Live Review: Jack The Stripper, Hollow World, DREGG, Drivetime Commute

Drivetime Commute hit the crowd with a huge wall of sound that sews together the elements of punk, hardcore and mathcore. These guys throw their whole bodies into this performance and they're led by frontman Roscoe Schwarz who flings himself around, jumping from stage to the floor and back again. This set rolls by in a furious whirlwind of guitars, drums and screams all topped off with a Henry Rollins attitude. 

DREGG are ready to riot; they stare down at the crowd through their war paint. This five-pieces offers up a different side of metal, which fuses together elements of rap and hardcore - reminiscent of early System Of A Down. Each track has a story, which frontman Christopher Mackertich shares. Government, school systems and religion all take a hit with Goof Troop, Curriculum Critters and Riddle Me This. The crowd gets into it, moshing along, and goes off when DREGG launch into metal classic, Sugar.

Hollow World kicks the heavy up a notch with their tight and fast-paced melodic death metal. Tonight is frontman Ben Roberts' last show with Hollow World. He demonstrates impressive vocal control, flicking between low, deep growls and high-pitched screams. The melodic element comes from a killer guitar, which offers clean lead licks over the dense mix of drums and screamo vocals. The crowd get into the band's single Valley Of The Ghelgath.

Jack The Stripper stalk on stage, frontman Luke Frizon pointing to the back of the room and snarling, "Everyone at the back, get the fuck up here!" before launching into the first track. The packed crowd pulses and shifts as people up the back push their way forward and the moshpit opens up. Frizon glares down at his audience as he stands on the edge of the stage screaming, snarling and spitting.

Their set storms along; a furious and brutal attack on the senses. This band is highly skilled as they stay together through complex rhythm changes, head-banging all the while. Frizon's vocal is shouted and has a hardcore feel like Fear Factory's Burton C Bell with a deep growl like that of Chuck Schuldiner from Death (RIP). The quintet play a bunch of new tracks and also throw in fan-favourites like Long Night In Hades, Nibiru and Grinning Death. The mosh doesn't stop moving and singer Frizon spends just as much time crowd-surfing, in the pit and the "hugging circles" (as he calls it) as he does on stage.

Jack The Stripper prove once again that Australian metal is thriving. Now to rest our necks from all the head-banging we did tonight.