Artists: My Dying Bride, Mammon’s Throne
Venue: The Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung country)
Date: 17th September 2025
Review by: Ulffe
Photos by: Dave Collopy
The Northcote Theatre is an elegant venue that has seen more than its fair share of incredible international acts in its 100 years of existence. On this woeful Wednesday night the foundations were tested by the bleak and destructive musings of My Dying Bride, with special support by the mighty Mammon’s Throne.
The pleasure of seeing Mammon’s Throne recently at the Bendi 1 Year Revival show as a humble punter did not diminish the experience of witnessing them take the stage for some midweek onslaught.
After some excellent chats and laughs in the line wrapped around the outskirts of the building I walked into the filling venue completely unprepared for the experience and expectations that this was to be one of Mammon’s Thrones top performances. I may have said this before in another review, they certainly suit a huge stage. My TLDR is just to give this band more stage and more lighting, they will flourish.
Their set began with a flash of stage light that blasted the crowd, contrasting with the preamble and ambiance that was set as punters filled the room and purchased their bevvies. Candles embellished their amps to create an eerie gloomy atmosphere.
The band take the stage, ominously hooded Matthew Miller stands at the mic. He introduces the band, and warmly welcomes the crowd.
As they pound energetically through their set, Amesh is a legend moving around the space around him. By the third track, you’re hooked on hearing him smash his leads. You can hear the man behind his voicing. He controls his dynamics and his musical personality shines through his playing. Mammon’s Throne perform a number of my favourites tonight, Wither, with its open chords, dynamic vocal arrangements and instrumentation that builds and builds before an exciting drop where it turns doom as hell, and Return Us to the Stars (which totally got the crowd moving).
By the end of their 3rd track, I loved to see the encouraged nods from punters who were won over. We know that serious metal face grimace nod – and I love seeing a band who I support impress new, unsuspecting fans.
They end with a crowd destroyer, Nosferatu, punters raise their fists to the sky and chant ‘Drink the blood. Drink the blood.’ The room is drowning in red light.
As the set comes to close, nods and cheers of approval. The crowd has been won over tonight.
The crowd simmers after the performance, late comers here for the main event start to fill in the few gaps remaining, eager for their taste of the UK’s My Dying Bride – monsters and absolute masters of their genre.
The energy and tone have shifted significantly. Lights arc slowly, steady and calm – a staggering contrast to the openers. The band is immersed in cool light. It’s grounding and super effective after the previously rapid set. A night of mourning has begun.
The crowd is about to be submerged into sombre melodies, drenched in melancholy, taken aback by sudden percussion that will thrash and bludgeon through your body as cripplingly gloomy piano chords and violin engulf your soul. Shaun Macgowan on strings and keys is a busy guy tonight.
We’re instantly transported into the 90’s as they open with A Kiss to Remember which launches the crowd into the set. 1997’s Like Gods of the Sun is a powerful album and a great start to their set. Fans recognise the bass intro that Lena Abé plays instantly and the tone of the night is set. The funeral marches forward.
As the first song concludes and before they lead into My Hope, The Destroyer, guitarist Neil Blanchett briefly takes a moment to shield his eyes from the light to look into the crowd. He smiles as horns hit the sky. There’s something extra special about the crowd tonight.
As the night progresses, it’s wonderful to see fans ready for the cues and hits. To those less familiar. My Dying Bride’s music pulls and pushes you in such an exciting way. I love a band that throws you around rapidly with quick tempo changes, multiple musical stylings and instrumental changes. One minute you are in a gothic church, weeping to the sound of dreary heavy doom guitars swaddled by swelling organ, the next moment you’re being thrown off a cliff to some rapid fire death metal. Not every band can successfully blend and bleed sub-genres into each other, but My Dying Bride are experts at this.
The building is now lit by oceanic teal shades, as if emerging from the depths the tapped opening guitar to The Cry of Mankind ascends. The crowd goes nuts for this melody.
Later in the night as Feel the Misery kicked in I realised the calibre and versatility of Swallow the Sun’s vocalist Mikko Kotamaki, who expertly handled vocal duties. This has been a showcase of his talent and a role not many could easily fill.
My Dying Bride is more than a band, they are a wave of influence that is clearly standing the test of time. Their sombre, melancholic music cleansed their fans – this is a night that was far too long coming and I doubt anyone left disappointed.
They encore with The Raven and the Rose – a HEAVY hitter, the drumming is awesome. Dan Mullins is ferocious. Andrew Craighan’s leads throughout the night have been nothing short of epic.
A truly spectacular evening that was absolutely worth the wait. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait a lifetime to see them hit our broken shores again.
Gig Gallery:
