Landmvrks, Bad Juju, Fallweather @ The Gov, Adelaide 13/5/2025
It’s been a hot minute since French metallers Landmvrks hit Adelaide and judging from the buy in from the crowd, it’s still been far too long.
The opening music of Michael Sembello’s Maniac has the lights swirl, the crowd push forward, fill up and muscle out. This is not for a casual observer. This is do or die because Landmvrks are the real deal, are you?
Before the French legion take over, Melbourne’s Fallweather open more than just the show up. Pits, wall of deaths and – as the floor is wet – a metalcore slip and slide ensues. Combining post hardcore prog with metal drops, Seconds Of Life is pit-tastic as the full crowd spins around, claps and slips, all led by an energetic frontman in Cullen Forbes, while Deadweight has a crunchy riff that spills more than just beer.
Bad Juju bring a different intensity. One that comes from your chest rather than your throat. The softer approach is no less powerful as the melodic vocals and catchy hooks have arms waving, camera lights out and plenty of the crowd singing at the top of their voice.
Some of the newer stuff, I believe one is called Incision, goes heavier than normal, however judging by how many heads are bopping, it’s no less potent on the audience.
However, The Gov is bubbling for the return of the French rap metal crossover of Landmvrks. Last here only twelve months or so ago with Northlane, for many, they were the highlight of that tour and judging by the size of the crowd, people want more.
The roar that opens Creature is spine tingling and sets everything off like New Years fireworks. The switch in styles – not only of music but language – as they slip from French to English seamlessly is exquisite.
Death has the crowd pumping out the words and when the riff lands, the pit becomes a blur of arms, legs, mobile phones and anything else not chained down.
The tight stage seems to focus in the band screaming to burst out. Vocalist Florent Salfati urges the crowd surfers to get up and makes every song a collaborative effort with the audience. Add old school hardcore to the bands repertoire, if you don’t mind.
Sulfur is a stomping track, with a drum rattle that signifies a wall of death as the crowd chant Sulfur, while Say No Word pushes the lever down on a dynamite loaded pit even more.
Landmvrks are the incendiary device, the rhythms make you move, the lyrics feisty, the guitars crunch and the groove gets you so much that even the bar staff are headbanging along.
A short acoustic intro to Suffocate is only a brief respite before Lost In A Wave rolls in like a storm, breaking hard before the drenched relief of a hair-raising chorus. Forbes of Fallweather returns, spits some lines and disappears into the crowd amidst the scenes.
Self Made Black Hole finishes the set. A furious lion of a track, stalking its prey before slamming it down as Salfati lands the final crushing bite to devour us all.
Landmvrks swept all before them last year and this year took even more out. Energetic, enthusiastic, heavy and full of attitude. Everything a metal band, and a metal show, should be.
Live Review By Iain McCallum