The weather was miserable across Auckland city, the wind was blowing and the sky was dark, a perfect night to get out of the rain, grab a beer and see some live music at the famous Kings Arms Tavern.
A couple of touring Australian metalcore acts; Lycanthrope and The Weight of Silence supported by two local heavyweights including my own band, HeadRoller I couldn't help but be attentive.
The night kicked off without hesitation, as the boys from Downfall of Humanity hit the stage with a roar of guitar harmonies and ass kicking grooves. The crowd was drawn inside and the beer started to flow, the music was good and loud, a sign of what was to come as the night progressed.
By the time The Weight of Silence hit the stage the floor was half full, the head banging was contagious and I could tell the touring bands were enjoying their trip so far. Lycanthrope's performance was next with a true sense of professionalism and attitude these guys know how to throw down big time.
The sense I got from both Aussie acts, was that the commercial pressure on local bands like themselves was far greater compared to bands here in New Zealand.
When we finally got up on stage the crowd was stir crazy, drinks were being split and the tension was real. Despite a few sore necks and lost beer, we had a wicked time with the tighter than usual crowd and was great to see new fans amongst old.
So I guess learnt a few things that night, the similarities and differences between the Australian and New Zealand metal scenes and that it is still very hard to pull a big crowd on a Thursday night, even in Australia.
- Matt Mutinous
Video - HeadRoller 818
Video - Lycanthrope Wasteland
Video - The Weight of Silence Sickness Unknown
Combining the raw power of meatiness, heaviness and brutality with the richness of melody and harmony, Downfall Of Humanity strive to get their audience headbanging AND humming to their tunes. Watch out for the occasional cheesy bit of on-stage antics... and prepare to sample some tasty heavy metal from the depths of West Auckland.