Kimura Euthanize-Sterilize launch @ The Boston
w/ Tears For Atlantis, Aviscerus, Dying Degree, Burial Ground, Facegrinder, Nein
Saturday, October 6, 2018
The Boston went off on Saturday night as a black-clad crowd congregated for part one of the album launch for local Perth Modern Australian Metal band Kimura’s new EP, Euthanize-Sterilize, supported by six local bands ranging from grunge to death grind and almost everything in between.
Nein kicked things off with their unique sound they self-dub “Glam Grunge”. From the first track the funky bassline reminded me of an old school haunted-house thriller and I couldn’t help but dance around. The spunky, gorgeous female vocalist was dressed in an eye-catching gold, frilly hooded jump suit and she was perfect at getting the early evening crowd into the swing of things, joking around and encouraging everyone to get into the pit. This four-piece have a great dynamic and seem to enjoy the hell out of themselves on stage. At any point you could spot the guitarist just leaning back while playing, eyes closed with a blissful smile on his face while the drummer, heavily tattooed and bare-chested would give Travis Barker a run for his money.
Next up Perth newcomers to the heavy scene Burial Ground switched up gears, starting off fast, loud and heavy as fuck. The vocalist amazed me with his big voice and looking at him I imagined this is what a metalhead Jesus would look like as his long hair spun like a helicopter propeller. Their set included some decent progressive metal as well as tracks that throw back to old school metal and thrash. With minimal chat they just got on with shit, at one point even demanding everyone put their phones away and just head bang with them – and the crowd lapped it up.
Dying Degree got a receptive, amped up crowd almost hysterical with their extreme, high energy approach. This metallic hardcore punk band seemed to have a decent crew of fans there to see them and the pit filled up with flailing bodies as soon as their set started. Quirky front man Tony knew how to give his fans what they wanted, jumping barefoot into the pit from the very first song, goofily dancing around with the punters while they patted him on the back and rubbed his head every chance they got. 4 Before Thursday and their recently released first single Anticlimax were the highlights, really showing off their versatile sound and eclectic mix of influences. Dying Degree are magnificent at involving the crowd, and halfway through their set front man Tony requested a funky beat from drummer Matt, obliged by bassist Nick and guitarist Kyle so that one of their fans could break dance and do the worm all over the pit, much to the delight of the rest of the crowd. It is clear this four-piece are a bunch of great mates who love nothing more than getting on stage and entertaining. Their setlist progressively built up to a climax that had everyone going apeshit, and guitarist Kyle ended their set literally on his back, thrashing out the final chords.
Dying Degree seemed like a hard act to follow but Tears for Atlantis were up to the task with their sweet blend of melodic metal and metalcore, opening with haunting, wailing guitars that echoed almost beautifully across the venue. The fact that both their guitarist Jerum and bassist Matt do vocals really added to the depth of their sound. Their setlist included a good range from proper stand-and-deliver metal to a sweet ballad. They closed with a cover of My Own Summer by Deftones which the crowd thoroughly appreciated, inspiring one fan to run onto the stage while the band just played on unperturbed as he jumped into the waiting arms of the crowd for a pretty sweet surf. Rad.
The lads who this night was all about, Kimura, were up next. Greeted onto the stage by a good chant of “Kimura!, Kimura!” they were all smiles as they ripped into their EP Euthanize-Sterilize in full. Their first track My List had people in the crowd screaming along with vocalist Josh and things just kept ramping up from there. Drummer Gordo was on point with their samples and the production value was super tight, meaning playing the EP live lost none of its polish. Midway through the set there were multiple people in the front leaning down onto the speakers to give themselves better balance while they went nuts head banging. At the end there was a heart-warming moment as vocalist Josh thanked everyone for being there and those who have supported them up to this point. It’s not hard to support a band like Kimura – they’re a bloody good live act, a bunch of sweet dudes and the brutal metal they produce is damn good.
Aviscerus moved the night along with their super heavy, death-tinged metal with just enough melody to keep the crowd screaming along. Humble vocalist Samuel’s brutal diversity is impressive, and this four-piece played a tight set, befitting of an event where every band seemed like they’d played their best gig ever.
Closing off the night, Facegrinder delivered their interstellar space grind as promised! Brutal riffs, machine-gun drums and ridiculously heavy for a three-piece without a bass player. Vocalist/guitarist Brad brought an unexpected lighthearted stage presence that made Facegrinder accessible even to those unacquainted with grindcore.
MELISSA KRUGER
