Cover shot – Ben Gunzburg for EVERYDAY METAL
Photos & words Ben Gunzburg
It’s been many, many moons since Darkest Hour last graced our shores, approximately 3,923 of them give or take. That’s right, it’s been ten and a half years, bloody yonks! Anticipation is high of course, but so is our confidence of an impending good time.
First up is RUN, the latest project from vocalist Lochlan Watt. Coming out swinging, we’re treated to 30 minutes of blast beats, double kicks, beastly vocals, and a whole lot of atmosphere. Amidst the powering through of tracks from their 2020 debut, You Will Never Find Peace Within Your Quiet, Lochlan regales us with stories including the overcoming of brain cancer and the time they were partying a little too hard with Darkest Hour on their first tour here almost 17 years ago. We even get to hear a new song written by the freshly rounded out current lineup, and even cop a pretty wild cover of Goo Goo Dolls’ Iris. It’s great to see this project picking up momentum, and it’s a fair bet that we can expect to see and hear a lot more of these fellas in the near future.
Second band on the bill is Primitive, this tour’s only national support. Having recently played shows with Unearth and Soulfly, these guys keep going from strength to strength. Focusing on their latest release, With The Rats And Snakes, the band shows a wide range of influences, equal parts European and American, and seamlessly wrapped up in a catchy, modern metal casing. Singer/guitarist Tim Gauchi has a commanding presence, roaming the stage, hyping up the crowd, effortlessly running the gamut of aggressive vocal styles, and duelling it out with fellow guitarist Frank Ortisi, who can shred ‘til the cows come home. Rounded out by drummer Lachlan Barnes and bassist/backup vocalist Daniel Quinn, these lads’ hard work is paying off. An already well-oiled machine and a bright future ahead.
Third and final support band for the night, The Ascended have their turn of showing the crowd what they’re made of, and what they’re made of are rapid fire drums, catchy riffs, twangy leads, meaty basslines and souring vocals that range from daunting growls to captivating singing. These folks boast a tight performance, entertaining stage moves, a loyal line of headbangers up against the barrier, and even a small handful of punters’ attempt at getting a pit going. It’s 3/3 from the supports, with these guys firing on all cylinders.
Alright then…
Background music fades and the lights dim, it’s time for the main event. Greeted by a booming voiceover reminiscent of a hockey game or a wrestling match, our heroes Darkest Hour arrive through the moody lighting and fog, with an excited Mike Schleibaum wielding his flying v guitar high above his head. Once the hauntingly beautiful intro to Doomsayer starts to play, the anticipatory mood in the room turns electric. Drums kick in, lights on, bets off. Vocalist John Henry’s signature scream is as powerful and razor sharp as ever, as he lurches back and forth in a chaotic mass of flailing hair and energy. We feel what he’s putting out, as they keep things flowing with a personal favourite from Undoing Ruin, Convalescence. As the chorus hits, the electric vibe goes directly into my arm hairs.
Throughout the next hour, we get to witness the full depth of this very well-oiled machine, as they leave barely a stone unturned and read the fans’ minds to a tee. Not only do they hit all the marks with song choices, but each member absolutely kills it. From John Henry’s unwavering vocals and presence throughout the whole set to guitarists Mike Schleibaum and Nico Santora being a formidable pair with lightning fast fingers and flawless chemistry. Add to that the captivating presence and grooves of bassist Aaron Deal and absolute beast of a drummer in Travis Orbin, it’s impossible to not soak up the amazing energy oozing out of this whole team.
Deliver Us receives an expectedly sizeable representation, with DEMON(S) and A Paradox With Flies – The Light standing out, while Rapture In Exile strikingly flies the flag as one of the more recent tracks played. Always unsure how old school some bands will go, I’m particularly chuffed to hear An Epitaph, while The Sadist Nation, a clear crowd favourite, closes out the set.
As the band make their way back on stage for the encore, the intro to With A Thousand Words To Say But One starts to play, and while we’re already salivating, John Henry gives us the great news that drummer Travis Orbin has given the green light for not only one, but two encore songs! This band somehow keeps managing to turn the energy up and up and up at every turn, and this first encore song is no different, a clear fan favourite.
Contrasting heavily to the tantalising intro of the previous song, Orbin kicks things into overdrive hitting us with the unmistakable snare rolls of set closer, Tranquil. If the rest of the crowd is like me they’re now satisfied and relieved that Undoing Ruin, arguably the band’s most epic effort to date, has now been well represented. As the song draws to a close John Henry shows us some love one last time before exiting the stage, leaving the remaining four band members to bring it on home, and they do so in fine fashion. Mike Schleibaum, a constant ball of energy throughout the whole set, stands high atop the bass drum while Travis Orbin does his best to throw the others off with some very cool offbeat percussive ad-libbing, with no one missing a beat.
Big thanks to Max Watts for having us and a special thanks to United Front & Maric Media
Don’t forget to follow Darkest Hour on social media
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL
