Live Review: Voyager, Tempest Rising, Absent Hearts

It was slightly disappointing to see the amount of vacancy in the room as Absent Hearts opened their set. Performing in full, the five-piece band showcase a blistering trio of guitars, and their sweeping post-rock deserved a much better showing. Those who got in early certainly lapped up the exhibition of new tracks from the forthcoming EP.

The Tempest Rising fanbase did not fare much better in size, but they made themselves heard nonetheless. Vocalist Vin Trikeriotis slings back and forth between dirty and clean vocals that soar through the room after a few early mishaps. Their sound hybridised, with grinding riffs and pinch harmonics strapping themselves to an '80s heavy metal melody. The mixture blends well when delivered with the energetic punch that it is. Their set maintains the crowd easily but it's difficult to go past the brutal blast of Singularity for a highlight of the 40 minutes.

There's no doubt that Voyager jammed the room solid by the time they stepped onto the stage, but opening with favourites Momentary Relapse Of Pain and Stare Into The Night, they were uncharacteristically lacking in the signature blinding brightness. Maybe it was the band warming up or the repeating set list, but either way it began to feel as though it was Voyager on rails as opposed to Voyager tearing up the stage. Ironically, it took a song that most people would have experienced for the first time that night to ignite the evening. New track Ascension did just that. The scorching intro was filled with thick guitar cuts and faded away into a weaving verse with a Brandon Boyd-style vocals. It was not only one of the strongest tracks of the night, but probably one of the band's best to date. Of course the crowd favourite metal cabaret medley - cramming in Motorhead, Primus, Sepultura, and more - always helps circle liveliness, though it was hardly needed. The five excel instrumentally and don't miss a note while giving a dynamic closer of I am the ReVolution and once again amass a Perth applause.