Live Review: The Mark Of Cain, InWoods

Local trio InWoods had the distinct privilege of opening this Cancer Council SA charity event and were clearly overwhelmed and elated about the opportunity.

Respectively humble, the building crowd were very attentive to the trio but not due to politeness, quite the opposite; this three-piece were owed attention thanks to their aptitude. It became clear why InWoods were selected as an opener, their versatile take on the genres of music they clearly adore is rather stirring. However, the difference between diversity and blatant confusion is a very thin wire which these South Australian musicians flirt probably too heavily with. Unquestionably there is talent amongst this which shined through in the songs selected from both the outfit’s EPs, but weaving from some very impressive stoner doom-metal, to nu-metal meets Red Hot Chilli Peppers gibberish (think Jonathan Davis over funk), to grunge, to classic rock with just a little bit of Black Sabbath is probably a little excessive.

Suddenly it became very difficult to move around the venue; it was very easy to forget that it was in fact only halfway through the working week but when a band of the calibre The Mark Of Cain are performing, as rare as this circumstance is, capacity is more than just expected. After a very placid introduction, the alternative metal/post-punk iconic men including on-call drummer Eli Green launched into You Are Alone. Attendees bunched themselves into a package as close to the stage and 31-year veterans as they could, fists were raised in the air, singalongs became deafening and TMOC treated everyone with their best songs from their expansive discography.The set included UCD, First Time, The Hammer, Interloper, Grey-11, Retaliate, Milosevic, Sleep, The Contender, Second Hander, Avenger and Familiar Territory which were executed with a precision boosted by Green, but the best was yet to come. An encore, which to be frank was more like the “second set” after a brief intermission was required and TMOC happily obliged: Battlesick, Cap On John, Tell Me, LMA, Fire In Her Heart, Heart Of Stone and Point Man closed out the event. Although this was enjoyed to paramount levels, it almost seemed as if it was over too soon.

If they continue to shatter venues like they currently are on this tour, well, the world will be delighted.