While the community may have been scattered, there was still a great vibe and a crowd that jammed out to these amazing bands. With a different atmosphere from the night before, as this was not a Wacken Battle Heat, it offered a more relaxed, easy-going night. The Irish, as a venue, also draws an interesting crowd. From the punks and metalheads, who are generally chilled, energetic, and friendly, to the local regulars, who somehow consist of that kind of “dude bro.”
With all of this going on, this was still a night filled with amazing bands to rock out to.
Killing Eden
With parts that were soft, vulnerable, and almost romantic, Killing Eden offered a slow and deliberate kind of metal that stays with you for longer. However, these softer elements were also subverted when their vocalist broke out her deep gutturals and told the audience to “try me, motherfucker!” There was this constant rhythmic bounce, perfect for swaying back and forth to, allowing you to soak in their sound. As the opening band of the night, they kicked things off with the appropriate vibes and got us to warm up our feet for the bands to come. Even as an opener, they had a solid group of fans cheering them on, suggesting that they are one to keep an eye on.
Among The Absence
Among The Absence casually rolled up and blew us away with their extreme deathcore. Highly technical, each song introduced something new, with the vocalist constantly switching up his vocals to keep us on our toes. With guitars that effortlessly fell in sync with each other, they had some really intense breakdowns, which were completely crushing. They had this rampaging energy that made it feel like they were there to tear everything down, and they even played their new single, “Kneel to the Scythe,” which felt like it fit perfectly among their existing tracks. This is the kind of deathcore that feels like it belongs in South Africa.
The Dominion
With a gritty, surfer influence that feels like it comes from Cape Town, it was a treat to witness The Dominion. They brought their own brand of hardcore, with an energetic stage presence that even rivaled Sam MacKintosh from Fading Gray. They had a strong setlist, playing familiar tracks like “Broken Chair” and “Panic!” that one may recognize from their online discography. Straddling the line between groove and heaviness perfectly, each song was performed with 100% of their energy and felt like a punk anthem in its own right. They even threatened to pack up and leave if the audience didn’t give it their all.
Goatboi
And of course, one can’t forget about Goatboi! They closed out the night with a performance worth remembering, creating an atmospheric ambience that was jittery, eclectic, and engaging. Their first set of tracks had this vulnerable sound, and as they continued to play, they transformed into something completely unhinged and overwhelming. Playing their crowd-pleasing songs like “What even is a Furry?,” this is a band that you cannot look away from, and they were engaging enough to keep our attention throughout. They have a strong fanbase that came out to support them, chanting the lyrics to songs loudly every so often.
In a small scene such as this, you may end up seeing the same bands around the circuit. For me, there were three bands on the lineup that I had not experienced before. This made the overall night all the more refreshing, suggesting that the local metal scene in Joburg is more active and varied than you might imagine.
