Live Review: Lamb Of God, Meshuggah

Punters are still queued in a long line to enter general admission when Meshuggah start up with Swarm from latest album Koloss, but even from outside the sound is impressive. Once inside the sound is nothing short of titanic, almost deafening, and the low end is so powerful it literally rattles the floorboards. Ten rows from the front the concussive battery from the drums, eight-string guitars and bass is so strong it shakes your bones. The mix is absolutely thunderous but clear and punchy, giving Meshuggah's alien, polyrhythmic material massive weight and immense power. This is how live metal should sound!

As usual the Swedes play flawlessly, producing a stellar performance of difficult material, drawing mostly from their last two albums Koloss and Obzen. Their tight performance combined with the physical assault from the bass frequencies makes for an awesome experience. HR Giger-esque banners and a backdrop featuring artwork based on the Koloss album art add atmosphere, with a dynamic light show tightly synchronised with the lurching riffs and battery of the drums. There's not a lot of verbal interaction with the crowd apart from a few words now and then from vocalist Jens Kidman, though he frequently glares out at the crowd and gestures for raised horns as he prowls the stage with a menacing grimace. Bleed is always a Meshuggah live show highlight, so much so that one punter screams out, “Play it again!” afterwards, and no one would be disappointed if they did. After the eerie interlude of Mind's Mirrors a massive pit opens up for In Death – Is Life and In Death – Is Death, capping a remarkably intense set with this epic trio of tracks from Catch Thirty Three. Meshuggah usually play their robotic riffs with mechanical precision, so that's nothing new, but tonight they transcend, manufacturing an amazing concussive sonic barrage that is simply awesome to experience.

You know what you're going to get with Lamb Of God – straight up metal, played hard and heavy – and they deliver it with the energy and effortless intensity of road-hardened veterans. As good as Meshuggah are, it's Lamb Of God who deservedly have the headline slot and they do not disappoint. There's little stage show to speak of, just a wall of Mesa Boogie and Ampeg cabinets and a large backdrop, with a hectic light show supplying visual dynamics. Otherwise it's just flat-out, frenzied riffs with brutal vocals, one power-packed aural punch after another. While Meshuggah's sound is weighty and massive, Lamb Of God's sits more in the mid-range and is razor sharp and abrasive. Again, the volume is intense – though at times the vocals could be more prominent in the mix, overshadowed by the attack of the guitars. Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler shred out vicious riffs influenced by Slayer and Pantera, and bassist John Campbell lays down the heavy groove with Chris Adler in a very solid rhythm section, driving the band with relentless momentum. Lamb Of God are definitely a killer live act, seasoned by years of countless gigs with the same remarkably stable line-up and it shows in the consistency of their set. Desolation, Set To Fail and Walk With Me In Hell set the floor off from the start and the intensity never lets up.

Vocalist Randy Blythe doesn't mind a chat with the crowd and references his recent well-documented legal troubles after the tragic death of a fan in the Czech Republic in the best way possible, simply telling everyone in the pit, “Have fun, but if someone falls down, pick them up.” He goes on to effusively expound upon why the band love Australia so much, gives a shout out to Melbourne acts Sydonia and I Am Duckeye before Contractor, then remarks how we have the weirdest possible names for country towns (with an approximate pronunciation of what is probably meant to be Woolloomooloo) before Redneck. Finale Black Label causes GA to explode, with crowd surfers everywhere and a chaotic mass of heaving bodies jumping in one final burst of energy. It's a fitting end to a fantastic double bill that leaves the crowd sweaty, exhausted and satisfied.