Live Review: Sevendust, Red Hook, Reliqa

There’s something to be said for a rock band who have the power to elicit some of the most diverse reactions possible – rage, fury, lust, longing, sorrow, joy. You might not be able to see it on the surface, but peel back the multifaceted layers of Sevendust as they tear through the country on their All I See Is War tour, immerse yourself in their music, and you’ll come out feeling something more than human.

The night’s supports couldn’t have been more in contrast with one another. First up were Reliqa, whose singer far outshone the rest of the band. Their power-metal nuances teetered on becoming math-metal thanks to the trouble their bass player had in keeping time but they did, overall, show potential. Sydney’s own RedHook continue to make waves across the land and bag new fans whenever they set foot on stage. A hesitant reception from the Metro audience ended in complete adoration as the band marched off stage triumphant, another audience conquered thanks to their nu-metal leanings and feisty stage presence.

Invincible is the word you might think of when you first see Sevendust. As they broke into Dirty, the power of the bass made the floor rumble, the cry of the guitars reached the rafters, and the sheer ferocity of frontman Lajon Witherspoon was an exciting thing to see.

This was a personalised experience, with guitarists John Connolly and Clint Lowery going out of their way to draw fans in through killer riffs and intense eye contact. Bitch, Denial and Angel’s Son, some of the band’s biggest songs, were welcomed with rapturous applause that surely had dust shaking from the roof. The encore of Black and Face To Face left many in the audience hoarse from screaming.

Seasoned pros, in their 25-year tenure Sevendust have never come across as anything other than genuine – this gig was no exception. They don’t mince their older material for the sake of the newer, performing it all with as much enthusiasm as you’d imagine they did the first time around. Sevendust force you to live in the now, the power of their performance and the unadulterated passion they have for both music and their fans completely untouched by rock'n'roll stereotypes. Sevendust made us feel things we didn’t know were possible to feel.