Live Review: Baroness, Grieg

Brisbane's Grieg deliver a sound that is a touch more unforgiving than their esteemed headliners. Their grimy brand of heavy expression is a tad eclectic but their penchant for rockin' riffs and striking, hand-crafted cover art (courtesy of drummer Alex Gillies) makes them an obvious choice for tonight's opening slot. On first impression the frontman doesn't fit quite right, but after a quick gander at the tracklist of their vinyl over at the merch desk, everything falls into place. Titles such as Godnose Is Fucking Dead, An Lismore Graduate, and Step One: Blow Up Self reveal a tongue-in-cheek approach that actually makes sense when put into context with their somewhat grimy and eclectic sound. There's an interesting tension at play with such serious sounding music that doesn't take itself too seriously, and tonight it goes down a treat.

It's been six years since Baroness' last headline show in Brisbane. Their previous set at Soundwave Festival, near on three years ago, packed a punch, but it wasn't quite the full assault. Tonight, the Triffid is packed-in tight and the fans are predictably ecstatic at the opportunity to see the band in full form again. A wave of jubilation washes over when they take the stage and Kerosene is soon spilling out of the speakers in all its blazing fury.

The current line-up has now had a good amount of time to gel as a band and it really shows. They're sounding tighter than previously and appear to be having a great time on stage with March To The Sea and Morningstar, and then back again with Shock Me and Board Up The House, and then on to Green Theme. Frontman John Baizley and guitarist Peter Adams don't let the gruelling summer heat slow them down; they are as lively as ever, and each of their manic movements further fuels the physical fanaticism down in the pit.

Through each song the lighting matches its respective colour theme and helps to draw one down into the folds of the music a little deeper. However, it isn't until the run of If I Have To Wake Up (Would You Stop The Rain?), Fugue, and Chlorine & Wine that we are dragged to the true depths. The first of these demonstrate a slightly more daring exploration into dynamics and musical variety, and the latter backs them both up with added emotional intensity. It's Baroness at their most mature and it really hits home. Try To Disappear keeps the waters churning before the violent storm of Desperation Burns and The Gnashing rounds out the set on two notes of emphasised fury. A "one more song" chant is rewarded with more than bargained for as an encore of The Sweetest Curse and Take My Bones Away wraps the night up in the most epic of styles.