Artists: Mammon’s Throne, Aquilus, Chief Whip
Venue: The Leadbeater Hotel, Melbourne, Australia (Woiwurrung country)
Date: 14th March 2026
Review by: Ben Eldström
Photos by: Mark Hoffman
It has finally been unleashed unto the world; the third full length album from Mammon’s Throne, My Body to the Worms, was celebrated last night with heavy doses of theatricality and subversion.
Opening up the stage were Chief Whip, a project very difficult to describe in detail. Comprising only Sean Hinds and Bridgette Baini, the two-piece was backed by a percussion track that was deep and rich and sounded nearly as good as the real thing. For the uninitiated, their sound is mostly industrial but there’s heaps of elements from other genres in there too. Doom is a clear stand out, some noise, some drone, and possibly some -gaze influences at times too. Sean’s sparse use of vocals is very intentional, and the layers of effects he uses makes him sound like he’s screeching whilst buried deep in a branching cavernous labyrinth. This all supported by a two-pronged wall of guitars wielded by each of them, and it felt like there was no escaping the crush of noise.
Like most industrial and noise acts, they’re best experienced live. Coupled with the rich sound and stunning lights at the Leady, I think this will be the most luxurious industrial/noise gig I ever see. This all despite the fact their set was a good 30 minutes of unrelenting intensity.
Never thought I’d see the day where Aquilus played a Melbourne stage big enough to fit them, but dreams do come true! Praise to Matt from Black Oceans Media for doing the seemingly impossible!
We’ve reviewed a few Aquilus gigs in the past, and seen them a few other times without reviewing, and they’re always an incredibly tight and professional outfit. The last time we reviewed one of their gigs they were just about to jet off to Europe with Suldusk, and I’d say that’s paid off in terms of their stage presence. Last night they seem to have taken it to another level.
It was great to see the room so full for Chief Whip, and somehow the Leady was able to squeeze in even more during Aquilus. Whilst there’s a small number of other extreme progressive metal bands kicking around, their blend of atmospheric blackened progressive metal is fairly unique in the Melbourne scene. There’s a strong euro feel to it, which makes sense why they seem to be so successful over there too.
Last night’s performance felt triumphant and powerful, like a band hitting a new stride and loving every moment of it. In between the shrieking din of their songs there are a few moments of calm that give focus to Hayley’s violin, and the limelight at the Leady further converged everyone’s attention in these moments.
A very spooky backing track played as the curtains peeled back to reveal the empty stage. With Mammon‘s penchant for theatricality, it wouldn’t have surprised me if the show was somehow played by ghosts and spectres. Classic 80s-style guitar wailing snapped me back into the room as the band walked on to the stage awash in green, each individually met with cheers from the crowd. They flew into their set, melting faces in the crowd with all the singles they’ve released so far.
The jovial nature of hats being tipped, guns being slung, and yees being hawed for Departed was swiftly pivoted to the morose reminder in Everyday More Sickened – a perfect example of everything you can expect at a Mammon‘s gig. The theatricality returned promptly and with grandeur as Nosferatu made an uninvited entrance during Elixir, ceremoniously drinking the blood from Amesh at the song’s calamitous conclusion.
If you hadn’t been surprised enough already, vocalist Matt picked up a guitar and Johnny took the mic for the band to cover Bolt Thrower‘s For Victory. The crowd responded fervently with moshing breaking out.
There were highlights galore last night, from one punter raising a gnarled cane throughout many songs, to enough invisible oranges to make an imperial gallon of invisible breakfast juice.
They tore through Return Us to the Stars to close out the night, which has arguably one of the best riffs throughout their discography and leaves you no choice but to headbang. As the epic 8 and half minute track drew to a close, calls for one more song erupted from the crowd. Personally, I find planned encores a little on the nose, but this one was genuine. Past their allotted set time, and a track from their first album, finishing with Race Against the Incoming Tide was a true encore that everyone in the room was begging to hear.
What a way to cap off a such a huge night, despite the bill only having three bands. Personally I’ve seen Mammon’s Throne many times, either supporting international doom acts or playing smaller stages, but this was something special. A celebration of their latest album My Body to the Worms in the truest sense, and a 5-piece that has really strongly developed their live performance.
Gig Gallery:
