Coheed And Cambria, Periphery, Intervals @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 7/11/2024
Monolith Festival featured a stellar cast of bands and as far as a concept goes it is an exceptional one. Definitely a masterstroke pulling this together and is quite visionary. Adelaide was in the very fortunate position to score two sideshows with the first featuring Leprous a couple of days before but this one doesn’t get any bigger than with the mighty Coheed and Cambria supported by Washington D.C.’s Periphery, as another band who has been long overdue for an Australian tour. To top that off Canadian instrumentalists Intervals, brought their expansive melodies and sonic structures to the fold. Having established themselves as a formidable force within the djent and prog metal scene this was one hell of a night of music. It was definitely a case of buckle and get ready for this incredible ride.
Intervals set the night ablaze and set the bar high for the rest to follow. Soaring melodies and crushing riffs was the nature of this beast. Aaron Marshall is the main man behind this outfit, technical brilliant despite saying his music had to many notes. Opening with Neurogenesis and Nootropic this was a clinic and a showcase in mastery of their instrument. Pointing out that they had come a long way to be here it was hard not to be in awe and converted to a fan. Still Winning was the oldest song in the set list which was written in his parents basement. There was definitely a feeling that they got to the top of the mountain with epic songs Lock and Key and Circuit Bender.
Periphery are one of the most respected leading names in modern progressive metal. Bringing their latest album, Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre, to Adelaide, the Grammy-nominated outfit got reacquainted with fans wasting no time at given how long it has been between tours. There was no holding back with the rampaging Ragnarok and Wild Fire to get their set swinging. The backdrop tapped in to the Aussie spirit with the words “Periphery Down Unda” emblazoned over a jar of Vegemite. Hard to believe that the band had released two albums since their last tour here playing Atropos and Zagreus (woah, that was a heavy one) from it in amongst other popular songs Reptile and Marigold finishing on Blood Eagle.
It has been a minute for Coheed And Cambria who were last here before the pandemic and their profile continues to build and get bigger. There was no surprise with the set list playing 2005s Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness start to end. The music itself is bold and stands out in its own right which is probably why there was no engagement with the crowd let the story tell itself.
This album was the third instalment of a tetralogy as part of The Armory Wars which is a series of science fiction comic books created by front man Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert. The concept is a fascinating one telling a chapter in the saga narrated by Sanchez’s lyrics using the melodies and lyrical cues that reference key moments in The Armory Wars. Sanchez is very much the focal point and has such a commanding presence with his distinctive vocals commanding and convey the emotions behind these songs in the saga. Intricate and powerful riffs to epic solos, it was incredible to watch. Keeping the Blade and Always and Never were powerful openers and Welcome Home would have been recognised by the gamers being in Rock Band or by the science fiction buffs in the movie 9. As the set unfolded there was plenty of twists and turns and if you were well versed in the band you would have been prepared for the journey that was taken. Experiencing this show was definitely a unique in every way and quite possible they might not ever do this again. The encore gave fans even more with A Favor House Atlantic and the title track from In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. Definitely a fantastic night of music!
Live Review By Rob Lyon