Live Review: Cursed Earth, Shackles, Suppressant, Potion

As newcomers on both the live and recorded fronts, Sydney stoner/doom trio Potion were evidently still honing their sound and approach. However, they injected sufficient mammoth riffage to suggest they'll be ones to watch.

Fellow Sydney-siders Suppressant's brand of death/grind could feel somewhat nondescript on occasion, but was admirably executed with vein-popping intensity. A short, sharp and bruising exercise in heaviness.

A quick glance at the "influences" section of Shackles' Facebook page name-checks the likes of Napalm Death, Entombed, Discharge and Terrorizer. Smatterings of all the above could be detected in the audience-stalking Byron Bay grindcore/punk crew's sound, and although early hitches initially hampered them, they eventually hit their stride.

Having recently returned from a critically applauded trek to Europe and the UK, Cursed Earth are on a significant career upswing. It's a testament to their work ethic that while some bands may have phoned it in when faced with the prospect of an intimate venue thousands of kilometres away from home, the Perth outfit were not only thankful for the opportunity but revelled in it and attacked their set with relish.

The nasty, dark hardcore/metal amalgam was both confronting and difficult to look away from, bristling with pummelling blast-beats and hefty grooves. Frontwoman Jazmine Luders remained an obvious focal point; hammering herself in the head with the microphone and throwing limbs about with sheer abandon. Her ferocious vocals and commanding presence - not to neglect the rest of the members' considerable energy - afforded material from both Cycles Of Grief volumes even greater vitality. Pit ninjas, head-bangers and punks collectively approved. Within seconds of wrapping up, the vocalist headed straight to the merch desk to be greeted by a small but elated crop of punters. With festival appearances and major support slots on the itinerary, that queue will be far longer soon enough.