Friday 4th October
Supports: Paledusk (Japan), Inertia, Sunbleached
Ahead of their forthcoming LP release Oddworld next month, Melbourne alt/nu-metal groovers Ocean Grove embarked on a short run of shows this weekend up and down the East Coast. As longtime fans of the boys, we couldn’t pass up the chance to hear what the world is in for when Oddworld gets released on November 22 (UNFD).
Kicking off the show at the Triffid were hometown upstarts Sunbleached. This lot are in the midst of their biggest year yet, having just wrapped a string of gigs in the last month in support of latest EP, I Crawled Into the Hole. Vocalist Josh Baker wasted no time in keeping things mellow and rocky for the early crowd. Although it was slightly left of field for this heavier line-up, Sunbleached managed to deliver an edgier blend of alternative/rock that’ll tickle a broad range of tastes.
Sydney’s Inertia rocked up next and delivered a searing performance of alt/metalcore. The band, having just their sophomore album Second Shadow back in August immersed the crowd with edgy, bouncy tunes of captivating soundscapes. Frontman Julian Latouche delivered soulful melodies with pop sensibilities that seemingly balances out Inertia’s heavier style. Songs like ‘Parallels‘ still remains to be a fan favourite as it gives prospective fans a good reason to hear why these guys remain a constant heavy force in the local scene.
It was Japan’s Paledusk that honestly stole the evening though. Entering the stage to Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’, you could tell this was no ordinary metal set and if you know Japanese acts, you’re well aware they don’t halfass these shows. The band got the fire started with fan favourite ‘BLACK ICE‘ which transformed the Triffid into a whirlwind of two steppers in the pit. Led by frontman Kaito, the boys had every head turned and enthused with that Paledusk sound. A blend of glitchy EDM pop and explosive metalcore is unusual but not for a group like Paledusk. In fact, it was enthrilling to witness and kinda threw me some similarities to Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! — particularly as the circlepit opened into the biggest of the night.
While those boys stole many fans’ hearts that evening, it’s easy to see that Paledusk’s song were made for much bigger stages. It’d be cool to see them in a festival setting like Knotfest one day.
However, if any band can follow a strong performance like Paledusk’s, it’s Melbourne boys Ocean Grove. Launching straight into ‘Fly Away’, frontman Dale Tanner sounded slick and sang with an empowering, rejuvenated force that told us that the boys are back in their element. Together, with bassist and co-vocalist Twiggy Hunter, the dual vocalists sparred their unique talents and formed an amplified soundscape of glistening hooks and crushing riffs.
It had been quite some time since witnessing these boys live, but damn, to be in their presence once again felt like bliss. Particularly as tracks I adored from the Flip Phone Fantasy era came to light — ‘Guys From the Gord‘, in its 90s alt/grunge movements, had many hearts beating with the bassline and it almost transformed into a ShockOne warehouse gig.
While latest single ‘Last Dance‘ didn’t make a sneaky live debut in the set, Ocean Grove did manage to impress onlookers with the live debut of ‘Raindrop‘ amidst an ultra-cool setlist of the band’s explosive nu-metal offering. But of course, OG classic ‘Ask For the Anthem‘ still remains to be one of our favourite moshpit anthems today.
It’s a little unconventional when a band prepares a tiny headliner a month out from their next album release. But this is Ocean Grove we’re talking about and they’re never ones to follow a predictable path with their music. As we’ve seen throughout each new release, the boys have never really stuck to one formula and it’s a testament to the heavy force this trio have become over the past five years. If tonight is a tiny taste of what’s to come from Oddworld, then the world better be ready — it sounds like Dale, Twiggy and Sam are living in their best form yet.
Review by Tamara May
