Live Review: Horror My Friend

Horror My Friend has built a cult following in their hometown of Adelaide with their brazen live shows. Their sound could be shoved anywhere between post-punk, shoegaze and indie-rock. Now signed with Poison City Records, the trio's long awaited debut album Stay In, Do Nothing took a year to perfect and was unleashed in full at Clarity Records.

Inside the high-ceilinged room it was sticky and sweaty, the crowd spilling onto the pavement.  At these gigs there is always an electric sense of community. The room was filled with fellow Adelaide musos, prompting some friendly banter between the crowd and band.

Album opener Death Hill built into a massive wall of sound, the crowd headbanging along in appreciation. Lyrically, Horror My Friend is a mix of self-loathing and naive optimism, "Nothing can or will ever kill me, unless of course I forget to breathe," sings vocalist and guitarist Tom Gordon. The contrast between laidback vocals and blatant screams propels each track forward. Surprisingly, the sound travelled well through the small room with crisp, gritty guitars, relentless drums and enough riffs to poke a stick at.

While you can hear the '90s influences loud and clear, they have a definite sense of confidence and youthfulness. Stay In boasts a compelling and fun chorus, while Same Minds erupts with more hectic energy. Albums of this genre can often blur into a fuzzy mess. But, with Horror My Friend something jumps out from each track, from the jangly guitars of Mazes, to the pain-oozing screams on Life Blood, it is never boring. PB Remains ended with a killer drawn-out outro, the guitars rolling around your brain long after.

Stay In, Do Nothing deserves to be played on repeat and as the trio hit the road hopefully it will attract more listens. If Horror My Friend can sound this incredible in a tiny record store, there is no stopping them on stage.