Live Review: Enslaved, Rise Of Avernus, Malignant Monster, Wardaemonic

The skies turned black as the storm clouds gathered around the Rosemount to welcome some true Norwegian pioneers to Australian shores for the first time. The stacked bill kicked off cvlt-stylez with our own black metal act Wardaemonic sporting a relatively new-school line-up to complement the classic old-school feel. Shred tremolo buzzed over Maelstrom's speed blasts pushing the 'Mount's PA system to the limits. Malignant Monster took over the reins and showed the town why they've become one of Australia's prime exponents of the black arts. The cancerous quintet have formed a rare bond between stagecraft and musical ability to look and feel exactly how mainstream proles would envision a metal band, with nightmarish posturing, killer milling and an unstoppable metal attack.

Hailing from Sydney, NSW, doom merchants Rise Of Avernus unleashed their new album upon an unsuspecting Perth horde. Seemingly an odd tour partner to a classic Norwegian band ROA oozed quality, spouting tracks from their debut album, L'Appel Du Vide, released on this very night. It's not often we hear good doom, let alone good Australian doom, so the band have really entered a vacuum with an incredibly solid performance of the new material. Heavy and patient, the tracks unfolded into the virgin ear canals of the mesmerised audience, combining monster riffing with cavernous growls to drag the melodies into the depths of despair.

The moment had finally arrived, however, with true metal lords Enslaved descending upon the insignificant stage. The crowd were rabid after decades of listening but not experiencing the might of the seminal Norwegian act. Formed when Ivar Bjornson was only 13, Enslaved all but created the Viking genre of metal music, with its chugging riffs and haunting lyrics of Norse mythology, and have moved from strength to strength ever since. Their powerful new release, RIITIIR, served as the basis of this show, the track of the same name and Roots Of The Mountain speaking volumes about the band's enthusiasm to open up down here. Respecting the long-time fanbase, they pumped out an updated Allfáðr Oðinn, us finally hearing it in its updated form. Ruun was received with roars before closing out with Isa to epic sing-alongs. No doubt Enslaved had as much of a blast as the fans; banter-sharing and drinking, these guys just found a home far from home in Perth.