Before this year I had never been to the Rescue Rooms and now this was my fifth visit in five months! 😊 It was a sparse crowd (with the balcony closed) to begin with but as it began to fill up I was a tad concerned that I looked to be comfortably the oldest member of it. As it turns out, I should have “read” the audience much earlier than I actually did…
Four Stroke Baron
The ‘Data Diamond’ tour
Kirk Witt (guitars and vocals) / Keegan Ferrari (bass) / Matt Vallarino (drums & percussion)
Discogs tells me that the band is “An energetic blend of new-wave and heavy progressive rock, aspiring to bring forth a lively and refreshing new voice. Comprised of [sic] three members, the group crafts massive and immersive soundscapes juxtaposed over catchy, pop-like song structures. It is this penchant for blending familiar sounds and styles into something altogether new that has allowed the band to undergo a dramatic metamorphosis from their humble beginnings improvising in a shed outside of Reno, Nevada.”
The new album, ‘Data Diamond’ was due for release on 31st May so we got an early chance to hear some of the material from it, not that I actually heard very much.
Four Strike Baron were on stage at 7pm, a full half hour earlier than billed, possibly because the venue wanted to get the whole night in well under the 11pm curfew. As it turns out, I never did find out…
The trio used digital backing tracks which continued through the intervals between most songs, but when you’re just a threesome I suppose that you have to do something to fill out your sound. Sadly, that ‘sound’ wasn’t up to much as far as I was concerned; it was just thirty minutes of incessant noise, possibly worsened by the fact that I was too close to the drums to hear pretty much anything else. It sounded at points as though Witt might as well have been yodelling!
Largely ignored by the growing crowd, they were simply dreadful. I can’t fault the effort and enthusiasm that the band put into their performance because they clearly really believe in their material, but I have to ask if there really is a market for this? Just awful.
Setlist: The Witch; Friday Knight; 7th of July; Cyclops Prime; Prostitute Part II: Pretty Woman (Makes Money); Cyborg, Pt. 2: The City; Cyborg Pt. 3 (Because I’m God)
The Hirsch Effekt
Nils Wittrock (guitar, vocals) / Ilya John Lappin (bass, vocals) / Moritz “Mr. Moe” Schmidt (percussion)
The Hirsch Effekt is a band from Hanover, Germany, founded in 2008, and their music is often referred to as artcore due to its mix of styles. Wiki tells me that they are often defined as Indie-Rock, Progressive Metal, Post-Punk, and Math-Rock, so that’s a lot of styles to deal with! The band’s name translates as “The Deer Effect“. In 2023 the band released their seventh album, ‘Urian‘, and I am presuming that much of the material of their short set tonight came from there although I cannot be certain.
I didn’t move from my position close to the drums at stage left; perhaps I should have? This was more of the same, although at least I could hear the vocals this time. I say “vocals”… I really don’t understand all the sub-genres listed above, and as far as I am concerned, any band that has a front man who growls and grunts his way through most songs at the top of his voice can’t possibly be described as ‘progressive‘. I’m no expert, but this band seemed much more like the epitome of ‘Death Metal’ which is 100% not my scene.
But they were popular. The audience were much more appreciative of this band than their predecessors and there were actually two people who had heard of them before! The floor was now quite full and were nodding heads, shaking about and cheering and applauding at the end of each song.
It was at that point that I was seriously considering that I had booked a ticket for the wrong gig…
Setlist: Agnosie; Berceuse; Kris; Otus; Inukshuk; Lifnej
Caligula’s Horse
The ‘Charcoal Grace’ tour
Jim Grey (vocals) / Sam Vallen (guitar) / Dale Prinsse (bass) / Josh Griffin (drums & percussion)
This was another new band for me. I had read about them in Prog Magazine and dismissed them as another tentative link to that particular genre, but having primed myself by listening to their new album on Spotify I had come to the conclusion that they sound very much like a Dream Theater lite. Now, I’ve never been entirely thrilled by DT as they really are often a bit too heavy for me, but this album sounded very interesting – certainly interesting enough for me to take a punt given how cheap the tickets were too. Ever the Yorkshireman, eh? 😉
The Rescue Rooms’ publicity describes the band thus: “Caligula’s Horse, Brisbane’s premier progressive metal outfit, known for their dynamic soaring soundscapes, heavy melodic intricacy and huge live sound, will be back in the saddle this Spring for a 17 date European headline tour starting this May. They’ll be touring their new album ‘Charcoal Grace’ (out Jan 26th) – already tipped as “one of 2024’s best prog metal albums” (Guitar World). Along with their previous releases, their colourful and emotional music has forged a deep and lasting connection with fans across the globe. Caligula’s Horse’s EU/UK ‘Charcoal Grace’ tour promises a series of the most unforgettable nights of progressive metal on the European continent this year.”
But, in truth, I should have followed my gut-feeling. because I managed only three or four songs before I decided to cut my losses and leave.
It started well enough with Vallen’s intricate guitar work on the opening song, but from there on it just grew heavier by the minute.
I had moved from stage left to the centre and was pretty close to the front which turned out to be another gaffe as singer Grey informed the crowd that, for the next song, he wanted to see them “up off their feet from front to back” and, to a man/woman, they bounced and jumped almost taking me with them. Now, after standing/leaning for knocking on three hours I wasn’t going to start jumping for anybody, least of all an Aussie who can’t construct a sentence without effing and jeffing.
I moved to the back and tried to enjoy a couple more songs, but it was a forlorn hope and I made my way to the exit. That’s also the last time I trust that verkakte ‘PROG Magazine’ because they simply stretch the genre way too much. Caligula’s Horse are heavy; there’s no other way to judge them.
And, just for your information, it’s Incitatus… 😉
Setlist: The World Breathes With Me; Golem; Bloom; Marigold; Dream the Dead; The Hands Are the Hardest; Slow Violence; Oceanrise; The Stormchaser; Mute; Encore: Daughter of the Mountain
Gigs'n'Stuff 