Brutus/The Devil Rides Out
Mojos Bar
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Filling a venue on a Sunday night in Perth can sometimes be a hard a task, even for a touring act, and this night seemed to be one of those stubborn P-town times. A handful of good music fans welcomed Brutus, a fitting title, as they took to the stage and launched into their thunderously pumping riffs. After Subtruck put the brakes on and screeched to a halt they employed singer Phil Bradley’s son, Jake, to pound the drums and changed the name. Big shoes to fill but he does so with ease. Chugging head nod riffs and thumping rhythms, different time signatures and some poly-rhythms make for very interesting songs and structures. Honest, don’t-hold-back vocals and balls deep bass lines. They’re a kick ass band with kick ass songs.
A quick sound check and drummer Nathan asks his compadres “You ready?” and then BAM! Total destruction. The Devil Rides Out attack the eardrums like an insane battalion on the front lines of some bloody war. Front man Joey K puts his heart and soul into every word, gripping and engaging, and makes your blood curdle, like a pissed off Tom Waits leading a posse of bandits destroying your neighbourhood. Their songs change like a soundtrack to an intense film. They catch you off guard and shoot you down. Blow your head clean off. Andrew’s riffs are crushing and dominating, mowing you down at the knees like an M-60. Scott’s bass lines are loud and furious, a sonic depth charge shattering the bow. And baby face Nathan on the drums, I swear that man is insane, like a rabid wild animal let out of the cage. Jaws agape, the Devil continues to destroy it. And the new stuff is sounding even better. Is that possible?
On the last stop of the WA leg of their tour, Melbourne’s King Of The North took to the stage with a bowler hat and beards of fury. And then the audience showed up, blissfully unaware of the carnage they had missed. The two men busted out the rock riffs from the get go. Zeppelin-esque, with classic rock showmanship, they got the girls up front dancing with complete abandon. Andrew the front man, a guitar magician, has the ability to make his guitar sound like two guitars and a bass. This allows him to lay a bass line down and then totally shred and wail over the top. Bass players beware. And the riffs and chords with this wall of sound are huge. Danny on the drums is a dynamo. Some fills that he pulled during the set almost made some girls scream their knickers off. And he lays it down thick and sweet. The instinct between the two of them is uncanny and they are so tight, tight enough to turn coal to diamond. They’re the best of the ’70s rock but with way more. With killer vocals and harmonies, driving riffs, they had all the heads nodding. A bit of crowd participation and suddenly Andrew jumped off stage, guitar still riffing, to rock out with the new fans, a rock and roll way of showing their appreciation to an enthusiastic audience. Towards the end the songs got a bit more intense. The sweat was dripping and the wood chips were flying. This band means business. It’s classic heavy rock done fantastically. Cheers guys, you got a new fan with me and many more here. You’re welcome back anytime.
REGS MCVEIGH
