Live Review: Grun, Hashshashin, Adrift For Days

Sludgy Sydney doom lords Adrift For Days, all chuffed from their new album A Sleepless Grey, had the pleasure of offering the opening salvo. Gnarly vocals wrenched from the lungs of Mick Kaslik set these guys apart, and their short set was a crushing trip into volatile psychosis that we'd do again in a second. The emotional punches didn't land as hard as the band perhaps - it was a far more visceral experience. That said, Adrift For Days were a solid start.

But it was actually Hashshashin that impressed the most. Their unique blend of Middle Eastern bouzouki noodling and classic prog chops was hypnotic. There was a far more subtle energy at work —maintained by Lachlan Dale and his troupe — and this made Hashshashin stand apart from the brute force of Adrift For Days and Grun. A lot of it sounded samey, but that wasn't a bad thing. It felt like a fugue state for a short while. Impressive stuff.

Sydney's Grun have just released Manyana, a riveting new LP that boasts some gorgeous build-ups and layering, and devastating primal power. Factory Floor is not the best room in terms of sound, but Grun milked it, pushing out the walls to fit in their lush arrangements. Some detail was lost, and some subtle textures turned to durge-y mush, but the sheer weight of their sound carried the set home.

Adrift For Days presented us with a tense and restless beginning, whereas Grun sent us off into an autumn night with dreams in our heads. A great evening.