Malam Busuk 3 – Kilat, Vile Apparition, NERVE & Sulphur Garden

Bands: Kilat, Vile Apparition, NERVE, Sulphur Garden
Venue: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung country)
Date: 9th August, 2024

Review by: Ziggy Thunders
Photos by: Dave Collopy

Malam Busuk 3: A night full of rot and dread at Northcote Social Club.

SULPHUR GARDEN

A haunting voice echoed through the room, sounding like Galadriel from Lord of the Rings as lines about ‘the dark at the end of everything’ repeated and started Sulphur Garden’s nightmarish, synth powered set.

Through soundscapes of droning, unsettling intensity the two piece shared vocal duties, drifting from distorted growls that sound like possessed Uruk Hai to shrieks that add another haunting layer to their compositions. The duo used samples like audio clips, fluttering violins from classical pieces and vocal effects to their advantage, going from intense builds to somber quiet, working perfectly in sync with one another to create this cinematic, aural nightmare. The crowd swayed and stared, captivated or unsettled by the sounds that were coming from the stage.

I could’ve watched Sulphur Garden for hours and hope to see them again soon.

NERVE

I was excited for NERVE’s set – the industrial tekno offerings of Josh Wells – after hearing good things about his and Kilat vocalist Karina Utomo’s recent performance supporting Health last week. And my god, it did not disappoint.

Bathed in red light and armed with a desk full of gear, NERVE started weaving toms and cymbals into a rolling, bass heavy tribal rhythm to begin his set. I’ve honestly never seen anything like this so watching him work was completely mesmerising to me. The incredible skill in building this composition piece by piece, knowing exactly when to add a particular sound to change the mood, knowing when to raise the intensity then change tempo – every single person in the audience was at the mercy of NERVE’s fingertips for the entire set. Moving along in time with his creations, the energy was infectious as I noticed a few members of the crowd thoroughly entranced by the music, dancing and swaying until the set came to an end.

VILE APPARITION

In a change of pace for the evening of rot Vile Apparition delivered a bludgeoning set of heavy as fuck death metal. Starting with a relentless barrage of aggressive riffs, harsh growling vocals, technical bass that was so heavy it rattled my skull and a drummer that matched their intensity, they took us on a totally different journey.

The sound of Vile Apparition was massive, with elements of sludge and thrash metal influences coming through during their set. From the super fast, face melting 80’s virtuoso guitar solos to the slower, more gritty stoner sounding lulls with drum and bass, they definitely made an impact on the audience as I saw some heads start banging. These guys were a treat to watch, their banter and soul crushingly heavy sound made me so happy.

I highly recommend checking out their latest record, Depravity Ordained if you want a taste of what Vile Apparition are offering.

KILAT

I was not ready for Kilat’s set at all, they scared the shit out of me and I loved every single second of it. The stage was bathed in blue lighting as vocalist Karina Utomo appeared with an important and powerful message of acknowledgement of country, the end of cruelty, and a call for a free Papua and Palestine before commencing their set.

Then room filled with the sound of rain, thunder and distant chimes building a dreamlike atmosphere in anticipation of Kilat’s first gig in seven months.

Then we descended into hell. This had to be one of the most intense, raw, black metal offerings I’ve seen in a long time. It had everything. The insane athletic abilities of the drummer who held down so many blast beat sections for impressive lengths of time seemingly with ease. The gnarly, gritty guitar riffs reminiscent of the original black metal bands provided the perfect wall of sound without the presence of a bassist. The shrieking otherworldly presence of the vocalist as she commanded the stage with her impressive vocal abilities, the audience wrapped around her finger. Everything worked together so well to create this brutal nightmare of a live experience.

The three piece held down an incredibly tight set as they performed tracks off their most recent record, Rantai Penjinak. The crowd savoured every moment, with horns in the air, hair flying and a few people moshing at certain points, this was clearly an outlet that people needed for the night.

I’m still in awe of their set as I write this, so if you ever get the chance to see Kilat – go. I cannot wait to see them perform again.