OMNIUM GATHERUM / ORPHEUS OMEGA Brisbane, Australia 13th April 2019
Fans of melodic death metal rejoiced as Crowbar delivered a strong line up of fantastic bands. Finnish metallers Omnium Gatherum have paired up with Australia’s own Orpheus Omega, and embarked on an Australian tour supported by Valhalore and Darklore in Brisbane. Each band on the bill has a strong melodic death metal sound, yet it shows the genre can be an amalgamation of diversity, and still mesh together perfectly. Blending the likes of folk, power and death, each band delivered and were deserving of their spot on the bill.
Punters arrived early to catch opening band Darklore who warmed up the crowd. They were dressed in fantasy themed armour and paint, which was aesthetically pleasing. Their fusion of melodic death metal and fantasy apparel is attention grabbing. For fans of World of Warcraft or Game of Thrones, Darklore would definitely be a band to check out.
Next up was Valhalore who are making huge waves in the metal scene and have a comrade of loyal fans. Valhalore have a strong folk sound thanks to Sophie Christensen on flute and it creates a refreshing twist on melodic metal. Numerous people were linking arms and jigging and having alot of fun. Vocalist Lachlan Neate has such a strong stage presence that one can forget who Jason Momoa is. His stance and vocals are robust and he orchestrates the crowd beautifully. He commanded a circle pit and a large one erupted proving how popular they are. Valhalore would truly explode if they toured Europe and are worthy to catch if never seen before.
Orpheus Omega had a monstrously positive reception from the crowd and they delivered. Their catchy melodies are captivating and simulatenously punch hard. When vocalist and guitarist Chris Themelco commands the crowd to jump, they jump. They closed with Sealed in Fate and the crowd split down the middle into a wall of death of chaos. It resembled a giant blender as people were pushing, jumping and headbanging with one another. The energy from the crowd was high and they showed alot of love for Orpheus Omega. Who validated their national support place and why they were so deserving to be there.
The crowd showed no signs of tiredness at all considering the high levels of energy seen already when Omnium Gatherum took the stage. They were founded in Finland over 20 years ago, and their showmanship onstage is remarkable. Their quality of albums has always sustained, that it’s hard to believe they aren’t selling out venues with capacities higher than 300. Judging by their loyals fans, they have a strong following here and will grow as melodic death metal gains popularity in Australia.
Their melodic sound is heavy, with a soft overlay coupled with powerful vocals. A perfectly blended mix of death and melody delivered fast and immensly. The sound was a high standard and considering Crowbar is a smaller venue it was pleasantly intimate. The high energy from the crowd never ended, and people were jumping up and down right until the end. Exhaustion never hit until it was over and is a true sign that all the bands did an incredible job.
Reviewer: Nikki Christina
Photographer: Davey Rintala http://www.instagram.com/fastlanephoto
