Kicking off at the early time of 6pm this evening and featuring nine bands, Manifest was a mini-festival featuring all shades and mutations of heavy metal from a bunch of local proponents of the genre
Melbourne’s Contrive really kicked things up with the arriving crowd. A three-piece featuring Andrew and Paul Haug ( the former being the former host of The Racket on Triple J) they had a nice mix of world beats with their metal, similar in style and shape to the work of Max Cavalera and his work with Sepultura, Soulfly, and The Cavalera Conspiracy.
Fivesome Bronson, with a nice mix of both male and female vocals, put in a tight and very intense set. Heartfelt and brutal at the same time, this was the one that got the arriving crowd going, with a great deal of head banging and appreciative smiles amongst the audience.
The female-fronted Voltera, had a real mash up in style and approach, recalling everything from Nine Inch Nails to Fear Factory and were a real stand out this evening. A band that really challenge preconceptions of what heavy music is, they took it somewhere it hasn’t been before. A class act and one to really keep a close eye on in the near future, they were one of the best of the evening hands down.
Next up was the sheer sonic assault of Dreadnought. A band that have been doing their thing for over a decade, they are as tight as a duck’s butt and sharp as a tack when it comes to live performance and stagecraft. A real treat this evening, this was a beautiful example of release through music rather than resorting to physical violence. This, to many, is the beauty and appeal of heavy music; that sense of catharsis and release. Dreadnought really have a strong understanding of this.
With a drum kit that was part oil rig/part octopus and one of the most outrageous things this scribe has seen in the past decade, four-piece Elm Street were a really nice throwback to the early 80s period of British Heavy Metal, a time when bands like Manowar, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest roamed the Earth. Affectionate but never slavishly copying those that have inspired them, this was a fun set, with some skyscraper guitar riffs and truly epic drumming in equal measure. It also proved a good warm up for the headline act, local boys King Parrot.
Disappointed by the fact that, at midnight, the room was only at a quarter of its capacity in regards to audience members, a seriously pissed off King Parrot took to the stage and basically demolished everything in their path!
Within the first thirty seconds of the set, sound wedges and bottles of water were flying like missiles in the general direction of the audience. Singer Matt Young was truly a man possessed tonight, literally throwing himself around the stage, the audience and, at one point, singing on the side stage while the band played on the main one.
King Parrot really excel in eliminating that ‘safe zone’ between audience and band. Several times, Young looked like he was about to start a fight or take hostages during his performance. Sonically, imagine repeatedly being gut punched by Mike Tyson and you’re about there. Despite the poor attendance, this was a highly memorable performance from the five-piece and proves they are one of the most exciting bands around on the local scene.
All up, a fun night and a real treat for lovers of heavy music in all its shapes and forms.
