Bands: Aquilus, Mondernte, Irreparable, Requite
Venue: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung Country)
Date: 13th September, 2024
Review by: Ziggy Thunders
Photos by: Dave Collopy
A night of corpse paint and atmospheric heavy/black metal stylings.
Requite
I always get excited when I see a band come on stage with corpse paint, so I knew the black metal presence was going to be a feature for Requite and I wasn’t disappointed. Requite brought a ferocious energy with their massive sound and presence, with each song they played floating seamlessly between gnarly black metal riffs, slow doom breaks and even sections with infectious bass grooves. The vocals from the front-man were delivered in harsh screeches with tremendous impact, paired with a high energy that the crowd reciprocated in the form of throwing horns and banging heads. Moments of banter between the members during their set really showed how much fun Requite were having as they performed new songs off their upcoming record, they kicked off the night in the best way and I genuinely can’t wait to see them again.
Irreparable
I was not prepared for Irreparable as the three piece started their set with an atmospheric black metal styled introduction, with menacing church like vocals commanding the audience into a trance. Synths and programmed drums kicked in and led into an abrasive, in-your-face black metal drop paired with the horrifyingly vulnerable high pitched shrieks from the vocalist, immediately showing an incredible range of vocal ability. Irreparable created a unique atmosphere as they changed from black metal to darkwave to goth movements, evoking a wide range of emotions, with intense moments of vulnerability and introspection.
This felt like a chaotic fever dream to witness. The audience were clearly into it as the vocalist for Irreparable jumped into the crowd, disappearing from sight as he wandered around delivering the lines ‘I am nothing, I am no one’ in the form of blood chilling screams full of anguish, before they ended the set with a punishing barrage of riffs.
Mondernte
All the way from Iceland, Mondernte graced us with a solo set of aural luciferian witchcraft and black metal stylings. After setting up a small altar of flowers, spirits and candles onstage and an appreciative toast to the audience, Mondernte brought the room to a standstill with an incredible isolated vocal delivery that felt like we were about to partake in a sacred ritual. You could feel the chills washing over the crowd, with an audience member near me exclaiming ‘wow that’s sick’ as Mondernte finished, taking in the applause before the sound of strings and drums filled the room in the form of a backing track. Switching between powerful clean vocals and savage screeches with her distorted, gritty black metal guitar riffs served underneath added to the sheer power of Mondernte’s set.
A highlight of her set was a performance of Flowers On The Grave, a song Mondernte described as a purging song, urging the audience to think of something they wanted to let go of as she performed, with banishing lyrical chants and cleansing, brutal riffs.
This was a mesmerizing set from Mondernte that left a lasting impression on me and no doubt others in the crowd, and you know you’re doing something right when even the people at the back of the room are headbanging and raising their hands to the sky.
Aquilus
Aquilus brought a sense of theatre and cinema as they started their set with beautifully haunting piano and violin moments, the two musicians playing off one another creating a mood shrouded in mystery, kicking off the launch of their latest record Bellum II. With a whispered ‘good evening’ from the vocalist, the six band members appeared on stage and Aquilus wasted no time and launched straight into a intense as fuck introduction full of double kicks, violin swells, violent screeches, piano flourishes, raging basslines and gritty guitar riffs.
This was a truly insane set to witness, the room was packed as Aquilus treated the audience to their incredible blend of atmospheric metal with classical and folk influences, and sometimes venturing into progressive and black metal elements. Aquilus captured an air of nostalgia and gloom as they played, the inclusion of piano and violin weaved throughout really added a sense of grandeur, layering even more emotion to their complex song structures.
The technical proficiency of each member has to be stated. Aquilus pulled off an incredibly tight performance as they switched seamlessly between styles and movements, making it all look effortless as the audience relished in it. I listened to Bellum II before this, and my god this is a tremendous record, and seeing Aquilus live has been a mind blowing experience. Others in the crowd clearly felt the same, as they announced their last song an audience member screamed ‘NO,’ to which the crowd cheered, clearly wanting more.
If you’re a fan of bands like Opeth and Ne Obliviscaris, I think you’ll become a fast fan of Aquilus. Go check out Bellum II now and keep an eye out for future gigs, Aquilus must be experienced live.
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