A Google search for Thrall, tonight’s opening act, yields a number of entries relating to a World of Warcraft character – which I’m sure has probably been drawn to the band’s attention many times in the past, but what’s one more? The four piece onstage certainly don’t trade in that slightly whimsical prog metal that name checks imps and warlocks and mana. It’s an exciting yet all too short set of punishing drums and battling guitars, punctuated by Tom Void’s impressive growl.
Whitehorse are chomping to get started barely before Thrall are offstage. On another night I would have had a lot more time for the sextet’s doom metal offerings, but bringing the pace down in between the warp speed bands on either side feels like whiplash.
You can waste an afternoon either searching for the most convoluted description of Deafheaven from 2013 or coming up with your own. Seriously, what is shoegaze metal? I can only picture Kevin Shields in an Iron Maiden t-shirt, and it’s pretty hilarious. But the attempts to lock this band down go some way to indicate just what a peculiar force they are, why they’ve had such a big 2013 and why the audience loses their mind within minutes. Dream House from last year’s Sunbather album acts as the opening shot, its few note recurring guitar hook drawing the song back from the brink many times. It, like many of the songs in the hour performance, stay fairly close to the original with only a handful of live embellishments. A set this intense runs the risk of losing the smaller emotional moments, but the band is easily capable of piercing the clouds before plunging back to earth.
BY MITCHELL ALEXANDER
Loved: The oddly fitting Smiths songs playing on the overheads between sets.
Hated: What seemed like the first hot night of Melbourne Summer.
Drank: Gin. Ice. Keep it coming.
