Lo! Gleaners Tour + Supports

Bands: Lo!, Black Lava, Class Traitor
Venue: The Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung country)
Date: 10 / 06 / 2023

Words by Ulffe
Images by Ben Eldström

Class Traitor
Class Traitor took the stage at the Evelyn Hotel to start the night, a completely unexpected set from a group brand new to me. Class Traitor feels like a crushing Sludge/Doom/Post Rock act (but also much more than that) who hit the stage with such raw power coming from each member of the band.

Their set was powerful and cathartic and threw you deep into anguish and despair. Excellent attention to their lighting elevated all emotions that projected from the band; from a mix of hellish dirty vocals from two of the members, clean vocals that howled like winds in an apocalyptic storm, thick bass and powerful drums that together worked to rattle your bones from the inside out. As well as guitar work that punched you in the face while still evoking emotional melody. All together a great journey, grim and brutal at times however melancholic at others.

I enjoyed sections of tension building riffs that teased release, but hit back unexpectedly with a punch in the face and threw you back down to the ground. Their vocalist had such great stage presence- leaving the stage to knock into the crowd while performing high energy sections that contrasted with him falling to his knees on stage in a ball of tormented anguish for other moments.

Class Traitor have released their 2023 album ‘Broken Energy Highway’ which I’ve already listened to since the show and it perfectly captures the energy they brought to the stage. I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing more from these guys.

Black Lava
Fresh off the heels of their recently recorded yet unreleased album, and well into their run of shows since the ‘Soul Furnace’ release, Black Lava took the stage ready to unleash their dark, heavy sound upon the crowd. Despite debuting their first live performance just over a year and a half ago, this show proved to be one of their strongest to date.

Composed of a group of incredibly seasoned musicians, Black Lava delivered another relentless onslaught of blackened death metal that left the audience wanting more. Their attention to detail was evident not only in their songs but the overall atmosphere of their performance.

Punters were treated to hearing some unreleased songs and responded enthusiastically, moving and moshing to the band’s brutal grooves and newly refined atmospheres.

With their concise and dark sound, Black Lava prove themselves to be an asset to the Australian music scene and it’s becoming more evident that Black Lava are a force to be reckoned with.

Lo!
Returning to Melbourne after their last show in 2019, Lo! made a triumphant comeback at the Evelyn Hotel, showcasing their latest album ‘The Gleaners’. Being my first experience witnessing Lo! live, and as a huge fan of The Gleaners, I could tell that the atmosphere was charged with anticipation as the crowd eagerly awaited their performance. They did not disappoint. From the very first note, Lo! unleashed a sonic assault.

For me the standout track of the night was undoubtedly ‘Rat King’. Its bone-crushing riffs and kick-you-in-the-face drums crashed through the venue, creating a maelstrom of energy that engulfed everyone in its path and had the crowd moshing fiercely.
The ferocity of Sam Dillon’s vocal performance was palpable, and the audience response to Sam exiting the stage to dip into into the pit during the second half of the song (which I see as a dynamic and hypnotic break down) was met with an exultation that calmed the moshing storm and had the crowd moving together, headbanging and feeding off the vocalists energy.

What sets Lo! apart is their ability to blend genres, they don’t fit into a specific category. While there are clear elements of sludge, post-metal, and hardcore (plus heaps more) in their sound they are unique to the scene. The result is a musical tapestry that is devastatingly heavy and well textured. Each song, a journey, taking the crowd through a landscape of sonic chaos and catharsis.

The band is impressive to see live, executing complex and unique musical ideas with precision and power.

Lo!’s performance at the Evelyn Hotel was a reminder of why they are regarded in the scene as one of Australia’s most fierce live acts. While my first experience was their return to the Melbourne stage- I could tell it was a triumphant one, leaving the crowd hungry for more. I won’t be missing another opportunity to see this act and am keen to see how The Gleaners tour progresses!

What a bloody great night to be in Melbourne.