Questfest – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 2nd September @ The Basement, Canberra

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Tyler Lubke

Questfest
Canberra, ACT
September 2, 2023
Featuring: Orpheus Omega, Triple Kill, Saralisse, Boudicca, Artifact, Trollgasm, Auld, The Loom of Time, and Daniel Kelly.

Music festivals are the best places to be for many reasons. In addition to seeing more bands in one day than your standard gig, you may come across new artists to follow. It’s a chance for any band to showcase what they have to give to the metal scene, and Questfest is no different. Girthsword Promotions has been running this event annually since 2018, with the goal of unifying fans of music and fantasy culture for frivolous themed evenings of entertainment. As we embrace this year’s ‘Wild West’ theme (dubbed “Wild Wild Quest”), we have a variety of acts supporting Melbourne-based headliners Orpheus Omega and Triple Kill.

The evening began with some easy listening, courtesy of the ‘Bard of Belconnen’, Yass-based singer and songwriter Daniel Kelly. His performance of European folk ballads alongside original works helped to incite the feeling of relaxing at a tavern. Daniel’s folk songs were the calm before the storm that ensued from the following acts.

That storm began with Newcastle punk rockers Boudicca, bringing their fast-paced style to an early yet large crowd. The instrumentals were groovy, and the vocals were abrasively enjoyable in all the ways that make sense for a punk act. The energy the band had on stage was fantastic, and I just had to go and check out their latest album, Tapestry, released a year earlier to the day.

Wagga Wagga metalcore band Artifact were the first heavy act to take the main stage, and they owned it. I’ve been lucky enough to see Artifact evolve since their first show, and it’s fantastic to see improvements with every performance. The dynamic between vocalists Bec Horseman and Michael Veneris continues to be a powerful draw to Artifact, and they were able to utilise this for a once-off cover of Daryl Braithwaite’s ‘Horses‘ much to the crowd’s delight.

The good vibes continued when Trollgasm brought their folk metal tales from Dubbo for their final performance. Utilising a mandolin in addition to your more standard metal instrumentals and blackened vocals, the harsh goblin core noise inspired a response from devoted Trollgasm fans. Their last performance will indeed be a fond memory for those patrons.

The folk metal magic continued when Wollongong act Saralisse killed it on stage. The beloved Questfest regulars swept audiences on a fantastical journey of a setlist with epic tracks and stage presence while remaining a tight and professional unit.

Local Canberra act Auld infused a well-fitting set of black metal songs into the evening. The atmospheric, doomy tunes were an excellent way to relax and enjoy brutal music. Their use of heavily distorted guitars and thick-sounding drums amongst raspy vocals stood out to me.

The first headline act, Triple Kill, proceeded to steal the show with the biggest crowd of the evening. They easily played classics from their catalogue and all new tunes from their fresh album, Blackened Dawn. I’m a big fan of this album and was enthralled seeing some of my favourite tracks live. Whether it’s the new identifying anthem of Triple Kill, ‘Shai-Hulud‘, the dark and heavy ‘Hymn, At Parting‘, or the emotional ballad ‘Dust‘, I was blown away. The fact that some of the crowd were singing these week-old tracks shows the love the locals have developed for Triple Kill over the years due to their multiple stellar Questfest performances. This fantastic set culminated in last-minute guest performances from various members of Orpheus Omega. The stage was stacked with members, and the chaos was fun for audiences and performers alike.

The Loom Of Time closed the side stage with a groovy, doomy-death metal set. The Hunter Valley band’s catchy and speedy instrumentals were grand in scale. I could see the ocean of cowboy hats having a headbanging good time.

After some well-deserved costume competition winners, the melodic death metal act Orpheus Omega headlined the main stage. They are always a tight act, and it was a joy to see them at the top of their game. Top tracks from the recently released EP Portraits moved the crowd, as did a cover of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song. The band also performed their latest cover of ‘Hate Crew Deathroll‘ by Children of Bodom. This nostalgic cover amped things up so much that no one could say no to a proper encore performance of my favourite track, ‘In Time‘.

The fifth iteration of Questfest was a roaring success, as was evident by the passion of the patrons present. The atmosphere is always incredibly inviting, and a wholesome, accepting culture is fostered at every event. So many aspects of metal genres and their crossovers are explored yearly, and top national acts complement this. As the debut of a Melbourne Questfest draws closer, I must express that it’d be a mistake not to go to one of these over-the-top fun events.

Review by and Photo Gallery by Tyler Lubke. Insta: @huntsman421.
Please credit Wall of Sound and Tyler Lubke if you repost.

Daniel Kelly