Project Description

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SLAYFEST 2021
Port Beach Garden Bar
and Railway Hotel
North Fremantle
27th March, 2021
(Live Review)

Reviewer – Chris Reid

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Slayfest is WA’s preeminent Heavy Metal event. The original Slayfest (held in 2007) is still to this day one of the most memorable ‘local’ gigs that I’ve ever attended – a double stage affair in Amplifier and Capitol, showcasing the best of the WA music scene plus a few big-name interstate acts. In 2018 the concept came out of hibernation and has grown from strength to strength in subsequent years despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 edition sees the double stage format maintained, albeit at a new location; the open air surrounds of Port Beach Garden Bar and the The Railway Hotel in Fremantle.

Since the re-boot of the Slayfest concept, the Lineups have been particularly nostalgic. The promoters have had no trouble getting some of the scenes most loved bands from yesteryear to play reunion sets. In 2021 the line-up strikes a great balance of some of the strongest current day bands and some of the greats from yesteryear.   

The event is a 12 hour marathon, billed from midday to midnight. This aging punter doesn’t have the staying power required for a 12 hour session these days, so I arrived in the late afternoon as Remission were wrapping up their high energy set to a vocal crowd on the Railway Hotel Stage.

The first full set that I saw came from Crossover/Party Trash band 9ft Super Soldier. 9FTSS played a tight set, churning out a high quality assault full of short and sharp numbers that are equal parts headbang-inducing as they are hilarious. Ryan Smith’s pink ‘Dealer’ sunnies looked the part in an open air setting and I’m sure the self proclaimed ‘Best band on the bill’ made an impression on those previously unfamiliar with their heavy metal stylings.

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Next up was Guttural Horror Slam act Iniquitous Monolith. The event has some really heavy acts on the bill, but I’d argue that none are heavier than Iniquitous Monolith. Whilst being a relatively ‘new ‘ band,  Iniquitous Monolith is a vastly experienced, quality outfit with head turning talent across the board –  they played a fantastic set of brutal death metal that was lapped up by the punters.

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Crypt Crawler were up next on the outdoor stage. It might be a big call, but I see this band as the next big thing to come from Perth. Old School Death metal is having a renaissance of sorts and Crypt Crawler play old school Death Metal which seems to be equally influenced by the seminal Florida and Swedish Death Metal scenes. Put Death, Dismember and Obituary into a blender and you’re getting a picture of what Crypt Crawler are up to – the song writing is top shelf and the delivery was tight. Crypt Crawler played to a big crowd who lapped up what they laid down. Hands down one of the best sets of the evening.

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Smashed were up next. These guys were around in the 90’s and play a thrashy strain of grindcore. For a band that have been inactive for as long as they have been I was really impressed at how tight their set was. Great stuff indeed.

All This Filth have been playing around the Perth scene for a long time – despite numerous lineup changes Brendan Preston has always been the driving force behind the Industrial/Groove Metal act. Persistence is paying off for the front man because there’s no doubt that the current incarnation of ATF is resonating with a fans on an impressive scale. All This Filth played a high energy set which seemed to go down a treat with the big crowd. I don’t think I’d be wrong to say that I saw more ATF merch in the crowd than any of the other bands on the bill – a mark of the following that they now have.

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I’ve recently reviewed The Furor so I’m at risk of repeating myself here but the one-man-black-metal-wrecking-ball is a sight to behold.  Dizazter handles drums and vocals whilst all other parts are played over the PA. Funnily enough the lack of live guitars meant that The Furor’s set was not marred at all by a lack of finesse on the mixing desk (which was commonplace on the indoor stage). The Furor played a great set, putting on a world class display of extreme metal drumming – whipping the crowd into a frenzy thanks to the high octane Black/Death/Thrash offering.  

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Plague are a Death metal band who were a major force in the 90’s and 00’s and reformed with a re-worked line-up for Slayfest 2020. It’s no surprise that the band were billed once again, as everything about this band is quality – from the song writing to the live delivery. I never got to see Plauge play in their heyday, but it’s easy to see why they have such a strong reputation. ‘Recruits’ Cain Cressall and Dan Grainger are obviously no slouches either.

Psychonaut played a high energy, entertaining set which was chock full of head turning musicianship. The ‘Power Trio’ of De Vattimo, Hallett and Giorgi played a highly virtuosic blend of speed, thrash and straight up heavy metal. Quality stuff.

Tempest Rising played to arguably the biggest crowd of the night. Front man Vin Trikeriotis’ ability to sing powerful cleans and switch to huge growls is unparalleled in the Perth scene – he’s a quality vocalist and frontman. The 5 piece played a high energy set of their blend of Groove metal & Metalcore. The set covered a decent spread of material from their back catalogue as well as a number of new tracks which the band have recently released.  It’s heartening to see once of the hardest working bands in the scene developing such a large and loyal fanbase.

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It has to be said that the bands playing on the indoor stage seemed to get the raw end of the deal when it came to mixing /audio production. As a general rule it didn’t necessarily detract from their sets, but you’d think that if/when this venue is booked for a similar event in the future they may identify this as an area for improvement. Of all of the bands that played on the indoor stage I felt like Silent Knight were most let down by the mix. Unlike the heavier styles that had graced the stage earlier that day Melodic Power metal needs a balanced mix and unfortunately the rhythm guitars weren’t given anywhere near enough attention for my liking. As usual the band put on a high energy show intended to entertain. The shredding from lead guitarist Cam Nicholas proved a highlight.  

Infected played one of the sets of the night for me, no doubt. Like Plague, Infected reformed in 2020 for Slayfest. These guys were around well before my time so  I didn’t really know what I was in for but I really enjoyed everything about their set. The band play a caustic brand of heavy music founded in Death Metal. A fellow punter likened their live sound to Neurosis which is a pretty apt comparison. Front man Joe Kapiteyn was particularly captivating – stalking the stage with an almost Henry Rollins style intensity. I’ll be sure to try and catch this band again, and I’m hopeful that the rumours of new music are true.

After a solid day you’d have been forgiven for starting to feel the beginning of Fatigue setting in, but Grotesque are the perfect antidote to drowsiness. Their hyper technical, Brutal Death metal is nothing short of pure class.  I really respect how big the bands sound is for a 4 piece band with only one guitar. Grotesque played a really entertaining set which was as tight and brutal as you would expect from this band. Death Metal fans in Perth are lucky to have a band of this calibre in the local ranks.

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Closing out the night were Claim The Throne, playing their first set in over 3 years. Claim the Throne are a much loved band in the scene and for good reason. Seeing them return to the stage was a fitting conclusion to an epic day out. Whilst the majority of the band had played sets earlier in the day with The Harvest Trail and 9FT Super Soldier  there was no sign of fatigue, treating their fans to a quality set of extreme Folk metal. I’ve always respected Claim the Throne for their musicianship and for the fact that they are championing a style of metal which is almost unchartered in Australia. A quality end to a quality day of heavy metal.

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A lot of events these days use the term ‘festival’ with a degree of creative licence – it is almost commonplace to call any gig that starts before 8pm a festival. However there is no doubt that Slayfest 2021 was a festival. The outdoor venue created a vibe that myself and many Perth metal fans have been craving since Soundwave ceased to exist. Whilst COVID-19 may  be preventing international (and most interstate) touring, an event like Slayfest proves without any doubt that the local scene is certainly strong and diverse enough to entertain the fans of heavy music in this state. Similarly the turn out showed that there are enough heavy music fans to keep the local scene healthy too. Hats off to the promoters who yet again provided a quality event.

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