Thrown, Half Me, Diesect, Outsider @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 7/2/2025
What can you say about a tour for a band that sold out across the country in the same length of time it takes to listen to their album? A show that has queues snaking its way down the street half hour before the first support act even gets on stage? The palpable excitement says it all.
For Sweden’s Thrown – back after last years opening slot with Alpha Wolf – made such an impression that one album and one EP in their catalogue is enough for a headline slot is up there with the most impressive achievements I’ve ever seen. They don’t mess about either, they barely can, with their thirty two minute set as everything is put on display and roared through with sweat, fury and breakdowns.
Opening this evening was locals Outsider, and with the room already getting nicely squeezed with the air thicker with heat, they unleash. The breakdowns are windfall approved by the moshers, the vivacity electric and there’s something to be said for the sound that a left handed guitarist can do that makes their music compelling compared to other hardcore bands .
Diesect meanwhile lurch like a hungry lion onto the stage – growling, prowling – looking for its next kill. Paralysis, Second Guess and new single Too Many Scars have the pit running like gazelles being consumed by the bands powerful music. The lion eats well tonight.
Germany’s Half Me come across as a unique mix of a trash band doing hardcore as they combine the subtlety of metal with the doom breakdowns of hardcore. Circle pits are rolling, the place is jumping and the only space available is in the whirlpool if you dare. Songs like Quitters Talk combine musical melody with stomping beats and the energy throughout from Christopher Zühlke and bassist Tobias Sajon the fuel for that fire down front.
Onto Thrown. Last year the chatter after their debut run as the opening slot on a four band bill was they dominated. Promoters quickly loaded up a tour that sold out instantly. In a hot time of year, it became the hottest ticket.
You can’t go past that a headliner played for thirty two minutes however it was all killer and no filler. As a reviewer I hate time being taken for needless drums solos, just play the songs and Thrown are basically my dream come true.
Vocalist Marcus Lundqvist thankful for the crowd however says little between takes, mainly because he exerts so much into his performance he needs to catch his breath. A Thrown show is a sprint not a marathon.
The set list speaks for itself – they only have so many songs and they are all short, it’s the reactions. The crowd resemble a stormy ocean, heaving, pushing, contracting. The riffs in the breakdowns are reminiscent of Sabbath except heavier again. Lundqvist is covering every part of that stage, as the sweat flies in all directions. The crowd is singing louder and everyone is invested through ringing ears and horse voices.
Finishing with Grayout the band depart as quick as they arrived. The crowd emptied of energy. I’ll say it again, Thrown are all killer, no filler.
Live Review By Iain McCallum