRISBANE, Eatons Hill Hotel
Saturday 19 May 2018 – SYDNEY, Metro Theatre
Sunday 20 May 2018 – PERTH, Capitol
TICKETS
Sydney tickets available here.
Byron Bay, Brisbane and Perth tickets available via Metropolis Touring.
You can find more information here.
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Photos: Supplied
