Heavy metal fans in Bathurst were treated to a quality evening of live entertainment last Saturday, with three distinctive acts crushing through their sets.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The event was headlined by Blue Mountains progressive metal act Red Bee, with Orange sludge/death metal tyrants Terra Mortem and new Dubbo group Whisperhead joining forces at The Farmer's Arms for Bathurst's first live metal event in nearly five years.
And it was well worth the wait, as all three acts provided some sensational entertainment for admirers of the heavier side of music.
Walking into the venue, there was a great deal of intrigue as it soon became apparent the crowd would be huddled into a small shed on Bathurst's first 'chilly' Saturday evening of the year.
But Whisperhead quickly got into gear to warm the crowd up, with vocalist Nolan Furnell regretting little in inviting the audience to "raise their fists and make some noise up the front."
The four-piece act raced through a bunch of their originals, including singles 'Swallow You' and 'Paranoia', with plenty to enjoy for fans of Deftones and Slipknot.
Furnell's assembled a mighty fine band, including former Tempermore bassist Darcy Coates, to bring his original tunes to life, and for the first gig outside their native Dubbo, Whisperhead have certainly won some new fans further south along the Mitchell Highway.
Then Terra Mortem hit the stage, and the level on the brutal 'barometer' jumped up a fair notch.
From short, three-second freak-outs [a la Napalm Death] to ferocious, sludgy death marched, Terra Mortem unleased their tyrannical filth, courtesy of James Hughes' impressive gutturals and Josh Lear's raucous riffage.
A number of people in the crowd were there to see Gibbo, a former Bathurst local, and he made his home crowd feel welcome with brutal bass tones, unflinching stares and choice shoutouts to those who'd "come to support the heaviness."
Finally, the audience was treated to the tight prog-metal stylings of Red Bee, with Daniel Silk, Jim Silk and Ian Dunn showcasing a tight unity on guitar, bass and drums respectively.
Producing a sound that would invigorate fans of COG, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Helmet, the seasoned trio got the crowd pumping with a host of material from their 15-year career, as well as two, yet-to-be-released tunes.
But in the end, the real winner was the return of live heavy metal in Bathurst, something that has been sorely missed.
With over 60 people in attendance, hopefully The Farmers will continue to accommodate metal in the months to come.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News