Tag Archives: Billy Geary

Live Review: 65daysofstatic + sleepmakeswaves @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – 4 January 2013

Review by Billy Geary
As is the case with many bands that are somewhat lesser known, despite being critically acclaimed and possessing a stellar live sound, British four piece 65daysofstatic have taken quite a while to finally make it down under. After over ten years together, the band, with the help of the increasingly impressive Birds Robe record label, it was finally Australia’s turn to experience the quartet in the flesh.

Fresh from a huge 2012, including an ARIA award nomination, Sydney’s sleepmakeswaves were tasked with the role of main support for the entire tour. The quartet has, over the last few years, grown their fan base quite significantly and it showed in the sheer volume of the crowd’s cheers on Friday night as the band wandered on stage. The highlights of the set were opener ‘To You They Are Birds…’ and ‘We Sing The Body Electric,’ displaying exactly why they are considered one of Australia’s best young bands. To the delight of many, the band also showcased a couple of new tracks in ‘Avalanches’ and ‘Freshmaker.’ The former was particularly impressive, being slighter faster paced compared to most sleepmakeswaves tracks whilst still retaining their original sound.
Continue reading Live Review: 65daysofstatic + sleepmakeswaves @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – 4 January 2013

CD Review: Twelve Foot Ninja – “Silent Machine”

Review by Billy Geary
Just about every time you think music is becoming stale, over-saturated or downright boring, there’s always a band ready and waiting to put your faith back in music. Twelve Foot Ninja are one of those bands. Forming in 2007, Twelve Foot Ninja quickly rose to prominence, releasing two EPs packed with genre bending moments of reggae, metal, funk, dub and hardcore, sometimes within the same song. Their debut album, Silent Machine shows the same tendency, with added heaviness and polish.

After the first few verses of opener ‘Coming For You,’ for those new to the band one thing is immediately obvious, Twelve Foot Ninja aren’t afraid to mix contrasting genres mid-song. In fact, they thrive on it. ‘Coming For You’ is vintage Twelve Foot Ninja, blending reggae and metal, with a smattering of electronics evoking thoughts of Mr Bungle and Tomahawk. Throughout the record, the comparisons with various Mike Patton projects will inevitably continue, however to pigeonhole Silent Machine in such a way would be unfair to the band.
Continue reading CD Review: Twelve Foot Ninja – “Silent Machine”

Live Review: The Smashing Pumpkins @ Hisense Arena, Melbourne – 2nd August 2012

Review by Billy Geary
With the annual Splendour in the Grass festival letting loose in Bryon Bay, the sideshow circus around the country was in full swing. Co-headlining Splendour was the infamous Smashing Pumpkins, lead by vocalist/guitarist Billy Corgan with a new album in tow. In the lead up to Thursday night at Hisense Arena, there had been much speculation regarding the Pumpkins’ set. Corgan had previously stated that the band’s new album Oceania was to be played in full, aided by a ‘ground breaking’ spherical projection. The most striking thing upon entering the venue was how empty it seemed, with almost the entire top-level empty, as well as large chunks of the floor.

However, as the first few chords of ‘Quasar’ were played it became obvious for those who were there, that it would be a great show. Midway through Oceania, the more casual Smashing Pumpkins fans were getting impatient, with constant calls to play their old stuff. This only inspired the band to work harder, with Corgan visibly loving the opportunity to showcase the new record. Tracks like ‘The Chimera’ and ‘Pinwheels’ worked extremely well, with the former drawing the first large cheer for the night. Mention must be made of the image projection onto the giant sphere above the band as they played Oceania, it was a welcome addition that really gave an extra dimension to the songs that most weren’t too familiar with.
Continue reading Live Review: The Smashing Pumpkins @ Hisense Arena, Melbourne – 2nd August 2012

Live Review | The Ocean @ The Hi-Fi, Melbourne with Sydonia, Lo! – 26 May 2012

Review by Billy Geary
The OceanThe Ocean are one of the more interesting bands of the past few decades. The brainchild of guitarist Robin Staps, The Ocean has, over the years, morphed into one of the most forward thinking and innovative metal bands in the world. Their show at Melbourne’s Hi-Fi bar on Saturday night was the second last leg of their maiden tour of Australia, and what a night it was.

Upon descending the steps below Swanston Street, Sydney’s Lo! and their brand of chaotic hardcore was reverberating around the room and up the staircase. First impressions were good, with the quartet proving dynamic on the Hi-Fi’s stage. Front man Jamie-Leigh Smith screamed his way around the room, both on stage and off it and gradually won over an oddly surly audience over as their set progressed. Coming across as a mixture of Converge and Mastodon, the sludgy riffs from Carl Whitbread sounded huge over the PA, really driving the band’s sound into the punters present. At the conclusion of their set, it was more than obvious why they were hand picked by The Ocean to support the entire tour.
Continue reading Live Review | The Ocean @ The Hi-Fi, Melbourne with Sydonia, Lo! – 26 May 2012

Live Review | Devin Townsend Project, Meshuggah and Dredg @ The Forum Theatre, Melbourne – 29 February 2012

REVIEW by Billy Geary
As Melbourne’s Soundwave week continued into Wednesday night, it was time to head to the beautiful Forum Theatre for a taste of some of the most original music the massive line up had to offer.

As somewhat the black sheep of Wednesday night’s line-up, art rock band dredg more than held their own against the heavier headliners. After a few false starts in recent years, this was their first venture to Australia and quickly won over the predominantly metal focused crowd. Opening with two of their most well known songs in ‘Ode to the Sun’ and ‘Bug Eyes’ was a smart move, as the band commanded attention from the start. ‘Bug Eyes’ in particular got a great response, its chorus sounding majestic within the confines of The Forum.
Continue reading Live Review | Devin Townsend Project, Meshuggah and Dredg @ The Forum Theatre, Melbourne – 29 February 2012

Interview: Mårten Hagström – MESHUGGAH

Interview: Billy Geary
We caught up with MESHUGGAH guitarist Mårten Hagström just ahead of the bands arrival in Australia for Soundwave 2012

LMM: Soundwave 2012 will be the second time you’ve toured with the festival, what made you want to come back and do it again?

MESHUGGAH : Australia has been a real good experience for us so it was a no brainer actually. The perfect way to get away from the Swedish winter.
 
 
LMM: Your new album will be coming out around the same time you’re playing at Soundwave. Do you plan to include any of the new songs in your set?

>MESHUGGAH: Don’t know yet. We are still debating that issue.
 
 
LMM: What are you most looking forward to about doing Soundwave 2012?
Continue reading Interview: Mårten Hagström – MESHUGGAH

Live Review : Incubus @ Festival Hall, Melbourne – 7th February 2012

Review by Billy Geary
Photo Credit: Amy Lee FreshwaterIt’s fair to say that over the years Californian natives Incubus have traversed more than a few genres in their music, giving rise to one of the more diverse musical fan bases around at present. This was perfectly evident on Tuesday night as everyone from middle agers to remnant 90s grunge kids made the short trek to Festival Hall from Southern Cross Station for a dose of Incubus.

Sydneysiders Papa vs. Pretty had the envious job of opening up proceedings, putting on a tight set for the slowly filling room. The trio have a had a massive last year, which has seen them come on in leaps and bounds, especially in terms of their live show. Their high energy set of melodic rock was perfect fodder for the early arriving punters, garnering a big cheer from the entire room as their set concluded. If this set is anything to go by, expect big things from these three gentlemen in 2012.
Continue reading Live Review : Incubus @ Festival Hall, Melbourne – 7th February 2012

Interview with Garry “Gaz” Jennings of Cathedral

Interview: Billy Geary
We caught up with Cathedral guitarist Garry “Gaz” Jennings for a quick chat about Soundwave 2012 – the last shows they’ll be performing together…

LMM: It’s been confirmed that the Soundwave tour would be your last ever tour together. What was the reasoning behind making Soundwave Soundwave your last set of shows together?

Garry “Gaz” Jennings: The last ever show was supposed to be the London show but about 2 days after we announced the gig this offer came in which was to good to turn down so we accepted and then announced the London show as the last uk show.
 
 
LMM: Does anyone in the band plan on moving onto other musical projects after Cathedral finishes up, or is this completely it for you guys in terms of playing professionally?

GJ: I think we will all continue in some shape or form whether it’s doing it professional or for fun. Brian has a side project already and they do quite alot of gigs and Scott will still play with Repulsion. Lee has his label and I’m sure he may get involved in some projects along the way. As for myself I’ll probably continue to play the guitar for fun but will not join or form a band. I may do a solo project at some point. I have loads of ideas which have never been used but I’m to lazy to do anything with them.
 
 
LMM: What are you most looking forward to about doing Soundwave 2012?

GJ: Just getting over there and playing and enjoying the fact that it’s the last time we will play together.
 
  Continue reading Interview with Garry “Gaz” Jennings of Cathedral

Interview: Ben Weinman – The Dillinger Escape Plan

Interview: Billy Geary
With The Dillinger Escape Plan set to inflict their brand of intense, chaotic and stage totalling performance on an eager Soundwave 2012 crowd, we asked DEP guitarist and founding member Ben Weinman to share his thoughts on touring, Australia and Soundwave.

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Uneven Structure – Februus | Album Review

Review by Billy Geary

If our friends on the other side of the globe the French are known for one thing, it most certainly isn’t for their music scene, let alone experimental metal. With their debut album Februus, French metallers Uneven Structure are about to change all of that. Combining the atmosphere of bands like Pink Floyd with the intensity of Meshuggah, the French sextet have created an album that is both brutal and beautiful, often at the same time. Continue reading Uneven Structure – Februus | Album Review

Stray From The Path – Rising Sun | Album Review

Review by Billy Geary


Rising Sun - Stray from the PathRising Sun – Stray from the Path
  New York hardcore quartet Stray From The Path have been around for quite a while now, with their past albums only ever hinting at the bands potential. Rising Sun however, changes all of that, delivering 30 minutes of excellent hardcore done right. Despite being their sixth album, Rising Sun shows that while the band’s sound hasn’t changed much over the past few years, Stray From The Path remain relevant due to the sheer passion and energy they bring to the music. Rising Sun’s strength lies in that while it sticks to a relatively stringent formula, it is more often than not a winning one, demanding attention for the entirety of the record.

Continue reading Stray From The Path – Rising Sun | Album Review

Album Review | Fair To Midland – ‘Arrows and Anchors’

Review by Billy Geary
Smart, unique alternative rock is becoming somewhat of a rarity in today’s music industry. Only a handful of bands such as Manchester Orchestra, Karnivool and Thrice are prepared to branch out and try something different and still retain an inherent accessibility about them. Given the ever increasing saturation of music worldwide, it often takes something quite special to break out of the rut and create something truly interesting and captivating. What Texan quintet Fair To Midland have achieved with their fourth album Arrows and Anchors, however, is just that Continuing on from where their breakthrough album Fables From a Mayfly left off, Fair To Midland have put together an outstanding album of eclectic rock music, albeit in a heavier fashion this time around. Arrows and Anchors is the natural progression from Fables… in that it improves the band’s overall sound while still retaining what made its predecessor such an excellent release. Tracks such as the utterly magical ‘Golden Parachutes’ and ‘Short Haired Tornado’ are perfect examples of this. In fact, the chorus of ‘Golden Parachutes’ is arguably one of the best rock choruses this year, let alone on the album. Praise must be given to vocalist Darroh Sudderth who possesses one of the best voices in rock music today, as displayed in the aforementioned songs.
Continue reading Album Review | Fair To Midland – ‘Arrows and Anchors’

Album Review | Define My Addiction – Systemic

Review by Billy Geary
Forming in 2009 after the demise of two well known Perth bands Saturation Point and Fractured, Perth’s Define My Addiction released their debut album Systemic in early 2011. The four piece play a brand of modern metal that comes across as an equal mix of Dillinger Escape Plan, albeit less frantic and a more polished Mudvayne.

On first impressions, Systemic is a little inconsistent, featuring some outstanding songs like the heavy as hell ‘Alignment’ and the more progressive ‘Nameless,’ but is also home to a couple of filler tracks. The main sticking point for Systemic is its somewhat lack of originality.
Continue reading Album Review | Define My Addiction – Systemic

Album Review | Calling All Cars – ‘Dancing With a Dead Man’

Review by Billy Geary
Melbourne hard rockers Calling All Cars are undoubtedly one of the harder working bands doing the rounds today. In the past two years since the release of their debut the three-piece have toured relentlessly with the likes of AC/DC, Queens of the Stone Age and The Butterfly Effect as well as a heap of headline shows of their own. Somehow in that time, they’ve managed to record an absolute cracker of a sophomore album, improving their sound in every way possible.
Continue reading Album Review | Calling All Cars – ‘Dancing With a Dead Man’

Live Review | Dead Letter Circus + Closure in Moscow + Wolves @ The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne – 24 August 2011

Review – Billy Geary
The meteoric rise of Dead Letter Circus in the past 18 months is no secret. Having quickly moved from the small, intimate feel of the Espy to regularly selling out the substantially bigger HiFi Bar and touring the UK and America, its fair to say that DLC are doing all right. Back in Melbourne for yet another jaunt around Australia, this time for their “No Fracking Way” Tour, Brisbane alternative rock darlings Dead Letter Circus were at the top of their game on Wednesday night.
Continue reading Live Review | Dead Letter Circus + Closure in Moscow + Wolves @ The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne – 24 August 2011