Make Them Suffer, Fit For An Autopsy, Ocean Sleeper @ Fat Controller, Adelaide 3/6/2023
Playing their second to last show of the national tour celebrating ten years since their debut album release Neverbloom, WA Metalcore legends Make Them Suffer mollified a sold-out crowd with supports Ocean Sleeper and Fit For An Autopsy in a dark concrete bunker aka Fat Controller (aka the old Cavern Club) on Saturday night. If that sounds obscure, I can say with absolute regret that it was, and not in a fun way. I’m no expert by any stretch of the imagination but it really boggles the mind how musicians of such high calibre and a highly anticipated show ended up down there, and it would be wrong of me to not report on the fact that we were robbed of what should have been a core shaking experience. The sound was muted at best, at worse all I could hear was the drums – like pots being hit in a tin shed. I am not exaggerating – I wish I was, but now I have got that off my chest I will attempt to describe the night as best I can and imagine how amazing these bands would have sounded in a more appropriate venue made for shows this massive. Well, I will imagine Make them Suffer and Fit for an Autopsy there because due to the never-ending line up continuing well and truly past doors and into the first act, I missed Ocean Sleeper.
Making their way back to our quiet little city from New Jersey and bringing a loyal flock of fans to the questionable venue were deathcore units Fit For An Autopsy who played a quality set of well-loved tunes with enormous energy and fervour. I didn’t manage to catch them destroy Enigma last year, but they are a band I have been keen to see live so they were a happy addition to the MTS tour, even though these guys are well and truly due for their very own headlining shows here. Kicking off with Higher Level of Hate the filthy riffs kept rolling with heart thumping break downs and the meticulously controlled and effortless vocals of Joe Badolato at the helm, eager to get the pit open. Black Mammoth got the crowd really moving while guitarists Pat, Tim and Will sweated it out with some impressive synchronised headbanging. Finishing their set with 2021 single Far From Heaven, Fit for an Autopsy solidified themselves as a unique deathcore act that has evolved their sound with some delicious groove elements and peak stamina.
Make Them Suffer followed with the gloomy sounds of the intro track to debut album Neverbloom, Alex Reade coming out to fire up her keys before being followed by the rest of the band members and busting into the title track. Despite the fact that all I could hear stage left up front was a snare drum and some very muted vocals from Sean Harmanis, the crowd were fired up for it. It was probably a mix of excitement seeing the band blast out their pivotal early work and the fact that Bilson’s were flying out of the bar criminally cheap but we were all just going with it. By the time Elegies came about, the circle pit was in full swing and someone got a broken nose about it.
Although this was my first time seeing these guys live after following them for years, I was impressed with Alex Reade’s performance of this album which was recorded by original member Louisa Burton, and I personally think her Disney Princess vocal tone is a perfect match for the band’s brutal sound. Their onstage chemistry was perfect and the emotion behind what are some of their most sentimental tracks miraculously wasn’t lost in the hardness of the concrete room and void of disappointing sound tech. The crowd were treated to 2023 singles Ghost of Me and Doomswitch to finish off the night which left the crowd buzzing after a good boogie to what Make them Suffer have evolved to.
Going home depressed at the fact that I had just witnessed one of the biggest tours of the year played so well and passionately by the bands without being able to truly experience its sonic glory is a hard pill to swallow and something that may take a while to digest. I wanted a do over and I’m definitely not alone in that, but for now we will have to settle with the fact that it was a fun crowd, a good line up of impressive musicians that played their hearts out and a successful sell out tour that will guarantee more shows down the track. In the meantime, we always have Neverbloom to go back and listen to and if you’re lucky enough you might even have it on vinyl now.
Live Review By Bec Scheucher