Tuesday 21 August 2007

Concert Review: Alchemist "Tripsis" CD launch @ Sydney 17/08/07

Its not often I travel to Sydney to see a local act, but I happened to be in the city at the time, and going was my way of not feeling guilty for missing Alchemist's Canberra gig 2 weeks earlier.

It took me a long time to discover Alchemist, and once again after hearing them, I'm kicking myself for not having got into them earlier. I saw Daysend at Come Together, and was looking forward to seeing them again. For $15, it was always going to be a good value show.

Got to the gig as Five Star Prison Cell, must say from the limited amount I heard of them, they aren't my style. Will check them out more thoroughly if I get a chance in the future. From what was described to me, I feel bad about missing The Veil and will definitely check them out in the future.

Daysend
were on form and performed a blistering (but brief) set. It was a very similar set to what they performed at Come Together, and it really had the crowd going. Its great to see an Australian Melodic Death Metal band, especially with a vocalist who can do more than just death growl. They were energetic, enthusiastic and technically proficient, and it was unfortunate they were cut off early due to how late the gig was running.

What can I say about Alchemist? I've always praised Shihad for their live sound, but this band was hands down the best live sound I've ever heard an Australian band produce. The set was a good mix of new tracks off their forthcoming album Tripsis, and the highlights from their back catalogue. Chinese Whispers in particular blew me away. I can't help but think that this band would be a lot more well renowned if they had originated in Europe or the US.

They finished with their cover of Eve Of War, and even though there was no encore due to time constraints, the 75 minutes they were on was plenty to keep the fans happy. I've finally found a local act who I will see every possible chance I get.


And with this being an album launch, I have to make mention of Tripsis. I was lucky enough to pick up one of the 15 copies available for sale (so I was told), and after a few listens, this is one of my favourite albums of the year. Its a lot more heavy and focused than their previous few releases, and although it doesn't have the same level of "psychadelia" their last few efforts have contained, its a very streamline and heavy release well worth the purchase. If you are an Aussie Metal fan, support the local scene. If you aren't Australian, track this down, it stands up with the major metal releases of the year (and surpasses almost all in my honest opinion).

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