ARCH ENEMY + INFERNAL METHOD
UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney, Saturday 5th November 2005
It was Saturday the 5th of November in Sydney, and old school metallers Inslain were playing a forgotten gig around the cities West, epic rockers Epicure were captivating crowds at The Metro Theatre and Arch Enemy and Infernal Method were about to thrash the UNSW Roundhouse, a gig that I most certainly would not dare miss! I rang Oliver just as I approached Central station to discover his whereabouts and to finalize our meet point. As anticipated he was already near the venue psyched up for the gig impatiently waiting for my arrival.
INFERNAL METHOD:
We entered the UNSW roundhouse at approximately 7:30pm. When we realized that they were serving Toohey`s New in plastic cups we decided to pass on refreshments. Most metal heads were supporting Infernal Method and closely watching the Aussie melodic masters execute an almost faultless set as they seem to do every time they are on stage. Minor sound problems were experienced at one point however the band cannot be faulted for this.
Mid through their set our ears were rewarded with a couple of new tracks from their latest album `Architecture of Instinct` which is for sale in stores now but also more encouraging was their unleashing of Buried Dreams, a Carcass cover which I thought was a definite high point of their set.
Oliver felt that the vocalist lacked depth in his growls and that Angela Nathalie Gossow was far more convincing even though she was female. The set list finished quite strongly and proved to be an excellent warm up for well over 1500 mad Arch Enemy fanatics who gave Infernal Method much deserved appreciation. Infernal Method finished at about 9pm, with a full hour of fierce melodic death!
Infernal Method`s first full length CD `Architecture of Instinct` is out now.
During the intermission a great number of people vanished and freed up the concert hall which truly gave us an opportunity to assume a prime position. However we opted to go for a walk instead and sit, rest, and laugh at the mallcore kids and the silly makeup/clothes that they wore. Interestingly there was a much larger presence of females at this concert that one would usually witness and many of them were very attractive. We made an attempt to leave the premises but were informed that this was not allowed. There were a lot of people being constantly refreshed due to bottles of water being hurled all over the venue as they waited and chanted for Arch Enemy to make their very first concert appearance in Sydney.
ARCH ENEMY:
In support of the grand Doomsday Machine across this great land of ours, Arch Enemy were about to march onto the stage. The stage was set with a massive drum kit and artwork from the album above it and two gigantic poster panels on each side. The introductory theme song started to fill the venue and create a brilliant atmosphere as the crowds moved quickly forth toward the stage and let their vocals drown over, chanting Arch Enemy, ARCH FUCKING ENEMY!
The band abruptly stormed to the stage and dived straight into Nemesis as Angela`s amazing growl led the crowd into screams of wild emotions and energy. Their sound was amazing and I dare say better than that of any other band that I have seen at this venue in recent times. In fact the sound received here was even better than on the actual Arch Enemy albums. I sure hope someone recorded the gig in its entirety. Their drummer thought that this was a great idea as he was taping the crowds at the end of their set; perhaps for a future live DVD?
Only time will tell…
Before divulging any further into this review it has to be commented that Mike`s guitar playing was simply outstanding and was an outright delight. The amount of melody and feeling portrayed through his never-ending solos was simply brilliant and awe waking. To have combined and extended the melodic structure of their music throughout virtually all the elements of their songs from riffs through to solos and to execute it with such precision, feel, professionalism and complexity is what puts Arch Enemy at the very forefront of today`s melodic death metal.
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The band was very animated across the stage, especially the two guitarists during their synchronized progressive soloing. They were often lifting their guitars in the air while playing and amusing the crowds and this was certainly one of my favourites. The fans responded very positively to the band and a massive and wild mosh pit embraced through half of the audience at all times. Angela`s deep growling was superfluous especially for a female but her high pitched screams were equally as good and attracted repeats from the audience.
As can be seen from the set list below the majority of the songs played were from Angela`s era however thankfully a few hits from previous albums such as "Diva Satanica" and "Bury Me an Angel" were also performed. I would have been really happy to hear "Beast of Man". Overall this concert was far better than many would have anticipated and I am sure that next time the UNSW roundhouse will have the top level (balcony) opened and filled
with even more Arch Enemy fans.
Approx. Setlist:
Intro
Nemesis
Enemy Within
My Apocalypse
Taking Back My Soul
Diva Satanica
Drum solo
Burning Angel
Mike Solo
Snowbound
Skeleton Dance
Dead Eyes See No Future
Bury Me An Angel
Ravenous
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We Will Rise
Dead Bury Their Dead
I Am Legend/ Out for Blood
Live videos from the Sydney show can be seen at this location. Photo gallery here.
