Live Review: Truckfighters, Holy Serpent, Mammoth

Rejoice, for the swift return of Sweden's Truckfighters to Australia is nought but good and with less than a year since their last shows here it's clear the diverse fuzz trio love our country. Bringing Melbourne's psych doom lords Holy Serpent as a one-off support for Adelaide was a decision all for the better, and when combined with local openers Mammoth there's not much more you could ask for on a Sunday evening.

Mammoth are a band with balls; great, big, sonic kahunas. The world needs more bands with big, sonic balls. Terrific musical gonads, if you will. The thing about Mammoth is they are like having Down live in your backyard. They're awesome and you get to hear them play all the time. Mammoth play nothing short of crunchy riffs and possess a sweet, sweet southern masculinity. Let's hope to see them nab more awesome supports such as this. 

Holy Serpent have continued to become better players and a better band. It's one thing to have stellar material, which has been a major strength of the band as they continue to attract critical acclaim worldwide, but to push that material to its limits and perform it in the best way it can be performed is not something every band does. With their live mix exuding the juiciest of sludge tones, and the ever-mean snare cracks of drummer Keith Ratnan resounding throughout the bar, it's Nick Donoughue's soloing that harnesses the arcane element of Holy Serpent that has drawn so many to the band. New live material also hints at a confident and more aggressive Holy Serpent on LP number two.

Truckfighters delivered the rock'n'roll show they are renowned, and highly regarded, for. Though dubbed as a sort of fuzz icon, Truckfighters don't sit so comfortably within the boundaries of this subgenre. With fast, groovy licks, a stage presence akin to Red Hot Chili Peppers and a lesser-explored progressive side of slow melodic progression, the band's heavy tonal songs that bring about their fuzz identifier are only one key element to what makes Truckfighters one of the most diverse contemporary rock bands. Considering the upbeat party atmosphere they effortlessly conjure, Truckfighters deserve to be playing to Australian audiences closer to a thousand strong, then perhaps we will see their full live potential. Asking the crowd for their song choices during the encore was also a nice touch.