Bands: The Amenta, Lo!, Golgothan Remains, Munt
Venue: Stay Gold, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung country)
Date: 17 / 11 / 2023
Review by Ulffe
Photos by Ben Eldström
MUNT
Opening the night are Melbourne’s ‘black grinding death’ act, Munt. They were a strong opener and impressive to witness. Defining a band and aligning to a genre is increasingly difficult these days, but Munt describes themselves as having influences from chaotic grindcore, being informed by bitter black metal with modern hardcore sensibility. While I can see this, they have quite a lot going for them that makes them stand out.
Their set was sick- while having a main vocalist with fantastic range, there were heaps of moments where vocal duties were shared by the two guitarists. They bounce off each other with their diverse vocal ranges which added an additional dynamic that made this band stick out from others in the genre.
They get you banging your head to forceful dirty rhythms, piercing harmonics and harmonies, as well as well constructed drumming dissonant breaks that tease more brutality. I’m looking forward to absorbing myself in their 2023 EP.
If you were lucky enough to secure a ticket for Behemoth’s Fury Upon the Earth tour (sold out show in Melbourne) you’ll be lucky enough to see Munt, as well as the next act, Golgothan Remains as national supports.
Golgothan Remains
…And on to the Sydney portion of the show (a Melburnian punter’s worst fear)
Golgothan Remains take to the stage with their fierce death. Having shared the stage with some of Australia’s biggest players, as well as some big international acts in recent years, they hit the floor with experience and attitude. They stood out to me as the most atmospheric band of the night and their sound hit me very differently.
They built a wide and encompassing atmosphere with deep guttural vocals that engulfed you. Overall, I was hit with a huge feel of blackened death. For a four-piece band they brought a lot of texture and energy.
Not being familiar with their catalogue going into the evening, the highlight of their set for me consisted of a haunting clean vocal section, in the moment it felt gothic and reminded me of something a little reminiscent to the vocal style in Virgin Black. I’ll be sure to hunt down this fleeting moment while exploring their catalog and confirm what this was.
Golgothan Remains do well in keeping the scene alive and keeping the energy up for the remainder of the night. Check out their 2022 album, Adorned in Ruin.
Lo!
For the third act of the night, we are now treated to the strapping young lads of Lo!
Having seen and reviewed their The Gleaners album launch show earlier this year, for me there were few surprises seeing them tonight. They bring the same high levels of intensity, refinement, and engagement that I expected.
Their vocalist, Sam, is an engaging performer – interacting with his audience by entering the crowd for peak moments in their set. This seemed to happen more frequently this time round and continued to stimulate the audience.
They set the bar high with their interesting musical compositions and absolutely deliver in their live performances with exceptional tightness and energy. Crushing listeners with their music spanning their vast catalogue they are worth seeing when you get the chance.
Still being big on their 2023 release which has personally been my most spun record of the year – and with the events of the world this year the albums messages and statements are extremely relevant.
Their title track The Gleaners hit hard as a closer… ‘There is no harmony in the universe’. A fitting sentiment for the times, and relevant to the final act of the night.
The night draws to a close with the Amenta, terrifying their audience on their second night of their Plague of Locus tour, marking the launch of their latest album sharing the same name.
Taking the stage masked in filthy, fleshy masks the Sydney industrial death royalty unleash their carnage. They hit the audience of Stay Gold with crushing riffs, intricate drumming and flesh melting vocals.
While active for over 20 years, split by an unofficial hiatus, they’ve been pushing boundaries of the genre – mixing blackened elements of extreme, industrial, and death. They combine these into sophisticated and intense atmospheres that are unique to The Amenta. This energy translated to the stage phenomenally like a punch in the guts, which is perfectly fitting.
Highlights for me were their performance of Teeth, and their cover of Killing Joke’s Asteroid. From my perspective not many artists can pay proper homage to the works of others without butchering the work, but on their latest album the Amenta prove multiple times that they can do this while bringing their unique, genre-pushing brand.
The Amenta closed the night strong, leaving me feeling both elated and eviscerated. We’re lucky to have them back in the Aussie heavy music scene, and I’m hoping they keep pummeling us with new music and new gigs well into the future.
Gig gallery
