Artists: Black Aleph, Treebeard, Ghostsmoker, Skin Thief
Venue: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung country)
Date: 28th November 2024
Review by: Ben Eldstrom
Photos by: Dio Cassidy
A sweaty and nearly-sold-out gathering of locals packed out the Northcote Social Club on a Thursday for a strange line up to celebrate a truly strange piece of music released by Black Aleph.
Skin Thief
The varied bill of acts for the night started with Skin Thief‘s brand of thick, fuzzy post rock that borderlines on post metal. Their set began quite peacefully, gleefully meandering through peaceful soundscapes and easing the audience into the night. However, they steadily moved from one song to another, each slightly heavier than the last, akin to the slow build and crescendo stylings that the genre is known for. A lot of the heaviness came from their bassist playing on 6 strings, delivering a rumble that was more felt than heard.
Of particular note were the sporadic drum fills throughout their set, hinting that their percussionist had the capability to unleash, but more so had the restraint to focus on serving the song rather than showing off. Song writing was at the fore throughout all songs Skin Thief showcased last night, with a particular penchant for saving their best riffs to end each song on a high. Personally, it reminded me of all the qualities that made me fall in love with post rock and post metal many years ago.
Ghostsmoker
Explosive drumming introduced Ghostsmoker to the heavily packed room at the Northcote Social Club, which was followed just as swiftly by their signature low and lumbering sound. The two new additions in Brayden on the drums and Rhys on bass have breathed new life into this band, seeing them perform at their best to date. Their enjoyment in sharing the stage was palpable to all in the room as heads started banging and horns flying.
Albeit a short set, Ghostsmoker certainly didn’t fail to impress the few people in the room not already familiar with them. Playing a set solely from their unreleased album Inertia Cult, they trudged through two thick pieces before Pat from Treebeard joined them onstage for their second last song, the eponymously named Inertia Cult.
The hardest part about a weeknight gig is balancing the length of sets, and couple this with a band that sits somewhere between sludge and doom, and they’ll end up playing juuuuuuust enough songs to hook you while leave you wanting more. Ghostsmoker certainly added a few more fans to those already rusted on, and if they keep at it then it won’t be long until you’re added to the list as well. If you’d like to hear Nathan from Ghostsmoker discuss their next album Inertia Cult make sure you listen in to episode 5 of the Hook Riff and Banger podcast!
Treebeard
Treebeard returned the night to it’s post rock and post metal roots with a blistering set full of their varied yet signature sound. After Pat’s appearance with Ghostsmoker just a few moments earlier, the excitement was building for this set too. We’ve spoken at great length in the past about how much fun Treebeard are to see live, and this night was another great example. There aren’t many other post rock bands on this level when it comes to crowd participation, and it seems to grow with each live appearance. Heads banging, cheering and whistling, grooving movements – the energy was infectious.
Treebeard introduced the track Snowman to the room as their collective favourite from their newest album by the same name. However, clearly the crowd’s favourite was Mountain of Madness; the Cult of Luna -esque monolith during which Ghostsmoker‘s Nathan returned the favour and joined them on stage. By Beelzebub’s cockles did this song go off, with everyone in the room creating so much humidity you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a pub in Cairns in January.
It’s been a huge year for Treebeard after releasing Snowman and touring extensively, and this truly felt like a celebration with mates to cap it all off with jubilation. If you’re not familiar with them, or even if you are, make sure to catch them live next year and you’re sure to have a great night.
Black Aleph
It’s certainly a unique experience to go to a gig full of rock and metal bands, only to see the drum kit packed down and taken off stage before the headliner starts. Yet this was fitting for the indescribable Black Aleph who seem to buck all trends, yet somehow feel at home on nearly any bill. Regardless, it was their night to showcase their first album Apsides to a sort-of home crowd that needed no invitation to get as close to the stage as possible.
As is their style, they built their set the same way as the album builds, each song flowing serenely into the next. When the room was given a small moment to think between songs, applause erupted with an undertone of surprise that I haven’t seen since Arcane over a decade ago. You can certainly hear the difference when the applause speaks “hell yeah that was good” compared to when it shouts “what the FUCK was that?!”
The reason why Black Aleph are at home on any bill, despite their unconventional music, is because they’re all accomplished musicians with a long history in Australia’s music scene and are taking a fresh approach to simplistic song writing. Yet when this is layered with pedals, amps, and all the trimmings of any other heavy metal band, they present a sound that equally confuses, impresses, and elicits enjoyment.
As if an evening focussing on Apsides wasn’t lush enough, the trio stayed to play an unreleased song to close out the night. Marking a slight change in sound, with a greater emphasis on Peter’s cello work, you’d be remiss to assume that Black Aleph will continue to release the same album ad nauseam until the sun swallows the earth.
