The Ocean – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 16th June @ Lion Arts Factory, Adel SA

The OceanLion Arts Factory, Adelaide SAJune 16, 2024Support: Cave In and LLNN“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust.The more times an individual reads this quote by one of the most influential French novelists throughout history, the more they can see how diverse its application is. Is there any wonder why there was an award called “The Marcel Proust Prize” which was a former literary award of France named after this astounding author? Read the quote again, apply it to another characteristic of life and become lost in its illustriousness.If this show was able to have a thesis, the statement above would be rather fitting. The attendees who had purchased tickets may have only done so for one or two of the incredible outfits performing; what they most likely discovered is that all three are majestic in their respected heavy music fields. Two of the bands themselves were visiting Australia for the first time, SEEING another side of the world through their artistry that they had not experienced before. New eyes were prevalent all over the Lion Arts Factory on this night and discovery became the paramount reward.Denmark’s LLNN were THE example of Proust’s: “voyage of discovery” for this event. As first-time travellers to Australia, this was their debut experience of the Great Southern Land; but on the other hand, Australians were experiencing brand new eyes on this quartet also. That collective sight was to be altered in an electrifying way that will remain in many spectators’ memories for decades to come.A “Braaams” film trailer effect with gloomy undertones silenced the sizable audience indicating the showcase was set to begin (“Braaams” is essentially the death horns and bass sound combined into a siren blare that many blockbuster film trailers utilise to enhance the cinematic delivery; see Christopher Nolan), and the introduction added a marvellous mystique to what was about to unfold.There was no grand entrance, there wasn’t a member-by-member arrival with waves to the crowd as they took their positions and armed themselves with their instruments. Vocalist/ guitarist Victor Kaas intently walked on stage alone, grabbed the microphone and began practically snarling at the audience as a fierce wolverine. The track was ‘The Horror’, the exhibition was the launcher. This was delightfully disturbing and a strange composition of blackened industrial trapcore with indigenous chants of rage that were indecipherable yet continued to build in icy cacophony.“Get the fuck up here, that is not a request!” Victor bellowed at the gazing audience who were isolated in awe at what their new eyes were witnessing. ‘Imperial’ was earth shattering with a breakdown that created earth tremors as the eerie atmosphere of Ketil G. Sejersen’s synth took the discordance to another dimension. The screamed repeated lyrics of: “bow down to cinder” were sensationally suiting considering the impact the quartet were making on all present to witness them.‘Desecrator’ carried on this devastation enhancing the evil aura LLNN had already bestowed upon Adelaide, and this was further heightened by Growth’s Luke Frizon providing a savage guest vocalist appearance. ‘Scion’ was simply not of this world, ‘Parallels’ was an amalgamation of explosions that were above human understanding in the best way possible, and ‘Interloper’ elevated from post rock, to post metal to death doom exquisitely. A new song was exhibited and amongst its heaviness, it contained an inexplicable but imposing spiritual motif entwined in its delivery. To close, ‘Obsidian’ and this tune transported the entire venue to Miller's Planet, the world with destructive tidal waves from the film Interstellar – it was ravishing and remarkably revolting at the same time.There was an immeasurable tension felt throughout the building for Boston’s Cave In – understandably so, this moment had been 30 years in the making. The crowd packed into the stage area just to listen to the four-piece sound check and hearing guitarist / vocalist Stephen Brodsky croon The Animals’ ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ set the tone for what this spectacle was to become, mystifying.“ADELAIDE!” Stephen shouted as the four-piece launched into ‘New Reality’ and the enigma had become an actuality. It was almost overwhelming, the unforgettable resounding melodic vocals that amazingly fuse punk, grunge, alternative metal and rock into a mesmerising serenade. The crunching bass of Nate Newton with his thunderous roar of rugged growls; the exchange of spacious guitar finesse between Brodsky and Adam McGrath that would sometimes make Mastodon envious, and other times Page Hamilton would assuredly respect. The percussion of John-Robert Conners, who was the balance and dynamic driving force of it all. It all seemed too good to be true; in all honesty, for this writer and hundreds more, it was.‘Blood Spiller’ had a distinguished Deftones delicacy to it, but with an injection of Baroness coarseness that triggered a “wonderstruck” aura. ‘Nightmare Eyes’ blended the desert rock psychedelia of High Priestess with the peculiar yet brilliant prominence of Hum.‘Careless Offering’ was that droning rocker that Queens Of The Stone Age wish they penned and then ‘Blinded By A Blaze’ was the sombre ballad that Nick Cave would adore and probably more-so when the doom elements similar to Pallbearer enriched the track’s prowess. Cave In then rewound their clock to 1998 with their math-metalcore gem ‘House Of Flies’; if there was disbelief that this performance was happening, these five minutes was an authentic “pinch me this isn’t real” chapter to the story. It is arguably one of the defining artworks of loud/quiet metalcore in the genre’s history.The space rock of ‘Big Riff’ practically transported the attendees to outer space, Jupiter in fact. ‘Sing My Loves’ was the climactic closer, a wall of noise that pulsated and shook the venue from the ground to the ceiling; this wasn’t just music, this was an aggressive current sweeping away the revellers and this was happening for the first time in Adelaide ever. “Put your fucking phones away and have a good time!” we were instructed – in the bewildered state of amazement, thankfully a phone was barely seen. It is a little saddening to know that Cave In may never tour here again, but what a voyage this was to remember.For Germany’s The Ocean (or The Ocean Collective), there is not a lot of relevance for the band themselves to have “new eyes” for Australia. They have toured Down Under numerous times, their last visit being in September 2023. However, what they consistently execute on each visit is a new and exhilarating production for their devotees to be exposed to as a new premiere; they accomplished this feat outstandingly again.‘Preboreal’ initiated this adventure into another universe, a sophisticated post rock beginning that continued to build until reaching an alternative orchestral post metal height that climaxed, before descending again. Although there were only five members present on the stage, their musicianship echoed with chamber effect and a surrounding exquisiteness that was somehow unearthly poetic.‘Boreal’ continued this stunning sentiment, with electronic flourishes yet counteracted with deep ominous tones that pushed the observers in multiple directions all at once, it became delightfully dizzying. The cinematic inclusions utilised with smoke machines and structured light coordination were beyond theatrical; so much so that this wasn’t a concert, it was an expedition. ‘Sea Of Reeds’ portrayed an elegance that perhaps only a supergroup featuring members of Sigur Rós and Sólstafir could match, and this was outdone by the haunting Nine Inch Nails inspired ‘Atlantic’ which sprinkled in This Will Destroy You refinement.‘Subboreal’ followed flawlessly with what ‘Atlantic’ delivered, yet everything was taken to more extremes, poppier and heavier all at once. Avant-garde metal may come close to what they accomplish in this escapade, although this undersells it. This may also be the heaviest the outfit has sounded in quite some time; it was terrifically tumultuous and vocalist Loïc Rossetti shined throughout the phases of genre-hopping. This was flawlessly capped off by his expected and always cherished crowd surf that sadly did not involve a voluntary fall from the ceiling; however, the moshpit enthusiasts value his crowd interaction enormously.‘Pleistocence’ had a stirring jazz metal configuration that was rather hypnotic in its devastation and ‘Subatlantic’ took this captivation to an overpowering level. ‘Cambrian II: Eternal Recurrence’ was that spookish single that Adelaide wanted in almost an addictive sense; the sing-alongs and movement that pushed and pulled toward and away from the stage, a rotating magnetism would arguably best suit what occurred as an analogy. It is an energy of its own and it is unrealistic to think it can be harnessed.An encore of ‘Triassic’ which might just have the most entrancing lyrics in post-metal was administered. This composition could create hallucinations in its wizardry and it was above striking. To conclude, ‘Jurassic | Cretaceous’ - a symphony of post-metal that in a live setting, feels oddly outside of reality (even with the technical issues that caused Rossetti to run off stage to inform the sound technicians). With new eyes, this was a new voyage, a new landscape, and over and over, a new discovery - The Ocean Collective had thrilled South Australia once again.Marcel Proust wrote the monumental novel: À la recherche du temps perdu which translated into English is Remembrance of Things Past – this tour will be remembered, and what a voyage it was.Gig Review by Will Oakeshott. Insta: @teenwolfwillPhoto Gallery by Dave Rubinich Insta: @dave.rubinichPlease Credit & Tag Wall of Sound and Dave Rubinich if you repost photos.LLNN[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LLNN_LIONARTS_DAVER_1.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LLNN_LIONARTS_DAVER_2.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LLNN_LIONARTS_DAVER_3.jpg|"]Cave In[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAVE_IN_LIONARTS_DAVER_1.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAVE_IN_LIONARTS_DAVER_2.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAVE_IN_LIONARTS_DAVER_3.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAVE_IN_LIONARTS_DAVER_4.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAVE_IN_LIONARTS_DAVER_5.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAVE_IN_LIONARTS_DAVER_6.jpg|"]The Ocean[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_1.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_2.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_3.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_4.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_5.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_6.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_7.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_8.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_9.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_10.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_11.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/THE_OCEAN_LIONARTS_DAVER_12.jpg|"]