Welcome to another week of Mosh Pit Monday, a place to share all the best music around town. A huge week last week, with nearly 600 visits to Mosh Pit Monday, so thank you! Last Wednesday saw us at the fourth and final heat of the Reign Havok Battle of the Bands contest at the Crowbar, Fortitude Valley.
We weren’t sure if we were going to make it or not because severe thunderstorms hit Brisbane city and surrounding suburbs with flash flooding. The waters had subsided by the time we headed off into the city to see some of Brisbane’s best up and coming metal bands.
First up was a fine 3-piece outfit called Yaurout. A ‘grunge’ band from Brisbane with a very similar sound and feel to Nirvana. The band comprises James Spencer on guitar and vocals, Billy McCulloch on drums and Daniel Farley on bass.
We knew we were in for a good night when Yaurout hit the stage. They set the tone for the night with some great original tunes and heaps of energy and moshing on stage. It always surprises me the depth of young talent that’s coming out of Brisbane. Yaurout will be one to watch. You can catch their latest release “Eris” on Bandcamp here.
Next up was heavy blues rock band Dead Zephyr. Founded in September 2012 by Christopher Marsh (guitar and vocals) and Joe Daley (drums), they have already forged a name for themselves in the Brisbane music scene. Chris says “playing to people and making them feel what we feel is why Dead Zephyr exists”.
With a classic rock sound and bluesy edge, Chris and his drummer for the night really belted it out on stage. You’ll find Dead Zephyr playing all the best gigs in town and they look set to be around for a long time on the Brisbane music scene and are bound for bigger and better things. You can listen to Dead Zephyr on Soundcloud here. (PS Dead Zephyr have scored a wildcard entry into the final of the comp. Well done!)
Xens Arrival were next up on stage and the ultimate winners on the night. A punk rock/alternative band out of Brisbane, Xens Arrival are already achieving great things on the local and world music stage. Forming in early 2013, the band comprises Josh Bowen on lead guitar/vocals, Dre McNally on lead vocals/rhythm guitar, DjHi Normas on bass/vocals and Chris Chapman on drums.
With a huge punk rock sound, Xens Arrival punched it out on the night with a great live show. Drummer Chris Chapman is already achieving great things with a recent tour and recording with Melbourne band Feed Her To The Sharks. Funnily enough, the boys come from around my area of Brisbane and I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to see them before. Although the talent was strong on the night, Xens Arrival really stood out. A band that performs well together and can only get better with each gig they have. They have a new EP out called “Storm the Streets” and you can catch it right here. Good on ya fellas! Good luck in the final!
Last to perform on the night were Consider Me Heartless out of Bundaberg (about 3 hours north of Brisbane). I really felt for the guys as they were running late due to work commitments, a speeding fine and one of the band members had jury duty. Without the rush, I think the boys would’ve really had their act together.
A young band comprising Jon Ward on drums, Jake Bury on vocals, Michael Ward on vocals, Billy Weston on guitar, Julian Dunbar on guitar and Zachery Joseph on bass, the boys have been mates for years and this shows on stage. A heavy metal outfit with a similar style to Parkway Drive, they have a natural chemistry and their performance on the night really showed that. With this kind of stage presence, I expect the boys will be around for a long time to come and wish them great things. You can check out their latest release “Dreamwalker” on iTunes right here.
The final kicks off this coming Thursday night at the Crowbar from 8pm. The bands performing will be Pyre & Ice, Worse for Wear, Particles in Motion, Xens Arrival and Dead Zephyr. It’s going to be a great night showcasing some of the best talent Brisbane has to offer. It’s going to be hard to pick a winner but I’ll let you know next week who the winner is. Head on down if you’re in the Fortitude Valley area.
If you’d like to link up your Facebook page, Twitter account, links to music, click on the ADD LINK button below and I’ll be sure to share it across all my social media accounts. Alternatively, click on the links to check out some great new sounds and give these bands a like. I know they’d appreciate it. Thanks for stopping by this week and rock on! m/ m/
